Today was a day of glimpses into the schooling of the upper classes. We jumped on a bus over the Battersea Bridge to Kensington High street - or nearly - as there were many road works in the way. There, on a corner in a playground about as big as our lounge, were about 50 very small girls screaming excitedly and playing in the breeze. Dressed in mauve gingham and white blouses, they were students (aged 4 - 11 years) at what I later learned was Glendower Preparatory School for Girls. Just up Queen's Gate was the school I was to visit - 340 girls - no surnames, please, we are too famous - the former school of HRH the Duchess of Cornwall - Camilla to you! After lunch with the staff, I spent a couple of hours with Linda and some of her colleagues and had a fascinating encounter with the English education system as it is for the wealthy. There was a lot of crossover in ideas and systems which was very interesting.
Afterwards I walked down to Hyde Park and met John who was waiting on the steps of the newly-revealed, restored Albert memorial - think white marble, black marble and lots of gold all over Albert - facing the Albert Hall. We walked through Hyde Park down Rotten Row around the Serpentine and down to the NZ Memorial. The power of this deceptively simple piece by sculptor Paul Dibble (his huia feather is outside the Academy at Waikato U) is very moving when you are amongst it. The Australian memorial had the water - an integral part of the design switched off Hmmmm!!
After a brief pause at the flat we set off to a pub called the Orange Project on St John's Hill where we had arranged to meet Jaime and Reena. Jared and Jo joined as after work. An evening of hilarity and story-telling ensued. We drank a toast to absent friends who were present. It was a very Vanessa sort of place - wooden floors, open fireplace, drawings and messages all over the walls. After an hours or so we walked some distance to a Thai place J&R recommended. It was also great and we finally walked home around 10.30pm
Afterwards I walked down to Hyde Park and met John who was waiting on the steps of the newly-revealed, restored Albert memorial - think white marble, black marble and lots of gold all over Albert - facing the Albert Hall. We walked through Hyde Park down Rotten Row around the Serpentine and down to the NZ Memorial. The power of this deceptively simple piece by sculptor Paul Dibble (his huia feather is outside the Academy at Waikato U) is very moving when you are amongst it. The Australian memorial had the water - an integral part of the design switched off Hmmmm!!
After a brief pause at the flat we set off to a pub called the Orange Project on St John's Hill where we had arranged to meet Jaime and Reena. Jared and Jo joined as after work. An evening of hilarity and story-telling ensued. We drank a toast to absent friends who were present. It was a very Vanessa sort of place - wooden floors, open fireplace, drawings and messages all over the walls. After an hours or so we walked some distance to a Thai place J&R recommended. It was also great and we finally walked home around 10.30pm
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