“but I can see us lost in the memory, August slipped away into a moment in time, cause it was never mine…”
As August passes into Autumn, I thought I would share a selection of magical moments from my most recent vacation to London during the Bank Holiday weekend.
This will be the final chapter of the summer diaries series which I’ve had so much fun creating! I really hope you’ve enjoyed it and I hope I can share something similar at Christmas.
A trip to London would be incomplete without a visit to one of my favourite Parisian café’s Ladurée. Nestled in the heart of Covent Garden, Ladurée ceaselessly delights its visitors with an array of sugary, pastel delights fit for a tea-party with Marie Antoinette.
Their shiny glass-cabinets are perpetually filled with an array of different desserts which delight and tantalise and I’m always tempted to see what they have on their summer menu. This time I spotted their Fraisier dessert which I had never tried before!
Fraisier is the classic French cake (a staple in every patisserie) made of Genoise sponge split in two and soaked with Kirsch syrup, cream of some kind and of course fresh strawberries. Often topped with a thin layer of almond paste.
With our Fraisier my mother and I shared their Marie Antoinette tea which was delightful!
After we had sampled such a delectable delight, we wandered over to the Wallace Collection which is located in Manchester Square. I have always wanted to visit this beautiful collection of artworks curated by Sir Richard Wallace who built up this extensive collection in the 18-19th centuries. It possesses one of the largest collections of French 18th-century decorative arts in the world, including the famous Boucher portrait of Madame de Pompadour and Fragonard’s The Swing which, unfortunately were put away for refurbishment when I visited!
Following our little excursion to the Wallace Collection, we wandered back to Ladurée to sample another dessert from their summer menu! I have always wanted to try one of their ice-cream desserts and so we chose the Ispahan cup which consists of… Homemade rose de Damas ice cream and raspberry sorbet paired with fresh raspberries, litchi, meringue and topped by a smooth whipped cream ~ so delightful and refreshing!
In the evening it was time to see my favourite musical, Phantom of the Opera performed live for the first time! I can’t begin to explain my love for this show and it was everything I could have hoped for, and more!
From the staging, to the costumes, set-design and performances of the artists, it was magnificent. I was particularly in awe of Holly Anne Hull’s portrayal of Christine Daaé who is my favourite musical lead – her voice was pitched to perfection and I desperately want to see the show again next year.
On our second day, we spent the morning at Kensington Palace. We booked our tickets to explore the grounds and their current museum displays which included a tour around Queen Victoria’s childhood rooms at Kensington Palace and the Royal Style in the Making Exhibition.
I was so overjoyed to see and walk within the walls of Victoria’s childhood home – I’m an avid fan of Victoria and her childhood fascinates me as she was, for a time, trapped within the strictures of the Kensington System – a set of rules which enforced the protection of the young princess but also her encasement and isolation from the outside world (for instance, Victoria was unable to walk down the stairs unaided and her mother had to sleep with her in her room each night) of course, the reasoning behind much of this was that England was without a direct heir after the tragic death of Princess Charlotte and so it was up to Victoria to fill this line within the monarchy. Upon finding out about her fate when she was still just a young girl, Victoria is said to have pronounced “I will be good”, a statement which would be exemplified throughout her long reign as she still remains one of the most beloved monarch’s of English history.
Following the delightful exploration of Victoria’s childhood, we wandered over to the Royal Style in the Making Exhibition. I was very much looking forward to this particular exhibit because it “explores the intimate relationship between fashion designer and royal client, revealing the process behind the creation of a number of the most important couture commissions in royal history…”
One of the most exciting pieces which was on display was Princess Diana’s wedding dress – on show for the first time at Kensington Palace in 25 years. I was so happy to see this as, despite its reputation (many are known to dislike Diana’s gown), I personally adore the dress! The dress was designed by David & Elizabeth Emanuel and consists of a 25 ft long train and made from antique Carrickmacross lace.
After spending the morning at Kensington, we wandered over to the Lanesborough hotel for a beautiful Peggy Porschen themed afternoon tea. Walking into the Lanesborough hotel is akin to stepping into a dream-world, with glistening chandeliers, elegant interiors reminiscent of a Bridgerton-inspired ballroom!
The afternoon tea itself consisted of warm scones accompanied with clotted cream and strawberry jam, miniature finger sandwiches and a set of dainty Peggy Porschen treats – including salt caramel cupcakes, a delightful lemon tart and strawberry meringue.
In the evening it was time to see our second show of the trip, Frozen the musical!
My mother and I were so excited to see this West End premiere of the original Broadway musical and it most certainly did not disappoint! The costumes were utterly divine and the performances were magnificent – Elsa’s were my favourite and they glistened with Swarovski crystals which was truly magical to see upclose.
On our final day, I had the most magical girly brunch with my pink angels, Catherine, Naje and Freya at the Peggy Porschen Parlour in Chelsea. It was truly a joy to finally meet these angels in person and we had such a lovely time together in our favourite London café!
For their summer display, Peggy’s dressed up their parlour with a whimsical, tea-time Alice in Wonderland theme…
The parlour was bedecked with delicate blooms, dainty tea-cups, macarons, white rabbit clocks, sweet jammy dodgers and their beautiful pink Belgravia bicycle which features the most beautiful floral bouquet.
Whilst Freya and Catherine opted for the dreamy buttermilk pancakes, myself and Naje decided to both have their adorable summer Strawberry Jammy dodger cupcake! : Inspired by our whimsical summer collaboration with Olivia Burton (more details coming soon!), this cupcake is all about the childhood feel-good factor of the classic Jammie Dodger. Paired with vanilla buttermilk sponge with strawberry purée, vanilla cream cheese frosting, a fresh strawberry and a sugar daisy, the jammie dodger has been given a seat at the grown up’s table this season.
I hope you enjoyed this post angels! Please let me know where you have travelled this summer – I’d love to know!
As always, I’m sending so much love to you all and I hope you can have the courage to pursue your own dreams.
I’m sending lots of love to you all,