Tradgardlanders afar...

On Saturday we went for a day trip to London by plane.The girls had not flown before and, as they would be doing so soon with school/college trips, we thought we ought to let them have a go at it first.We got the 7.35am flight from Edinburgh to Gatwick and the train to London.First stop was Westminster Cathedral-my favourite church anywhere.

The mosaics (recent and not so recent) are astounding and the magnificant choir was singing as we arrived.A great start to the trip.The girls enjoyed seeing the iconic sights of London as they had not been before.Soon we arrived in Whitehall.We arrived in time to see the troopers riding and dismounting- a stirring sight.

Horses appeared through the arch and we were bidden to make way for the Queen's Guard.Tourist ranks split and we had a brief glimpse of ceremonial duties...
Having enjoyed Buckingham Palace and the surroundings we were very taken with this recent and moving memorial to the men of Bomber Command-

After lunch in Hyde Park we walked to Brompton where Jan,Zoe&Anna went to the Ballgown exhibition at the V&A whilst I took Freya to the Natural History Museum.Both groups had a splendid time prior to meeting up in the V&A once more. Tired and in need of refreshment we found this oasis in the midst of the V&A which was just glorious to sit in.

The museum was packed with inspiration for Zoe's costume design course as well as myriad fascinating objects such as this detailing from a waistcoat and Adam Ant's iconic costume.

When the V&A closed we walked happily back to Victoria station via Belgravia and hence to Gatwick.With a slightly delayed flight we arrived home in Tradgardland around 11.30 pm .It was a fantastic day enjoyed by all and one we will all remember.