It is Wednesday, June 19, 2024. Just two full days left before I return home. The original plan for today included a visit to Syon House, a bit of shopping, grabbing a sandwich, and eating in St. James's Park, Jonathan Yeo's portrait of King Charles III at the Philip Mould Gallery, culminating with a performance of Kiss Me Kate at the Barbican.
My phone rings shortly after 8 a.m. It is my friend Katrina. She says another friend had to cancel joining her at Duke's Lane. Would I like to join her? Absolutely. We decide on when I need to arrive at Brookwood. Due to a family emergency, Katrina says she will drop me off in Ascot to catch a train to London as she will be driving to Kent. No worries.
Scratch Syon House off the to-do list. Have breakfast, get dressed, grab everything I need, and head to the bus stop for the quick bus ride to Clapham Junction.
I buy a vanilla latte at Costa and then get on the train, texting Katrina that I am on my way. It is a short walk from the train station to Katrina's home. Time for a cup of tea, and then we are off to buy lunch at a local bakery that also serves as the post office.
It is a short drive to Duke's Lane. Before Katrina could turn into the parking lot, we had to stop for a car coming down Duke's Lane. I got out to watch. It was the Princess Royal heading to Ascot.
Katrina and I got our chairs out of the car's trunk and decided on a different spot. I wandered over to the Royal School's bake sale to choose another sweet treat. I bought a Brownie and a bottle of water.
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| The Princess Royal |
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| It is a tradition for the cars that follow the carriage procession to have small stuffed animals on display |
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| waving at me!!! |
And then it was over. Katrina and I walked toward the car, put the chairs in the trunk, and then we were off down Duke's Lane to the Ascot train station. I thanked Katrina for inviting me. I asked her to text me when she arrived at the hospital in Kent before I got out of the car near the train station.
I took this train to Waterloo, which has undergone a major facelift in the last year. Wow. Nice. I spot the National Windrush Memorial, unveiled by the then Duke of Cambridge in June 2022. I went downstairs to try one of the new coffee shops before heading to Pall Mall.
On the Jubilee Line, Green Park is two stops from Waterloo. I make my way through the station and into Green Park, and exit the park, again using the Queen's Passage to St. James's Place, a turn onto St. James's Street, and a left on Pall Mall where the Philip Mould Gallery is located.
I nearly did not get to see the portrait of King Charles III. The exhibition at the Philip Mould Gallery was scheduled to close on June 14, my birthday. The exhibition was extended for one more week, closing on June 21. Yea. And Free.
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| Jonathan Yeo |
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| King James I & VI |
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| Philip Mould, the owner of the gallery, and Jonathan Yeo |
The portrait looks a lot better in person. I am delighted the exhibition was extended for one week, which allowed me and many others the opportunity to see it.
I walked to Piccadilly Circus and took the tube to Barbican. Let me say this: The theatre at the Barbican is not an easy place to find. Too many stairs and turns. I planned on dinner at one of the Barbican restaurants near the theatre. I selected what I wanted to eat, but was told no cash. I explained had cash because my credit card had been stolen. I nearly had a meltdown. A woman sitting with a friend at a nearby table heard me, and she walked over and said I could give her the cash, and she would pay for the meal. I thanked her several times.
Broadway star Stephanie J. Block and Adrian Dunbar played Lili Vanessi/Katherine and Fred Graham/Petruchio. [Block is married to actor Sebastian Arcelus, whose grandmother, Princess Catherine of Russia (1915-2007) was the last member of the Romanov family to be born in Russia.]
The show, directed by Bartlett Sher, was excellent, and, I expect there will be a Broadway production.
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| the Barbican Water Gardens |
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| A female mallard |
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| the Barbican Water Gardens |
It was confusing when I left the theatre, as I could not remember the way back to the Barbican Underground Station. I joined several other people who were heading to the subway. The walk seemed a bit farther. It was as we arrived at the Moorgate Station. I looked at the map: Moorgate to Kings Cross to Victoria where I caught the bus to Battersea.
It had been a long, fun, and varied today: royals, art and theatre - and the kindness of a stranger.
Back at the apartment, I made a cup of tea, turned on the TV, and flopped on the couch before heading to bed ... with just one day more.
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