Tuesday 14th April 2015
Unfortunately your correspondent has succumbed to the British super bugs and has taken to her bed so Geoff has taken over. This is a great shame as the weather is stunning and we have tickets to a concert at the Albert Hall tonight, so Patrick and I will have to go on a bro date as Margaret is not disposed to go either.
Our second day was a mystery tour on public transport my only instructions being bring your Oyster card and National trust card.
As is the way with the weather it was cold and windy initially for the first couple of hours then quite warm so you need to strip off all the layers.
First we took the DLR ( Docklands Light Railway) to Lewisham then on a train to Bexley Heath where we caught a bus to Hall Place.
Hall Place is a fine Grade I listed country house built in 1537 for Sir John Champneys a wealthy merchant and former Lord Mayor of London. A rare example of its type, much of the house that John built still survives today.
On a traditional, hierarchical plan the core of Sir John’s house consisted of a splendid central Great Hall crossed at one end by a service wing and at the other by high status family accommodation including a parlour and great chamber. The outer walls are a distinctive checkerboard pattern made of flint and rubble masonry, a beautiful example of the Tudor love of pattern.
We had ramble in the gardens and had a look at the Butterflies exhibition in a heated greenhouse with lots of tropical plants a little bit Queensland in southern London.
The return trip involved some cross country walking, coming across a Land Rover addict with a working exMOD defender , 2discos and a Range Rover in various stages of disrepair all jammed in a tiny front yard . Then a double decker bus trip through typical London
suburbs to woolwich and then the underground home.
A bit of a rest then out again to a concert at the Albert hall with Kerry (still very sick)
We met up with Patrick's friends at an Italian restaurant then off to the concert.The program was light classical performed by the Bournmouth orchestra with a lot of favourites. The hall is very well designed for all to hear before the advent of amplification and of course very grand.
A great night indeed!
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