Friday, August 3, 2012


Tuesday 31st July
Quiet morning at home, bit overcast and some light rain. Directly into Westminster on Jubilee line about 11 am, troop of Horse Guards walking gently down Whitehall, as they do,  coffee in  the cafĂ© in basement of the Methodist Central Hall, which is  just across the square from the Abbey and a very ornate building for Methodists. It’s a Grade 2 listed building where they had some of their very good 20th century art collection on display which deserves another look some time,

Then to 12.30 pm Communion service in the nave in Westminster Abbey, attended by about 50 people with tourists wandering around the edges.  Quiet and gentle daily service in middle of busy part of London.

Then walked further down Buckingham Gate to another church, Westminster Chapel, where they were having a display on the history of Christianity in Britain and London in particular, part of the whole cultural festival going on in London ( we just missed a lunchtime concert by the Grenadier Guards Wind Quintet !!) They were offering free coffee to anyone walking in, had just had lunchtime live music, an art history lecture and a big screen showing Olympics live  This is a  non-conformist chapel from 1864.  Very interesting building and long history of social activism in the area. Have a look at www.westministerchapel.org.uk

Then Tube to Farringdon and walked up to Hatton Garden where we spent an interesting 1/2 hr at the Imperial Pearl  Company  ( www.imperialpearlcompany.co.uk) arranging for Lyndsay’s Hong Kong Pearls to be restrung and have new catch fitted.  Family business, oldest pearl merchants in GB, founded in 1840, have own Pearl farm in Japan and supply all the big retailers, workshop on site, shop is long and narrow –I could almost touch walls either side with outstretched arms, have to enter through small vestibule where inner door doesn’t unlock until outer door locked, somewhat eccentric owner, very knowledgeable, helpful and entertaining. Will be done by Friday.

Back over to Leicester Square, remains of picnic lunch in the square, then an hour spent in National Gallery till closing time at 6 pm (I had my Swiss Army pocket knife removed for duration of visit so I didn’t slash any old masters !). Interesting Titian Exhibition on at the moment and we will return for a whole day soon. Then off to the Odeon in Patton Street by 6.15 pm, only theatre in London showing a film we wanted to see, “The Angel Share” a Ken Loach film, recommended by Rob who had just seen it in Film Festival in Auckland.  Very good Scottish movie about whiskey, OK as long as you can understand the rather broad accents.

Walked back to Tube through London’s China Town and home by about 9.30 pm.

Just a comment on public transport-dire predictions of packed trains and gridlock but so far our experience has been very positive, sometimes seems  surreal when sitting in half empty carriage.

Plus restaurants in West End have been grizzling about all the business going to Stratford but large crowds there tonight.  


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