When A Man is Tired of London, He Is Tired of Life . . .

Cara/Andrea here,

I don’t know about you, but as the holidays approach and I begin the annual rite of choosing special gifts for family and friends, I can’t help but imagine the “dream” gift that would be tops on my own wish list. Well, Santa arrived early for me this year . . . No, glittering baubles did not fall down the chimney . . . Ioan Gruffudd did not appear to serve me breakfast in bed (Hey, a girl can dream, can’t she?) However, something just as delicious dropped in my lap.

For you see, last month I was lucky enough to get the opportunity to travel to London, one of my favorite cities in the world, for a short research trip. Fabulous Museums! Historic Houses! Legendary Bookstores! Meandering through the same parks and streets that my Regency heroes and heroines tread! (Okay, and shopping the funky antique markets on Portobello Road) It goes without saying that I was “in alt.”

The fun actually began at the airport. It isn’t often that one can wax poetic about travel these days, but I told you this was a dream trip. I was booked on British Air business class, so was treated to the experience of awaiting my boarding call in blissful comfort at BA’s luxurious lounge. An oasis of tranquility amidst all the hustle and bustle, it offered a full range of wonderful amenities, including relaxing couches, world-class wines and hors d’oeuvres, as well as a sleekly modern dining room with gourmet entrées, artisanal cheeses and sinfully scrumptious desserts for those who preferred to have a bite before the flight.

Once on board, the pampering continued. I was served champagne in my own personal sleeper pod, along with a cozy pajamas and a duvet. A touch of a button converted the seating to a flat bed . . . but I was enjoying it so much I was almost sorry to go to sleep! A special added touch to the British Air experience is its Arrivals Lounge, where travelers can take advantage of the spacious private shower rooms.

Refreshed and revived, I zipped into London and turned down St. James’s Street, which Regency aficionados will recognize as the location for Brooks, Boodles and other exclusive gentlemen’s clubs of the era. The aura of masculine privilege lingers on the area—it’s still home to the legendary wine merchants Berry Brothers and Rudd and John Locke’s hat emporium, where one can see the head mold made for the Duke of Wellington. My destination was Duke’s Hotel, an elegant townhouse establishment discreetly tucked in a charming courtyard off the main thoroughfare. A shilling’s toss from Green Park, it was the perfect place from which to explore the heart of historic London (More on Duke’s in a later post—its bar was a favorite haunt of Ian Fleming and it’s said to make the best martini in the world. Alessandro, the dapper gentleman who presides over the polished wood and crystal glasses, will share his secrets with us in December!)

After stashing my bag, I strolled down the street to visit St. James’s Palace, the Royal residence in Regency times. (As you see, it’s far more modest than its nearby neighbor Buckingham Palace, which did not become home to the monarchy until accession of Queen Victoria in 1837.)

Alas, space constraints demand that I heavily edit my peregrinations. So I’ll preface my travelogue by saying that there are certain landmark institutions for all lovers of British history that I always visit—The V & A Museum, the British Museum, the National Portrait Gallery, the British Library. But one of the things I really love about London are the smaller, less well-known museums, and this trip I was set on exploring some of them. So without further ado, here are a few of the highlights of my research wanderings:

Apsley House, bought by the Duke of Wellington in 1817 from his elder brother Richard, is a gem of a small museum located at Hyde Park Corner. Known as Number One London, because it was the first house seen by travelers after they passed through the toll gates from Kensington, it was designed by Robert Adam in 1770s, and is a beautifully preserved example of an aristocratic Georgian/Regency residence. Aside from the period furnishings and splendid architectural details, including Adam’s splendid circular staircase (which, by the by, is guarded by Canova’s 11-ft nude statue of Napoleon as Mars the peacemaker) Apsley House contains an amazing wealth of artistic treasures as well as personal items and memorabilia of the Iron Duke.

Many of the paintings on display were captured from Joseph Bonaparte’s baggage train after the Battle of Vitoria and then given to Wellington by the King of Spain. Perhaps even more impressive is Plate and China Room, which displays the gifts bestowed on the duke by the grateful monarchs of Europe after Waterloo. The porcelain, silver and ceremonial swords were  dazzling. But my favorite part of the house was Wellington’s “Warrior Valhalla,” a small room hung with an glittering array of military portraits—both his friends and his foes, Somehow I could imagine him sitting there in the evening with a glass of brandy, reviewing the tactics and strategies of bygone battles with the ghosts of the past.

An added delight was the audio tour given to each visitor. Along with a detailed description of the rooms and their contents, the recording also features the present duke recounting family reminiscences, including a very funny anecdote about the Napoleon statue during WWII. (The Wellesleys still reside in a private part of the house . . . talk about living history!)

As I’m working on a new Regency-set mystery book proposal involving the military, I spent a lot of time around The Admiralty (those of you who are fans of Patrick O’Brian and C.S. Forester will recognize the place) and Horse Guards (yes, that’s the name of the building), which housed the general staff of the British Army. Horse Guards is built on the old site of Whitehall Place, which was destroyed by fire in 1689, and its massive parade ground was the old palace’s tiltyard.

In Regency times, only royalty and those with special ivory passes from the monarch could pass through the building’s central archway leading from Whitehall Street to the formal entrance to St. James’s Palace via the Parade and St. James’s Park. Mounted guards still stand duty there, and though these days, the post is ceremonial, I learned a fun fact from one of the policemen guarding the side entrance to the building. (It continues to house high level military brass, so as you can imagine, security is quite strict.) When the command center radios an “okay” for a visitor to enter Horse Guards, the policeman is told that the person has an “ivory!” 

There is a tiny but wonderful museum on the history of the Horse Guards regiment adjoining the original stables, and an added plus is that you are able to watch the actual workings of the present-day soldiers tending their horses through a plate glass window. Very cool! The exhibits display uniforms, pistols, swords, medals, and saddles, along with diaries, war booty, and other personal mementos that create a vivid picture of life as an officer and a gentleman.

I also spent several hours in the nearby Guards Museum, which displays the history of the five Guards regiments—Grenadier, Coldstream, Scotch, Irish and Welsh—from the formation of the first unit in 1600s to the present. Again, the wealth of history is mesmerizing. I particularly loved seeing Wellington’s uniform and boots, as well as battle flags from Waterloo. And one always learns such wonderful, arcane bits of information—did you know that the ubiquitous pom-pom atop knitted ski hats originated during the Crimean War and was made to cushion a Guardsman’s head from his helmet?

In between museums, I walked and walked and walked, passing by such historic places as Hatchard’s Bookstore on Piccadilly Street and the antique markets of Portobello Road, where among all the other funky treasures, I discovered a stall selling magnificent original Georgian and Regency miniatures. Aren’t they gorgeous? Alas, they were way too expensive for my purse, but it was fun looking! And hey, I also went to Oxford for a day, but that will be covered in a future post.

I could go on and on, but I’ve rambled enough for now. Now it’s your turn—have you a favorite historic spot in London? Or is there a particular one that you are dreaming of visiting?

Comments

[Maggie Robinson/Margaret Rowe]

Oh, I'm so jealous. It sounds like a fabulous trip.

We once met this old soldier as we waited outside Buckingham Palace, who took us to his "special spot" to watch the changing of the guard. We were close enough to touch and see everything.Being a suspicious former New Yorker,I didn't trust him at first, but I'm so glad we followed him!

The V & A is probably my favorite museum in the world (or at least of all the ones I've ever visited). I'm not big on cities anymore, but I do love London.

[Cynthia Owens]

Wonderful post, Cara. I had a chance to see London for the very first time this past summer, and I had a wonderful, but whirlwind day of sight-seeing. I especially loved Westminster Abbey. I hope to go back again and see more - preferably when I'm not suffering from acute jet-lag!

[Andrea Penrose]

Maggie, I spent over an hour with the retired soldier manning the cash register at the Guards Museum. It was a quiet Sunday morning, and he was SO delighted to have someone interested in the history of his regiment that he got out old vintage photos of himself, and also patiently answered all my questions about some of the displays.It was just wonderful! My experience in London has always been that the people love sharing their heritage.

And I adore the V&A too! I have some fun phtos of regency displays but alas, ran out of space this time. I'll do more on it in a future post!

[Andrea Penrose]

So glad you enjoyed the travelogue, Cynthia. Westminster is wonderful! I hope you get back soon for a longer stay, for there are SO many amzing places.I've already started a list of things I missed, like the Tower of London.

[Mary Jo Putney]

**Canova’s 11-ft nude statue of Napoleon as Mars the peacemaker**

Mars the Peacemaker? How that must have appeal to Wellington's ironic sense of humor!

Sounds like a wonderful trip--

Mary Jo

[Elizabeth Kerri Mahon]

I'm so missing London right now. I've never stayed at Duke's but next time I'm there I'm heading to the bar for a Martini. The Wolsley restaurant which is right near The Ritz Hotel is one of my favorites. And I love the smaller museums like the Cortauld and the Sir John Soane's museum.

[Linda Banche]

I've never been to London and I doubt that I ever will go, since I hate traveling. But I would like to see the original British Museum, when it was still Montagu House.

[liz m]

I dream of going to Prague - but I did get to spend a weekend in London in Sept, where I got lost walking about and looked up to realize I was lost via the following exchange -

"Hm. That's an interesting Tudor-esque facade... wait, what's that... it's familiar... St James! That's St. James! Well what's it doing here then? I'm not anywhere near St. James. Scratch that, reverse - what am I doing HERE? I am apparently in front of St James! I am lost!"

As though I have this innate understanding of London streets and landmarks via frequent exposure. Not so much!

[margaret]

Recently returned from London (and elsewhere) and though my brain was in a different century than Cara/Andrea most of the time, it seems our activities and experiences were somewhat similar! I haunted the art galleries--the NPG and NG--where I can see my own characters staring down at me from the walls. And the British Library and other archives, where I find their own words written in their very own handwriting.

For me it was quite a social as well as informative fortnight. And I also got a huge head start on Christmas shopping!

[Nicola Cornick]

Oh, you've made me very envious too, Andrea! It's a long time since I've been up to London and there's no excuse - it's a lot easier and closer for me than for most people!

One thing I have done is visit some of the London Clubs and that has been truly special. We had a Harlequin authors' party once at Brooks and we historical authors were given a special guided tour. To stand in the library and see a faro table that was used by genuine Regency gamblers was an extraordinary experience. I've also dined at The Athenaeum Club, which was founded in 1824, and had cocktails at the Victorian Caledonian Club, waited on by handsome men in kilts. So I count myself very lucky!

[Andrea Penrose]

Elizabeth, I love Sir John Soane's Museum, too. It's so quirky, which appeals to my slightly offbeat sensibiities. And definitely go to Duke's for martinis! It's a fabulous, cozy space, with lots of "duke" pictures hanging on the wall. And the drinks are to die for!

[Andrea Penrose]

Linda, try to overcome your dislike of traveling because London is well worth the effort. The British Museum has a whole section set up to show many of the orginal collections, so you would be "in alt!"

LOL, Liz—London streets can be maddening. Even though I know my way around pretty well,I always have my trusty map because I inevitably get turned down some obscure side street.

Margaret. I loved the NPG for just that reason—the faces seemed like old friends. And then since I'm interested in doing an edwardian era book, I immersed myself in the people in that section. It really makes history come alive.

[Andrea Penrose]

Oh, Nicola, what fun to have been inside Brooks and the other clubs. Seeing the library and faro table sounds wonderful, indeed! Sigh. Another "must" for a future trip. (Along with the re-opened Ashmolean.)

[Caroline]

I love London and I live in London and my job involves incoming tourism so I get to offer my clients the best of London (and the rest of the UK). I've lived in London now for 30 years and I STILL am not tired of it. I love it when I am in Mayfair, Piccadilly, St James's and I can imagine all my favoute Georgette Heyer heroes and heroines in their settings. The Grand Sophy driving her carriage up St James's past all the gentlemen's clubs; Judith Taverner from Regency Buck in Hatchards; Sir Richard Wyndham from The Corinthian who lived in St James's Square; Almacks on King Street; Tattersalls on Hyde Park Corner and riding on Rotten Row in Hyde Park. I love looking up old maps of London and comparing them to now. History is my personal thing but London is just simply a great city to live in with something for everyone. I don't ever want to move out unless of course, like a Regency heroine, I could have my country seat and my town house.....

I went to a reception in Boodles the other evening - my first time in one of the 'gentleman's clubs'. That's one of the things I love about living in London - that I get to do these things and that they are accessible.

[Sherrie Holmes]

Wonderful post, Cara! I have a question regarding the picture of the horse guard sitting so erect on his massive horse. What on EARTH is that white thing in front of the rider? It looks so odd! The reins appear to pass through the top of the thing. I've never seen anything like it before! I tried to enlarge the picture to see if I could make out what it was, but because it's all white, the detail is lost.

[Andrea Penrose]

Sherrie, it's a big sheepskin something-or-other across the top of the pommel. Probably ceremonial, with some arcane reason for it's being there. I wish I had oodles more space to add fun info—like when the Horse Guards change regiments on Sunday morning in the parade ground, they have to line up facing each other and wait fifteen minutes before continuing on. Apparently one day they were 15 minutes late for Queen Victoria. Royally pissed off, she ordered that every time they switched over, they had to cool their heels for a quarter hour. Amd of course, the tradition continues. I love stuff like this!

[Andrea Penrose]

Caroline, I think you have all of us green with envy! Like you, I just love imagining characters from my favorite books, or from history, as I walk the streets. London has such a wonderful vibe for making history seem incredibly alive. Please share any "insider" travel tips with us—you have the perfect audience of Anglophiles!

[Caroline]

Cara/Sherrie. My colleague's husband is an officer in the Horseguards and she tells me that inside that sheepskin roll is a rubber tube that in theory contains any personal belongings they might need during a 24 hour shift eg shaving gear, toothpaste and anything else they might need for overnight.

[Andrea Penrose]

Oh, Caroline, thanks so much for sharing such wonderful inside info! I am wondering . . . would you perhaps consider e-mailing Sherrie (see address at top of right-hand bar on main page) your contact info and serve a Wench "consultant" for London history/info? I, for one, would be very grateful to have such a knowledgeable Londoner to help answer questions like the Horse Guard sheepskin!

[Madeleine Conway]

That was a lovely post - made me homesick and determined to visit No 1 London on my next visit back home - I've lived in London on or off for much of my life and I never visited it...shame...

But another small museum that is really delightful especially for the Regency specialist is Sir John Soane's house in Lincoln's Inn Fields:

http://www.soane.org/

It is the best. My top small London museum.

[gretchen fucio]

Chartruese, olive, avacado, forest, Kelly, emerald, sea, lime, pea, and pine grreeen with envy!! I want to go to London. I have always wanted to do a couple of weeks just doing museums and historic sights in London. If I ever win the Lottery, you can bet I'll be on the next plane. In the meantime, though I may be jealous, I also appreciate the way you wenches and wench fans share your experiences- I get to live them second hand, and that is great fun, too. Thanks for the travel stories, ladies.

[Andrea Penrose]

Gretchen, so glad you enjoy our rambles through history. And I will keep my fingers crossed that you get a chance to experience London for yourself!

[Susan/DC]

It was fun to open the blog and see the Samuel Johnson quote at the top. The son of a friend was recently offered a job in London and was dithering about whether he wanted to go. My husband said I should pass on this quote, which I did, and the young man started his job this past Monday. I spent a week in London this past September but I'm still jealous -- I want to go back.

As for museums, thanks to Cara/Andrea for mentioning Apsley House. I've not been there and will it on my list for my next visit (which I hope is in the not too distant future). I'm with those who love the Courtauld and the Sir John Soames museums -- small and quirky does it for me every time. I also recommend the War Rooms, where Churchill and members of his Cabinet met during WWII. My whole family loved them.

http://www.iwm.org.uk/

[Andrea Penrose]

Thanks for sharing the War Rooms suggestion, Susan/DC. Sounds wonderful! There are SO many fascinating places to see in London. I'm already plotting how I get back there soon! (And tell your son's friend he make the right decision!)

[London hotels]

Hey.great post first of all. reall good work. it depends how you look at this question. im from london and i've been living here 40 years.i love it,its the best city in the world.

[Sherrie Holmes]

Caroline, thanks so much for clearing up the question about the sheep roll. I'd heard of them, but had never seen one, and I didn't realize they were so large! It seems so odd they'd put something like that in the front of the saddle, where it would be in the way, vs. attaching it to the back of the saddle. Fascinating!

[Debi Rogers]

I would travel to London again in a New York minute. Since my passion is the medieval era I must count William's Tower as my favorite spot in London or even the famous block where Anne Boleyn lay her head. You can feel the presence of all those who came before us. My dream is to go to Stratford and soak up Shakespeare's spirit. I have not been to Europe since 1990, but a girl can still dream! Now I have developed a fey pull to the highlands of Scotland. Sigh.

[truck rental]

Oh London is an incredible city but there is only so much one person can take! after three years of living loving partying working traveling and so on in London I was so home sick I was ready to never come back again- just to go home :) But it is an amazing city! and I actually haven't been to some of these places you mentioned! the more reason to come back to...

[Andrea Penrose]

I'd gladly take three years of living,loving,partying in London
Glad you enjoyed the post.