Sights of London

  Having visited our grandchildren Tori and Robyn - what we most missed in London - it was time this week to take a day trip to catch sights in London not seen for six months. I sanitised the handles of a Santander bike and pedalled through Hyde Park where I noticed Rotten Row was being levelled. Did you know the ancient horse track formerly sloped across its width? Another change I noticed was the new patterned front Westminster residential and commercial centre towering across from the Abbey on Victoria Street. Joy to attend evensong there with a choir of seven and a congregation just three times that number. Great to be back in London on a mid-September day trip from Haywards Heath made on quiet trains. I sanitised my Santander bike and headed for my online pre-booked visit to the National Gallery where I caught my first sight of Cezanne’s bathers for six months. I like the way the figures blend into their natural setting. My London experience was a more prosaic blending of mind...

What do I miss in London? The glitter of gold - as a former Londoner I love the city and am bereaved since March of regular visits where I usually capture some sparkle. The Durban Court ceiling in the Foreign Office captures the splendour of India. The Victoria memorial and Coronation coach reflect regal glory. St Ermin’s Hotel round the corner from St James underground station glitters outside as well as inside over Christmas. It’s great living in Haywards Heath being able to take or leave London - but roll on the day it’s safe for recreational visits!  What do I miss in London? The cast courts in the Victoria & Albert Museum. There I can pretend I’m in Florence, Rome, Santiago de Compostela or wherever with exact plaster casts of their splendid artefacts manufactured in days when European travel was for the elite. Today such travel is forbidden for recreation and even the Knightsbridge Museum is inaccessible to visitors. When lockdown fully eases I’m looking forward to cat...