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A week after the official opening of the ‘new’ St. Pancras, the group’s London weekend also took place. It was a good start, arriving into the famous blue canopied expanse - with time to admire the statue of Sir John Betjeman and Eurostar’s sleek gateway to Paris, complete with the accessible, if expensive champagne bar.

Avoiding such temptations (for the meantime) the number 17 bus takes you from the station to St. Paul’s - and seemingly within minutes - the hostel is there, just round the corner in Carter Lane. Andy, Alan, Patricia, Liz and Boh and I stored our bags and then mobile phone numbers, before venturing out on a well researched crawl of London’s best public houses in the area.

Fortunately on our way to the first pub, a slight detour allowed us girls the opportunity to admire the jewellery walled up but glittering in the shop fronts along Hatton Gardens. Back on track, we walked under the beautiful Holborn Viaduct, to reach our first destination, ‘The Cittie of York,’ selling Sam Smiths - and sundry wines too.

Entering this pub is like walking into history. There is a high wooden vaulted ceiling, wood panelled alcoves and beautiful chandelier, dating from its origins as a coffee house in 1695. Beneath is a cellar, where refugees from the Gordon Riots allegedly took refuge in the mid eighteenth century. There are also many cartoons on the walls - references to the nearby ancient Inns of Court around Chancery Lane.

Fortified, we walked back towards St. Paul’s and crossed the bridge to the South Bank, it was cold and breezy, but the view, as always, forces you to stop mid way and try to take as much in as possible: The Eye, the Gherkin, Tate Modern, we even saw the outline of the peregrine falcon that lodges there, way up high and very, very aloof!

We headed towards Southwark Cathedral where we visited one of several excellent pubs on the streets close to Borough Market - ‘The Wheatsheaf’, where the beer is also good (Young’s) and people to and fro to the wonderful market opposite. Here Liz discovered the most amazing mince pies. The pastry was made from spelt flour, and even one wholesome crumb is yummy! We also were pleased to meet up again with Andy, who had taken a Thames Ferry to Greenwich.

Our London pub crawl - already good was about to become even more special, as Alan guided us to ‘The George’ an incredible galleried inn - with courtyard opposite a dreadful 20th century building, easily blotted out though by the memories of Dickens, who mentions ‘The George’ in his book ‘Little Dorrit’. The bouncer was a joyful and very broad shouldered exponent of - ‘Cage Fighting’. It is a martial art, for which he had sculptured his hair into eye-catching spikes. We ate dinner at a good Turkish restaurant - ‘Tas’ and walked back to the hostel, and unpacked for the night.

The following morning, which was very bright, cold and windy, we decided to go to the V and A museum, hoping also to see the ‘Wildlife Of The Year Exhibition’ at The Natural History Museum next door.

We sat in the café of the V and A, contemplating which of the many wonderful other rooms and exhibitions to visit. We decided that we could see the Lee Miller photographic exhibition. Such an iconic figure, ‘an artist of the electric century’ (1907-77) Miller pioneered the use of solarisation in her work. A contemporary of Man Ray, she starred in Cocteau’s surreal film, ‘The Blood of a Poet’. She photographed in Egypt during the 1930’s and between 1940 and 45, filmed war images including blitzed London, field hospitals in Normandy, liberated Paris and Hitler’s apartment in Munich.

Perhaps it was just as well we were unable to see the ‘Wildlife Photographer of the Year’ exhibition as we were already feeling the effects of so much art, and we still had ‘The Terracotta Army’ to go! The Natural History Museum is anyway fascinating, with incredible displays, including a simulated earthquake experience, which is not to be missed. But the time was getting short, and we had to leave South Kensington, to head for The British Museum.

The Terracotta Army exhibition being held there includes models of warriors, archers, chariots, and weapons, paraphernalia of the first Chinese Emperor - Qin, who hoped to rule the world from his final temple resting place. He was buried alongside this fabricated army of 7,000 life-size figures in preparation for his last battle and after life, in the province of Xi’an, centre of the huge country he had conquered and unified.

It is breath taking - the chilling mass production of terracotta torsos, heads and body parts, and their overlapping bronze armour, serried rows of these ’soldiers’, buried in fighting position more than 2000 years ago. There are some birds and musicians included in the treasures, and hints of yet to be discovered treasures buried at the centre of the vast excavation site, probably the Emperor’s tomb.

Later, in ‘The Bree Louise’ on Cobourg St , we compared impressions of the story of the beginnings of the Chinese Empire, the army, the standardisation of the script (still in use today) and the skills of conscripted soldiers and slaves. It is incredible to imagine the genesis of such a successful albeit violent empire. The pub sold Bateman’s ‘Mystique Scorpio’ and Old Rosie Cider, which we just had time to enjoy, before some of us walked to St. Pancras. (Liz and Boh stayed another day in London.)

Patricia and I also had time (so we thought) for a glass of champagne at the famous station bar - but did miss our train… We were fortunate to catch the next one, and so ended our eventful London visit - only slightly late home.

I would especially like to thank Alan for finding great pubs for us to visit and also everyone who came for helping to make the weekend lively and interesting.