Charing Cross Station Decoration - murals of history

 

Photo by Angela Lansbury.  Copyright.

For a quick free introduction to London, stop for 5 to 10 minutes on Charing Cross station platform to read the murals about the history of the station, and the historic events of the area.

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Nelson's Column, Trafalgar Square, London

 

Civil Service Club secrets of success at lunch time

 The civil Service club restaurants are open to members and people booking events in rooms which are hired out. I have two friends who are members of the Civil Service Club or arrange events for clubs which have members who work for or retired from the Civil Service. 

I arrived early for a wine society meeting. At lunch time the upstairs rest aurant was fully booked for a group lunch with white tablecloths and napkins and early arriving people wearing smart suits. 

Reservations

Fish and chips. Photo by Angela Lansbury.

Downstairs, I thought it was too cold to sit outdoors. In the ground floor restaurant, by the time I returned from. Freshening up in the ground floor Ladies, the tables in the main room by the bar all already had reserved signs on small slate boards. I darted into the three small linked adjoining rooms which each had a couple of tables seating 2 to 4. To my concern, they also had reserved signs.

I accosted a passing member staff and asked, Where can I sit?

A girl who was 'waiting' at the bar emerged to help me. The reservations were not all for lunch time. 

Fortunately, as she pointed out, one reservation was for tea time, another for dinner time, by which time I would be at an event upstairs. So I had a table by the light of the window. 

If you sit by the door to the front patio you get a cold draught. 

Notice the amusing little cartoons on the walls.

I chose battered cod and chips, large chips with peas.  The dish came with a pickled cucumber and a section of lemon, British tradition to counteract the greasyness of fried fish. Also mayonnaise.

I noticed that when others ordered coffee and a separate side of chips, the customers were served the thinner potato sections which the Americans call French fries.

Drinks

For non alcoholic drinks you have a chice of red or white. Red and white alcoholic wines are available in two sizes of glasses or a bottle. Champagne costs 49.95 a bottle. I looked at Rose Wines. Zinfandel 125 ml 3.50.Prosecco 3.40. CHAMPAGNE 3.85.

But with a wine tasting event in the evening, I looked at desserts instead.  Ice creams offered sepately are, vanilla, strawberry, or chocolate. Cheesecake or hot chocolate brownie or cherry tart with ice cream, cream, or custard.

Cherry tart and custard. Photo by Angela Lansbury.

Events include quiz nights and comedy nights.

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Where to celebrate a birthday in London?

 One good restaurant is El Vaquero. the name means the cowboy. The decor is Argentinian

Food

The food is based on Argentinian. The meat comes to your table on skewers. Eat as much as you like. (There is a high set price. But that includes all you can eat. They often bring the cheaper meat, the sausage on skewers, first. Then the slice off steak. But nobody minds.

Birthdays

They will come to your table in their cowboy or cowgirl costume. They sing happy birthday. They take a photo of you.

I have been to their branches in Mill Hill and Whetstone. Mill Hill is smaller. Check on the parking.

Timing

See if they have two sittings. My family recently went to the Whetstone branch. They got second sitting because the first sitting was booked. But they were told that if they arrived a bit early, they could probably get seated.

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Useful Websites

https://elvaquero.co.uk/

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Travelling during a family member's birthday?

 I bought ribbon with the wording happy birthday in an art shop in Singapore. It was two or three times the price of normal ribbon. But I had to have it. I just knew it would come in useful.

If you are away travelling and know that your spouse will be celebrating a birthday, you can pack your own fancy ribbon. 

You can also buy a card with Happy Birthday on it before you leave and hide it in your suitcase of handbag. Keep it in the envelope, with stiff card, or between the pages of a book so it doe not get bent.

If it gets bent or dog-eared, paste on a ribbon or sequin.

If you need to make a mock seal, or vanish, buy nail varnish, red or clear. 

What to buy in France? Macaroons!

 What can you buy in France? Macaroons. For yourself. To take home as a gift. 

They are a French speciality. They have whole shops devoted to macaroons. One is in Gare du Nord.

See different colours. Cheaper than chocolates. Cheaper than other countries. More varieties. More sizes.

You can get them packed in pretty boxes. If they are a gift, tell the shop. Staff will usually wrap them in a fancy paper or box with a ribbon bearing the shop name. For free.

We chose pink and green and purply brown. We kept some too long. In a fridge. They did not go mouldy but rock hard. They lose their flavour eventually, so don't save them too long. Eat them whilst they are fresh and tangy . 

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Confusing flags - Can you tell the flag of Ireland from the flag of the Ivory Coast?

 The flag or Eire (Ireland) and the flag of the Ivory Coast have the same colours. But reversed right to left.

Flag of Ireland.

Green white orange. The orange is for the Protestants in the north.

So the green is on the side of the post.

The Ivory Coast flag is the other way around.

Eire on the left. Ivory coast on the right.

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