Tate Britain

When Alison's sister and her husband came to stay, we had to decide where to go on our trip into London. We ended up at Tate Britain where none of us had ever been before. I wanted to see the results of the £45 Million refurbishment that finished a few weeks ago, as well as the paintings.ly

The building is now mightily impressive, both outside and in the renovated interior. The entrance hall is spectacular.

The galleries are superb.

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But everyone really came to see the paintings. The rehang in May means you can now walk through British Art chronologically starting in 1540 and up to present day. The very first picture was Lady with a Squirrel and a Starling by Hans Holbein and instantly became one of my favourites.

I was not so impressed by the numerous portraits, preferring the landscapes, particularly those of Henley and Box Hill. There were pictures by William Hogarth and Thomas Gainsborough that I liked. The Canaletto of Old Horse Guards was very striking and John Constable's Flatford Mill was worth seeing.

However, my favourite picture of all was by Atkinson Grimshaw, a Victorian artist of whom I had never heard. His Liverpool Quay by Moonlight was stunning. I also loved The Hanging Gardens of Hammersmith by Victor Passmore.

We stopped at 2pm for lunch in the delightful new Djanogly Café where the midday rush was over. We could have gone somewhere else in the afternoon, but instead we stayed, and I wanted to see the huge Turner Collection that is spread across all one wing of the Gallery. I liked St Mawes at the Pilchard Season (probably because it reminded me of our visit there during one of our stays in Cornwall) and Cordale Scar. There are dozens and there are so many, it is difficult to focus. So it was good to see the room at the end where there are a few Constables.

It was 3.30pm when we finally left Tate Britain and the light was beginning to fade. We decided to head down Millbank towards Westminster. I had never before approached The Houses of Parliament from this direction and we soon found ourselves on the famous interview spot called College Green.

We walked around the square and then headed towards Trafalgar Square. There it was superb in the dusk with lights coming on all around.

It was time to head for home and the train back from Marylebone after a very enjoyable and memorable day.