Shakespeare's Globe

We went to the Sunday night preformance of the Merry Wives of Windsor at Shakespeare's Globe.

We didn't get seats- we stood in the 'Yard'- it is the area beside the stage. It only cost us £5 a ticket and it was such good fun. Although standing for a total of 2 1/2 hours was tough going!!

The Merry Wives of Windsor is like an Elizabethan sit com! It was easy to follow! I think it was the only play Shakespeare wrote which played out middle class life in England. For more info on the play go to- Merry Wives of Windsor.
Mum and I with our Pimms and Lemonade! We had a wee rest at the interval sitting on the ground of the Yard but we were joking that you probably wouldn't have dared sit on the floor in the Elizabethan times- sore feet or not!!

Mama Mia Take 2!

Well after our amazing day- The Borough market, Southwark, Morris Dancers, The Tate Modern and then the Wolseley we got back to the area by Mum's flat and went to the cinema to see Mama Mia.

I had already seen it with Hillary but was keen to go again.. and this time it was the singalong version!! HOORAY!

It is such a happy film! We had a great time... and those around us seemed to have been to see it again too!

Mum also bought Abba Gold- the Album afterwards so I was singing around the flat all weekend!!

Afternoon Tea at the Wolseley!

Since we could go to Shipps Tea Room Mum treated me to afternoon tea at the Wolseley in Piccadilly. It was so opulent inside and had a great history. It used to be a car showroom in the 1920's- then it was a Barclay's Bank until 1999. A lot of the bank features still remain.

I thought of Heidi when I saw the cake display- she has done a similar display for a baby shower!
I loved the gold and black decor. We had the cutest sandwiches- all the bread was different textures and colours! Then we both ate our warm scones (underneath the silver cover) and then I only managed one mini cake!

But they gave us all our left overs in the sweetest little box to take home!

I have a feeling I might be carrying some excess luggage on my person when I come home!!

Tate Modern

Further up the South Bank is the Tate Modern- this is a relatively new gallery, built in 2000, that was formerly a power station. There is a big drive in London to regenerate a lot of the formerly industrial areas.

It showcases some fantastic modern art and so my mum and I went to see an expressionist artist's exhibition- Cy Twombly is an American artist well known for his large scale, freely-scribbled, calligraphic style graffiti paintings; on solid fields of mostly gray, tan or off-white colors. He exhibits his paintings worldwide.

Expressionism is not my favourite style of painting- I like realism. But I could really get his mood and feelings from these paintings- they had great descriptions beside them which really put it all into context.
We had a great view from the Tate across to St Paul's Cathedral and to the City. In these photographs you can see the Dome of St Paul's - which I can never help but think of Mary Poppins and the lady who signs 'feed the birds' on it's steps!

Also pictured is the gherkin building in the city... I took these photos with my Mum's camera which is set for taking architectural photos- I love how it make the clouds look!

Old English Traditions

After looking around Borough Market we walked along the Thames South Bank and we saw Drake's Gallion- Drake was one of Queen Elizabeth's Admirals .

Then further on we walked past the recently build Shakespeare's Globe. This is a replica of the original Globe Theater where Shakespeare's productions were preformed- a lot of people will be familiar with it as it looks very like the set used in Shakespeare in love. We went in an booked for one of their shows on the Sunday night.


When we came out of the Globe their were Morris Dancers performing with members of the public. According to Wikipedia: A Morris dance is a form of English folk dance usually accompanied by music. It is based on rhythmic stepping and the execution of choreographed figures by a group of dancers. Implements such as sticks, swords, and handkerchiefs may also be wielded by the dancers. There are claims that English records of the Morris dance dating back to 1448 exist.It was really fun to watch- they hit their sticks together a lot and they all have bells and bows on their ankles... think I might get myself a pair!! What do you think!!?

Unique Shops in Southwark!

There is a huge buzz around Borough Market. The area is Southwark. It is just South of the Thames and has a lot of young people staying there.

Around the market are some fantastic shops. My mum particularly wanted to take me to this awesome tea room that was set up there, Shipp's Tearooms. They serve tea on a proper china service and her and her friend, Fiona thought I should open a similar shop in Edinburgh.

But sadly when we got there it is closing down. Their land lords do not wish them to be serving food and drink any longer so they are having to shut up shop... It has more on their website) but my Mum and I both signed their petition- it looked like it was so cute when it was up and running!
To continue their business until their lease runs out they are selling off all their china and accessories- table cloths, napkins etc.... if I had been setting up a business this would have been a great opportunity! Even for personal use I could have bought a couple of china serves... but I was good and didn't buy anything!!

I wish them the best of luck though in all their future endeavours!

Neal's Yard

There is also a renowned cheese shop next door to the tea room called Neals Yard. It was amazing. We have one in Edinburgh called Ian Mellis, I think this is where he got his idea from.

There were so many staff selling behind the counter and so many fabulous cheeses to choose from... I think Nathan would have been in his element!!

Borough Market with Mum!

The first Saturday that I was down in London Mum and I went to Borough Market. It is well known in London as the place to get your vegetables etc and also tasty snacks!!

I often see it on the UKTV Food Channel which sometimes broadcast from there.

It completely lived up to it's expectations!! We had a tasty beef sandwich and then a gorgeous Portuguese Custard Tart (I adored this treat!)

There was a great atmosphere all around the area and we sat in Southwark cathedral courtyard and ate our lunch listening to this band. It made it so pleasant!

There were many stalls with delicious breads and pastries. I was particularly taken with this one!

They had loads of fruit and veg stalls and which were beautifully laid out! I could have take a million photographs!! This was a full stall dedicated to mushrooms of all shapes and sizes!

I would love to come here before a dinner party and pick up all the ingredients fresh that day. You could get your veg, meat, spices everything!! They had alot of gorgeous flowers too...

My Grandad Jimmy used to be a butcher and so I have often thought to ask him about the different cuts of meat and what part of the animal they come from. I saw this poster and thought that it was a great explanation of the varying cuts of meat. I am going to print it out so I know next time I am in the butchers.

It was a great experience and one I would highly recommend if you are a foodie fan and are visiting London, or even if you are a local!