A Day in London

It all started with an invitation to lunch from Nigel, a distant cousin with whom I correspond about our family history. He suggested Finch's Wine Bar on Bishopsgate as we are very distant relatives of the Finch family. My great grandfather Vincent's brother, Sidney Morton Pearson Roberts, had married a Kate Finch. The basement restaurant is now called City House, and this is where I met Nigel for a very pleasant lunch and chat.

I had the whole afternoon free before a play at the National Theatre in the evening. I wanted to revisit the Royal Exchange and Nigel pointed me in the right direction. Walking down Bishopsgate, I looked inside the open gates of the historic St Helen's Place, and there was the Gherkin towering above the old square.
Further down Bishopsgate, I took a photo of The Gibson Hall, now a conference venue, and this time it is Tower 42 in the background. I soon found The Royal Exchange. When Alison and I visited that Saturday in the summer, it was closed. I climbed some stairs in the corner to take this illicit photo before being told the mezzanine was closed.

I took the Underground to Charring Cross and it was a short walk to Trafalgar Square. Passing St Martin-in-the-Fields, and as I had plenty of time, I decided to look inside. To my delight, there was a rehearsal taking place for that evening's concert. The piano accompanied by a 12 piece chamber orchestra were excellent. It was a nice surprise to be able to sit and listen to Mozart played by such accomplished young musicians.

My main reason for being in Trafalgar Square was to visit the National Portrait Gallery for "Beatles to Bowie", an exhibition exploring the leading pop music personalities of the 1960's. "Featuring key pop cultural figures the exhibition begins in 1960 with hit groups such as The Shadows and The John Barry Seven". It was the photograph of the latter that really captured for me, the essence of the early TV programmes such as The Six Five Special. As well as a huge collection of photographs, the displays of memorabilia (programmes, record sleeves, sheet music etc) were fascinating.

It was dark by the time I left, time for a coffee and cake at Costa Coffee in Waterstones, before heading for the South Bank.

Walking down Northumberland Avenue, I saw the Golden Jubilee Bridge lit up at the end. This was a perfect vantage point for taking photos of the lights of London. I was lucky that it was so mild for the late November, and I could take my time walking over the bridge.

All along the South Bank there had been erected a German Christmas Market, which was at it's best in the dark with all the stalls brightly lit. It was such a colourful scene, and if I had been hungry, a vast number of stalls had different things to eat.

Then it was time for the theatre. At the small Cottesloe Theatre, where I had never been before, there was a production of Ferdinand Bruckner's 1926 play "Pains of Youth" in a new version by Martin Crimp. Wonderfully directed by Katie Mitchell. the young cast did a fine job.

I made my way back across Waterloo Bridge. I had never previously noticed how beautifully lit was Somerset House on it's frontage with the river. The end to a great day.