The first week back at school after the three week break has been a very busy one. The morning after our return to London we welcomed our New York City exchange student Pablo. The long anticipated arrival of the Year Six students from William and Aisha's sister school in New York coincided with some of the best weather London has seen in many months. They have had a full week of warm temperatures (18 - 22) and blue skies, something not seen since Mid October last year. The great weather ended on the day they left !
We took Pablo into London on his first day and were able to show him some spectacular views around London and take him to Evensong at Westminster Abbey.
The next day we went to Stonehenge via Windsor Castle where it was the Queen's birthday and the changing of the guards finished with the band breaking into Happy Birthday! We lunched on the banks of the Thames at Runnymede where, in 1215, King John sealed the Magna Carta. While it was the kids' fourth visit to Stonehenge, but this time it was in good weather.
William will be heading over to NYC to stay with Pablo in a couple weeks, coincidentally on the same day as Mark's mum Elizabeth flies in to visit us.
The 2nd school day included an evening at The Globe for both the NYC and London students to see The Tempest, so we decided to all go along. While walking the narrow lanes by the Thames to get to The Globe, Mark and Aisha imagined Shakespeare himself walking the same way to the theatre. They stood by the Thames and pondered the low tide and what might lie beneath the mud. "Mud larking", fossicking for 'stuff' out of the Thames, is a distinct possibility before we go.
To be in The Globe with its open roof and the standing area at the front on an almost balmy evening was amazing. The performance was great too!
The next day we had an afternoon tea to attend in the Cholmondeley room at The House of Lords. Auntie Mary and her friend Aileen joined us for the function, which was organised by the only Australian born peer, Baroness Gardner of Parkes. After the tea the Baroness very kindly gave us a special tour of the general areas of the House, including the Queen's robing room where the Queen sits before entering the House at the start of each new Parliament. The 8th of May is when she'll next be there and preparations are well under way. In the robing room is a facsimile of the death warrant for Charles 1st signed by the 59 Commissioners, including Oliver Cromwell, who sat in judgement of him. Apparently the original sat there up until only a few years ago when someone thought to protect it a bit more effectively! We were able to have a quick look into the House as the Lords hurried in for a vote.
The day after our visit to the House of Lords was Anzac Day. Our last ANZAC Day in London saw us heading off by 4am with Pablo to the Australian War memorial at Wellington Arch. Aisha and William (and Pablo too) had a much smaller role this year handing out orders or service. Both had roles reading prayers at the Westminster Abbey service in previous years see here (about half way down the page) for Will and here for Aisha.
This year's service was made particularly memorable thanks to a generous Australian Grenadier guard who, after finishing his duty as lone bugler beautifully playing the Last Post and Reveille, not only willingly posed for photos but allowed his busby to be tried on.
As in previous years, we went along to the gunfire breakfast - this time at the nearby Royal Air force Club on Park Lane. We ended up sitting on the same table as the new Australian High Commissioner, former South Australian Premier Mike Rann. The High Commissioner and his wife, Sasha, were very generous, chatting with Aisha and William through breakfast as the kids regaled them both with tales of our latest adventures in Scotland. It made us very proud to see the kids engaging so confidently both at breakfast with the Ranns and the day before at the House of Lords.
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This ANZAC Day also marks a year almost to the day that Sally received her breast cancer diagnosis.
She is in good health now and working as hard as ever.
This morning Aisha is missing out on a trip to Harry Potter World with her girl guides group because she is involved in a school filming project with several kids from her class. They are filming today with a professional cameraman, under the supervision of a film and media teacher from a North London college. Will scored a job as the boom operator, while Mark will have a minor role ...as a Dad. The London premiere will be at the Curzon Theatre in Mayfair - surely they will be in line for a BAFTA award!!
That post on Scotland AND the promised Madrid post from...a while ago, are being worked on...
