And more London including The Temple Church

For the last few weeks I've been batting to and from London for various reasons. The most recent was a visit to my publisher, Sphere at LittleBrown, for a business meeting. I had arranged my inward journey to have a bit of time to spare, so I could visit the Temple Church and take some photographs. I made a sort of photo journey story of my day and here it is below. Some of you may be interested in the close ups of early 13th century armour from the Temple Church section. Click to enlarge, and as always, sorry about the odd formatting. If you see gaps, scroll down. The last photo is of the train journey home!


Waiting at the bus
stop in my village on a
dark, wet Monday morning













John Betjemen statue
at St. Pancras
International


















Temple Tube
Station













Red telephone
boxes

















Courts of Justice











Twinings Tea
museum












Bank sign


















Bank lobby































Temple Church















information
plaque concerning
the effigies











Gilbert Marshal
(d 1241)




















Gilbert Marshal




















Gilbert Marshal:
Hand around
sword hilt


















Close up of
hand grip


















Serpent chewing
Gilbert's spur strap
(he die in a tourney
having been dragged
when his foot got
caught in the stirrup).










Shield strap















Arrangement of
mail leg covering













Arrangement of
mail leg cover on
a different effigy
(no dateline)












William Marshal





















William Marshal
Note all fingers
visible under the mail


















Close up of
mailed hand
















William Marshal
full length














Font design
close up















Another font
decoration











Church interior
taken from the
round.













Plan of the
church interior


















Plan of the
Temple environs
circa 1250



















William Marshal
Junior.












Flying horse
design on the
temple precinct
gates leading to
the Embankment
















Blackfriars
Bridge












A misty view
of the London
Eye













Interesting
Art Deco work
at Unilever House



Clock above
entrance to
Unilever House













View to the
ground floor
from LittleBrown's
reception.















The train home!

A few interesting days in London.

Just now I am in and out of London a great deal for diverse reasons. Late last month, I was there with my good friend and Akashic Records consultant Alison King to give a talk to the London Dowser's Society about how we work together to access the past. The talk was in Dirty Dick's pub, and suffice to say that there was plenty of the past lurking around in there!

Then last week I was in the capital for a couple of days. I had to meet with my agent to discuss business on one of them, but that left me a free couple of hours to head on the Tube to the British museum and take some photos and have a look round their Medieval gallery - see below.
Then it was back to my hotel to meet a fellow author for dinner. On day two, I had to be up bright and early to attend an event at the RAF club on Picadilly. The shortlisted novels for the RNA's Best Romantic Novel of the Year Award were to be announced at a champagne breakfast and I was one of the shortlisted writers with TO DEFY A KING. The novel is also on the shortlist for the Best Historical Novel of the year too.
I'm back in London next week for another meeting with my publishers and then again on March 7th for the announcement of the winners of the RNA awards. In between, I had better get some writing done! Click to enlarge. As usual, apologies for some of the formatting. Blogger can be awkward.



A very haunted pub












In the vaults!
me and Alison King











British Museum
Door knocker












Series of tiles














Drinking horn - 6thC
















enamel plaques










brooch










Seals of Joanna,
Daughter of Eleanor
of Aquitaine and
Henry II









Details for
photo below






























liturgical comb











mid 12thC enamel
plaques. Lower one
depicts Henry of Blois
Bishop of Winchester
and King Stephen's
brother.









Explanation of below
photo



































aquamanile














reconstruction of the
Sutton Hoo sword










Close up of pattern
welded blade












Replica of the
Sutton Hoo helm














Selection of earrings











RNA awards shortlist
Left to right:

Kate Furnivall
Elizabeth Chadwick
Christina Jones









Shortlisted novels for
the main award.