A Special Day at The Storehouse

a private showing curated by our son, Brendan

One of the unique features at the V&A Storehouse is the private showing of items that members of the public can request to see up close. You simply go into the on-line catalogue of items stored in The Storehouse and choose up to five items that you would like to see. There is about a two week wait so you have to book in advance.

Brendan curated our pieces for us based on our interests and family history. Last Friday we arrived at the Study Room, washed our hands, donned purple gloves and read the rules for handling our chosen items.

Kevin’s items came up first. The first item was a silk screened poster from 60s of the band Buffalo Springfield, the second a 1970s Canadian made telephone, the third a pair of trainers made on the 70s for Marks and Spencer’s, the fourth a 400 year old celestial globe made in Iran and the final item was an Irish bracelet made in the 1800s from horsehair.

My items included a theatre poster from a child’s puppet show held in the town of Magdeburg, where my mother came from, a bohemian glass vessel made in Schlesinger where my father was born, a pewter coffee pot made in Frankfurt, Germany where I was born, an 800 year old beaded banner made in Germany and one of the first pieces ever housed by the V&A over 150 years ago. My final piece was a large roll of screened fabric for household items made in Germany in the year I was born, 1952.

If you are planning a trip to the Storehouse I would highly recommend that you do some research in advance and book one of these free showings.

Away for Two Weeks

in London, England

Getting ready for a vacation overseas is always a lot of work, especially when you try to get the house at home clean for overnight guests. On Tuesday, I spent the day cleaning the kitchen, changing all the bed sheets, doing four loads of laundry, cleaning out the fridge, delivering food that won’t keep to the neighbours and of course packing.

Finally at 8:00 pm the Uber arrived to take us to the airport and at the same time Gaelan and her family pulled up to stay overnight. We said a quick hello and goodbye and then headed to Pearson. Once at the airport we checked our bags and went through security and then had to wait over two hours to board the plane.

The flight was a bit turbulent and I found it next to impossible to sleep. We landed at 11:30 am UK time and then had a very long walk through Heathrow to get to customs and our luggage. The pick up for our London Uber was very easy to find and our car arrived within five minutes.

When we finally arrived at our son’s flat it was 2:30 and we were exhausted. Jet lag is always the worst on the first day but it is worth it when I can have dinner with this little girl.

Water, Water Everywhere – Looking Back

thanks to Jez for hosting Water, Water Everywhere https://jezbraithwaite.blog/2025/09/15/clyde-reflections-water-water-everywhere-279-2/

I decided to look back in my archives to see if I could share some oldies but goodies. From Niagara Falls to Ireland to Venice and everywhere in between from 2012 to 2016.

Our Last Day in London

watching Sevin at her school’s Sports Day and a feast with family at a Turkish restaurant

After packing my bags this morning I headed over to Finsbury Park to watch my granddaughter, Sevin, participate in the school’s Sports Day.

All the classes were divided into colours. Sevin was on the red team. As a former teacher I have to say that the activities were very well organized and the parents were well behaved. Everyone supported each other and cheered on all the participants including the children that were consistently last. It warmed my heart to see and hear the praise for all the children.

The games were also fun and the emphasis was on having a good time.

After standing in the sun for two hours I headed back towards our flat and met Kevin in the local pub where we enjoyed a light lunch.

In the afternoon we finished packing, picked up a few essentials for the flight, booked an Uber for 4:30 in the morning and tidied up the flat.

Being our last night in London Brendan wanted us to experience a Turkish meal. We got on the bus on Green Lane and headed north.

The food was delicious and we ordered the perfect amount. Farewell London. See you again in October.

Walking Along Regent Canal, London

a beautiful summer day

Today was my nephew’s and his beautiful wife’s last day in London and they wanted to spend it with their extended family exploring some of the destinations where Londoners spend a Saturday afternoon.

While sitting in one of the bistros along the canal both Rose and Patrick were able to see some of the air show that was honouring King Charles’ birthday. Unfortunately I only caught a glimpse of the jets from where I was sitting and wasn’t able to get any shots with my camera.

A Surprise Visit to Abby Road

then lunch in a pub and a walk through Hyde Park

Kevin decided to surprise me with a secret itinerary into central London today. We walked to the Arsenal Station and took the Piccadilly line to Green Park and then transferred onto the Jubilee line. Three stops later we got off at St. John’s Wood.

As we started walking Kevin hesitated for a moment and checked his phone for directions. A kind man asked if we were looking for Abby Road. Our destination was no longer a surprise but I was very moved by Kevin’s plan. He knows that I was and still am a big Beatles fan.

The famous crossing on Abby Road

The actual studio is heavily guarded but there is a gift shop that is open to the public.

We considered going to some of the other iconic Beatles landmarks but they were all very far apart and not easy to walk to so we opted to get some lunch instead.

We headed to Bakers Street and had a nice meal at the Allsop Arms. I had the steak sandwich and lemonade and Kevin had the chicken BLT and a non alcoholic Peroni.

The forecasted rain held off and we made our way south to Hyde Park. We entered from the north east side and continued along the path towards the Serpentine Lake. As we got closer to the lake we were happy to see benches to rest our weary feet.

After a short rest we continued heading south to the south end of Hyde Park.

On the way out of the park I saw the rose garden and suggested to Kevin that he could rest some more while I quickly checked out the flowers.

All in all it was a great outing and when we got home Brendan cooked us dinner and Sevin set up her hairdressing parlour and gave Oma and Big Papa a makeover. If our son shares his photos with me I might share them with you. All I can say is that it was crazy fun and there was a lot of laughing.

Judy’s Number Game Challenge

thanks to Judy Dykstra-Brown for hosting the Numbers Game Photo Challenge https://judydykstrabrown.com/2025/06/08/the-numbers-game-75-please-play-along/

This weeks number is 197. If you want to participate just type this number into the search box on your photo page. It’s fun to see what pops up.