Wednesday in London

30 December, 2015

Windsor Castle - Spring 2014

Wednesday was a divide and conquer day. The kids went out to Windsor for a tour with our dear friend Henrietta Ferguson. We first met her on a visit to London in 2007 when she took us on a "Harry Potter" tour of Oxford. She is a licensed Blue Badge Guide and an absolute delight to work with. Over the years we have also visited Blenheim Palace, Hever Castle and Chiddingstone, The Tower of London, Lambeth Palace, and Westminster Abbey. From small, intimate family groups to an entourage that warrants a motor coach she has you covered. You'll not only learn about what you're seeing, you'll also learn how it relates to other things you may have seen or heard of. Make no mistake, a day spent with Henrietta will be one to remember. Her quick wit and local wisdom accent her encyclopedic knowledge of all things historical, making a game of "stump the guide" most ungratifying.

J Smith & Sons

My wife had a few specific places she wanted to go shopping, so that's how we spent the day. We started with a trip to James Smith & Sons, an establishment that has been in business just under 200 years. As we weren't in the market for any riding crops, whips, life preservers, or swordsticks our shopping was limited to umbrellas. This shop has been on her radar for almost ten years and on the eighth trip we finally managed a visit. Their craftsmanship and detail is simply stunning. If you're looking for a functional keepsake and have occasion to use an umbrella with some frequency then consider investing in one of theirs. With proper care it will last several lifetimes and (heaven forbid) they can repair it for you if needed. Full disclosure - we noticed the "no photos" sign a bit late and offered our apologies to the gentleman who was assisting us. He said not to worry, so here we are. As I had already invested in a nice hat (details forthcoming in another post) I did not consider an umbrella for myself, but I may consider one on a later trip.

Beautiful Umbrellas

After our finishing up at James Smith & Sons we headed to my wife's absolute favorite store in all of London, LIBERTY! My first memory of Liberty of London is from my first trip to the UK when I was fourteen. I purchased a couple of cashmere scarves that I still have and use as often as the weather allows. Unfortunately Liberty hasn't offered those scarves for some many years so I've had to shop elsewhere. If you've never enjoyed the luxury of a fine cashmere scarf tucked around your neck on a cold day you're missing something. It is truly one of life's simple pleasures. But I digress, this is not about my previous trips. 

This trip was about one thing and one thing only - fabric for quilting. As you'll recall from my post on Edinburgh, my wife is an avid quilter and her Christmas present this year was a trip to Liberty to buy fabric. And buy fabric she did! Yards and yards of amazing fabrics that will eventually reappear in quilts, bags, and wall hangings of various description. Some of it will be stored away for some time to come, waiting for just the right project. Think of it as a bottle of fine wine that you hold back, waiting until the time to enjoy it is just right. This isn't fabric to be used capriciously, it is meant to be savored and used judiciously. While my wife perused and selected fabrics I wandered out the back door of Liberty and passed the time at Shakespeare's Head with a few pints and a useful plate of bangers and mash for lunch. I made my way back to Liberty to see things across the finish line, which still took a bit of time. After all was said and done we stopped in the cafe at Liberty for a pot of tea before heading back to the flat to meet the kids and hear about their day in Windsor.

Indian food (commonly referred to as simply "curry" in the UK) is as pervasive there as Mexican food is in the USA. In London you'll find that Masala Zone has several locations. We've now eaten at the Bayswater and Soho restaurants and both were quite good in my somewhat limited experience. The wait staff is pleasant and helpful, portions are generous, the menu is varied and prices are reasonable. Definitely book your table in advance as they are quite popular and availability may be limited at times.