London 21/10/12

It was a very overcast day in London today but not the rain we have had 2 days ago! Rather than catching the bus today we walked from the Hotel and through Kensington Gardens which was only a short 20minute walk. Given that it is Sunday, there were lots of people out walking and jogging, riding push bikes, walking their dogs or just plain tourists like us exploring the sites. The other noticeable thing in the park was the beautiful color of the trees, coming into Autumn here the color of the leaves is changing and they are simply stunning. Prince Albert Memorial was most impressive standing at the end of the path we had taken. Queen Victoria had requested that all money raised from The Great Exhibition of the Works & Industry of all Nations in 1851 be channeled towards the building of this Memorial in Hyde Park. Impressive and gaudy would be the best words to describe it! The Exhibition was masterminded by Prince Albert but sadly he did not live to see the realisation of his dream as he died at the age of 42 of Typhoid Fever. It was held in Hyde Park in a purpose built, temporary Crystal Palace. Once the Palace had been dismantled it was clear that a permanent building needed to be built and thus the Central Hall was built.

Since it’s opening in 1871 The Royal Albert Hall has had world leading artists from every kind of performance genre appear on stage in arguably the most famous entertainment venue in the world. It hosts over 350 events per year! Not just classical music, but jazz, folk & world music, circus, rock & pop concerts, ballet & opera, dance, comedy, tennis, charity concerts, film premiers, corporate dinners, awards ceremonies and occasions of international importance. We had tickets to join a tour of the Hall which was amazing. We went off with a tour guide who explained much of the history behind the building and then through the corridors linking levels. We were able to go into the Grand Tier of the building where there are 40 boxes and sit. Today we were extremely lucky as there was a rehearsal in progress of the London Philharmonic Orchestra playing Disney’s ‘Fantasia’. There were to be two performance’s that day accompanying the high definition screening bringing to life the most memorable music ever composed. I remember my dad listening to the record box set we had of this music, Michael and I both agreed that he would have loved this! The box we sat in was located right next to the Queens Box. She usually attends a couple of times each year and on such occasions gold silk drapes are hung on the box walls and silk damask chairs replace the standard seats. A heavily embroidered cloth, the Hammer Cloth bearing the Royal Coat of Arms is hung over the front of the box. From here we were shown the stair case the Royals use when they attend the hall, very regal with a beautiful chandelier, but very small. Opposite the Queens box is the Royal Retiring Room which members of the family use to entertain their guests and perhaps meet the stars of shows, event producers and other dignitaries. We sat in this room as our guide explained it all to us, then as we left she asked the last one to leave to ensure they closed the door to keep the magic in there! Next we headed up to the Gallery which is the uppermost public area originally intended for art exhibitions. Today it is a very versatile space – it is used as a standing are for performances, it can be transformed into a reception space for pre-show or post-show parties as well as a dining space for 250 people! The rehearsal was still running as we got here so we were able to enjoy another glimpse of the wonderful music.

Our tour lasted only an hour but it was well worth doing – even Michael thoroughly enjoyed it. We could not believe our luck in the timing of the rehearsal to coincide with our visit – just brilliant. We headed up to the Cafe Consort to have a Latte and Danish before going back outside to explore the surrounding area. There was an Event Management group setting up lighting rigs for the premier of the new 007 James Bond movie was to be held there!

From here we walked to our next activity for the day which was just through the gardens – Kensington Palace. It has been home to a range of royal residents since the late 1600’s. today the palace is divided in two – the historic state apartments which we were able to visit and a separate private wing where members of the royal family have their homes. When Princess Diana died in 1997 the Golden Gates at the South side of the Palace were covered in floral tributes. It was amazing to actually stand at the gates and recall the flowers that stretched out like a carpet into Kensington Gardens.

Inside the Palace you start your tour in the Vestibule and then choose one of four routes to explore the history of it. The Queens State Apartments where you find the tragic story of Prince William and the end of the Stuart Dynasty in the intimate royal apartments created for Queen Mary II. Victoria Revealed where you saw the woman, wife and mother behind the crown, a journey through the rooms where Victoria spent her childhood and became Queen. 

Then my favorite part – the Glimpses of a Modern Princess – a display of some of Princess Diana’s most beautiful dresses. 

Through the gift shop we headed out to see the beautiful gardens though it had started to rain, so we couldn’t dawdle as much as we would have liked.

We left the Palace and walked back to Paddington Station where we sought out information about trains for our next journey tomorrow, then back to our Hotel for a few hours rest. At about 5ish we headed out again to have an early dinner, and decided to try a steak house we had been walking by for the past few nights and each time it was always busy, so in we went. Michael had Pork Spare Ribs while I had Eye Fillet Steak, both were delicious – it was no wonder this place was busy!

Afterwards we headed back to our Hotel room to set about re-packing and juggling our belongings in readiness for the next stage of our journey. Hopefully we wouldn’t get to confused with the train system in London!!!