Changing of the Guard

In the dappled spring sunshine London was emerging from its wintry slumbers. Plane trees leaves were twirling into life. Office workers, post pandemic, an endangered species, were taking to the benches in the public spaces. The buzz of Arabic as the end of Ramadan begins mingled with the excited babble of French and German school parties crocodiling the pavements and impeding pedestrian passage for those who had business to contract in town. (I was there for a board meeting.)

On my way back to Paddington I walked through St James Park as The Mall was closed for the final preparations for this Sunday’s London Marathon.

There was an interesting conflict of preparations as Coronation seating was also going up in front of Buckingham Palace. Streets around Piccadilly are already festooned with Union Flags and Royal (Charles) Cyphers. Beyond Eros in Piccadilly, however, the Eid illuminations were even more impressive than their Christmas counterparts!

I love the buzz of the London city state!
I also love coming home to the tranquility of The Cotswolds.

PS A Royal VIP on the train in front of the one I was on caused lengthy delays at Stroud.