Fletching

This morning James and I checked out of the Ibis and walked to London Victoria Station. On our way to the we saw a red carriage and horses approaching Buckingham Palace. We stopped as they approached and entered the grounds of the Palace, but couldn’t see who was inside, although I did see a waving hand! We checked the court circular later and it may have been the Countess of Wessex. 

We took the train to Haywards Heath and took a taxi to the little village of Fletching in Sussex. It’s very pretty and very old; the Church dates back to the 12th century and our hotel (the Griffin Inn) is an old Coaching Inn which has been here since the 16th century. It is an area that we have never visited before and I would like to come back for a longer visit because it’s beautiful. The weather has been getting distinctly colder over the last couple of days and there has been some snowfall around Britain. We only saw a very few flakes of snow here in Sussex but there was a very chilly wind. What a difference from the unseasonably warm weather over the past week! We went for a walk around the village and along a path towards Piltdown; back at our hotel we looked from its gardens over the South Downs, known to locals as the “Sussex Serengeti” because of all the grazing animals that you can see in summer. Today we only saw a few cows, munching grass in the sunshine. 

We had dinner in the cosy bar of the hotel and were pleased that our table was right beside the log-burning stove, which was very cheery. The hosts were very friendly and the bar was busy. We couldn’t help overhearing an interesting conversation from a nearby table from some people who I think were members of the church choir, and we’re talking about music and bell-ringing and of course some juicy church gossip. 

Hyde Park and more Theatre

Today James and I had a brilliant walk right through Hyde Park to The Royal Albert Hall and saw (I think for the first time) the ornate Albert Memorial that was designed after Prince Albert’s death. We noticed lots of young graduates milling about in gowns. They had just had a delayed (due to Covid) graduation ceremony from Imperial College London, and the bell in the college’s tower was pealing in celebration. 

We went back into the V&A and went upstairs to look at furniture designs from the Great Exhibition in 1850 and loads of ceramics. We looked for our parents’ old dinner sets and tea sets in the 20th century section and were disappointed not to find any of them, although there were some that were very similar. 

We met Jennifer and Cat for a delicious dinner before James headed off for a drink with Ally and we three ladies went to see a play called Cock, starring Jonathan Bailey (who also plays the oldest brother in Bridgerton), Taron Egerton, Jade Anouka and Phil Daniels. Taron Egerton currently has Covid and was replaced this evening by understudy Joel Harper-Jackson. It was a pity not to see the talented Egerton but his replacement was excellent and anyway I think that the real star of the show was Jonathan Bailey, who played John. It was billed as a comedy and there were some very funny moments but it was also very thoughtful and intense, with only the four characters and minimal scenery. There was no right or wrong in the decision that John had to make, and all of the characters had their own agendas which made it all the more confusing for him. I enjoyed it very much and will be thinking about it for a long time. 

Geology and Theatre

This morning James and I did some shopping in the morning in the Burlington Arcade and Fortnum and Masons, and fulfilled a long held ambition by visiting a very important map at the Geological Society. A few years ago James and I both read and enjoyed a book that Bob lent us about the geologist William Smith, and the book mentioned that the map which was the culmination of Smith’s life’s work is behind a curtain on the stairs wall of the Geological Society. So I phoned first to confirm that we could visit, and then we turned up and were given a warm welcome by the lovely receptionist, who drew back the big curtain so that we could look at the map. It felt quite moving to see it, and James perused it for a long time. We also popped up to the library upstairs which has every geological book and magazine imaginable. Unlike the pleasant receptionist downstairs, the two people who were in the library watched us suspiciously while we looked around and only spoke to us to tell me off for touching one of the rarer books that was lying on a table. 

For dinner Cat had kindly booked a Spanish restaurant which was very near the Donmar Warehouse. Ally was working late so he met us at the theatre. The play was Henry V and it was tremendous. I have neither read nor watched it before and I was amazed, as I often am by Shakespeare, at just how relevant it feels to our lives now. Its theme of ordinary soldiers questioning what the war was for is very topical regarding Russian soldiers in Ukraine, and I was fascinated with what seemed to me Henry V’s evolution from a young irresponsible man, to earnest King, to brave soldier and finally to triumphant and smiling monster. The star, Kit Harrington of Game of Thrones fame, was a brilliant actor and so were the rest of the cast.  

Happy Birthday Ally

When we celebrated Ally’s birthday this evening at the Ivy Asia opposite St Paul’s Cathedral, we were impressed with the opulent Eastern decor. There were fish painted on the ceiling, statues of herons, brightly painted vases, plants, a cherry tree with blossom (not real but very pretty), even a very striking luminous bright green agate floor. Even the chopstick holders on the table were little metal carp. A DJ played Eastern music on two turntables. Outside the window towered the white walls of St Paul’s, floodlit in the twilight. It was a lovely venue. There were five of us including Ally’s friend Iain, and we had a delightful evening. 

Earlier in the day, with Ally and Cat back at work because it’s Monday, James and I decided to go to Richmond to find a couple of the locations used in a tv series that we enjoyed last year; Ted Lasso. We found Ted’s local pub and the street that his house was in, which were both very attractive. Then we went for a walk along the river. It was yet another beautiful day and we had lunch sitting outside at a café beside the Thames. Interestingly, it seems to be a place with very high river tides, as evidenced by the levels marked on buildings, and a sign outside a pub exhorting people to use its side door when the river is high. We then walked along to nearby Twickenham which was another pretty riverside area, and had some smoothies there before setting off by tube back to the centre of London to meet up with Ally and Cat and Iain for the aforementioned dinner. 

Fabulous Fabergé

It was time to leave Birmingham this morning and Cat and I had planned to travel to London by train in the morning, in order to be in plenty of time to meet James and Ally for lunch. (James travelled to London by train yesterday and spent the evening and overnight with Ally.)

However the best laid plans o’ mice and men gang aft agley, and not only did our train get cancelled, so did the next one. This meant that we would not arrive in London in time for the lunch that Cat had booked. So Cat quickly researched what transport was available and found that there was a direct bus from Birmingham to London, leaving very shortly. VERY shortly - I had to run for it while much fitter Cat strode along, very kindly carrying my case as well as her own overnight bag! And we made it with minutes to spare. The bus ride was nearly three hours but it went by surprisingly quickly and then at London Victoria bus station we jumped into a taxi and arrived at the restaurant only 15 minutes late. 

The restaurant was fabulous, called The Terrace, decorated with lots of plants and ferns. The food was middle-eastern and delicious, and Ally and Cat treated us to lunch as my Mothers' Day present. I feel like a very loved Mum, with Davie and Chanel’s also very generous present on Wednesday, and phone calls and messages from my New Zealand boy Jamie.

We relaxed and chatted over lunch, having completely caught up with our plans thanks to Cat.

Our next visit was to the Fabergé Exhibition at the V&A, which I thought was great. We learned a lot about the history of the firm as well as seeing their beautiful miniature creations, including tiny pieces of furniture, lots of cigarette cases and of course the eggs. The Fabergé Eggs were created as luxury gifts, particularly for the Russian Royal Family to give each other at Easter. Each one is unique and many have “surprises” inside them like for example a wind-up peacock that can walk along while fanning out it’s tail. They are so very intricate and gorgeous, but I couldn’t help thinking that ultimately they were rather pointless! Or are such things of beauty worthwhile in themselves? 

Later we all had a curry together in Ally and Cat’s fabby flat overlooking the Thames. What a fantastic Mothers' Day. 

Beautiful Birmingham

Our second day in Birmingham started with breakfast sitting outside on the steps in Victoria Square. The efficient (but steadfastly unsmiling despite my attempts at jollity) waiter at the Medicine Bakery had no free table but served us coffee and pastries to take away. We went on a canal trip up and down the nearby canal; like Manchester, Birmingham grew hugely during the Industrial Revolution and canals were used to transport goods. 

Then in the afternoon we went on one of the walking tours run by volunteers. It was great, the tour guide was very enthusiastic and knowledgable and talked to us about the history of the city by looking at its changing architecture. It was genuinely fascinating to listen to this expert (he was a retired lecturer in architectural design) explain it to us. The spring blossom is out in Birmingham and looked gorgeous especially in one of the wee squares where there were rows of neatly trimmed cherry trees. After the tour we nipped into the Rep for a coffee and the barista recommended that we should sit in the comfy chairs by the window to look out onto the square, which we did. 

We had a Mexican meal before heading to RuPaul’s Drag Race at the Symphony Hall. Birmingham centre was absolutely jumping on this warm Saturday evening. The show was great; beautiful costumes, great music and dancing, it was so happy and joyful. Cat and I booked this after watching Season Two of RuPaul’s Drag Race during Covid Lockdown, so we knew all of the Queens. Unfortunate the winner, Laurence Chaney, was not there because of illness (it was announced that the has haemorrhoids!) but the others more than made up for his absence. What a wonderful evening. 

Brummies

I set off in plenty of time to catch my 10.27 train to London this morning. However as I lifted my little red wheely case onto a pavement I somehow forgot to lift my foot and tripped, falling full length. Not much harm was done apart from to my pride! A taxi driver and a passing pedestrian ran to my aid and helped me up, and I limped onwards with a skinned knee and numb fingers where they had hit the tarmac. I was still in good time and purchased a coffee and a pain aux raisins which I consumed on the train. 

I met up with Cat at Birmingham New Street and after depositing our luggage at our very central Premier Inn we set out to explore the city. It was another glorious day and we we didn’t even plan our route, just walked through the centre taking in the buildings and fountains. We sat outside a wee Italian restaurant for lunch and chatted, then continued past Victoria Square and down to the canal, where we walked in a curve back to the centre. Cat noticed people standing high up on a balcony at Birmingham Library so we decided to head up there to see the views. What a find! The library is modern and beautiful both inside and outside, it has two outside viewing areas, and the pièce de resistance is a little Shakespeare Library right at the very top of the building, lovingly rebuilt and in parts recreated from the 18th century original. It is absolutely delightful, with every book about Shakespeare imaginable, as well as a First Folio which is of course safely locked away, a reproduction can be viewed. 

One of the outstanding viewing areas is called the “secret garden” with seating areas and lots of plants. We sat and chatted and basked in the sunshine.

Later we went to a vegetarian restaurant called Land which Cat had booked as a surprise for me. It was an excellent surprise! We had the tasting menu which was totally amazing, the tastes and flavours were unique and worked so well together. It was one of the best meals that I have ever had, and so good that I don’t think that a non vegetarian would even notice the absence of meat or fish. Before our fantastic meal we went to the nearby Pineapple Cocktail Bar where the cocktails were fabulous.