9 June 2015 - The Changing Guards at Buckingham Palace, Christopher Robin went down with Alice..."

As I write this blog, I can hear Luke playing with his Lego and talking about the king having his head on the block and the executioner!  It is wonderful how little kids play out all their learning in their endeavour to process it all!  He also told me that he checked out the wardrobe here and it doesn't lead to Narnia! (A la the Narnia series he is listening to at the moment.)  As he said in his sophisticated little way: "I am trying to replicate a scene we have seen!"

The Canada Gate

 We got moving fairly promptly this morning as we wanted to get a good viewing spot at Buckingham Palace for the daily Changing of the Guards.  We knew we were heading in the right direction from the station as the surging crowd was also heading there.  Through Green Park, past the empty sun lounges (which you can sit in for an hourly rate - unlike Paris where they are free for all and well used), and through the Canada Gate, over the Mall which goes around the Victoria Memorial and into the gathering throng at the gates of the Palace!  We were early enough to get a reasonable view point but not early enough to be right on the fence. We were prepared to wait.

Ornate gates of the Palace

Before long, we heard distant music and in the mean time had been entertained by the sentries changing spots outside their sentry boxes, perfectly synchronised.  We imagined they had little Tom-Toms in their ears saying: "You have reached your destination, do U-turn with the next step....!"

And here we are...outside Buckingham Palace

Sentry receiving orders

Coat of Arms

VR - Victoria reigns

George Reigns

Victoria Monument

Good vantage point for Luke

At Ease

Drummers

There was a jolly Irish mounted policeman who seemed to have taken on the role of crowd entertaining while we were waiting.  He certainly had the gift of the gab!  His horse was an Irish work horse which he described as a sturdy breed and described himself as the same patting his round tummy!  He was happy to give a potted history of the Changing of the Guard parade.

Jolly Irish policeman

 The cameras and selfie-sticks were out in force and why not?  The last time I was here, I had my Kodak Instamatic and if I managed to snap a photo, it was weeks until I saw the blurry disappointing results.  Nowadays, with digital cameras, good shots are almost guaranteed and lots of them, too!  I was a happy snapper today and Luke also took a few photos from his vantage points: sometimes on Karl's shoulders and sometimes on the fence line.

Here they come!

 And so the band got closer and the sound of horses' hooves clopped along The Mall.  It was a wonderful and precise parade with everyone in unison.  When the new guards came to rest in the forecourt, after a surreptitious bit of shuffling into perfect formation, they changed their weapon positions and the key to the Palace was handed over.  Well, the key wasn't really handed over as it is no longer needed but the ceremony still has its place in the parade.

Handing over the key to the Palace

Guns and bayonets.

The musicians marched forward to within a metre of where we were standing to collect their music stands!  They proceeded to play a medley of Gershwin and Joplin and other classics before marching out again.

The band

 The pomp, the ceremony, the history and the colour was visually delightful but it was the beat of the drums which thunders in time with one's  heart beat that gives a deep seated joy.  I love it!!

Buckingham palace and crowd!

Victoria Monument

Carriage carrying someone important - not sure who

Green Park

 Even though summer is nigh, there was a chilly North wind and very low temperatures overnight and we were feeling the cold.  We sat briefly at the Canada Memorial in Green Park and had our morning snack before walking up to Piccadilly.

Fossil wall at Green Park station

Piccadilly brings you right into "poshville' and the buildings are beautiful.  Luke happened to notice fossils in the wall of Green Park station and it was a marvellous display!  Further, as we had a brief look through St James Piccadilly there was a market in the courtyard and there was a little stall selling fossils.  It was hard to drag Luke away!

Bentley and Skinner building, Piccadilly

Royal Academy of Arts

 As we walked by Fortnum and Mason, we had to go in to 1) get warm and 2) feel the extreme "poshness" of it all and posh it was!  Chandeliers, elegant displays, extraordinary glace fruits and wonderful looking biscuits which would be a shame to eat...not to mention the 645 pound bottle of bubbly!!

Cheese display -  Fortnum and Mason

Chilli display

Elegant chocolates

Glace Pineapple

Trying a bit of opera!

Opera House in Fortnum and Mason

St James was a quiet spot to sit and catch the tail end of the lunch time sermon about being the salt and light.  Being right in the middle of the city, St James has a fairly diverse congregation and a mission to the homeless including a spot for anyone in need to rest at the back of the church.

St James Piccadilly

St James Piccadilly, stained glass window and altar

Cordings  building

 Piccadilly Circus was the same as ever, with Eros and his arrow still pointing in the same direction.  It really was too chilly to hang around for long so we headed for home.  An afternoon program for school worked well.

Piccadilly Circus

Piccadilly Circus

Chicken casserole for dinner was just perfect as the cool evening descended.  Another day in London.