Our last History of Art gallery visit was today. Rachel took us to two rooms at the tate Modern where we sat on little carry seats to discuss what we saw. Good grief! I just can’t understand modern and contemporary art. So….I didn’t say a word. All the emotion, sadness, mental illness, social issues, etc. … More Tate Modern

The weekend after Thanksgiving slipped by far too fast. Ironically, London has Black Friday! We avoided the stores and instead met Page’s “Page” family for coffee in the city since they were here for an awards ceremony regarding their nursery business. A walk to Primrose Hill and through Regent’s Park took GP back to his … More Holiday Weekend

As many know, we are both vitally interested in our English ancestry. Linda has done a phenomenal job tracing her Buckingham ancestors back to 1637 in nearby Hertfordshire, and she maintains an incredibly wide Buckingham family network back in the US. Page’s ancestry work on the West family awaits his retirement years. But we have … More Our English Cousins

Thanksgiving Day is always a biggy for me! I want the table to be set with care, the food to be delicious, and the company to be pleased. With an RA in charge, a housekeeper who cleans, a house manager who buys anything we desire, how could I go wrong? Well, it was beautiful! All … More Thanksgiving

On Wednesday, Nov. 25th, the three amigos went to the London Tower, but met us at Shakespeare’s Globe for a specially arranged 15 minute allowance to take group and personal pictures on the stage! They returned to the Tower (so much to see there!) while Page and I stayed to see Pericles in the Sam … More Photos on Shakespeare’s Stage

Tuesday morning, Nov. 24th, Page took his students to Primrose Hill so each of them could perform their 30-40 line Shakespeare soliloquies out in the open with perhaps an audience. He can still recite the one he memorized at Gilman School in Baltimore when he was 17! (Not a tough task he thinks!!!) With that … More St. Paul’s Cathedral

Monday, Nov. 23rd, our kids were off on their own going to see the Changing of the Guards at Buckingham Palace and then the Museum of London Bridge.  Our students had a visit at the Tate Modern and the Royal Academy of Arts to see Ai Weiwei, a Chinese megastar, whose fame as an activist, … More Sky Garden

While Allison was visiting with us in London this last week, she went shopping (she loves to shop). Allison is fantastic at finding unique “objets d’art” as gifts for family members for upcoming holidays and birthdays. But she is also gifted at finding such objets which exemplify her occasional views of life today! Allison returned … More Samuel Johnson and Allison West, via Banksy

Very late on Saturday night, Nov. 21st, GP and Kathryn flew in from Dulles in Washington, DC. It was such a thrill to see them! Sunday morning after a big brunch in the little kitchen/dining area of our apartment, all five of us took off for the city again. We walked around Parliament, Westminster Abbey, … More GP & Kathryn Arrive!

Allison arrived from Denver on a non-stop British Airways flight that got her into London Heathrow about 9:30am on Friday, Nov. 20th. We took her to the Washington Pub just two blocks away after a “power nap” and then on to Sir Richard Steele’s Pub for dinner. Funny how Allison knows everything about cell phone … More Allison Arrives!