London Loves ~ Memorial

Last week I shared my New York memorial sites that I take comfort in visiting when in the city. This week its time to share my London loves. With New York coming out of memorial weekend, this post follows a momentous June 6th  D-Day celebrations and remembrance for the 100,000's of heroes that fought for our freedom on that eventful day and changed the face of world war 2.
London is awash with so many memorial sites its hard to select just 5, however I have and here they are.

• Battle of Britain memorial - sited on the banks of the river Thames on Victoria Embankment, this stunning bronze frieze is sited between the RAF memorial and Westminster Bridge. Unveiled in 2005 this 3D frieze is a stunning work of art and fitting tribute to those gallant men & women that flew the skies and fought at the Battle of Britain for our freedom.

• Animals in war - sited on Park lane adjacent to Hyde Park, this beautiful memorial celebrates the sacrifice of millions of animals throughout the world wars. Featuring a horse, donkey, dog & pigeon. the Successful play Warhorse and the Disney movie Valiant have helped to educate people on how so many different animals assisted and continue to assist us in the battles that we fight then & now. Eight million horses lost their lives in world war 1 and 100,000 & 200,000 pigeons were used respectively in WW1 & WW2, flying in all weathers often exhausted and severely wounded. 

• The Cenotaph - This iconic memorial of the Empty Tomb on Whitehall was only ever erected to mark the remembrance of the 1st Armistice day in 1919. Built in wood and plaster the nations outpouring of remembrance was so profound that a permanent monument was erected for 1920 and remains the nations memorial site for remembrance Sunday.

• Westminster - Westminster abbey each November becomes a stunning memorial site for Armistice day & Remembrance Sunday. It is humbling, emotional and a stunning space when filled with the poppy crosses. Here is a post from a previous visit. Inside Westminster Abbey is the grave of the unknown warrior, unveiled on the 11/11/1920 its a reminder of all those that sacrificed their lives so that we could have a better one.

• Grosvenor Square - Sited in this little square of greenery, nestled between the hustle & bustle of Oxford street and Park Lane, adjacent to the American Embassy stands many memorials. One of the most tranquil and calming is the little peace garden built to honour those that dies in the twin towers of 9/11. As blogged previously I find comfort in the little garden often after a busy day at work. 

Here are some additional posts of memorial sites in London, remembering the heroes and giving thanks for the sacrifices that they made, featuring the women in war, and the tank regiments.
As with all London Loves posts I have plotted a map of locations of these memorials, I hope that you seek one out the next time you visit London, even if it is just to say Thankyou. x

Look who's 1!....

Yes... Fitzwilliam & Darcy are 1 years old!... this weekend saw the kits celebrate their first birthday. No great celebrations, but they have had lots of treats. They were born in June and came to live at Teresa's Terrace in July... Looking back they have given me much delight, a little worry and lots and lots of cuddles.

The year has seen them climb curtains & shred ironing board covers. Tooth brushing is much fun when kittens discovered water in taps and a moving toothbrush!

The discovery and  the magic & sparkle of Christmas, filled with trees, baubles, paper & bags meant that December was filled with mischief and mayhem!

Best of all snuggles on the sofa still continue to be a daily treat along with them waiting for me on the doorstep to get home.

 

Happy Birthday Fitz & Darcy

xxx

 



New York Loves - Memorial

Last weekend was Memorial weekend in America. I love the fact that the US celebrate their military with a pride and a passion that outside of Remembrance weekend we don't do enough of in the UK, however I do think people loose sight of what memorial weekend is all about, and use it as an excuse to celebrate the start of summer filled with b-b-q's and fun and not remembering all those that have not made it home. Rant aside I don't want this to be a maudlin post, but a chance to see a different side of New York and one filled with pride, honour, sacrifice and thanks.

 During visits to New York I have stumbled across some beautiful memorials, which when visiting the city are worth seeking out, and give you pause for thought in a city that really doesn't sleep.
FDNY Memorial Wall - running alongside 10 ladder company's firehouse adjacent to the World Trade Centre site is a beautiful bronze memorial depicting life as a New York Firefighter as the twin towers fell. It is a stunning sympathetic piece of art which has been masterfully crafted, dedicated to the 343 fire officers that lost their life on that fateful day. Here are my thoughts when I visited it in 2012.

Governors Island - Governors Island, a 172 acre island in the heart of New York Harbour, previously a military base, and then home to the coastguards. It has now become a recreational area, which many of the historic buildings being held in trust. The 30 acre site is filled with many memorial sites, a perfect place to relax and enjoy the views onto Brooklyn and Manhattan.
NYPD Memorial - sited on the harbour side of the World Trade Centre, this water and wall memorial features every police office that has died in the line of duty in New York City. It is a calming space, which offers a small space of peace in area filled with hustle & bustle. Here's more from when I visited in 2011.

Battery Park - is a space filled with many memorials, the largest and the most iconic is the East Coast Memorial. This memorial honors the 4,601 missing American servicemen who lost their lives in the Atlantic Ocean while engaged in combat during World War II. It is beautiful. I have blogged several times of my love of this space, here is one from 2011, when the fleet came in for Fleetweek.

9/11 memorial - this month has seen the 9/11 memorial museum and I have mixed thoughts on it. I have visited the memorial pools and found them moving, humbling and a sentimental tribute to the space and the lives lost. Here are my thoughts from the time. Having visited NY pre 9/11 and post, the memorials in place are a fitting tribute to an event that changed the face of the world we live in today. A space that allows you to pause & reflect in a tranquil environment.

As well as the memorials around the city, one of the best times to visit is during Fleetweek!... its a chance to thank a sailor or military personnel in person!.... a couple of years ago I visited in May and watched the fleet sail up the Hudson river

and  met a few sailors in Times Square!. It was a week filled with sunshine, sailors and fun in the city!... plenty of opportunity to shake them by the hand and say Thankyou.

For a little bit of light hearted fun during fleetweek, check out Sex & the City's episode called Anchors Away which features fleetweek, or read Ali McNamara's great book "From Nottinghill to New York actually. I hope that you have enjoyed this New Loves, here are my previous posts, sharing some of my favourites from New York.

~ x ~



Social Media Sunday ~ May

Its Social Media Sunday, and a time to share with you what has made me smile and what I've liked in the world of Blogland, and  Instagram this month. I will be sharing my twitter favourites on a different post due to their re-occurring theme!
Instagram - This months favourites all have a floral theme, with spring flowers in bloom and Chelsea Flower show on in London, Instagram showcased some beautiful blooms to their best.

• Emily Quinton - Emily posts daily, and her floral displays are just delightful. The picture of the vase of Sweet Williams are just gorgeous and the perfect bloom for May. Sweet Williams were one of my Gramps's favourite blooms, this bought back so many memories when I saw it. Emily's blog and Instagram are filled with great styling, floral and photographic ideas, along with tales of her life with 4 small children... I'm not sure how she does it.
• HopInteriors - Mary-Ellen's photograph of floral wellingtons is full of fun at Chelsea. I met Mary-Ellen at a recent photography day and loved her styling and colour pallet. Her Instagram is filled with bold colours and sunshine.
• Mrs_Button - another favourite Instagrammer of money who posted this gorgeous string tin & roses, perfect post for spring. Love Mrs B's styling and favourite a least one post a week. yummy x
• Icey_mark - this gorgeous wall of blossom is full of texture and hews of spring. Mark is a very old friend and as well as posting beautiful scenery from the Pembrokeshire coast, also shares some of his fabulous pictures from his Antarctic and oceanographers travels. 
• Klmpink - Kate's fab picture of her terrier in bluebell woods. This picture is so much fun and made me smile lots. Kate's pictures are a mixture of her Homemakery business and her cute little terrier in the country.

Blogland - two themes on the blog loves this month, decadent dining and blogging tips and organisation which I can take from blogland to desk.

• Clover & Dot - Kate is a young new blogger that I've found who blogs some really interesting & useful posts. I love this post on keyboard shortcuts that is just fab. Some I am familiar with, but others are a revelation for both home & work... thanks K for sharing.
• The Delicious London Eateasy - this sumptuous post features Fera the new dining experience at Claridges. This is on my food wish lists and looking at the menu it will take some saving. I have food envy that they have been as the wait list is long and between Fera and the Chiltern Firehouse are the most sought after dining spots in the Capital at the moment.
• Beautyfull Homes - is a gorgeous styling blog discovered this month. This office essentials post ticked all my boxes, I love a bit of stationery and Kate Spade ... perfect for any desk. ( I will be sharing my own Kate Spade stationery treasures soon!)
• Fashion Foie Gras - This blog from Emily of her relationship with Claridges Afternoon, struck many chords with me. I have a love affair with this iconic London Hotel and agree with Emily wholeheartedly with the following : "Claridge's afternoon tea is an experience I wish for everyone to have and one which is on my list now as an annual treat. It is worth every single penny saved and spent. " a delightful post filled with yummy photographs.
• Imake - I'm trying to be a little more planned and organised with my blog life and came across this bullet journal post which I have enjoyed. I would love to be a technical organiser, but alas I'm not, it doesn't work for me. I am a pen & paper girl!.. liking the tips and will share my thoughts later this month.

Thankyou to all that have posted me comments, messages or 'likes' on twitter, Instagram or my blog. They mean a lot and always put a smile on my face...

so this month what have you been tweeting, 'liking' following lately? would love to know. What blog recommendations do you have ... happy Sunday x

#Project Life ~ May

May has passed in a whirlwind of spring sunshine and showers, with a new look blog and little more planning. I have thoroughly enjoyed blogging in May.

 Here's what I have planned for June:

but before we launch head first into June, here's some favourites from May.

Work was named best department store in the world for the third consecutive time, so lots of celebrations and sweet treats were had. Work also launched one of its biggest beauty projects every... with a huge "hello beautiful" lit feature on the canopy on Oxford street. (big blog post to come)  Outside of work I had lots of fun, from a day trip to Cardiff to watch a game of rugby, to an evening at the Royal Albert Hall watching Michael Bolton. I went to tea at Grosvenor House which had mixed reviews, and I spent a sunny afternoon at Hampton Court Palace. All of which I will be sharing with you in the next few days.

During June I am going to join along with FatMumSlim's photo a day challenge over on Instagram. I will be rounding up my weeks photo's on my blog to share.

I hope that you have all had a great May and a happy June.