Royal Hospital Chelsea

Another balmy day today, record breaking temperatures for February - today over 21C was recorded which is the highest temperature ever recorded for February. 

I went up to London as I had an arts society event, a private tour of the Royal Hospital Chelsea by a local resident who is a Chelsea pensioner - a lovely man who was so informative and friendly, he made it all so interesting. 

The Royal Hospital was founded in 1652 by King Charles II as a retreat for war veterans, and designed and built by Sir Christopher Wren. It is a retirement home (and nursing home) for some 300 veterans of the British Army (not air force or navy). It is a 66-acre site located in Chelsea and is an independent charity which relies partly upon donations to cover day-to-day running costs to provide care and accommodation for veterans.It is where the annual RHS Chelsea Flower Show is held each year which is a great source of income to the charity.
Any man or woman who is over the age of 65 and served as a regular soldier may apply to become a Chelsea Pensioner (i.e. a resident), if they are "of good character". They must not, however, have any dependent spouse or family and former Officers must have served at least 12 years in the ranks before receiving a commission.

I have added extras of the buildings around one of the courtyards and also of their beautiful dining room.

It was a wonderful day out, and of course I had to do quite a bit of walking so came home with a very sore knee. I tried to stretch during the day which definitely does help - I discovered that stretching while sitting on the train is possible!