I wanted to be in London for the Diamond Jubilee weekend… I couldn’t resist. I do have a very large soft spot for London… it has taken some years because my heart and my home reside in France but as a city, London is a winner. I love it for many reasons but most of all because the Brits know how to be patriotic and drum up the pomp and ceremony. And when it comes to the Queen and the celebration of her 60 years on the throne… the country is in a jubilant mood. Flags and bunting are hanging across every street and all the shop windows are decked out in the red, white and blue.
This English Bulldog is gracing the window of the supremely fashionable Harvey Nichols… he isn’t real… but he looks pretty life-like to me. He really does look like a ‘Chester’… even if he isn’t the real deal. I love him with his streamers, crown and red post box… a true Brit…
Rococco chocolates are another reason to visit (or steer clear) of London… and their Jubilee packaging featuring the Union Jack is one to add to the chocolate box collection… A good excuse as any… Don’t you think?
The souvenirs, as you can imagine, are everywhere. I have to admit to liking many of them. This ‘Great Britain’ tin tray took my eye and I thought I might buy a few as gifts for non-British friends. I have always scoffed a little at what I considered celebratory kitsch… but I have to eat my words… some of the Jubilee mementos are very cute.
What do you think about a Royal crown from Emma Bridgewater? As a food cover of course… I think I might prefer the heavy-metal-head-wearing kind… preferably with jewels.
The flower boxes and the bunting are co-ordinating… Red and white geraniums are everywhere, in all the window boxes. This shot I took outside a real estate agency in Sloane Street… It is impossible not to be touched by the Jubilee with all this colour on the streets… it’s infectious… This weekend there are street parties everywhere and there is the Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant on the river… That’s where I am headed on Sunday…the embankment… and I would love a glimpse of the Queen as she floats along the Thames in the original tender to her now retired Royal Yacht Britannia.
And finally, one of my local streets… doesn’t she look grand?
If you would like a memento of the Diamond Jubilee… there is nowhere better than Fortnum &Mason… one of the best loved English stores in the city… and my favourite… Even just a browse of their beautiful website will put you in the Jubilee mood…xv
