Grimsdyke Hotel - Setting For Birthday Parties

 Grimsdyke hotel is a suitably grand place for a birthday party, small or large.  The grounds are magnificent and historic. Along the boundary and right down to Hatch End is the dyke or ditch from ancient times. It is called Grisdyke. The hotel reception had a hleaflet whcih helpfully described how in ancient times any mysterious or wooded area might be called Grim.

The Delightful Exterior

The house was built before the time when Gilbert lived there, working as a local magistrate and doing his second job, writing comic operas with collaborator composer Sullivan. An historic plaque on the outside gives a brief history.

The entrance makes you feel happy as you enter and exit.

Angela Lansbury checking out the hotel before booking.

The entrance to Grimsdyke hotel. Photo by Trevor Sharot.

Indoor Decor

The toilets are on the upper level. But the staircase indoors had comfortable wide steps and hand rails both sides.

Upstairs in the grand drawing room a 60th birthday party, a suprprise big occasion, planned by the wife, was held, with lots of music and jollity which we hears every now and then from downstairs.

We used to like the Gilbert room. The website says they don't guarntee which room you will be in. Probably because the bigger room upstairs is booked for events. The Gilbert Room was recently closed for renovation. The lounge with its grand fireplace was sufficiently hisotric and distincitve and with a good view. 

A baby high chair was provided.

The napkins were cloth. The napkins would benefit from the buttonholes which I used to like at the Tanglin Club in Singapore. 

To our surprise the dining room was empty except for one other table. Maybe the rain and the recovery from Christmas spending has kept people away. Besides, the third party was in the big room upstairs. So the hotel catering business was doing all right. As a result we did not have to worry about distraction from other diners, not the risk that our two year old might cause disturbance to others.

The other table of diners was in the dining room ahead of us and they had either been given or chosen the table nearest the grand white fireplace at the back. I asked my huband, 'Would you ratther I asked to be by the grand fireplace next time?'  However, my husband said he was happy to be in a table more central and nearer the door to see and hear passers-by. Livelier.

Drinks

On a reconnoitering visit I had noted that Prosecco in the bar cost eight ounds a glass. So I was agreeably surprised to find just what I wanted, a glass of pink sweet Zinfandel, at under six pounds for either a smaller or larger glass.

Starters

I had the soup of the day which was sweet potato. No surprises. Very pleasant. The suprise however was alongisde, Two buns, soft, hot bread rolls, one containing wanuts. Delicious. The two diners who had the duck with sald as starter were equally pleased.

The hummus plate was pleasant. I liked the large oblong plates.

Our grand-daughter had a plate of chips to start. She liked them. Her parents asked for ketchup. It came up in sachets. 

Main courses

I chose the fish and chips. Good batter. Big chips. Home made. I like big chips. Less fattening and greasy outside. More soft, sweet, healthier inside.

My husband like his shepherd's pie. (Mince meat with potato topping and some kind of seasoning.) He said it came up in crockery, which showed it was home made. Very tasty.

Desserts

For me the tangy lemon tart was the star of the show. the chocolate pudding with cherries was nice and choclately, but lacked the oozy delight yu sometimes get in restaurants. However, the pistacchio ice cream was heavenly. 

We did not get offered coffee on the menu. Nor did we think of ordering it. By now we had all already eaten too much. We were alone in the restaurant. the little toddler was getting retless ready for bed. it was time to go.

The one who paid seemed satisfied with the price. 

He was also happy with the selection of wines offered. Nothing exceptionally great or expensive, but a reasonable wine at an affordable price. He ordered the Steen (grape variety) which comes from South Africa.

Birthday Chocolate

The waiter checked which one of us was having the birthday. Me.

My dessert came with a teeny chocolate piece with the words Happy Birthday written so small that I didn't notice it until half way through my dessert. You can buy these.

Useful Websites

https://www.hotelchocolat.com/uk/birthday-chocolates.html?gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwqdqvBhCPARIsANrmZhMyrJNFY9OnghEEy58YX9HdAyiOngWjvq0YgJBPlIS3Go5wTU1UBKIaAkhkEALw_wcB

https://www.cocobachocolate.com/products/personalised-engraved-chocolate-bar

MUSIC! The Carnival March, Comic Operetta, Festivals, and all kinds of Music, Music!

Problem
What kind of music festival can I go to? Are you looking for a birthday or holiday event for a specific date, or just entertainment?

Answers

BY TYPE OF MUSIC

Tribute Acts

Obama Greek restaurant. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

Carnival Parades

Christmas Carols
Events at churches in London and worldwide. Midnight Mass.

Classical
Lucerne Congress and Culture Centre, Lucerne, Switzerland, August 10 - September 8, 2018


.(Provisional dates. Check with booking agency.)

Comic Operetta

Grimsdyke Hotel Restaurant.

You can also stay in the hotel in a suite.

Country & Western
USA
Singapore has had a Country Music station on Saturday afternoons. It keeps disappearing I presume because of diminishing interest or people in charge wanting a change, then is brought back by popular demand.

Hymns and Sacred Music

Jazz

Opera
Verona. Outdoors in ancient arena. (Take warm wraps for shoulders and legs. The daytime is warm but nights even in high summer can be very chilly.)

Pop
Glastonbury is not taking place in 2018. The field and the organisers are having a Sabbatical.

Rock

MUSIC BY COUNTRY

Germany
Festivals and parades in Cologne and Mainz. Hear the traditional Mainz festival march on YouTUbe.

Italy
Verona - outdoor concerts in summer

Milan
Book online at La Scala opera house, Milan. We booked cheaper seats in a box at the top and side still very expensive, in my view. If you are a family and have the whole box, you can take turns sitting at the front and looking over. I was very disappointed. In the first half most of the time the singers were on one side of the stage below.

We had cheaper seats sitting at the back and we saw nothing. Why? Apparently boxes were designed like that so patrons could be behind curtains and secluded for a evening out with who knows who.

In the interval we complained. I would have wanted my money back. The box office said we should have told them earlier that we could not see. They moved us and put us down in the more expensive stall seats, in a back row, for the second half, which was much better.

Other music centres include Cannara.

I visited the house of the composer Puccini. A statue of him shows him smoking. He died of cancer.

Umbria, Italy, where the musical school has held open air concerts since 1843. Photo by Angela Lansbury, copyright. 

The Athaneum, Bucharest, where George Enescu first performed his orchestral Romanian Rhapsody.

Photo by Goldmund100 in Wikipedia.

www.festivalenescu.ro (Previous festivals in September)

Romania
We drove from the capital of Romania, Bucharest, to the second largest city, Brasov, to join a walking group. Near Sinai I saw a sign to the home of Romanian composer, George Enescu. It was late in the day and the place was closed but we and many other tourists gathered around the gate taking photos of the picturesque house in the woods. He designed this house himself, with the help of an architect.

George Enescu lived from 1881-1955. He taught Lord Yehudi Menuhin. Enescu was a composer and violinist. He travelled to the USA to perform, and lived in France. He is buried in Pere Lachaise cemetery, which has many dramatic graves of famous people and is a tourist attraction where devotees pay homage to their favourite artistes.

You can see a seated sculpture of him in Bucharest. Vienna has a wall plaque of his face on a bas relief on a house where he lived.

I wanted a musical souvenir of Roumania. I bought this music box which plays Rhapsodie Roumaine.

Switzerland
Festivals in Lucerne and Basel

Composers by Country
Poland - Chopin

UK -
London Beatles walking tour. You can walk across the zebra crossing which appeared on one of their covers.
Gilbert & Sullivan comic operetta (events at Grimsdyke Hotel, which was Gilbert's home).
Kenwood House, Hampstead.
Last Night of the Proms, Royal Albert Hall. Cheapest tickets are standing in the gallery.
Glyndbourne, opera, with strawberries and champagne picnics and deckchairs for hire.
Liverpool - statue of the Beatles
Many seasides have free concerts given around bandstands in parks in summer.
Musicals - look for two booths in London selling reduced price unsold or returned tickets on the day. You have to arrive early and queue up.
Tune your hire car radio to the BBC classical music stations. Or ask for a car which can play CDs and take your own discs with you to play on long journeys and in traffic jams.

You cannot get out your guitar and play it in a pub or restaurant unless they have a music license. The same goes for a Britain's Got Talent competition. I was in an event as a stand up comedy turn and we had to be moved out of the pub into a cricket club hall a week later because one of the turns was singing and the pub had no license.

Tribute Turns in Restaurants
Orama in Hatch End has regular tribute act evenings, very good value.
Greek restaurant
The Chinese Elvis performs regularly at a restaurant in Ruislip.

Wales
Cardiff Eisteddfod.


Welsh male voice choir performs at Writers Holiday in February in Fishguard, Wales.

The Welsh harp, performance with the Welsh male voice choir at Fishguard, Wales. Photo by Angela Lansbury, copyright.

The harpist showed me that the strings of the harp are coloured to help the player find the notes.

Welsh Male Voice Choir performing at Writers' Holiday, Fishguard. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

USA
All over America I saw items once owned by Elvis. A car in one museum, a suit in another, a guitar in another, a disc in another.
The great thing about America is that you are more likely to be able to hear country music on the airplane. You can do an Elvis tour.
Nashville.
Opryland. When I stayed at the Opryland hotel, I would go out in the morning, having had the radio off so I could sleep at night. I would come back and find the radio tuned to play Country music.
Graceland, home of Elvis.

YouTube
If you are looking for a national anthem or classic song, you are likely to find it on YouTube. I found several versions of the comic song about Romania. One was by Shirley Bassey. An even better one was by a Yiddish comic theatre group with a great tenor.

Several websites specialise in booking music events.
(I shall be adding more websites later. Come back tomorrow.)

Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker,

Travel Affected By Terrorism: Places Closed; Events Cancelled; Vigils Planned; Lights Lit; Travel Cancelled

Terrorist attacks in Paris on the evening of Friday 13th November 2015 have sent ripple effects to other countries. That always happens.

FRANCE
Paris
Closure of the stadium and restaurants and nearby roads condoned off. Lights on the Eiffel tower turned off on Friday 13th and Eiffel Tower closed.
Bars shut. Curfew Saturday evening. Disney, Paris region, closed.

Borders and Transport into France
Delays caused by high security, extra checks at airports and borders.

Red, white and blue lights from the Charlie Hebdo event were put up on YouTube.
Signs JeSuisParis on banners.
Hashtag PorteOuverte on Twitter offering refuge to those who were stranded or needed a refuge.

BELGIUM
Travellers asked not to travel to Paris. Some streets were blocked while raids were made by police.

GERMANY
Brandenburg Gate, Berlin. Tricolour lights.

ITALY
Michelangelo's David. Tricolore lights.

UK
Flag at half mast at 10 Downing Street, London, home of Prime Minister.
Candle-lit vigil and flowers started during the afternoon although advertised as starting at 9 pm in Trafalgar Square, London England on the north side in front of the National Portrait Gallery. People painted their faced the colour of the French tricolour flag, and were asked to lay red, white and blue flowers and tea lights. Some carried signs.

Red, white and blue colours on London's Tower Bridge, The London Eye, and the Arch over Wembley Stadium in NW London, which can be seen for miles, even the car park on the cliff top opposite Grimsdyke hotel and along roads nearby.
Vigil in Liverpool, England.
Vigil in Glasgow, Scotland.

AUSTRALIA
Red, white and blue lights in sympathy with Paris on Sydney Opera House, Sydney, Australia.

CANADA
Lights on CN Tower, Toronto; Calgary Tower, Alberta.

NEW ZEALAND
Lights on Sky Tower, Auckland, New Zealand.

USA
Red, white and blue lights on New York Trade Centre and Empire State Building in sympathy with Paris.
One American airline has cancelled flights to Paris. Others are still flying. If you plan flying, or meeting somebody on an incoming flight, check your airline.
Tricolour lights on San Francisco city hall.

S AMERICA
Lights on Rio de Janeiro's Christ the Redeemer statue, Brazil.

I am updating tomorrow. See next post. Come back and/or favourite/like my blogs.

Great photos of the lights around the world in an article in the Daily Mail online. You see a complete set of pictures of the world's largest or tallest landmarks, arrayed in colour, the way columns were coloured centuries ago by the Greeks.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3318549/Britain-s-communities-solidarity-France-wake-Paris-terror-attacks.html

http://metro.co.uk/2015/11/14/wembley-stadium-lights-up-arch-in-french-colours-in-show-of-solidarity-with-paris-5502408/
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/paris-terror-attacks-world-landmarks-6830872
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/latest-news/sky-tower-lights-up-for-paris/story-fn3dxix6-1227609161479
http://www.gettyimages.co.uk/detail/news-photo/the-french-flag-tricolore-waves-during-a-vigil-organized-by-news-photo/461491434

Angela Lansbury travel writer and photographer.

Where to eat on Sunday in NW London

The Hare
The Hare in Harrow Weald was fully booked on Sunday night. They do offers for children. They do a jazz night. A jolly pub with outside seating on a Sunday night. And great food.

Leef Robinson or Gilbert's
If you arrive hoping to walk in and are disappointed, because they are full, within driving distance are the Leefe Robinson. Or Gilbert's in Grimsdyke hotel.

The Road
The road to Gilbert's has been vastly improved since the bad old days when somebody we know overturned their car on one of the bends into a ditch. (Passengers were OK. My car, driven by somebody else, wasn't.) Great warning signs, lights, barriers, humps - a much safer road.

Nearby, opposite the entrance to Grimsdyke hotel, is the popular car park offering a great view over London and the Wembley Arch, as late as 8.30 pm on a summer Sunday evening.

Gilbert's
Gilbert's restaurant has a proper chef and the menu changes. So if you went there a month ago you will be offered a different set meal.

Choice of small tables for two or larger tables for four. Nice lamps and traditional decor. Quiet when we went there Sunday night. Good for private, personal or business conversations.

Set two or three course meal.

While waiting for our first course, we were offered a choice of tomato bread or raisin bread.
Delicious raisin and nut bread, with butter.

We planned on having the dessert but by the time we had eaten the bread and starter we were full.
Portions of the main course were large.

Potatoes filling. Large chunky chips or potato Dauphinoise, an oblong 'cake' of sliced potato.
Vegetables to share. Steak came with battered onion rings. Lamb in big chunks (not the thin slices you sometimes get at a carvery).
Candle and flower on the table. Coloured table lamp nearby.

The new wine list has newer bottles. We accepted the offer of an older Chateau Neuf du Pape. You might think an older bottle would be better. You might want to try it out of curiosity.

 Using a smart phone to check the ratings, we found that the older wine we were offered had by now lost its flavour and was past its best. After trying it, we agreed. Next time we'll opt for the newer wine from their new list. A more recent year, but a better year.

Jazz music playing quietly. I'm not a fan of jazz, but it's good to have faint music so you can concentrate on talking to your dining partner and not hear other people.

Angela Lansbury B A Honours, travel writer, author, speaker.

Gilbert's Restaurant, Grimsdyke Hotel - Full Marks

Grimsdyke hotel always impresses with its drive through the trees to the grand house. Inside, Gilbert's restaurant seems to have a freshly painted arch over the fireplace and spotlights, brightening up the old place, and modern chairs. We sat debating how much one should change Victorian decor, especially in a historic house once owned by local hero Gilbert of Gilbert and Sullivan team who wrote comic operas. ('I've got a little list', of his operas.)
   The recent reviews on TripAdvisor were encouraging and our experience confirmed what I had read.
   The set meal started with a wider choice than on the website and not the extra charge I had feared, the only extra being £2 for a starter.
   We asked for a jug of water and ordered a glass of Prosecco, at £6 slightly dearer than the glass of pink wine. The bread was a choice of sultana bread or white with onion, with warm melting butter. Not brilliant but good enough. However, as soon as we started on the proper meal, the tastes and visuals took off.
  The liver parfait, a chicken liver smooth paste.

Chicken liver parfait starter.

Duck with potato.

Steak and large chips.

Summer pudding with fresh berries inside and a fresh strawberry as decoration.

Fresh decor, a mixture of Victorian from Gilbert's day and modern.

Photos by Angela Lansbury. copyright Angela Lansbury. (More pictures available.)

Angela Lansbury B A Hons, travel writer and photographer, author, speaker.

Visitor Friendly Historic Houses and Hotels? Four-posters and one honeymoon couple's surprise.

I have spent 48 hours trying to work out what I like and dislike about venues. Some people like natural venues, no signs, discover it for yourself. I like visitor friendly venues.

Some people are outraged if they go to a beauty spot and see a sign to the toilets, photo spot or car park. the same goes for stately homes.

I like either a friendly person who greets me and tells me where to find food, toilets, sights, gifts. Or signs.

That was why I was unnerved and felt unwelcome at Brocket Hall and Auberge du Lac. I could not find the way. We were all arguing with each other and phoning each other with directions.

On arrival I felt as if I were intriguing by sitting by the lake. I felt like an intruder going upstairs and looking for the toilet. I've been in places where there are no signs to toilets and when you go the wrong way by mistake the staff are there to bar your way and tell you which areas are off limits.

I like a shop, a postcard, a book on the history of the property, something about the venue in the menu. Rooms named after guests or ancestors.

Staff happy to tell you the history of the building.

Yes, I can see that too much questioning could be seen as intrusive. Happy birthday - how old are you. Goodness you are older than you look. Where did you come from, different directions, so you are not married but having an affair? Anybody close to you died, on drugs, divorced? I see you've been in trouble recently.

The way to avoid this is to talk about neutral topics. But showing an interest in the person you are addressing and being positive.

For example, 'Welcome to ...(historic house, whatever). ...Enjoy your stay/evening/meal.'

You have a lovely day/evening for sailing, sitting by the pool/lake).

Yes, you booked online/ I spoke to you on the phone earlier / my colleague / our manager, Simon/name told me you booked a table for three.

Would you like a table by the window  with a view of the park / lake ? Now you've had cocktails by the lake we have a quiet corner for you, secluded in a nook.

I'll be back with coffee later. If you want anything just raise your hand and wave and I'll be right over.

If the venue is running fancy dress party, some people will have not had the time or money or inclination to buy or make costumes, or work out what fits the theme. It took me days to work out what to wear for a fifties party, the right skirt length, neckline, shoes, jewellery, hairstyle.

The venue/ organisers should off a cheap paper hat for those who are willing but don't have cash to splash, as well as some really fancy costumes available as last minute purchases for last minute guests, those who have more money than time, or missing luggage!

If you don't want huge banners ruining the yesteryear atmosphere your historic stately home, nor blocking the view and smiling photos, a discreet plaque which is smaller and therefore cheaper. Please save your desperately looking-for-the-loo guests from running up and down four flights of stairs, taking lifts down to spooky basements, down endless corridors, into private bedrooms interrupting outraged couples, hit on the head by falling objects in broom cupboards, walking onstage in piano recitals or worse.

(I've experienced most of these. The entrance door used to send latecomers who couldn't get taxis on rainy days into the museum, alongside the speaker at the former museum in Singapore. Lifts in hotels and shopping malls taking you down to deserted basement car parks. The stairs at the far end of the corridor from the sports centre into the Tanglin Club take you into the Car Park (the loos are hidden behind reception in the lobby).

The manager of a hotel in Lisbon, Portugal once took a group of camera-wielding journalists into the supposedly unoccupied honeymoon suite, to find a honeymoon couple in bed. A 'do not disturb sign' or occupied sign operated from inside might have helped warn. The punchline to this true story is that the manager went back to reception and said, send a note of apology and a bunch of flowers up to the honeymoon suite, not now - later!

Large Beds - The Great Bed of Ware, V and A
If you want to see the four-poster above, it's the Great Bed of Ware, in the Victoria and Albert Museum. (If you are going specially to see it, ask if it's on display.) It supposedly slept three couples. Or was it more?

Honeymoon Hotels and Anniversaries in the UK
If you want your own four-poster, look for any old inn in the centre of a British city, check if they have a four-poster, and if it's free on the date you choose. (Usually a suite at a higher price.)

Lake District
Or try the Lake District.  Some hotels have two or more four posters. Many hotels have several. At least one hotel all the rooms have four-posters.

Grimsdyke Hotel
In North West London try the Grimsdyke hotel.  The main house has at least one grand old style room. Old beds might have posts, with or without drapes, a covering above, or just a half-tester like a tray over the pillow, with or without a curtain to conceal the face of the lady (or the lord's ladyfriend).

Angela Lansbury, BA Hons, travel writer, author, raconteur, humorous speech winner and speech trainer.
See 'Angela Lansbury Author' and 'Angela Lansbury Poet' on YouTube reading comic poetry and explaining grammar, spelling and restaurant etiquette.