I expect ten hours on the tourist trail is sufficient to give our application to participate in London's Great Race worthy consideration! My debut at Wimbledon resulted in game, set & match & immediate elimination from the tournament. An unbeaten knock of 59 at Lords before bad light stopped play allowed time for high tea at Kensington Palace!
With the 2012 Wimbledon Championships scheduled for a June 25 start, preparations for the two weeks of tennis, champagne, strawberries & cream are well underway. Our guide, who was a wonderful orator, introduced the All England Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club, otherwise known as Wimbledon, to us.
The Marylebone Cricket Club, or Lords, so named after Thomas Lord, is the official guardian of the Laws of Cricket. At the ticket office I announced I was there to take the Ashes home. My comments were frowned upon with an accompanying reply of 'No you won't because I'll be watching you!' Fortunately, our knowledgeable of all things cricket tour guide was a much more affable chap. While his presentation was informative, I have never heard a commentary repeated so often. 'So there you have it!' With a number of Australians in the group there was much parochial banter about the respective nation's cricketing prowess. Our introduction to Lords included the Pavilion, Long Room, Dressing Rooms, Grandstand, Media Centre & the MCC Museum. Of course, a visit to Lords would be incomplete without viewing the highly coveted Ashes. I'm sure I was being watched!
With the last admission to Kensington Palace at 1700 hours, we had just one hour to travel from Marylebone. It really was a matter of sprint between train changes, if you can! A train delay, the only one experienced all week, saw us arrive with three minutes to spare! Kensington Palace is a most unlikely looking palace. The interior belies the drab exterior. The State Apartments overlook beautiful Kensington Park with its manicured expanses of lawn & gardens fit for princesses.The largest exhibit recognizes the private life of a princess & her public life as reigning Queen Victoria & her beloved Albert. The roles she played as queen, wife, mother & widow are all told here. Interestingly, the smallest room, dedicated to Diana, focuses on her fashion as iconic! Just five of her gowns remain. Little recognition is given for her charitable & humanitarian achievements.
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