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  1. Scones of the Year 2013

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    St Pancras Renaissance

    Amongst my friends my scone #obsession is well known, so when Yannick suggested, for my final blog of 2013, that I do Scones of the Year it seemed like the perfect end to a fun filled year. So sit back and enjoy, in no particular order, a review of some of my favourite cream teas.

    It's no secret that my favourite building in the whole of London is the St Pancras Renaissance Hotel as its beautiful gothic architecture never fails to take my breath away however many times I see it. Sadly my bank balance won't permit me to stay there but I have been able to visit a couple of times this year with some of my twitter friends, aka #teamcake, to enjoy their giant scones. Their scones have become legendary, they're so huge they could easily feed a family of four. Add to that the sumptuous surroundings it is the perfect place for a special tasty treat. 

  2. Lost London - Selfridges Christmas Window Depicts how London Could have Looked (Part III)

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     Old St Paul's Cathedral - North side

    In our third and final blog on the Lost London Selfridges’ Christmas Window, which recreates in gingerbread buildings that have been lost or were never built in the capital, we take a look at Old St Paul’s Cathedral and the Euston Arch.

  5. Delightful Shops to Body Snatching - There's more to Columbia Road than its Flower Market

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     Beyond Fabrics

    One of the most charming things to do in London on a Sunday morning is to visit Columbia Road Flower Market, selling all things horticultural from cut flowers, bedding plants to garden accessories. This very popular market is open from 8am to about 3pm and attracts both locals and those in the know who desend on it and its adjacent quirky shops. However I’d recommend visiting on a Saturday, when the crowds can be avoided while many of the delightful shops and cafes are still open. 

    Beyond Fabrics are just one of the delightful shops, stocking vintage inspired fabrics and offering craft workshops and courses.

  6. St Antholin Lost London - Selfridges Christmas Window Depicts how London Could have Looked (Part II)

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     St Antholin Church, on the far left, recreated in gingerbread in Selfridges Lost London window

    Recently I blogged about Selfridge's delightful Lost London window, which recreates buildings that have been lost or were never built in the capital. I was most delighted to see that St Antholin Budge Row was included, as it is one of my favourite lost churches in the City of London.

    The gingerbread model depicts what was considered to be one of the finest of the City Churches designed by Christopher Wren. The church stood from 1678 until 1874. Like all the Lost Churches, it has a fascinating history and with a bit of detective work I have been able to visit the parts of the church that still survive.

  7. The Delightful Geffrye Museum's Christmas Past Exhibition

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    In the 1630s room the table is laid out with sweet dishes 

    Updated with 2013 opening times

    One of my favourite places to visit in London is the Geffrye Museum, located in former eighteenth century almshouses. The Museum is named after Sir Robert Geffrye, a former Lord Mayor of the City of London, at whose bequest the almshouses were built. The Geffrye features eleven period rooms which reflect the styles and fashions of the English middle classes from 1600s to the present day.

    It is worth visiting at any time of the year but it is at its most magical during its annual Christmas Past exhibition when the rooms are transformed and decorated as they would have been for their era. The rooms are laid out sequentially with the earlier rooms tending to have just very simple evergreen decoration.

  9. Royal London Hospital Museum - Explore Whitechapel's Amazing Medical History

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     Some of the display cabinets in this well laid out medical history museum – All photos courtesy of The Royal London Hospital Archives

    The Royal London Hospital Museum is a wonderful small, medical museum located in the crypt of a beautiful former church, St Augustine with St Philip's, in the hospital grounds. Whitechapel is an area best known for its associations with the infamous Jack the Ripper and this is just one of the displays at the museum.

    However, there is so much more to offer and for me, my visit there was to find out more about Nurse Edith Cavell and the hospital’s most famous patient/ inmate Joseph Merrick, who is also known as The Elephant Man, while I was researching a new walk for Centre of The Cell.

  10. Christmas Decorations in Covent Garden

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    The amazing view of Covent Garden from the Royal Opera House's terrace

    Last night had a fabulous night seeing the ballet at the Royal Opera House with friends @FranPickering @ypldn and @kathrynsdaniels . On the way back the the tube we walked through Covent Garden Piazza and enjoyed the beautiful Christmas decorations. I hope you enjoy the photos.