Rutting

I have lost count of the number of times I have been to London over the years. Concerts, exhibitions, football matches, museums, art galleries, protest marches, family visits, shopping exhibitions - I have pretty much done it all. So when our Ian pipes up with, "What would you like to do while you're down here?" it's hard to think of something new.

Nonetheless, this time round I had the idea that we could drive over to Richmond Park in Ian and Sarah's brand new electric Volvo car. It's sleek and black and goes like a rocket. To be honest, they don't actually own it - they have leased it for three years. Their neighbourhood in Fulham is well-supplied with public electric charging points and of course Greater London is now an ultra low emissions zone so an electric vehicle makes sense.

The top picture was taken in Two Storm Wood in the heart of Richmond Park. This area is fenced off to prevent grazing by deer and below you can see Ian, Sarah and Shirley walking through it. Like Saturday, Sunday was a mild and pretty nice day down in our metropolis.

Here's a fallow stag I spotted in another part of Richmond Park. I guess he wanted to lock horns with me as the rutting season is just starting. By the way, at 2360 acres, Richmond Park is the biggest of London's royal parks and when you are there you may easily feel that you are in open countryside.

After our time in Richmond Park we drove on to "The Orange" in Pimlico for Sunday dinner. There was a statue of Mozart in adjacent Orange Square for he lived close by during his summer in London in 1764. He was a child at the time. 

This morning (Monday) we visited the Peter Jones department store in Sloane Square before walking to Victoria where London's main bus station is located. On the way, I paused in Hobart Place to snap this photograph of a larger than life statue funded by The Duke of Westminster and sited here in 2000. It is called: "The Lioness and Lesser Kudu" and was created by Jonathan Kenworthy. It is a powerful piece .

Ian and Sarah were in good health and good spirits as they wait to meet their first child. He's due in six weeks and we wonder if he will arrive before or after Frances and Stewart's second child - also due in six weeks. The race is on.

from Yorkshire Pudding https://ift.tt/04FZ3dV