Going solo

Imperial War Museum

Sunny day in the capitol

Going arty with Big Ben

Right in the thick of it at Sotheby's auction

Picking out which piece I will bid on

Bobbies enjoying the sunshine
and directing shoppers

Liberty fabrics to drool over

Old world charm at Liberty

Jane has other plans for today, so I am on my own. First stop is the Imperial War Museum, as I am walking up I see a piece of Berlin Wall out the front, I can recognise that wall at 20 paces after last week. The IWM has been shut ever since I have been travelling to London, a big refurbishment has finished in time for 100 years anniversary of the start of WW1. It’s impressive, well laid out and packed with school children. There is an actual ww1 bunker to walk through, the exhibtion I like best includes items I have never seen before, Secret War with spy memorabilia, all real!

Now time to catch a bus, google tells me I need to go stop E and get off at stop N. I am on and have finally worked out the code for catching buses, another success for London transport. The bus is about to approach Westminister bridge, its sunny with blue sky and parliament looks stunning so a quick decision and I hop off the bus for a photo shoot.

Now to negotiate via the tube back to my original destination, Sotherbys. This is the auction house I saw on one of Peter’s tours that looks imposing but apparently anyone can go in to watch an auction and there is a collection of Picasso ceramics being sold today. So I waltz in, past the first reception, past the inner reception, follow the sound of the auctioneers voice up the stairs, ignore all the security guards on each landing and before you know it I am sitting in the audience. The pace is fast and furious, piece after piece are going under the hammer, 150,000, 222,0000. Opps, that lady is not happy and walks out in disgust. Now a really strange vase is up, according to the catalogue expected price is 120,000 to 180,000. The bidding starts at 120,000, the Japanese man just to my right bids, 130,000 for the lady directly behind me, someone down the front jumped to 150,000. These people are bidding in pounds this is crazy. Phone and online bids are coming in, quickly the price rises to 350,000 everyone in the room is excited. The auctioneer is milking it for all its worth and wants the person at the front to get it. The whole room is holding their breath to see where this goes. Phone bids, slow down, we are at 380,000, the person at the front wipes the floor with a 400,000 bid and the hammer falls. The room lets out a collective excited breath, even the auctioneer is happy.

I could stay here all day but time to hit the shops for the annual renewal of the wardrobe. Back to Ladywell Lodge for our traditional dinner, breaded fish and vegetables. Life is good.

Its 11pm at night, I am packing my bag for Isle of White there are noises outside in the garden. It’s a fox and her cub, how cute I say. The locals think otherwise.