London Walk 2nd August 2017

Marian's London Walk looked probably wet after lunch and for once the forecast was correct. We had a good walk in the morning past the Gothic village of Holly, built for estate workers in 1865 and then past Highgate cemetery, home to Karl Marx and many more before reaching Waterlow Park. In the park was Lauderdale House, where the ever generous Nell Gwynn raised 2 of Charles II's children and where we stopped for coffee. Then on to one of London's more expensive villages, Highgate, where many notables have lived in the past. A more recent resident was singer George Michael whose fans are still decorating the nearby park 7 months after his death. Next was Hampstead Heath with distant views of the City of London and eventually to Kenwood House for lunch. The rain had just started and we were lucky to find The Kitchen. This has much original equipment dating back to 1845, with a fan in the chimney powering a variety of mechanisms for spit roasting on a massive scale - there is a very similar mechanism in Petworth House. The photo below shows the spit engine and another rare sight - one of our senior walkers actually using her mobile phone!

After lunch we had intended to have a quick free look at the remarkable colllection of Old Masters. The most notable was a large Rembrandt self portrait, a very late one and said to be probably his best. Also on show were paintings by Turner, Landseer, Gainsborough, Reynolds and many others, altogether an incredibly valuable collection in an interesting house with clocks, furniture and decoration to match. It was just as well, as the rain continued in a persistent manner. We eventually left taking a bus to Golders Green and the tube back to Waterloo in time to catch the train back just before 6pm. Altogether an interesting and enjoyable day in London Town. Thanks to Isabel and Marian for additional photos.