by Sandra Hutchinson

I’ve been lucky to travel to London a number of times during the month of May, when some of my favorite events occur. This May (2024), I headed across the pond, and spent nine days in the capital, visiting my younger son’s girlfriend who is currently living and studying there. To my delight, my son flew over to join us for the duration of my visit.

We did a bunch of things together, as their work and school schedules allowed, and I also did a lot poking about on my own. Here are some highlights.

Sky Garden

View of St. Paul’s Cathedral at dusk from the Sky Garden. The Thames River is to the left.

Located on the top of the so-walled Walkie Talkie building at 20 Fenchurch Street in the City, this space is free to visit and offers spectacular views from the 43rd floor. We arrived as the sun was setting, and were transfixed by watching how the view changed from dusk to dark. There are restaurants and bars within Sky Garden, but anyone can visit the viewing space. Tickets are timed and it is advisable to book ahead, online. It’s open every day. Check the website for details and opening times. Website: https://skygarden.london

Sunday Roast (NB: not for vegetarians!)

To me, going out for a Sunday roast is mandatory in England. This time we chose a pub called The Jugged Hare, located in the City, close to the Barbican Arts Centre. It bills itself as a “gastro pub and game restaurant.” Website: https://thejuggedhare.com

When traveling, always be open to new culinary adventures…. (although nothing could compare to the native grouse I was served several years ago at Rules, said to be London’s oldest restaurant, with claws and legs still attached, complete with feathers, and a warning to be careful of lead shot. See photo at end of this section, below.)

I’m sure you’re wondering, as I was, what Jugged Hare means. But first, we need to understand the different between a hare and a rabbit. Fortunately, signage in the pub gave me the answer.

Turns out, jugged hare is a type of hare stew, and it appears on the regular a la carte menu as wild Norfolk hare, “braised in its own blood” (sorry……) and served in a jug. It is offered during the week, but not on Sundays. The Sunday roast offers a choice of beef, pork belly, leg of lamb or chicken. I chose the lamb. In the photo of the dish below, that is one huge Yorkshire pudding, along with duck fat roast potatoes, seasonal vegetables. Mint sauce was served on the side.

In the bar part of the pub, there’s a display case containing a variety of stuffed creatures. Fortunately, heron, badger and hedgehog did not appear on the menu!!

As promised, here is my grouse dish from Rules. Website: https://rules.co.uk Please forgive me but I just had to share.

Saw Hamilton

I had seen Hamilton in New York not too long after it opened, but I thought it would be fun to see it in London, in part to see whether it had changed. We attended a Saturday matinee at the Victoria Palace Theater, and the theater seemed more intimate than what I remembered about the New York venue. I think I enjoyed the show more the second time around, in part because I basically knew the story (I had also done some reading about Hamilton’s life) and I was, shall we say, less confused.

My recollection of King George III in New York was that he was attired in a dressing gown, and depicted as being quite off his rocker. In this performance, the King appears in royal regalia and seems less wacky, but more imperious. Yes, he’s still nutty but he seems more focused on asserting “they’ll be back!” (“They” being the colonies.) Regardless, he was hysterically funny,

Laslett Hotel, Notting Hill and Portobello Road

I stayed in a boutique hotel in Notting Hill called the Laslett. It’s named after one of the founders of the popular Notting Hill Carnival, which occurs each August in this neighborhood, which is just northwest of Kensington Gardens. My son’s girlfriend’s apartment was just a short walk from my hotel, and the hotel is a half a block from the Notting Hill tube station, so it was a perfect location. Here are photos of the exterior (it’s quite low-key). It’s essentially four townhouses connected together. I’ve also included a view of the street from my room.

For the first four nights I had a standard double room, and then I moved to a larger room when it became available. The rooms had nicely appointed bathrooms and well-stocked minibars. I recommend asking for a room that faces the street rather than the rear (not much to look at). Street noise was not a problem. The photos below are of the smaller room.

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Many people know about Portobello Road, a street in Notting Hill that is lined with antique shops, vintage clothing stores, and restaurants. Each Saturday morning, vendors set up stalls along the road, kind of like a flea market, along with a food market. It is wildly popular and becomes very crowded as the day goes on. If you remember the 1999 movie Notting Hill, starring Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant, Hugh’s character owns a travel bookstore in Notting Hill. While the original store from the film remains, it is now a gift shop (see photo below). Also below is a photo inside a crowded shop that specializes in silverplate pieces.

A highlight for me was again visiting Alice’s, the whimsical shop that almost defies description, that is central to the story line of the movie Paddington 2. Here is an exterior and two interior shots. If you haven’t seen this movie, you are missing one of the great ones. Sadly the character Mr. Gruber, being fictional, was nowhere to be found, although the curmudgeonly proprietor of Alice’s was in the store.

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Diana statue, playground and Peter Pan statue in Kensington Gardens

In 2021, a commemorative statue of Diana, Princess of Wales, was unveiled in the Sunken Garden at Kensington Palace (her former home) by her sons Prince William and Prince Harry. The cast bronze statue is larger than life-size, and depicts Diana surrounded by three children, who are said to represent “the universality and generational impact” of her work. The statue is easily seen by entering the perimeter of the Sunken Garden from the park side. The second photo shows the statue from behind, looking towards Kensington Palace beyond.

Kensington Palace is itself a must-see visit. I toured it in 2018 when it housed a fabulous temporary exhibit called Diana: Her Fashion Story, which displayed numerous dresses and ensembles worn by Diana. Here’s my article about the exhibit. If you click on the link, you can also read about my conversation with a gardener at the Sunken Garden who inadvertently photo-bombed the official engagement photo of Prince Harry and Megan Markle! There’s also a photo of the east end of the Sunken Garden before the Diana statue was installed there.

I also popped over to see the nearby Diana Memorial Playground but discovered that it is contained in a protected, fenced area, and adults are only admitted if they are accompanying children under age 12.

Close by Kensington Palace is the Orangery, built in 1704-5 for Queen Anne. It was used in winter as a conservatory. It is now a restaurant that serves lunch and afternoon tea. I had actually booked a reservation ahead for afternoon tea at the Orangery, but it was subsequently cancelled by the venue due to a party booking the restaurant for a private event.

Another must-see feature of Kensington Gardens on my list was the Peter Pan statue. Erected in 1912 and commissioned by author and playwright J. M. Barrie, it depicts Peter Pan playing a trumpet whilst (!) standing atop a stump adorned with squirrels, rabbits, mice and fairies.

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National Portrait Gallery and St.-Martins-in-the-Fields

One of my favorite museums anywhere is the National Portrait Gallery in London. Free to enter, it has floors of portraits of people important in British history and culture, and each portrait has an accompanying panel with historic context. Being somewhat of a superfan of English queens, I love the Tudor Gallery, on the top floor. Here are some of my favorites, starting with Anne Boleyn, Henry VIII’s second wife, and Katherine (or Catherine) Parr, the King’s last wife and the only one to outlive him.

Below, Queen Elizabeth I, one portrait as a young woman with loose hair, and another known as the Ditchley Portrait, commissioned by courtier Henry Lee, whose home in Oxfordshire was named Ditchley. The Queen is standing on a globe, with her feet on Oxfordshire.

Elsewhere in the Portrait Gallery are portraits of two of my favorite 20th century British women: garden designer Gertrude Jekyll, and author, artist and conservationist Beatrix Potter, shown here judging her beloved Herdwick sheep.

If you’re interested in Beatrix Potter (a truly extraordinary woman), please link to my articles here and here, that describe her life, home and work in the Lake District.

A few other portraits I’d like to share — a young Winston Churchill, King Charles, Queen Elizabeth II, and Prince William and Princess Kate.

Almost directly across the street from the Portrait Gallery is the beautiful St.-Martins-in-the-Fields Anglican Church. I recommend stopping here not only to view the sanctuary with its unique east window, but to grab lunch or a snack in the cafe in the crypt, in the basement.

The church has a fantastic music program, with numerous concerts and choral services each week. I attended a service there several years ago that was broadcast live on BBC radio. Just check out these cards, below, and the website, here.

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London Festival of Baroque Music; The Sixteen; Westminster Abbey Evensong

Each May, a Baroque music festival takes place in London, with concerts held over several weeks at various venues. The headquarters of the festival is at St. John’s Smith church, near the Houses of Parliament. This year I took in the first concert of the series, performed by acclaimed organist and St. John’s Smith’s Organist in Residence, Roger Sayer. Sadly, I’ve misplaced the program from the concert but all except one piece were of the Baroque period. Curiously, the organ was bathed in purple light (see photo below). A large screen projected a view of the keyboard.

The church as a venue for music has recently been rebranded as Sinfonia Smith Square. Check the website, here. The photo below is from the church’s website, showing the view of the facade facing Lord North Street.

Another musical performance I attended that was an absolute joy was Monteverdi’s Vespers of 1610, by The Sixteen, at the Barbican. The Sixteen is an internationally acclaimed choral group led by Harry Christophers. Website click here. The Vespers was accompanied by an orchestra using reproduction period instruments including a sackbut, theorbo and dulcian. I’m still not sure which of the instruments on stage were which, but the concert was otherworldly.

Another one of my favorite things to do while in England is to attend at least one Evensong service. In the Anglican church, Evensong follows the pattern in The Book of Common Prayer and consists of choral music (psalms, canticles, and anthems), along with scripture readings and prayers, held in late afternoon or early evening. In many churches, the music is sung by the men and boy’s choir (which now oftentimes include girls). The Evensong services at large churches and cathedrals like Westminster Abbey and St. Paul’s are immensely popular. If you wish to secure a “good seat” from which you can see the choir, get in line early. Check each church’s website to determine the days and times of Evensong. And remember it is a worship service. No photos are allowed during the service, for example, at Westminster Abbey or St. Paul’s Cathedral.

Below is a photo of the quire at Westminster Abbey, taken during a daytime tour, where the Abbey Choir celebrates the Evensong service.

A note about Westminster Abbey’s recently opened Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Galleries

Of course, many tourists to London visit Westminster Abbey since it is one of the most famous churches in the world, the coronation church since 1066, and the burial site of countless royals, and famous historical figures. Book ahead, and try to get in on a Verger tour. Website click here.

In 2018, new museum galleries were opened to the public more than 50 feet (seven storeys) above the Abbey’s floor, in the medieval Triforium. These spaces had never before been open to the public. A new tower was constructed to access the galleries, housing a staircase and an elevator. If you book a tour of the Abbey, I urge you to add on a visit to the Diamond Jubilee Galleries. Exhibits describe the construction of the abbey, and there are many fascinating funeral effigies on display. These wooden representations of a deceased monarch were displayed on top of the coffin during the procession of taking the coffin to the church. They would be clothed in actual garments. The features of royal funeral effigies were sometimes modeled on death masks and can therefore fairly accurately resemble the actual deceased. Effigies were used in funeral processions until the 17th century.

But the best thing about visiting these galleries, is the view down into the Abbey below. Breathtaking is an understatement. Sadly for the visitor, photos are prohibited. But I can share this image looking down into the Abbey, through the quire, towards the Great West Door, taken from a guidebook I purchased.

Some additional ideas for restaurants

I’ve written before about Colbert, the French restaurant in Sloane Square where my husband and I had a fantastic meal after attending the RHS Chelsea Flower Show a couple years ago. Website, click here. I love the lemon sole meunière, the escargots and the creme brûlée.

Below is an interior shot of the restaurant, and the back of a patron leaving, who had dinner at a nearby table with his wife the evening we were there on this trip. It is Dustin Hoffman.

Afternoon tea at Brown’s Hotel

I really did kind of splurge on this trip and treated my son and his girlfriend to afternoon tea at The Drawing Room, at Brown’s Hotel in Mayfair. Afternoon tea website, click here. It was elegant and the selection of teas beyond anything I had ever seen. But I’m not so sure it was worth the hefty price tag. I love a nice coronation chicken salad, and egg and watercress, but the bread seemed a bit stale!

I do wish to make note of the wallpaper, below. Not sure what all is going on there, but it was eye-catching!

Brunch at The Princess Royal

There’s a charming pub in Notting Hill, at 47 Hereford Road, called The Princess Royal, acclaimed for its brunches. It is also a small boutique hotel, with four rooms upstairs. Website here. We arrived around noon on a Saturday, in time to have brunch before I headed to Heathrow for my flight home. Nice selection; charming spaces both inside and out.

Rovi, by Chef Ottolenghi

Yotam Ottolenghi is an Israeli-born British chef who owns a number of restaurants in London and has written several bestselling cookbooks. I was told he’s a bit of a culinary rock star. We had dinner at one of his restaurants, called Rovi, website here. The focus at Rovi is on vegetables, and cooking over fire.

We selected a number of small plates, including grilled tropea onions, grilled asparagus, and the decidedly non-vegetarian hogget ribs. Everything was delicious, and my son said it was the best meal he’d had all week in London. The cocktail list was intriguing and offered many selections.

The Churchill Arms

Who could resist stopping by this pub in Kensington, named after Winston Churchill and covered with blooms? The interior is chock-full with Churchill and World War II memorabilia, but be aware the menu is not British, but Thai cuisine.

Back to Fortnum’s!

No visit to central London is complete for me without stopping by Fortnum & Mason, in Piccadilly. I’ve previously written about Fortnum, along with Harrod’s Food Halls, here. On this trip to Fortnum, I was on a mission — to purchase one of the iconic wicker hampers and have it shipped home, containing a selection of treats, like Shropshire creamed honey.

There’s a special area on an upper floor where customers go to select their hamper, and fill it with items they collect while shopping. I was told that shipping to the US even for the largest sized hamper, regardless of number of items inside, is only 22 British pounds. That’s less than US $28, which was not as much as I had expected.

I’m not entirely sure who these gentlemen are who greet customers at one of the entrances to Fortnum and Mason, but I rather adore them.

Next door to Fortnum’s is Hatchards, said to be London’s oldest bookshop. Always worth a stop.

A few random photos!

For quite a few years, the public has not been able to access Downing Street to see the front of the Prime Minister’s headquarters at 10 Downing St. But you can see 12 Downing Street from the side, which I learned is also used as the Prime Minister’s residence. On a Westminster walking tour, we were told that the porch on the left, which is behind number 10, was the site of the infamous “Prosecco party” hosted by former PM Boris Johnson during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. It was that scandal that contributed to his downfall.

Two atmospheric Westminster pubs. The Westminster Arms is said to be where many members of Parliament hang out.

Inside Chelsea Textiles, which is famous for its hand-stitched crewels and embroidery. (They also love dogs.) The shop is located in the Pimlico Road Design District, in Belgravia, and surrounded by many fabulous design shops and studios, like Nina Campbell and Fermoie lampshades (also shown).

At Liberty of London.

A reminder of the Blitz. On Lord North Street, a sign remains pointing people to underground shelters.

Well, how about that? Just stumbled across it. London has several different categories of plaques that identify important locations.

Tomb of Queen Elizabeth in Westminster Abbey. She was crowned in the Abbey on Jan. 15, 1559. She died in 1603.

Thanks for reading! Please comment!