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! 

Exercise videos

    As you see, I own a remarkable number of Yoga and Pilates DVD's. Why? It is not that I avoid doing the exercises and buy the discs to assuage my guilt. No! I do Pilates every morning for 10 minutes - now that I have found the right one: Pilates for beginners: 10 minute solutions.

   I do not like advertising on my blogs but I wasted so much money on false starts that I feel obliged to do so. Some DVD's are difficult to navigate from the menu, some are unbelievably irritating or slow, some demand that you need lots of space and so on.

    Now I am trying to learn Tai Chi - same dreary and expensive experimentation with discs. One made it impossible to choose chapters and go to them, one was beautiful to see and gave clear instructions but involved me turning my back and watching over my shoulder. I also like mirror image - otherwise I end up in knots! 

   From what I have done, I find the movements soothing and helpful for balance but - where oh where is that perfect DVD? It is not on my shelf yet!

    

Coffee pods - not beans!

I have recently treated myself to one of those dapper machines that turns you overnight into a barista and fills the house with the aromas of freshly made beverages.

It works  - even though I heat the cup up first on account of my asbestos-lined mouth. I savour my lovely lattes and hot chocolates and have even ordered a sprinkler to add that extra finesse.

BUT my problem is with the pods. Some drinks need 2 pods so that your purchase delivers only half the number of treats envisaged. Second criticism is that they drip after removal and, unless you have an efficient system, your rubbish bin will have a soggy bottom.

Worst of all is that they are not biodegradable. If you have 3 drinks a day that could be 6 pods going into landfill adding up to 35 per week and ... I leave the higher mathematics to you. I think this is disgraceful and that the manufacturers must tackle this issue immediately

Winter wonderland

My part of Wales, Monmouthshire, is even more beautiful and compelling in winter when the frost glints and the colours are subtle and subdued. It is so easy to get to mountains, rivers and moorland, all equally enchanting.

In the Brecon Beacons

A walk along the River Wye near Monmouth

Quite often I puzzle over why anyone goes anywhere else - but that is solipsistic! 

King Arthur

  I have become completely intrigued by the story of King Arthur. It is the mix of history and legend that is fascinating. Geoffrey of Monmouth started to popularise his life in the twelfth century and so many writers have picked up on that account and added characters, themes and detail. Something about him stirs the imagination and appeals to people of all centuries.
  Yet he has also attracted scholarly interest as academics and archaeologists try to establish where he was born, lived and died - if, indeed, he existed in reality. Any place with connections to him has become a tourist centre and the concepts of the Round Table and the Holy Grail are deeply etched in our minds.
  I am intent on reading the various versions of the narrative (probably in translation!) to see who has embellished the skeleton provided by Geoffrey. This image of him enthroned is from a set of tapestries depicting the Nine Heroes (French, late 14th century) and I have taken it from the Bellerophon Book outline, checked the colours and filled it in. His tunic shows the three crowns of England, Scotland and Brittany.
   My research on King Arthur will be posted in stages on my history blog about visits you can make by bus in Monmouthshire as there are good reasons for associating him with South East Wales, particularly Caerleon.

Bodiam Castle

I am a great fan of Welsh Castles and visit them on local bus routes. Yet I succumbed to the beauty of Bodiam reflected in its moat when I saw it last weekend.

Pity about the bunting: why do they think that's a good idea?  It has something in common with Raglan Castle in Monmouthshire as both are more of a Toff's residence than a military fortification. http://onthebusesm.blogspot.co.uk/2016/06/raglan-castle.html