pumpkinstrokemarrow

Someone must have told the guard house that we were in town as the third troop of the Life Guards turned out to greet us. We had to make do without the Gold Stick and the Silver Stick who sent their apologies from the polo field and the golf course respectively.

Headed north up South Audley Street where we passed a huge black car, registration L1, called a Zeppelin, a species of Daimler. Parked up opposite the embassy of somewhere. Maybe a Middle Eastern statelet. But then, as luck would have it, we chanced upon Mayfair Library where we were able to have a poke in their Mayfair section where a rather tatty book confirmed our identification of the view in the postcard with an aerial shot of much the same view of HPC taken in the 1920's. They were also selling off some books - but of rather low grade, much lower grade than those discarded at Epsom and Ewell. Unless you wanted a three inch tome on how to buy wine that is.

Quick peek in the Grosvenor Chapel, which must have looked quite something when new. Could go with a coat of paint now. Presumably once the home of fashionable preachers, the sort with a following of devout ladies of a certain age. The organ was working up to a recital, sounded rather good but decided not to stay for it.

Onto Richoux for lunch, a place which we had not come across before. Very pleasant with a good line in Tiramisu. Very reasonably priced considering the location.

Climbed up onto the odd little garden in Brown Hart Gardens. Took a peek through the lattice work underneath at what appeared to be some very serious electrical machinery on at least two levels, later identified as the Duke Street Sub-Station. A different order of size to the sub station which serves the roads near us. Perhaps they had a lot of electic kettles to feed in 1905 when it was built. And just to prove that the inhabitants of Mayfair were really decent and democratic folk there were also a few blocks of Peabody. Presumably to house the servants and their hangers on.

Tourist part of the day over, moved onto the serious business of shopping. Including a further visit to Niketown to renew my trainers - bought in January. Oh no sir, you can't have a pair of those. That was years ago. But you can have a pair of these. A bit serious and sober but I am sure they will do as well as the first pair. And a visit to Foyles which could do one of the two books I was looking for - in browse mode that is, at which Amazon is pretty useless. Remains a very good shop, despite one of the book rooms near what used to be the psychology section having turned into a cafe. Didn't think any of the assistants would have had a clue had I tried to find out which book room.