Day 9 June 16: The King's Gallery, Brown's and St.James's Park

 

Spencer House

Sunday, June 16, was meant to be a quiet day, resting, even before my wallet was stolen the night before.

Months earlier, I booked a ticket to the Royal Portraits: A Century of Royal Photography at the King's Gallery at Buckingham Palace.    After this, I would join a long-time friend, Paul, at Brown's Hotel for birthday lunch. (Mine.)  

Plans changed a bit.   I walked through Green Park to a "secret" Queen's Passage to St. James's Place, across from the Stafford Hotel.  The alley runs between Green Park and Pall Mall.

 (I did use the loo at the Stafford -- quite nice.) My first stop was outside Spencer House to meet a friend of a friend who had money for me.  I thanked him, but it was a quick chat as he had a 10:30 tour at Spencer House.

Winston Churchill lived here

Sir Francis Chichester lived here.

Chopin lived here

St James's Palace

St. James's Palace

Green Park

 I walked around the area and headed toward Clarence House before going to Buckingham Palace.  Paul said he was coming in early and would meet me at the King's Gallery.  A bit of gallows humor from me: "I would buy you a ticket for the exhibition, but I am short of cash."  He texted me back as I was on the bus to Victoria Station with a photo of his ticket.  He came in early to buy a ticket at the same time as mine.  

I got a huge hug when I arrived at the Palace.  I was still upset by what happened but no longer did I feel stranded.

Copyright restrictions prevent the taking of photos.  The exhibition was excellent, some photographs were familiar, while others were shown in public for the first time.

[The exhibit runs through October 6.]

Corgis

After the exhibition, Paul hailed a cab to take us to Charlie's, in Brown's Hotel.  This was a fabulous and delicious 70th birthday celebration.   Yes, it included champagne.  And water from Blenheim Palace.    

It was a lovely long lunch.  Much to my delight, there was a photograph of the Prince of Wales in the Ladies' Loo.

We walked to the closest tube stop.  Paul was heading to Liverpool Street to catch a train back to Harlow as he and his wife were going to babysit their grandson that evening.  He topped off my Oyster card and gave me a fair amount of cash for the rest of the week.  More hugs, and many thanks from me.

I spent the afternoon in St. James's Park, my favorite park in the world.   Flowers, super friendly squirrels, ducks, and geese.

https://www.roccofortehotels.com/hotels-and-resorts/brown-s-hotel/dining/charlies-at-browns/

Trust me, I needed the relaxation that St. James's Park offered.

The welcoming committee

Practicing their bows should the King visit.

Albert Bridge leading to Battersea

June 17 would be another early morning as I would catch a train to Windsor, have breakfast, and wait at a bench by Queen Victoria for my friend Katrina and her two friends.   Garter Day