Hovercraft at Lee on the Solent

Having passed the Hovercraft Museum at Lee on the Solent a number of times when it was firmly shut, the news that it was opening on Saturday mornings was met with glee from the old man and me and less enthusiasm from the old dear. So when Bryony visited in February, it was a good opportunity for some father/son – grandmother/granddaughter bonding time – but separately.

BTW, museum well worth a visit if you are into that sort of thing – you would struggle to find anything similar elsewhere.

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A Wellcome back to Bluebird

Following an email invitation to visit the Wellcome Collection’s latest exhibition (why do I open them?) I suggested that the subject material might be of interest to Milly and her upcoming Psychology A Levels. As apparently everything on the invite was of interest, plans were made to visit the collection in the Euston Road. I have not been there before, despite a few near misses, and was hugely impressed with the exhibitions, facilities and atmosphere of the building. Certainly worth a visit if you haven’t been. Following a very brief stop at the latest Saatchi exhibition (Patek Philippe watches) which we continued down the King’s Road to Bluebird and a brief cycle round the opulent and surprisingly quiet streets of Chelsea. One very pleasant interlude was meeting cousin Jan on her way to a lecture quite by chance outside the Wellcome building – now what are the chances of that?

The reason for the visit.

Interesting spiral staircase

Significant machinery everywhere

The evergreen Bluebird

The chaise looooongue

Chelsea by bike

History repeating itself…

Victorias – Secret and Albert

Happy New Year – hope 2015 is good for you!

We had a last visit to London before work finally kicks off again. This time with Bex and Livi to the V&A, Bluebird and back to Waterloo via the West End. We split up in the V&A (allowing me to visit the amazing refurbished cast courts). We then went to another Victoria, this time the Secret one. A queue to get in (it wasn’t like that on the 23rd December!) – and Livi made various friends who spotted her bag and asked her where the store was. New Bond Street expensive as ever (we passed straight though) – but good window shopping (lèche-vitrines, apparently). Quick restorative at the Queen’s grocer before returning home.

The full size copy of David

Under the West End of the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela

Orchids at Bluebird

Wings at Victoria’s Secret

Busy at Piccadilly Circus

Victoria and Albert – and Bluebird

How have we never visited the Victoria and Albert Museum? The V&A is a total revelation – and rather like the Science Museum, seemingly lacking the queues of the Natural History Museum. Something there for everyone – although it would take a long time to get round everything. The V&A was in between the seemingly obligatory visit to Carnaby Street and lunch at Bluebird – such an excellent venue.

A large room for this exhibit

Joey at the V&A

Early morning window shopping

Bluebird!