IF WE WERE HAVING COFFEE : CHURCHES, CATHEDRALS AND FUN

Coffee Break

It is If we were having  Coffee  time  again how  are  you all  and  what  have  you been up  to this  week! I am  late  again  so  I must apologize I am always  chasing  my  tail  these  days!

So  come in it is lovely  to see you all here again. The fires are lit  the cushions are plumped up and  we have  the coffee and tea on  the go  and the cakes and sweets are all set out.  We  have  tea  and coffee  from all over  the world not to mention all our cakes  and muffins  and  as Paul  calls  them sweets! Every single  one  is  calorie  free! Plus of course  we now have spirits  and liquors  to warm the coldest of  you.

If we were having  Coffee: I would ask  you what  has been going on in your world this week, has  anything  deeply affected  you, have  you need a sympathetic ear, a shoulder to cry  on or  just  needed someone  to make  you laugh! If  yes  feel free to talk it out  here  with us. We will all help if  we can.

Join in !

If we were having Coffee: I would  remind  you  that  there  are lots of  other  coffee mornings  all shared  and organized  By  Diana  and  Gene’O  over at,Part time monster  

If  we were having Coffee: I would  tell  you  that  I had  a very  unusual  experience this week. Now  LindaGHill  was  talking  about  a  similar  experience  on here  SoCs  this  week  read  it  here. do  read it, it  is  an excellent  post.

OH! I  am  rambling  again  I  had  better  refill  your  cup  and  get you some  cakes  or  biscuits  …. Let  me  see  were  was I . Let us  start  at  the beginning.  On Thursday   my  friend L  and  I  set  off on another  trip  on the  bus ,  the Green Line up  to  London.  I am London  born and  bred  and  though  Louise  was  not  born there  she  grew up  there and lived  there  for most of  her  childhood  and teens. As we  both live  in  the sticks  ( outside of  London)  is  lovely  to  go  in  for a  day… neither of  us  would  want  to live  there  anymore..too busy!

Look I  am off  the  subject again (  well  this  is  my  Coffee party  so if I want  to wander  off I  can, blows  raspberry). Right  so  we  were on the  bus  and it  passes  the  steeple  of the  Church  where I  went  to Mass each  week  and  then it  passes  the bottom of  the road I used  to live. The  park  the  school (  which I  did  not  attend   but is  part of   my  memories). A little  further  along  we pass  the road  that lead  to the old Drs  surgery. I felt  a pulling  sensation to  be back in time  when I was a  child. A strange  homesickness  for  a  home  that  sadly  no longer  exists, to  an earlier  time  when everything  was  simpler  and  I really  had  no  huge decisions  to make.

My  Brother  sold  the  house  I  grew up in  several  years  back  and  so  all ties  to  that place  are  sadly  gone   but  still  as  we passed it  on the  way into  London  I  felt  a pang. I also  felt it  stronger  pang as  we passed it on the way  home. Yes  my  home   where I have lived  for over 40yrs   ..I have lived in  plenty  other places  too  but  of course  were I  live now is  my  home but  I still  long  for childhood home sometimes.

I  think  my  friend  Immie  puts it  perfectly  in  this  song , words  here 

Would  you like  more  tea, coffee  or  cakes  or  perhaps  you would  enjoy  some an alcoholic  drink?  Now,  L  and I  went  up  to Victoria  Bus Stn  and  I  had  planned  a  few places  to  visit.  So  we headed  off  past Buckingham

Victoria Memorial outside Buckingham Palace.

 Palace  to  Birdcage Walk  to  the  Guards Chapel . To  the  side  is  a photo  I  took of the  Victoria  Memorial outside  Buckingham Palace it looks  amazing  as if  someone  had  been up  there  all night  with a spray  paint gun!

Well  we trotted up  Birdcage  Walk and  found  the Chapel was  closed! The Dean  was  holding  a meeting  and  no one  knew  when it  would  be finished!

There  was  nothing  for  it  we  just  retraced out  steps  but it  was  a good  dry  and  not  too cold  day  and  we like  walking  and talking! It was  about  1.30pm  so  we decided  to  stop  and have lunch. We  found  a cafe/ restaurant  that  was busy  it  was opposite  the Queen’s  Gallery . We were  very  lucky  as  the food  and service  were excellent ! After  lunch  we set  off  to  visit  Westminster  Cathedral. L knew  the Cathedral  very  well  because  as  a child  this  was  a church  her family  went to Mass  at  very  often.

outside Westmister Cathedral

I took  a few photos  of the Cathedral  here  are a the best. We were not  allowed  to  take  photos inside  but I have to say  it is breath taking. Wonderful  mosaic ceilings in the chapels,  beautiful  blue  and green  marble  on the walls. It is  truly  amazing .

The entrance to Westminster Cathedral

We  spent  an hour  or  so  just looking around  and talking to the  vergers who were very knowledgeable and happy  to answer  questions. We noticed  when we looked up  the top half  of  the walls  and  the roof  were of  plain  bricks , we  asked  why  they had a charred  look about  them.  The  answer  was  that  the smoke  from the  candles  had  done  it’s  work on the bricks  and  all the soot  and smoke  from the years of the steam trains  black smoke had  found it’s way into the abbey!

Our Next  stop  was a brisk walk away  in Eton Square  St Peter’s Church. This is  a beautiful  church so light  airy  and modern inside. It is  very  high Church  of  England. In fact  we were

Looking down from the Alter to the Organ

surprised  because it  had  statues  of  the Virgin Mary  and St Peter , this is unusual  for  Church of  England  Churches. Here  are  four  photos  I  do  hope  they  can  give  you  the feeling of  the place.

If we  were having  Coffee : I would  replenish your  cup  and  say  that I hope  you are  not  bored   with  my  wittering on about  my  day out.

Statue of St Peter

Virgin Mary

Yes  I  know  I  am going on  but I  do love  to share! As I said  St Peter’s  was a beautiful  oasis of  light  and peace slap bang in one of  the noisiest and busiest parts of London.

 

The pulpit

When  we came out of the Church  we decided  we were getting tired  and  so we decided  to catch  the  bus  home  that left  from Victoria  Bus station at  4pm. It was 3.20pm  so we thought  we could easily  get back in time  for it. As it  was,  as we neared  the Bus Station  we  saw our  bus coming towards  us  and just  a few yards  back  we had  passed  a bus stop, we looked  and yes it  was where our  bus  would stop  and people were hailing it  so we did an about  turn  and  caught it! So  we  on the bus  and on the  way  home  past  my  ‘no more  home.’

Yum Yum

Hubby  was  there  to meet us  from our local  bus station and  so home !

If  we were having Coffee:  I would  say  the rest  of  the week has  been  busy  too, what  with  the gym, housework and  visiting  a friend  who  is recovering  from  braking  her leg  before Christmas! Also yesterday, Saturday , I  met an old  friend  who I had not seen for months  so  we had  loads  to catch up on.

If  we were having Coffee:  I would  say lets  go and see  how  Paul  and his crowd  are doing . I am sure  that  they will have lots to tell us !

 If we were having Coffee  Original idea  from  http://parttimemonster.wordpress.com/

And of course  the

IF WE WERE HAVING COFFEE:  WEEKEND COFFEE SHARE

over at Part Time  Monster  and Gene’O’s

 

EEEEEEEEEEEEEKK!!