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THE 21ST CENTURY HOUSEWIFE

Delicious recipes, ideas to help you make the most of your home, travel stories
and tips and inspiration to help you embrace your own unique style.





TUESDAY, AUGUST 26, 2008


HEADING HOME




It has been a wonderful holiday. As I sit here in the Delta Crown lounge (BA
don’t have a lounge at Orlando), I feel so happy to have had so much fun – and
two solid weeks together as a family. That hasn’t happened in years! The picture
above is all of us on the Journey to Atlantis at Sea World. We are at the back
of the “boat”. At that point we were plummeting fifty feet down a great big
water slide (hence the expressions on our faces!). It kind of sums up the
holiday really – fun chaos!!

We spent the last couple of days mostly at Disney. It was great our hotel was so
close as we were able to go back and forth – and when it got really hot we could
just take a break. On Sunday we spent most of our day at Disney’s Hollywood
Studios, returning to the Magic Kingdom after dinner for the fireworks display.
I’ve never seen the fireworks over the castle before – it was spectacular! We
had dinner Sunday night at Downtown Disney, in a Cuban themed restaurant. It was
a really different experience. I liked the view over the lake at Disney – and
also the Mohito cocktails – full of fresh mint – yummy! On Monday we headed to
Epcot, and really enjoyed exploring Futureworld. We all liked “Spaceship Earth”
– that was a fun ride. We headed over to the International village, having lunch
in Germany at a delicious Oktoberfest buffet, and spending part of the afternoon
in Canada! We headed back to the hotel when it got really hot in the late
afternoon, intending to return to the Magic Kingdom later in the evening. But
after another delicious dinner at the Olive Garden, we all decided we would
rather go shopping, and headed back to Macy’s. It was a really successful trip
for Guy and Alex, and we stocked them up on the Polo Ralph Lauren shirts – which
are much less expensive over here than in England!

This morning we spent packing and then headed back to the shopping centre. This
time it was my turn, although Alex had lots of luck as well. I love the clothes
in the United States. They fit me so much better than the ones in England, and I
really enjoy the extra help the sales ladies give you here as well. I know some
people find it intrusive, but I’m grateful for the help! I got some jeans,
trousers and two skirts. After lunch at The Cheesecake Factory (their chicken
luau salad is amazing!), we headed back to the airport.


And here we are! There are some delays due to air traffic control problems, but
so far our flight is on time. So, please God, we’ll arrive back in London first
thing tomorrow morning. On one hand, the best thing about travelling is being
able to go home – but on the other, I really love holidays! So I’m in two minds
about it all. But we’ve got lots to look forward to over the next few months,
including a visit from Canadian family, and trips to Cyprus and New York. So
even though the holiday is nearly over, I’m still in a really good frame of
mind!

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SUNDAY, AUGUST 24, 2008



We headed back down to Florida on Thursday, driving through a bit of tropical
storm Fay on the way, but arriving safely back at our hotel in Orlando in the
late afternoon. We had dinner at The Olive Garden which was lovely.

Friday morning we went to Kennedy Space Centre. The last time I was at Kennedy I
was just a few years younger than Alex is now, and I have to say it has changed
nearly as much as I have. We took a “Behind the Scenes” tour which was
fantastic. It showed us everything from the launch pads for the Space Shuttle to
its landing strip, plus all the Apollo historical places as well. It really took
me back to the days when Mom, Dad and I would all get up early to watch the
Apollo launches, eating our breakfast on TV tables in front of the television. I
was excited to learn that after the Space Shuttle programme finishes soon, they
are starting a new programme in 2010 that will take us back to the moon, and
beyond. I love space exploration! It’s so exciting. In fact, when I was a kid I
always wanted to be an astronaut – until sadly my dreams were crushed by the
spectre of motion sickness. It was a great day at Kennedy – we all loved it. I
highly recommend it. There is so much to see and learn. You can do everything
from experience a shuttle launch to having lunch with an astronaut. Also, the
whole of the Space Centre is set within a wildlife refuge. We saw eagle’s nests,
alligators, cranes, herons and even buzzards! I’d definitely go back again.

Today it was off to Sea World. It’s a wonderful place. They do a huge amount of
wildlife rescue and conservation, and they have set the whole thing up so that
you can see the animals in their natural habitats. They also arrange it so that
you can see under the water as well as what is on top. It makes places like the
Sea Life Centre seem very tame! You can also book loads of “experiences” where
you can interact with the animals. We booked a Behind the Scenes dolphin tour,
which allowed us access to the conservation areas, the medical areas and lots
more. We even got to work with the trainers, interacting with and touching the
dolphins. It was magical. The dolphins seem to just love people, and when it
comes time for you to leave, they start jumping and squeaking to try and get
your attention so you will come back. They are so gentle and incredibly
affectionate. The tour was one of the most amazing experiences I have ever had,
and Guy and Alex expressed similar sentiments. Later in the day, we fed sea
lions and seals (who are friendly at first, but become very demanding and almost
scream at you once they realise you’ve got food!), rode an incredible water
roller coaster and even went to the arctic (on a ride, but we got to see real
arctic animals in their actual habitats). All the animals are kept in large
native environments and they are all visibly relaxed and happy- it is not even
remotely zoo like. As for the Shamu Killer Whale show, it was just wonderful.
The whales are so affectionate and clearly enjoy performing, and the trainers
clearly love them to bits. Again, Sea World is a place I highly recommend.

Tonight, after a nice dinner at TGI Friday’s, we went to Friendly’s Ice Cream
Parlour for dessert. It was such fun – we all go a huge kick out of it. Tomorrow
it’s back to Disney…it’s a hard life!!

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WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 20, 2008


FAY'S BEGINNING TO CATCH UP WITH US...


Yesterday was another lovely day. We wanted to eat at Paula Deen’s restaurant,
Lady and Sons, so this meant we needed to get into Savannah by 9.30am as the
restaurant is so popular you have to queue up to book tables. Luckily the queue
moved really quickly and we were even able to book a table for the exact time we
wanted – 7.30pm.

We then took the same Tram tour, taking advantage of their “second day for $10”
deal. We realised last night that this is the same company we used in Washington
DC for a tour. They really are excellent. Our first stop was the Cathedral of St
John the Baptist on the corner of Abercorn and East Harris. It is a gorgeous
church, so light and bright, with windows I found even more beautiful than those
in the Notre Dame in Paris. A lady met us at the church aisle and gave us an
overview of the church as we walked up towards the altar. She was so friendly
and very knowledgeable. She then left us to look round on our own. We really
enjoyed the beauty of the place. After lighting two candles (one for my parents
and one for my friend Jenny), we went back outside into the sunshine and heat.

After a quick journey on the tram, we hopped off at the Andrew Low house for a
tour. You have to knock at the door to get in, which makes you feel less like a
tourist and more like a guest. The guide, who looked to be in her seventies, was
incredibly knowledgeable and very friendly. The house was beautifully decorated,
and had a wonderful “feel” to it, as thought it had seen a lot of fun times –
despite the fact that it’s owners’ lives were peppered with their share of
tragedy. We thoroughly enjoyed our tour.

By this time we were feeling hungry so we hopped back on the tram and travelled
to the waterfront area. After our disappointing lunch at Huey’s yesterday, we
were keen to try somewhere else and decided on The Shrimp Factory. It was
wonderful! After we had ordered, the waitress brought us a little basket of baby
blueberry muffins with pecan butter, which is included with your meal. Guy and I
asked to share our main courses and that was not a problem at all, with the
waitress bringing us extra plates. Guy ordered the house salad and I ordered a
shrimp salad sandwich. We then split both in half. It was the best shrimp salad
sandwich I have ever had, and was made with shrimp, green pepper, chopped
hardboiled egg and a lovely lemon mayonnaise. So delicious! Alex had a turkey
bacon club sandwich which he also enjoyed. So no disappointments there!

We came back to the hotel after lunch to have a bit of a break. I put some
washing in and went for a run. Conveniently the exercise room is joined to the
guest laundry! I was hoping it would help against the dinner we had planned, but
as I found out, no amount of exercise can prepare you for Paula Deen!

We arrived back in Savannah early in the evening, so had a wander round the
Market Place and stopped for drink in one of the bars. We ended up talking to
some military chaps (there is a convention on) who were really good fun. When it
was time for our reservation at Lady and Sons, we headed round the corner to
check in. This was my only disappointment about the restaurant, is that there is
no bar and after checking in we had to wait for nearly forty minutes for our
table to be ready. But once we were seated we were treated to friendly service
and amazing food. Just after we had ordered our drinks, a waitress appeared and
gave us each a little pancake and a southern biscuit. They were just so
delicious! For our main courses, Guy and I decided on the buffet while Alex went
for the chicken pot pie. It was served with a biscuit topping, and Alex said it
was the best chicken pot pie he had ever had. The buffet offered so much choice,
and I have to say there was so much variety I never even got near the salad bar!
You could go back as many times as you liked, but I only managed two visits! My
favourite things were the fried chicken, the green beans with red skinned
potatoes and the candied sweet potatoes. I also had a piece of key lime pie for
dessert (half of which I brought back to the hotel in a doggy bag!) which was
wonderful – and it had a lot to live up to as the last time I had key lime pie
was when I was thirteen and I had dreamed of it ever since! Lady and Sons is
definitely a must if you are visiting Savannah – but seriously, eat lightly
earlier in the day – the food is too good to skimp on. It is a very different
experience, not one I would choose every day, but certainly a wonderful dining
experience in its own way. I’m not really a buffet person, and I like my dining
experiences slow (which this one was not), but a change is as good as a rest and
even I cannot argue with Paula’s great food and down home atmosphere.

So, another great day in Savannah yesterday! Today Tropical Storm Fay is closing
in, and we were seriously rained on when we went to Tybee Island (perhaps an
island was not the best choice with a tropical storm approaching, but hey, this
is us we are talking about!). After a visit to the lighthouse there we headed
back inland in absolutely torrential rain. We stopped for lunch at Applebee’s
for a break from the heavy weather. Once again, we had a super meal for less
than what it would cost us to go to McDonald’s back in England. Guy and Alex had
hamburgers and I had a cheese, bacon lettuce and tomato sandwich. All of these
were served with French fries and we all had soft drinks as well. I was so full
from the sandwich I did not even touch the fries!

We have just got another “we are no longer responsible for your safety in view
of the storm” letter from the hotel, so very pleased we planned to leave
tomorrow. It’s a five hour drive back to Orlando, but I suspect it may take us a
bit longer than that with the storm. I just hope by the time we get back there
the weather will be decent. We’ve been so lucky avoiding the rain – this is the
first day it has caught us! God has definitely been looking out for us!!

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MONDAY, AUGUST 18, 2008


CHANGE OF PLANS....


We’ve been having a super holiday in Orlando, enjoying the delights of Disney
and Epcot and generally being kids at heart. Unfortunately yesterday the hotel
managed to get us all in a panic by putting a letter under the door basically
saying “get the heck out of Dodge” and “we won’t be responsible if you don’t”
because of Tropical Storm Fay. The letter was worded in such a worrying way we
decided it was definitely time to go. So I rescheduled all our planned days out
– more Disney, a dolphin experience at Sea World and a Behind the Scenes tour at
NASA for later in the week – and we headed on up the coast to Georgia to get out
of the path of the storm.

Am I ever glad we did! We’ve abandoned the rather unpredictable weather in
Orlando for glorious sunshine in Savannah. We are going to stay here for the
next few days till the storm blows out to sea. I’m in the rather rare position
of having actually been somewhere before Guy in this case. He’s never been to
Savannah, but I came here with Mom and Dad when I was 13. We were only here for
a day though, and I remember wishing I had more time to spend here. So in a
weird kind of way – a couple decades later – I’ve got my wish!

We are staying in a lovely hotel just outside of town (in fact I dare say it is
even nicer than our Orlando hotel) and are looking forward to exploring. Okay,
it’s a slight change of plan, but it hasn’t really interrupted the holiday, more
enhanced it (except for the nine our journey in the car yesterday which was a
bit tedious). So, we’re off to explore Savannah today and enjoy some of their
famous Southern Hospitality. So far, so good! We’ll head slowly back down to
Orlando from Wednesday.

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MONDAY, AUGUST 11, 2008


BEING A VERY PROUD MUM




There’s Alex, above, leaving Her Majesty’s Theatre in London after the
performance last night. It all went really well, and we were very proud of him.
The whole cast did an amazing job.

Guy and I had a good day as well, and went out for a nice meal at Galileo’s,
just opposite the theatre, before the show. I do wish Galileo’s would try a
little harder though. It’s nice, but not exceptional, and we’ve always gone
because of its proximity to the theatre. But I think we’ll go earlier next time
and go somewhere a bit better.

I was so pleased to see Alex. I really did miss him. What was nice was that,
although he was clearly sad to be leaving his friends, he was very pleased
indeed to see us. And that made me feel really happy.

Bless him, Alex slept till after ten this morning. Since then he has been
catching up with his friends here, and also on the phone . His friends from last
week are calling – it’s nice they all miss each other already. As for me, I’ve
been washing and ironing, and trying to get packed for our holiday to Florida.
It’s not long to go now.

Tomorrow Alex and I are off to the Midlands to have lunch with our dear friend
Alice – and then poor Alex has to have his braces tightened. The good news is
the orthodontist says he only has about six months till he can get them off and
have a retainer!


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FRIDAY, AUGUST 08, 2008


TIME TOGETHER


Guy suggested going out to dinner last night, and for the first time in ages we
had some uninterrupted time together. Okay, it was practically uninterrupted –
not totally – as Guy did take his phone with him, but he only checked it twice
the whole evening. For him, that is monumental. His director had a talk with him
yesterday about actually not working on holiday. Because that is what holidays
are for. I’m not sure this has had any affect on Guy, but we’ll see.

Anyway, back to the uninterrupted time together. I went out on a limb and tried
Toptable, the online restaurant booking service. I’ve been registered with them
for years but never used them, envisaging arriving at a restaurant to blank
looks and mutterings of “you booked a table how?”. Actually, they are brilliant.
Not only was my table booked, but because I had used Toptable, they kept one of
the nicest tables in the house for us! (If you want to try it for yourself, just
click here.)

I wanted to try a new restaurant locally, because it has come to my attention
that for someone who has lived here for almost a year, I really do not know
Reading at all well. This is partly because we have travelled so much this year,
but also because I have been hesitant to explore as the trauma of the last year
has shrunk my comfort zone alarmingly and kind of knocked my confidence a bit.
So last night I decided to do something about it and booked a table at Bel and
the Dragon in Gasworks Road. I had only a vague idea of where this might be, and
went armed with postcodes and a satellite navigation system. Guy narrowly made
it home in time for us to get there for our 8.30pm reservation, and both of us
were surprised to find that the restaurant was actually across from one of the
flats we had looked at (and ruled out) in September last year when we were
looking for somewhere to live (during the week) while our new house was being
built.

The restaurant overlooks the river and is really lovely. We were welcomed
enthusiastically and had a fantastic evening. The food was amazing. If you want
to read my full review of the restaurant, please click here.

It was so nice to have some time together to just relax. It’s something we’ve
really been needing. It’s been such a busy year, and combined with everything
that happened all these last five years with Mom and Dad, particularly since
Dad’s death in November and Mom’s in January, we have both found ourselves
completely exhausted. I’m hoping that Alex will find this week to have been very
healing as well. He’s been completely away from home (and us!) and has been
totally absorbed in preparing for his performance at Her Majesty’s Theatre. I’m
hoping it will have had a very beneficial effect.

So, the weekend approaches and Guy and I have a whole day together tomorrow. The
temptation is to use it to try and get things a bit more sorted out, to unpack
some more boxes and get on with things. But I’m wondering if it wouldn’t be
better just to throw caution to the winds and have a really relaxing day doing
stuff we actually want to do – like maybe taking a walk along the river (if the
weather predictions improve) or going to see a movie. We have not been to the
cinema in well over a year. But we’ll see. I’m just glad to have the opportunity
to spend another whole day together. It’s like being on holiday, before the
holiday!

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THURSDAY, AUGUST 07, 2008


MY CONSTANTLY CHANGING WORLD


I’m having one of those weeks. It’s come as a bit of a surprise actually as I
had almost been looking forward to this week – okay, who am I kidding, I was
looking forward to this week – as I would have some time with Guy at home and a
tiny break from being the parent of a 15 year old who is a real going concern.
But I find myself, a little more than half way through the week, feeling less
than buoyant.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s been wonderful having some time together with Guy –
except for part of last night which was spent trying to get the stupid Parrot
thing to work properly (see yesterday’s entry). Apparently we need to download
software updates via Bluetooth to make it work properly with iPhone – despite
the fact we were assured, hand on heart, that it worked perfectly with iPhone
just as it was. The added complication is that the download will not work on
MACs, only on PCs, and none of our PCs have Bluetooth. Not that it stopped Guy
from trying to get it to work…for about three hours of what was supposed to be
our evening together last night. Today they are supposed to be coming to
download it for us. I’m so annoyed I can hardly put it into words. As far as I’m
concerned they lied. It works, but not as it should – the audio is a squawky and
the announcements are so loud (despite volume adjustments) that they nearly make
me jump out of the car. But I’m not to be concerned, as the software update will
fix all that. Well, as far as I’m concerned, for what the Parrot cost, it should
be making the tea by now – the fact that it is not quite working as planned and
that it is shattering my nerves when it announces calls incenses me. This has
caused some tension at home.

Then there is the fact that Alex has hardly spoken to us this week. The first
few days I was thrilled as I figured it meant he was having a wonderful time.
And it does mean he is having a wonderful time. But as time has worn on I’ve
begun to miss him, and the fact that when I called him last night (okay, I know
I’m being needy here) he only had about three minutes to spare me kind of hurt.
Which has led me to believe that there may be some flaws in my resolution not to
be bothered by the fact that he’s growing up and that he doesn’t need me as much
anymore – huge great flaws actually.

I hate it when mums are clingy. There is nothing so unattractive and so hard on
everyone - the mother, the child and their friends (especially friends of the
opposite sex). I have always been determined to be completely non clingy. And I
have succeeded – Alex will tell you that is the case as well (even when I’m not
there to twist his arm!). But suddenly everything is changing and inside I’m
crumbling. I suppose it does not help that Alex’s newfound independence has
coincided with a year when we’ve lost so many people (and beloved pets), moved
150 miles and started a whole new life.

Even in the most staid of existences (and my life has never been staid!), change
happens on an almost daily basis. Human beings in general are not comfortable
with change. As for me, I’m could be the poster child for the association of
non-spontaneous people who find change difficult. (No, that organisation does
not exist, but if it did I’d be a charter member.) But for all I say I’m
terrible at change, I seem to have managed to handle an awful lot of it in my
life. I immigrated to a new country at age 23 completely by myself just for a
start. And I think a lot of folks are very much like me. We think we don’t
handle certain things very well, but actually they are probably the things we
handle best. As Churchill said, they can be “our finest hour”.

One of the biggest risks of being a 21st Century Housewife is the chance that
you will invest so much in caring for other people that you forget about
yourself. And despite the fact I practically make a career of urging women not
to do that, I seem to have slipped into the trap myself. The nice thing is, it’s
a fairly easy trap to get out of. You just have to realise that you’ve fallen
into it.

So today I’m going to spend some time thinking about me, and how I can ensure
that this is one of those finest hours in my life. I need to think about ways I
can better handle how this wonderful change in the life of my son can be an
opportunity for growth in my own life. When he was little, I used to wax lyrical
about the day when I’d get my independence back and how wonderful it would be.
Well, that day is now and it would be silly not to rejoice over it. After all,
even when we are all grown up, we never stop growing. That’s the wonderful thing
about being alive.

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WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 06, 2008


ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT...WELL, THAT IS, QUIET FOR US...


It’s been a very busy week so far. Alex is away at a Theatre workshop in London
so Guy and I are on our own. Of course we’ve only had the evenings together, but
it’s been nice having some time on our own, although of course we miss Alex.
This is the first time we’ve been on our own in the new house (gee I’m still
calling it “new” and we’ve been here over six months!!). As a result, unlike
most times when Alex is away, we haven’t been taking the opportunity to go out
and about, we’ve just been enjoying our “new” home. We’ve also synchronised our
diaries and made some plans for the next few months which has been great fun. So
far, we’ve managed to do quite a lot, including deciding where to go on holiday
in the October half term (Cyprus), and beginning to plan a surprise birthday
trip for Alex to New York City over the New Year. On the domestic front, I’ve
also got a great big pile of things on the spare room bed ready to be packed for
our holiday next week and I’ve even managed to nearly empty all the washing
baskets. Just wait till Alex gets back with all his washing from this week
though!

Today Guy is working from home which is lovely. Even though he works extremely
hard when he is at home, and even longer hours than when he is at the office, he
is here which is a real treat on a weekday. Okay, sometimes I don’t get to talk
to him for hours on end because he is on conference calls, but it is just nice
to have him round the house. As for me, I’m having a kit installed in my car so
that I can use my iPhone hands free. It’s called a Parrot and everything was
going great until we discovered the sound quality was not very good on the
receiving end of calls! So the engineer is still out there in the driveway
trying to get it sorted out. I love new technology, but I find it very stressful
when things take ages or don’t work as planned. Hopefully it will all work fine
in the end.

I’m thrilled at how my back has recovered from the little jolt it got over a
week ago. I was so worried when I hurt it at the motor show, but with keeping up
my exercise, and doing some extra Pilates and yoga, I got to the stage I have
had absolutely no pain since last Thursday. Surprisingly, I’ve found that my
personal training sessions, Pilates and yoga have all gone better this week as
well. I seem somehow stronger, like not only did my back recover quickly, but
the work I did towards my recovery also helped make me stronger. Whatever it
was, I’m very pleased with the results!

I have to admit, I’m beginning to get excited about our holiday in Florida. This
is the first real family holiday we’ve had since Mom and Dad’s troubles started
with Mom’s illness in October 2003. I’m hoping it will be a lovely fresh start
for us, and a real time of healing for us all.

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CATCHING UP WITH OLD FRIENDS - 3RD AUGUST 2008





We’ve had a lovely day with our friends today. The picture above is of Alex
helping me to get ready for their visit! I was in a huge hurry to get everything
sorted out before we went to Buckingham Palace on Friday and didn’t bother to
put things in the boot properly. So in the end I just stuffed all the extra
things on Alex’s lap. He was very good about it!

Despite a rather dire start to the day weather-wise, we managed to get outside
and have loads of fun. It was great to catch up. These folks have been our
friends for years and we haven’t seen them in ages. Alex and Edward, the eldest
son, were born very close together, so Yvonne and I were nervous first mums
together. We also negotiated the very scary path of new mummy-dom together. When
Yvonne went back to work after six month’s maternity leave I was completely
lost. But as she said, at least she didn’t move 150 miles away! We did that when
Alex was two, and we’ve only just moved back south recently, 13 years later! But
we’ve gotten together loads over the years. It is just the last few years that
we have just not had time to get together. Anyway, a good time was had by all,
as you can see from the photograph below!





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MONDAY, AUGUST 04, 2008


DRINKING CHAMPAGNE AT BUCKINGHAM PALACE


On Friday last week, Alex and I headed off to London to meet Guy for our
“private” tour of the Buckingham Palace State Rooms. The private tours are taken
after hours, when the State Rooms have been closed to the public. A group of not
more than thirty is taken through the State Rooms on a leisurely tour with a
private guide. Our tour was scheduled for 5.15pm, so we decided to head into
London in the early afternoon.

Our day was quite good fun to start with as we had an experience of what it must
be like to be followed by the paparazzi. I don’t know who this particular
photographer thought Alex was, but as we walked down Regent Street, he began to
follow us with his great big press camera. We assumed he was following someone
else and it was so crowded we hardly paid any attention – until he leapt out
square in front of Alex and took a photograph of him – just like that! The flash
was absolutely blinding and I immediately reached for my purse, thinking it
might be a pickpocket ploy. But when I got a proper look at the camera it was
clear this chap was paparazzi. He then vanished through the crowd, running off
as though he thought he might be pursued. We are still wondering who he thought
Alex was. I wonder when he realised he’d got the wrong chap!!

We went for a coffee after that to steady my nerves as I was quite shocked by
the whole experience, as I have to say was Alex, although we did laugh about it
afterwards! Not long after that it was time to meet Guy and we all headed off to
the Palace.

If you get off the tube (underground) at Green Park station, you can then take a
lovely stroll across Green Park itself to the Palace. The tours start from the
Ambassadors entrance, which is to the left of the palace if you are facing it
with your back to The Mall. As tours had finished for the day, the gate was
locked, but we were let in by a guide and allowed to sit in a reception area
behind the gates. This caused some commotion outside as passers by began to
wonder who the people were who were sitting inside the gates. It was quite funny
watching them watching us!

Our tour set off right on schedule and it was wonderful. When Alex and I toured
the State Rooms last year during the public tours, it was very crowded, and
being fairly short I found it difficult to see through the crowds. This was an
entirely different experience. With only thirty people, the guide was able to
give us full access to everything, and we were able to really take in the
splendour of these magnificent rooms. We were also able to hear really
interesting anecdotes about life in the Palace through the years. The artwork
was much easier to see as well and we were stunned by the magnificence of the
collection on display. From Rembrandt’s paintings to fantastic sculptures, we
were able to see everything at very close range indeed. The guide was really
knowledgeable, friendly and happy to answer questions. When we reached the end
of our tour, we were escorted into the Bow Room, where a footman handed us each
a glass of champagne. We were then led out on to a balcony overlooking the
gardens. It was just incredible. I could not believe I was drinking champagne in
Buckingham Palace, in the room where the Queen Mother’s 100th Birthday
celebrations were held.

After about a half hour, during which time we all chatted and admired the
grounds and the back of the palace, we were escorted to the shop. And after that
it was time to go home. However we were not going out through a back door. We
were told we were going out through the very front gates of the palace. And sure
enough, our guide led us out the doors of the palace entrance in small groups,
through the red gravel courtyard (which we were told is raked daily!), and out
under an arch just to the right of the balcony the Royal Family wave from on
special occasions. I could hardly believe it when the guard saluted each us as
we walked under the arch. The crowds behind the gates outside went mad, taking
pictures of us, and pointing. I do wonder who they imagined we were! Walking
towards the main gate at the side, I watched the crowds through the gate, and
realised now how we must look to the Royal Family when we stand there. It was a
perspective I never thought I would see and I was unbelievably thrilled by it.
The police opened the gates for us, and half bowed to us as we passed by – again
I don’t know who they thought we were. I could hardly believe it. I enjoyed
every second of that walk, it was quite the most thrilling thing I think I have
ever done. I felt really special, and it was a super way to top off the day when
I drank champagne at Buckingham Palace for the very first time.

Posted by April J Harris at 5:57 pm No comments:
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