St Bartholomew's

We met up with Grandma and Grandad at Crossharbour DLR station, just two minutes walk from our apartment. Their apartment is just as close. We got the DLR to Canary Wharf then the super fast Elizabeth Line to Farringdon. Our destination was St Bartholomew’s Hospital where Grandma trained as a nurse in the 1950s. It is a short walk from Farringdon tube station and on the way we stopped to look at the William Wallace Memorial. Within the hospital grounds there is a really nice square with a fountain in the centre. We spent a while sitting there whilst Dad gave Grandma a short interview about her time at St Bart’s.

We then had lunch at The Wren Coffee, a cafe in a grand old church near St Paul’s. On the walk over we saw the ‘Panorama’ building being built, the same day as the news that HSBC will be moving its headquarters there in 2026, leaving its very prominent location in Canary Wharf. 

Then we visited St Paul’s Cathedral. Spectacular inside. Sat and just looked up for a while before exploring, including down into the crypt to see Nelson and Wellington’s tombs.

Mum was in work all day, her last week at North Tree. In the evening, Mum and Orla watched ‘The Princes Bride’ whilst Dad went to see Grandma and Grandad’s apartment.