London (Update 2)

We've been quite busy on the apartment renovations/repairs, but have found time for some great excursions, including a trip by train down to Maidstone in Kent. We had a fantastic walk at Hampstead, been to shows and galleries as well as enjoyed the craziness and pomp of the Coronation. Here's some pics.....

Georgian grandeur at Hamstead....

Pamela Travers, who wrote Mary Poppins, lived at Hampstead and was familiar with this house where there lived a former Admiral who designed his rooftop like a boat and fired canons from it....

This is a very interesting Edwardian promenade arbour built at Hampstead Heath by a philanthropist at the time, using soil sourced from digging the Northern Line (tube)....

Kenwood House at Hampstead House has a great art collection. This library was a renovation by Robert Adam (architect)....

From the house there is a reflecting white bridge over a lake in the distance, but up close from the back  it's a wooden facade (clever 1787 landscape trickery)....

Part of the heath was sought to be developed for housing by its then owner in the mid-1800's. He had no authority but built this viaduct to provide access - now an aesthetic folly in the middle of the parkland....

Before a police force, the Magistrate had to have a lock-up in his back garden, still there...

Just before the motor car, the Metropolitan Drinking Fountain and Cattle Trough Association installed thousands of these around London for people and horses, but they weren't needed for long....

This is the Royal Navy staircase at Somerset House - 1790's....

The streets around the island churches on the Strand (near Aldwych and Australia House) have recently been landscaped as pedestrian precincts - very noice.....

Royal Courts of Justice....

1930's murals at London School of Economics (near the Courts of Justice)....

Preparations for the Coronation. At 2am later this night they did a full dress rehearsal....

Admiralty Arch at the head of The Mall, with pomp, where Churchill lived before WW2 as Navy boss - now being renovated as a hotel....

Near Aldwych....

The Courtauld Gallery has a fantastic art collection (we'd never seen before) at Somerset House. It was the original home of the Royal Academy before it moved to Piccadilly. This is the grand (but steep) staircase to the annual art show, parodied in the cartoon below....

Manet's study for the original in Paris. There were quite a few examples of studies by famous artists which were really interesting.....

Wills and Kate off for a quiet pint in Soho....they waved at us on the way past....

Another fabulous little theatre - it was a great comedy called Bleak Expectations....

Almost 2 days before the event - getting ready on The Mall.....

The day before the event. Walking amongst the enthusiastic crowds and soaking up the whole vibe was great - way more entertaining than the event - although it was very well done.....

Me, Charlie and John at the Red Lion the night before the big day....

Now that's commitment - night before the event....

About 2 hours before Charlie finished breakfast, they closed any access to the route with 3m high barriers for crowd control (crush management) reasons. Fair enough. So we couldn't get near the route (or a long view which were all blocked by the 3m barriers!). This is a public screening near our apartment where we watched until the crowning (it was wet and cold!). Then we went to lunch.....

Here's a little bit of enthusiasm from the English.....

Piccadilly Circus soon after the crowning....

I just missed the jets!.....