The Tulip Staircase

This morning I went and visited The Queen's House in Greenwich. The 17th-century building represents a turning point in English architecture. It was originally the home of Charles I's queen, Henrietta Maria. It now showcases the Museum's art collection. Art galleries are not usually my thing, but I had time to kill this morning before heading out to meet friends. I was pleasantly surprised, and found I actually quite enjoyed a lot of the artwork - it told a lot of historical stories including that of Captain Cook's voyages.

The Queen's House is of major architectural importance because it was England’s first Classical building, finished in 1638, it was designed by Inigo Jones, following study in Italy of Roman and Renaissance architecture. Of its original splendour all that now survives is the painted ceiling of the Queen’s Presence Chamber, the ironwork of the famous Tulip Stairs, the painted woodwork of the Great Hall and its marble floor.

After my morning dose of history and art it was time to meet up with friends for The Boat Race festivities. First raced in 1829, The Boat Race between Oxford and Cambridge is one of the oldest sporting events in the world.

From what I can tell, most Londoners just use it as an excuse to sit by the river, drink and be merry all day! Which is precisely what we did.