goddesstogo and mr. goddess's big London adventure (an ongoing tale)
Nov 27th, 2010, 12:25 PM
#641
The tour ended up in front of the Royal Courts of Justice building. It was just before 4 p.m. when (we were told) most of the courts close for the day but we did go in to one of the courtrooms to watch a few moments of a trial.>>
if you want to see a hearing, the best time to get there is before 10am, and make for the criminal appeal hearings which are normally heard in courts 1-4 [upstairs at the back of the building, on the right, if your back is towards Fleet Street]; or some of the libel cases can be fun - ask at enquiries. it's a bit hit or miss and if something really interesting or important is being heard, you may not get in at all, but it's well worth a try.
GTG, I'm glad you enjoyed walking around the Temple. Truth to tell, I'm not sure about the history of Outer Temple, though according to Wiki, it was one of the Inns of Chancery. The four existing Inns of Court, Inner and Middle Temple, Gray's Inn and Lincoln's Inn, are organisations of barristers which exist [now] mainly to educate barristers and provide Library and other facilties for members.
if you are in the Temple at dawn or dusk, you may see the lamplighter putting out or lighting the gas lamps. alternatively, at lunch-time you may get the chance to walk around the inner temple gardens which are very beautiful.
A friend of mine had her baby christened in Temple Church amongst all the tombs of the Knights Templar. truth to tell, it was a bit spooky! they have a boys' choir and organist in the manner of an english cathedral and the boys may be seen walking through the Temple in their cassocks en route to services or rehearsals.
if you want to see a hearing, the best time to get there is before 10am, and make for the criminal appeal hearings which are normally heard in courts 1-4 [upstairs at the back of the building, on the right, if your back is towards Fleet Street]; or some of the libel cases can be fun - ask at enquiries. it's a bit hit or miss and if something really interesting or important is being heard, you may not get in at all, but it's well worth a try.
GTG, I'm glad you enjoyed walking around the Temple. Truth to tell, I'm not sure about the history of Outer Temple, though according to Wiki, it was one of the Inns of Chancery. The four existing Inns of Court, Inner and Middle Temple, Gray's Inn and Lincoln's Inn, are organisations of barristers which exist [now] mainly to educate barristers and provide Library and other facilties for members.
if you are in the Temple at dawn or dusk, you may see the lamplighter putting out or lighting the gas lamps. alternatively, at lunch-time you may get the chance to walk around the inner temple gardens which are very beautiful.
A friend of mine had her baby christened in Temple Church amongst all the tombs of the Knights Templar. truth to tell, it was a bit spooky! they have a boys' choir and organist in the manner of an english cathedral and the boys may be seen walking through the Temple in their cassocks en route to services or rehearsals.
Nov 28th, 2010, 08:56 AM
#644
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Well, today was Posh Day. We cleaned up nice, put on shoes, and went to Fortnum & Mason for lunch in the St. James restaurant. The store is beautiful and busy and very Christmassy and I was surprised that the restaurant wasn't done up a bit more for the season. There was a Christmas tree in the restaurant foyer and that was about it. The room and the service are quite elegant and formal but clearly F&M doesn't have the same dress code as Harrod's because both couples sitting near us were wearing jeans.
We didn't opt for the big roast beef/yorkshire pudding meal and instead, both of us had the grilled salmon with spinach, pearl onions and jerusalem artichokes. I had creme brulee and SO had apple crumble for pudding. (Pudding, to me, is actually a sort of dessert, as in 'chocolate pudding or tapioca pudding. Dessert is the category. It seems that it would be confusing especially when you also talk about yorkshire pudding.)
We did a bit of shopping in F&M and then browsed the Burlington and Piccadilly arcades and then we turned down a little alleyway to look at a restaurant and when we came out the other end we were on Regent Street. By that time, it was dusk and the Christmas lights were on. I don't think the lights on Regent Street are particularly interesting. I like Oxford Street's better. But the streets were full of shoppers and it was nice and lively. We walked along Regent Street and then Oxford Street (where I finally gave in and stopped to buy a pair of warm gloves) and then hopped on the bus to come home.
If any of you have been in New York just before Christmas you'll know what I mean when I say that despite the Christmas lights, busy stores, beautiful buildings and packed sidewalks, Regent Street still doesn't hold a candle to Fifth Avenue at this time of year. On Fifth Avenue, the sidewalks would be so crowded with so many people lining up to see the animated windows, that the stores would have to put up barriers to keep the crowds in check. And there would be little trios or quartets playing in the doorways. I know (and understand why) some of you would hate the crowds and the noise and the traffic but I love it!
On another topic, I have a word question (much like 'pudding'). There's an article of women's clothing which at home we would call a jumper. It's like a sleeveless, collarless dress but you would wear a blouse or other kind of top under it. Here, a jumper is a sweater. What would you call the other thing?
We didn't opt for the big roast beef/yorkshire pudding meal and instead, both of us had the grilled salmon with spinach, pearl onions and jerusalem artichokes. I had creme brulee and SO had apple crumble for pudding. (Pudding, to me, is actually a sort of dessert, as in 'chocolate pudding or tapioca pudding. Dessert is the category. It seems that it would be confusing especially when you also talk about yorkshire pudding.)
We did a bit of shopping in F&M and then browsed the Burlington and Piccadilly arcades and then we turned down a little alleyway to look at a restaurant and when we came out the other end we were on Regent Street. By that time, it was dusk and the Christmas lights were on. I don't think the lights on Regent Street are particularly interesting. I like Oxford Street's better. But the streets were full of shoppers and it was nice and lively. We walked along Regent Street and then Oxford Street (where I finally gave in and stopped to buy a pair of warm gloves) and then hopped on the bus to come home.
If any of you have been in New York just before Christmas you'll know what I mean when I say that despite the Christmas lights, busy stores, beautiful buildings and packed sidewalks, Regent Street still doesn't hold a candle to Fifth Avenue at this time of year. On Fifth Avenue, the sidewalks would be so crowded with so many people lining up to see the animated windows, that the stores would have to put up barriers to keep the crowds in check. And there would be little trios or quartets playing in the doorways. I know (and understand why) some of you would hate the crowds and the noise and the traffic but I love it!
On another topic, I have a word question (much like 'pudding'). There's an article of women's clothing which at home we would call a jumper. It's like a sleeveless, collarless dress but you would wear a blouse or other kind of top under it. Here, a jumper is a sweater. What would you call the other thing?
Nov 28th, 2010, 10:05 AM
#645
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"(Pudding, to me, is actually a sort of dessert, as in 'chocolate pudding or tapioca pudding. Dessert is the category. It seems that it would be confusing especially when you also talk about yorkshire pudding.)"
Pudding or dessert always sound a bit poncy to me, call it the same as us "rough" people......Afters.
Pudding or dessert always sound a bit poncy to me, call it the same as us "rough" people......Afters.
Nov 28th, 2010, 12:08 PM
#646
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I think they're called pinafore dresses or just pinafores. Just a guess.
Always remember the time I went to tour Parliament and the told me to take off my jumper to go through the metal detector. Confused I just stood there until she pointed to my cardigan sweater.
Christmas in London is not decorated as much as NYC, but then neither are most American cities. I do like the Christmas windows at F&M as well as the lights on Oxford. Really miss eating the mince pies available everywhere.
Just a couple more weeks I guess.
Always remember the time I went to tour Parliament and the told me to take off my jumper to go through the metal detector. Confused I just stood there until she pointed to my cardigan sweater.
Christmas in London is not decorated as much as NYC, but then neither are most American cities. I do like the Christmas windows at F&M as well as the lights on Oxford. Really miss eating the mince pies available everywhere.
Just a couple more weeks I guess.
Nov 28th, 2010, 12:19 PM
#647
I think they're called pinafore dresses or just pinafores. Just a guess.>>
technically a pinafore [aka "pinny"] is a garment that you wear to cook in - a front piece of material with strings that do up at the back. a pinafore dress is what GTG has described; i used to wear one to school. they have the advantage of making everyone look equally unattractive!
GTG, emily - what would you call what we call a " jumper"?
GTG - yet again you have been somewhere that i haven't - I've never been to Fortnum's. nor Fifth Avenue at Christmas! perhaps one day.
technically a pinafore [aka "pinny"] is a garment that you wear to cook in - a front piece of material with strings that do up at the back. a pinafore dress is what GTG has described; i used to wear one to school. they have the advantage of making everyone look equally unattractive!
GTG, emily - what would you call what we call a " jumper"?
GTG - yet again you have been somewhere that i haven't - I've never been to Fortnum's. nor Fifth Avenue at Christmas! perhaps one day.
Nov 28th, 2010, 12:29 PM
#648
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GTG, emily - what would you call what we call a " jumper"?
Don't know about Canadians but I've always called the sweaters with buttons down the front "cardigans". I think most North Americans call "jumpers" sweaters(perhaps because you sweat in them if the heating is on too high.
Don't know about Canadians but I've always called the sweaters with buttons down the front "cardigans". I think most North Americans call "jumpers" sweaters(perhaps because you sweat in them if the heating is on too high.
Nov 28th, 2010, 12:41 PM
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is right. I can count the days now. I'm already emailing friends at home, making plans to get together. It will be nice to be home in our own house and seeing friends and family but, boy, will I ever miss London! And visiting for a couple of weeks is just never going to be the same as living here.I don't think I've ever been in another US city at Christmas time so I can't really compare but NYC really is special.
I'm sitting here smiling, remembering a great TV commercial I saw years ago. I'm sure it was for Hallmark. It was called Grandma's Magic Pinecone. Granddad takes his little grandson (about 8) to Rockefeller Centre well before Christmas and together they plant Grandma's magic pinecone in one of the planters behind the statue of Prometheus that overlooks the skating rink. Time passes and it's the holiday season. Granddad takes grandson to Rockefeller Centre again and it's night and they're standing on Fifth Avenue with about a billion cheerful shoppers, going to see what's happened to the magic pinecone and they're standing there looking down towards the rink and all of a sudden the HUGE Christmas tree lights up and the little boy's jaw drops! It was a great commercial!
Just to give you some idea of what grandson saw, here's a tree from the past.
http://www.sunipix.com/rockefeller%2...lerCenter3.jpg
This year's will be lit on November 30th, I think.
Nov 28th, 2010, 03:13 PM
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I think - but could be wrong - that in formal British dining terminology, dessert would refer to fruit eaten as a sweet after a meal.
Yes, 'pudding' is a sweet confection (like trifle, or spotted dick or bread and butter pudding, etc.) eaten at the end of the meal.
I like 'afters'. Reminds me of when I was at boarding school.
Yes, 'pudding' is a sweet confection (like trifle, or spotted dick or bread and butter pudding, etc.) eaten at the end of the meal.
I like 'afters'. Reminds me of when I was at boarding school.
Nov 29th, 2010, 12:56 AM
#652
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annhig, the kind of school uniform pinafore you're thinking of, I think, is one of those loose ones with box pleats all around. The kind I'm thinking of is rather more grown up and nice to wear to the office.
We'd call a jumper a sweater. One that does up with buttons down the front is a cardigan, and the thing you wear to the gym or to go running outside is a sweatshirt. What do you call those?
I like 'afters' too.
We'd call a jumper a sweater. One that does up with buttons down the front is a cardigan, and the thing you wear to the gym or to go running outside is a sweatshirt. What do you call those?
I like 'afters' too.
Nov 29th, 2010, 02:25 AM
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Yes, that sleeveless dress is a pinafore dress.
The school uniform thing with pleats is a gym-slip. As somebody else has said, it acted as a sort of chastity belt. Nobody looked attractive in it.
As for "afters", my mother thought that "dead common".
I seem to remember that it was called "sweet" in our house.
The school uniform thing with pleats is a gym-slip. As somebody else has said, it acted as a sort of chastity belt. Nobody looked attractive in it.
As for "afters", my mother thought that "dead common".
I seem to remember that it was called "sweet" in our house.
Nov 29th, 2010, 03:41 AM
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>>The school uniform thing with pleats is a gym-slip. As somebody else has said, it acted as a sort of chastity belt. Nobody looked attractive in it.<<
So all those men outside the playground were appreciating the finer points of netball, eh?
So all those men outside the playground were appreciating the finer points of netball, eh?
Nov 29th, 2010, 03:54 AM
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Hello there - yes, 10 Gresham is my office building. I was thinking of taking you to a wine bar by my office that has excellent ham and cheese toasty sandwiches - dont worry, not drinking for me this time as I have to go back to work 
Looking forward to it!
Looking forward to it!
Nov 29th, 2010, 04:13 AM
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"The school uniform thing with pleats is a gym-slip. As somebody else has said, it acted as a sort of chastity belt."
I don't think that worked for The Belles of St. Trinians. Remember that old film?
I thought 'sweets' were candies.
hi, jamie -- ham and cheese toasty sandwiches...mmm! Looking forward to it. Look for me and we'll both look for hsv.
I don't think that worked for The Belles of St. Trinians. Remember that old film?
I thought 'sweets' were candies.
hi, jamie -- ham and cheese toasty sandwiches...mmm! Looking forward to it. Look for me and we'll both look for hsv.
Nov 29th, 2010, 07:08 AM
#657
pudding = spotted dick, jam roly-poly, apple pie;
dessert = meringues, profiteroles, creme caramel;
sweet - [though it is a bit infra dig] all of the above!
ie - no difference at all. it depends entirely on the person who wrote the menu.
dessert = meringues, profiteroles, creme caramel;
sweet - [though it is a bit infra dig] all of the above!
ie - no difference at all. it depends entirely on the person who wrote the menu.
Nov 29th, 2010, 07:12 AM
#658
ps - all gymslips are pinafore dresses; not all pinafore dresses are gym-slips.
BTW, i don't see how the word "pinny" can really come from apron - and in my world, pinafore [not pinafore dress, mind] is synonymous with apron.
BTW, i don't see how the word "pinny" can really come from apron - and in my world, pinafore [not pinafore dress, mind] is synonymous with apron.
Nov 29th, 2010, 03:17 PM
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Despite today's tube strike, we got around pretty well. One of the buses that stops outside our door goes all the way to Trafalgar Square which was exactly where we needed to go. It's a long ride but that's fine since we weren't in a hurry and it's a nice ride along Oxford Street, Regent Street and Piccadilly. We had a late-ish lunch in the Crypt at St. Martin-in-the-Field and then a walk in the Covent Garden area where I bought a pair of great-looking and inexpensive boots. I must go back to that store -- there were other boots I liked there. I hate shoe shopping but I could buy a pair of boots every day of my life. Oh, and we lit up the Christmas Tree at Covent Garden with our kiss...
http://golondon.about.com/od/londonc...stmas-Tree.htm
Anyway, around 5 we went to meet our friends at Gordon's Wine Bar on Villiers Street. Gordon's Wine Bar sounds familiar to me. Is there something I should be remembering about it? (Although it's possible I'm thinking of Gordon's Gin.) They'd invited us to a talk at LSE given by the architech, Richard Rogers (I'm sorry but I can't help adding "...and Oscar Hammerstein" in my mind every time I hear his name). I don't know a lot about architecture but I do know some of his buildings and the others, an architect and two urban planners, were much better informed.
Afterwards we had dinner at a seafood place called Loch Fyne where I had my first fish pie. How could I leave London without having a fish pie? It was pretty good though nothing I'd rush right out to try again. The evening had warmed up a bit by then so they walked us back to Charing Cross where they got their train and we walked over to Trafalgar Square to catch our bus home.
A very nice and interesting day. And tomorrow night is War Horse. Our friends were raving about it tonight so I'm really looking forward to it!
http://golondon.about.com/od/londonc...stmas-Tree.htm
Anyway, around 5 we went to meet our friends at Gordon's Wine Bar on Villiers Street. Gordon's Wine Bar sounds familiar to me. Is there something I should be remembering about it? (Although it's possible I'm thinking of Gordon's Gin.) They'd invited us to a talk at LSE given by the architech, Richard Rogers (I'm sorry but I can't help adding "...and Oscar Hammerstein" in my mind every time I hear his name). I don't know a lot about architecture but I do know some of his buildings and the others, an architect and two urban planners, were much better informed.
Afterwards we had dinner at a seafood place called Loch Fyne where I had my first fish pie. How could I leave London without having a fish pie? It was pretty good though nothing I'd rush right out to try again. The evening had warmed up a bit by then so they walked us back to Charing Cross where they got their train and we walked over to Trafalgar Square to catch our bus home.
A very nice and interesting day. And tomorrow night is War Horse. Our friends were raving about it tonight so I'm really looking forward to it!
Nov 29th, 2010, 03:17 PM
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Despite today's tube strike, we got around pretty well. One of the buses that stops outside our door goes all the way to Trafalgar Square which was exactly where we needed to go. It's a long ride but that's fine since we weren't in a hurry and it's a nice ride along Oxford Street, Regent Street and Piccadilly. We had a late-ish lunch in the Crypt at St. Martin-in-the-Field and then a walk in the Covent Garden area where I bought a pair of great-looking and inexpensive boots. I must go back to that store -- there were other boots I liked there. I hate shoe shopping but I could buy a pair of boots every day of my life. Oh, and we lit up the Christmas Tree at Covent Garden with our kiss...
http://golondon.about.com/od/londonc...stmas-Tree.htm
Anyway, around 5 we went to meet our friends at Gordon's Wine Bar on Villiers Street. Gordon's Wine Bar sounds familiar to me. Is there something I should be remembering about it? (Although it's possible I'm thinking of Gordon's Gin.) They'd invited us to a talk at LSE given by the architech, Richard Rogers (I'm sorry but I can't help adding "...and Oscar Hammerstein" in my mind every time I hear his name). I don't know a lot about architecture but I do know some of his buildings and the others, an architect and two urban planners, were much better informed.
Afterwards we had dinner at a seafood place called Loch Fyne where I had my first fish pie. How could I leave London without having a fish pie? It was pretty good though nothing I'd rush right out to try again. The evening had warmed up a bit by then so they walked us back to Charing Cross where they got their train and we walked over to Trafalgar Square to catch our bus home.
A very nice and interesting day. And tomorrow night is War Horse. Our friends were raving about it tonight so I'm really looking forward to it!
http://golondon.about.com/od/londonc...stmas-Tree.htm
Anyway, around 5 we went to meet our friends at Gordon's Wine Bar on Villiers Street. Gordon's Wine Bar sounds familiar to me. Is there something I should be remembering about it? (Although it's possible I'm thinking of Gordon's Gin.) They'd invited us to a talk at LSE given by the architech, Richard Rogers (I'm sorry but I can't help adding "...and Oscar Hammerstein" in my mind every time I hear his name). I don't know a lot about architecture but I do know some of his buildings and the others, an architect and two urban planners, were much better informed.
Afterwards we had dinner at a seafood place called Loch Fyne where I had my first fish pie. How could I leave London without having a fish pie? It was pretty good though nothing I'd rush right out to try again. The evening had warmed up a bit by then so they walked us back to Charing Cross where they got their train and we walked over to Trafalgar Square to catch our bus home.
A very nice and interesting day. And tomorrow night is War Horse. Our friends were raving about it tonight so I'm really looking forward to it!
