Walk it off on Parliament Hill?

Sit in an armchair watching Songs of Praise and go to sleep

LOVE IT!

Actually my sister-in law and family may go to Mass first, and if so, I thought that if it was a nice day my husband and I might meet them up at Bull and Last, and we would explore Parliament Hill before they get there.

Just got confirmation, we have reservations at Bull and Last at 1:00

We might want to go take a peek around City University as my niece will be studying there for a semester next year.

So lets say what do we do after City University?

Few suggestions:
There are a few shows that have Sunday matinees.

Other London Walks - my favorite so far is the Hampstead Village walk on Sunday.

Also, check out a Regent's Canal boat trip http://www.camdenguide.co.uk/visit/canalwalk.htm

City University is a collection of not very distinguished buildings, parts of it in different locations, with the main centre between Islington and Clerkenwell. On a Sunday, there will be very few people around, if any, and next to nothing to see.

From there, you could get a bus going on down St John St to the City, and visit the Museum of London; after that, you could stroll on down past St Pauls and over the Millennium Bridge to the South Bank, and then round to London Bridge and back to the Monument.

Hi wrenwood:

Can you tell me a bit about the tradition of Sunday Roast? I see that you are having this as your mid-day meal. Is this typical?

Thanks!

The sunday roast is very traditional, sundays would be stick a roast in the oven, go to church, walk home (husband to pub possible) then roast with all the trimmings, followed by a sleep in front of the fire. In poorer houses the same roast would then be served back up for the rest of the week as cold meat, cottage or shepherds pie, broth, soup etc and try to make it last through to say friday (fish).

The usual variations would include Sunday lunch being at 1pm, 3pm or even 4pm depending on what the local tradition was.

Sunday evening meals would tend to be simple affairs called either supper or dinner dependant on area of the country or class. Tea and High Tea also go stuck in there to confuse the visitor.

Does it still exist, no idea, many local pubs offer a cavery (which is basically a wide range of roasted animals and vegtables) and this is usually available on Sundays, though you may also find it on Thursdays (traditional pensioner payment day).

Roasts in the evening did and do occur but not traditionally, I guess mainly because the ovens would have gone out.

It has all sorts of cultural implications as well, as alanRow suggests, from feet up with the newspaper and a nap (before there was afternoon television) to certain programs on the wireless to a long walk in a sodden countryside. There was a film when I was at university or just after called "Sunday, Bloody Sunday", whose title sums up a lot of the feelings.

I've never seen any activity round City University on a Sunday in my life, except when I used to walk to church past it.

Google Clerkenwell Square, where Lenin ran his paper and real, socially useful, radicals started proper, democratic and effective socialist movements in the decades before we started hosting useless self-indulgent scum like him and his economically illiterate mentor.

You could happily fill up a whole afternoon just following up the references in the Wiki article to the streets immediately around the square.

"Is Sunday roast typical"

I'd say getting on for two-thirds of the invitations we get and receive to lunch on a Sunday involve a roast (usually beef, pork or lamb), unless it's one of those few days when someone decides to eat outside. Increasingly common, some twist: a Mediterranean recipe for roast lamb, a slow-roast shank or mutton; intriguingly herbed, or a designer breed of, pork; beef from a local herd with home-grown horseradish. Otherwise, unless a nuclear family is all eating together (rare indeed for Sunday lunch) almost unheard of these days.

It was traditional, of course, only among those English families who could afford, and had access to, a joint of prime meat weekly. Before WW2, that was a very small minority and impossible for almost everyone till meat rationing came off (1954). My memory is that it then became commonplace almost immediately, though no-one I knew could remember eating like that before the war.

>>sundays would be stick a roast in the oven, go to church,<<

As in http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CTNyt6PxvJU.

>>In poorer houses the same roast would then be served back up for the rest of the week as cold meat, cottage or shepherds pie, broth, soup etc and try to make it last through <<

And in poorer days they would get a whole sheep's head, complete with the eyes "to see us through the week". My mother could certainly stretch the remains of the Sunday joint for several days (but then, my father tended to buy the Albert Memorial size of joint, as a reaction against the privations of earlier years, I think).

Re: Sunday Roast/Sunday Lunch - Interesting! Thanks for everyone's response to my question!

So, as a visitor to London like wrenwood, I would make a mid-day reservation for Sunday Roast and plan a light meal for the evening.

There was a film when I was at university or just after called "Sunday, Bloody Sunday", whose title sums up a lot of the feelings.>>

or even better the Hancock "sunday afternoon" episode.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c3mUCPSSn2w>>

not the best bit but you should get the idea.


<<Otherwise, unless a nuclear family is all eating together (rare indeed for Sunday lunch) almost unheard of these days.>>

that's us, the mythical nuclear family, when our kids are around, though we usually eat in the evening to allow time for other pursuits during the day.

2010 - DEFINITELY don't reckon on wanting to eat much later in the day, but I'd suggest booking for 1pm rather than 12 noon, when they are probably still clearing away after breakfast.

2010

We chose Bull and Last because of this article, but as others have said above there are other places which are good. Hawksmoor was last years winner and the runner-up this year. I made reservations the other day, they said it's definitely recommended for Sunday Roasts.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2011/oct/16/ofm-awards-2011-best-sunday-lunch

here's a recent sunday lunch menu to get us all in the mood:

http://www.thebullandlast.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/menus/sunday-lunch-29412_1336129117.pdf

have you decided what you're going to do, wrenwood, after this splendid repast?

>>or even better the Hancock "sunday afternoon" episode. <<

"I thought my mother was a bad cook, but at least her gravy used to move about."

Patrick - the very best bit, IMHO, is the opening when Hancock is moaning and groaning about how boring sundays are and keeps asking Hattie what the time is - every 2 minutes or so.

it reminds me so much of sundays growing up - there really was nothing to do.

>>it reminds me so much of sundays growing up - there really was nothing to do<<

Oh I know... until the day my parents decided to Do Something About It and had us up and about going to the open-air swimming pool BEFORE BREAKFAST or going on cycle rides round Richmond Park.

annhig, no I haven't decided, need to look at some notes and previous posts and a map.

We have one day planned for Hampton Court, one day for Westminster Abbey and area, one day for Tower of London and area, and one day unscheduled.

We'll try to work London Eye in on a clear day (hopefully!)

After the Roast and a quick stop near City University, we probably need a plan of some things to walk by/around, nothing complicated.

Don't forget the Yorkshire pudding served before the meat to take the edge off the appetite.