Whatever the UK electorate decides about staying in or leaving the EU, many of us in the British Isles feel a sense of identity with the Normans. Our genes, our language, our architecture, our laws can to a large extent be traced back to Norman roots.
There is an annual cycle of events that’s peculiarly British. I’m thinking of the Birthday Parade (don’t call it Trooping the Colour), the Grand National, Wimbledon, the Chelsea Flower Show; events that the nation takes to its heart. One such tradition ceased in 2010.
Barmeath has a shell house built in the woods in the 19th century as a destination for walks and picnics, I was surprised to come upon a 20th century one in the centre of London.
Camden Square in north London has beautiful architecture and is a designated conservation area. Behind the elegant facade of one house in this elegant garden square lies tragedy. Amy Winehouse died here in 2011. However, another facade hides a very different story.
Oh to be able to call this post Erratum. Looking back on old posts they are littered with spelling and grammar mistakes and inconsistencies. Yesterday provided at least one especially goofy example.
I rarely visit Regent’s Park, perhaps once a year to go to the open-air theatre, so I was pleased to walk through part of it on Monday on my way to luncheon in Belsize Park.
The Ladies’ Challenge Plate has been competed for at Henley since 1845 but ladies are not eligible for this event. The Coffee Room at many London clubs is the only room where coffee is not served. So I wanted to see if there would be any ladies at Ladies’ Day at Cheltenham this week.
I was born on 3rd April 1954 but I’m not fishing for a birthday card. On 2nd April 1817 the Salford Anglers’ Society was founded and they have been fishing for almost two hundred years, so save your card for them next year.
It may, or possibly may not, interest you to hear about my experience backing Zac in his London mayoral campaign and I had intended to kick off by saying that I’d never done anything like this before, until I remembered…