We went to breakfast earlier than usual so that we could catch a train to London. When we arrived at Windsor and Eton Riverside station, we had to wait several minutes whilst the ticket office assistant was on the telephone. When she had finished her call she informed that there was a reduced service during the summer months and this was advertised on the platform. At this stage we hadn’t got as far as the platform! We were further told us that the next train wouldn’t be for 45 minutes. We decided not to wait and walked to Windsor’s other station, Windsor and Eton Central, where there would be more options. We purchased our tickets which included the London Underground and as soon as we got onto on the platform a train arrived.

We arrived in London next to Tower Hill and the Tower of London without any delays. I purchased a Historic Royal Palaces season ticket for Mr C’s birthday present. We planned to visit Hampton Palace later during our stay so this option provided good value for money. Scaffolding was surrounding the main entrance to the Tower of London so visitors were directed to a temporary entrance.

Once inside the Tower, we walked round the outside of the White Tower to see the ceramic poppy display that had, once again, been installed at the Tower. On this occasion the poppies on display mark 80 years since VE day and the end of the Second World War.

At one stage the Tower’s resident squirrel scuttled through the poppies right to my feet probably expecting a tasty snack. He left disappointed, he needs to see the Yeoman Warders for those. Speaking of Yeoman Warders, we made our way from the poppies to the meeting point for a Yeoman Warder talk. Our guide tuned out to be John, the Yeoman Gaoler.  The talk was excellent, bringing the Tower and its history to life. One part of the tour wasn’t possible, The Church of St Peter ad Vincula, which was cordoned off for restoration and repairs.

Next we had some lunch in the busy café where we were lucky enough to find a seat. We left the café to find that there was no longer a queue to visit the Crown Jewels so we took the opportunity to see them next as they are always worth a visit. When we had finished in the Jewel House we found that there was no queue to enter the White Tower which is home to the Royal Armouries so we went in.

It was an unexpected bonus be able to do both, we had thought the queues to get in would be too long and we would only have time to visit one of them. As we were leaving the White Tower, I purchased a couple of books about the Tower of London and a book about the Crown Jewels. It was now time to catch the train back to Windsor. The trains ran smoothly and we arrived back in Windsor at 6pm. We were able to book a table in the Giggling Squid for later in the evening after we had freshened up after our days adventure. The food and service were excellent and we got chatting to a couple of ladies on a nearby table. We returning to the George Inn for a nightcap before turning in for the night.

On our most recent visit to London the trains were perfectly on time both to and from London although the same could not be said for other modes of transport during the day.

On arrival in London, we caught the tube to Charing Cross to board a water bus to Greenwich. As we waited for the boat to arrive, we chatted to a couple of ladies who were in front of us in the queue. We didn’t have to wait long for the boat to arrive and both us and the ladies we were chatting to got seats on the outside deck.

Mr C went to the bar for a glass of prosecco. Some things just have to be done for a bit of silly fun. It became apparent that the seats were in the area of the boat’s engine exhaust and I was slowly being cooked to a turn. I chose to leave my seat (and Mr C followed) to take my chances standing in the cool breeze around the edge of the boat.

The two ladies we had been chatting to had also left their seats for the same reason. They had glasses of prosecco in hand and told Mr C he had been a bad influence on them because they had noticed him walking past them with the small prosecco bottles. We spent the rest of the journey chatting with them discussing the sites of London amongst other things. One of the ladies pointed out the entrance to a tunnel under the river Thames.

When we docked at Greenwich it was time for lunch. We spotted the Captain Hardy pub which had a modest menu but was just what we needed. I chose fish and chips which, when it came, was delicious, the best battered fish I have had for a long time. Mr C chose my second choice dish, chicken schnitzel which he also enjoyed.

Amply replete, we walked the short distance to the Queen’s House, one of the Royal Museums of Greenwich. The house was originally built for Anne of Denmark, the wife of King James I. The house was left uncompleted when she died of tuberculosis in 1619. In 1629 James’ son, Charles I, gave Greenwich to his wife Henrietta Maria and work resumed on The Queen’s House.

The Queen’s House has had many occupants and uses over the years and currently houses an art collection including many artworks from classical painters and studios.

Our tight time schedule didn’t allow us to explore the grounds around the house so we retraced our steps in order to board the Cutty Sark, a state-of-the-art Victorian tea clipper built for the China tea trade. The information boards in the boat hull explain the history of The Cutty Sark and the Tea Trade at that time.

After a refreshing drink in the museum’s café it was time to make our way back to Euston for our journey home. We chose to take the water bus to Tower Hill so that we could look at the flowers in the moat at the Tower of London before catching the tube to Euston station. We waited for around 15 minutes and were informed the boat was delayed… About 10 minutes later it was announced that anyone travelling westbound could go through or wait, much to the annoyance of the gentleman who was manning the access. His argument was that we would  have to wait just as long if we moved to the different queue.

Mr C opted to walk through the gate and wait on the other side because we were approximately eighth in line in the original (long) queue. This turned out to be a good choice because when the boat arrived it only had capacity for another 21 people. The boat was full!

The boat travelled at speed to catch up for lost time and, on disembarking at Tower Hill, we had to rush past the Tower of London rather than linger as we had planned in order to catch a tube train back to Euston in time for our train home. We had just enough time to purchase a sandwich from Pret A Manger to enjoy on our journey home.

Although on this occasion we arrived home in plenty of time for last orders, none of our friends were out to play. I have to confess I enjoyed going straight home after my London adventure.

Our recent day trip to London was so enjoyable we decided to visit London again the following week.

The train arrived on time but was delayed briefly due to a points issue. Once in London, we caught the Tube to Southwark where we intended to visit Southwark Cathedral and The Shard.

Before visiting either it was time for lunch. The place we had initially chosen had only two staff on so we decided not to stay because the pace was busy and we didn’t want to wait too long for our lunch. We checked out then next place on our list but instead settled upon The Ivy where we were seated in the conservatory area. It was light and airy with the doors open, which provided a cool breeze that took off the heat of the day.

The service was quick and efficient and we both chose the Smoked Salmon and Haddock Fish Cake accompanied by a glass of dry rose wine. Whilst dining, we decided to visit the Cathedral first. It had been on our itinerary for our recent London visit but we ran out of time to visit it.

We walked the short distance to the Cathedral in 80° heat. Stepping into the cool space of the Cathedral was a welcome relief. I found the Cathedral to have a peaceful feeling which perhaps reflects the rich history of the building. There are many interesting features within the Cathedral but sadly there is no guidebook to explain them in further detail.

After getting my Cathedral Pilgrim Passport stamped, we walked to the Shard. We purchased our tickets to ‘The View’, choosing the optional glass of bubbles to enjoy once we had reached the dizzy heights. The operation is very slick; bag search, green screen photos taken and then directions to the lifts that take you up to the viewing floor. The views are stunning and we took our time to spot the familiar landmarks of London. Watching the trains travelling in and out of Charing Cross station from above was like seeing trains on a model railway.

We walked to the top floor which is open to the elements although we found the view from there less enjoyable so we returned to the lower floor to enjoy our ‘bubbles’ looking out over London.

Mr C noticed the flowers in the Tower of London moat so after descending from the tower, we walked across Tower Bridge and around the moat before heading back to Euston Station.

We arrived at Euston Station to find utter chaos! All trains had been delayed due to a major problem with points near Watford Junction. Luckily for us the trains had just started running again. We caught the first train that was heading to Birmingham rather than wait for the later train which we had booked onto. When trains get messed up later trains often get cancelled, so better a train in the hand…

As expected the train was rammed full and we chose a space to stand safely next to the luggage rack. A man kindly gave up his seat for me; he didn’t like the thought of me standing all the way to Birmingham. I was grateful to him but also felt a little guilty.

During our journey the train staff decided to terminate the train a station early, Birmingham International rather than Birmingham New Street. A bit frustrating for us but entirely understandable for getting the trains back on schedule going forward.

This involved a mad dash across the platforms to get the first connecting train that was due to leave one minute after our arrival. There was a bit of Mr C not quite getting on the train whilst the guard was blowing his whistle and as I dashed across the platform, hopping on the train at the last minute. The doors closed behind me and we were on our way.

We arrived three minutes late compared to our original planned arrival which meant we were once again on time for joining our friends for last orders in a local hostelry.

Traitor’s (or Traitors’) Gate was a watergate – originally simply called the Water Gate – beneath St Thomas’s Tower at the Tower of London.

The gate was built in the late 1270s on the orders of Edward I to provide a convenient means by which he could arrive by barge. It acquired its present name as the Tower evolved into a place of imprisonment – and sometimes torture – for those accused of treason, notably in the 16th century during the reigns of Henry VIII and Elizabeth I.

The archway was bricked up in the mid-​​19th century because the embankment works caused the river to run deeper, making the gate of little practical use for would-​​be visitors – traitorous or not – at most phases of the tide.

The Tower of London art installation entitled ‘Blood Swept Land and Seas of Red‘ is now complete. The last poppy was planted in the moat at 10.50 today during the final ceremony (among the poppies) commemorating the  centenary of World War One. The art installation marked one hundred years since the first day of Britain’s involvement in the First World War. Each poppy represents a British military fatality during the war.

I was lucky to be able to visit the almost complete installation on 8th November.  The sight of the poppies was stunning and poignant.

Tomorrow the poppies will be picked and packed for dispatch to those who ordered them. The proceeds of the sale will be shared between six charities; Cobeso, Combat Stress, Coming Home, Help for Heroes, The Royal British Legion and SSAFA.

• Poppies being planted during my visit in August
• Photos August 16th 2014
• Photos November 8th 2014