My Date With A Prince

Okay some of us go through life kissing plenty of frogs with none ever turning into a prince. But what about meeting one? I decided to go for the real deal.

Buckingham Palace is normally off-limits but not this time.

Since 1993 during the months of August and September, Her Royal Highness, Queen Elizabeth II, has opened the door of her private residence, offering public tours to some of the State Rooms while she and the rest of the Royals head up to Scotland to their countryside retreat.

On this occasion things were different. read more...

Photo: Graham Jepson/VisitBritain

Relic Hunters by London's Tower Bridge

Face it, London is so ancient you feel like you’re walking in the footsteps of Charles Dickens or William Shakespeare.

On a recent visit a few blocks from the historic Tower of London, currently home to Dressed To Kill, a fascinating collection of King Henry VIII’s armour never before seen since the time of his daughter Elizabeth I, and past the Tower Bridge, another piece of architectural mastery, I spotted a block-sized abyss on 20 Fenchurch Street.

Construction worker-types congregated around the chasm, some with arms crossed, while others were scratching their heads. I peered out from my cab that resembles a film prop from the sixties TV hit The Avengers, and stared in unison with the now growing brood.

What's up? read more...