The Charterhouse - central London

   Last week when I was in London I went, with my daughter, on a tour that she had booked for us to The Charterhouse, near St. Paul's. We had a wonderful guide who walked us round this ancient building which has been a Plague burial ground, a monastery, a Tudor mansion  and a school, hospital and almshouse. It is still home to 40 Brothers - who are elderly people in need - and I found the sight of the table set for afternoon tea very moving.
   If you want to do something quiet and different in the heart of London that you will remember for a long time, book yourself onto this tour.
   I have written more about it on my history blog: History on the Buses. 

HATS!

Nothing quite gives a lift like a proper hat! Here is my latest and it is pure Downton Abbey. The actual colour is cherry red and I feel fab when wearing it. It stays on in the wind which is a Good Thing as I am terrified of hat pins! There are all manner of rationalisations about hats: you lose umpteen percentage points of heat through the head without one etc etc. But the real reason is the surge of confidence they produce. They ARE practical in the rain as I hate hoods on coats which make me walk bending forward in duck pose. I have a series of fedoras - bought in the sales - and little squashy cloche jobbies and I create a sensation at the bus stop. Yet the ultimate accolade is from my butcher: not in words as such but in his scuttling off to the back of the shop to select the best cuts for his hatted customer!