A trip to mark the past

Recently, football on both sides of the English Channel remembered the fallen of WW1 and, in particular, commemorated the 100th anniversary of the Christmas Truce. The exact details of the No Man’s Land football played on December 25, 1914, are sketchy.

Some say there was one game that the Germans, naturally, won 3-2. Some say there was more than one game. Some say there was just a general knockabout.

But, as football remembered the Christmas Truce of 1914, it's also worth highlighting another particularly poignant reminder of the killing fields of World War One - the newly-opened Flanders Fields Memorial Gardens at Wellington Barracks in London.

The Garden, opened by the Queen and King Philippe and designed by Belgian architect Piet Blanckaert, has been planted in soil taken from 70 battlefield cemeteries in Flanders. It has a bench made from Flemish Bluestone and trees indigenous to the battlefields of Flanders.

During a recent visit I spoke with Major General Edward Smyth-Osbourne who said the Garden, open daily from 10-16h, is a "tangible demonstration of the strong bond between the people of Britain and Belgium, a bond made stronger through being forged in adversity".

With Christmas fast approaching combining a visit to the Garden with other attractions in London makes for an ideal seasonal short break.

One such attraction is the Museum of London which tells the ever-changing story of this great city and its people, from 450,000 BC to the present day.Its galleries, exhibitions, displays and activities give a sense of the vibrancy that makes the City such a unique place. Family visitors have the chance to meet Santa in an authentic Victorian grotto this Christmas. The big man is residing in Victorian Walk – a life size recreation of a Victorian London street,including original shop fronts and objects from the museum's collection to capture the atmosphere of the City at the close of the 19th century.

Also well worth a visit is Tower Bridge Exhibition which has self-guided tours and a new spectacular glass floor, described as its most significant development since the expo opened in the 1980s. It features a never-seen-before view of London life, from 42 mt above the Thames.

For another view of London try Citycruises , a Thames river tour, which guides you through 2,000 years of history from the Houses of Parliament and ancient Tower of London and onto the Royal Palace of Greenwich.

Want to see how will you measure up to the world’s tallest man? Or come face to face with our rare collection Amazonian shrunken heads? If so, check out the child-friendly Ripley’s Believe It or Not! exhibition which spans 6 floors displaying 700 curiosities, plus an interactive Mirror Maze. Many of its artefacts were collected by explorer Robert Ripley himself.

Close by on the south bank of the Thames and located in the historic County Hall is Sealife London, home to one of Europe´s largest collections of global marine life where, among other creatures, you can meet the penguins of Madagascar.

An excellent base for any visit to London is the 463-room Thistle City Barbican hotel, popular for businessmen wheeling and dealing in the Square Mile but also a favourite for art lovers, concert-goers and tourists.

Just around the corner from the Barbican Centre, London´s largest arts centre, it enjoys easy access to three underground stations and offers free access to its health and leisure club.It´s currently running Christmas parties: a three course sit down dinner with half a bottle of wine per person, followed by a party with DJ and dance floor.

A great eating option close by is 'Fifteen", Jamie Olivier´s restaurant, notable not just for its terrific cuisine but also for its scheme that offers apprenticeships for, well, would-be Jamie´s.

The great man himself said: “Fifteen London is my baby. On one hand it´s one of London’s finest restaurants and, on the other, we use the magic of cooking to give young people who’ve often faced enormous challenges in their lives the opportunity to unlock their true talent, through great training and mentoring."

Ten years later, 15 still donates all profits to the Jamie Oliver Food Foundation and over 350 apprentices have graduated of whom 80% remain successfully employed in the industry with some heading up their own restaurants around the world.

Eurostar remains a big favourite for people travelling from Brussels to London, not least for the extra baggage allowance you get on Eurostar compared with planes.

There is also Eurostar's environmental 'faster and greener than flying' credentials and also their 2 for 1 entry offer to popular museums and galleries in Brussels, as well as Paris and Lille.

This year is notable not just for WW1 anniversaries but also marks Eurostar’s 20th year of operation, as the first commercial services departed London, Paris and Brussels on the 14 November 1994.

Since then, annual passenger numbers have grown steadily and, in 2013, two significant milestones were passed:Eurostar carried 10m passengers in a single year for the first time taking the number of passengers who have travelled with the operator since operations began to an impressive 140 million.

Eurostar has recently teamed up with the wonderfully-restored St Pancras Renaissance Hotel to offer a concierge service that ensures a smooth and seamless journey from the moment guests’ check out of their room or suite right up until they are seated in their Eurostar carriage and the hotel´s GM Kevin Kelly said, "This VIP transfer ensures an exceptional level of service for those travelling to and from Continental Europe.”

The hotel´s Booking Office Bar & Restaurant is a striking setting for a business breakfast, snack or delicious classic English dining from an all-day menu. It also offers an array of punches recreated from lost recipes from the Victorian era, and even its own "St Pancras beer", a cross between ale and lager. Set in the historic ticket office of St Pancras Station, the cathedral-like Booking Office boasts fine cuisine and what, at 29m-long, is said to be Europe´s longest bar. It has live music Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights when it remains open until 3am.

Equally highly recommended is the nearby Prezzo, part of the successful Italian restaurant chain, rightly famous for its stone-baked pizzas, classic pastas and much more besides.

Located on busy Euston Road, and only minutes from St Pancras, its great central location and classic contemporary interior make it the ideal location for a business lunch or an intimate evening meal.

Both the Booking Office and Prezzo make for a great place to sate your appetite before heading back to Brussels.

Back at the Memorial Garden, Curator Andrew Wallis reminds me that there is actually still some €38,000 to be found to complete the funding for the Memorial Garden. For those feeling generous this Christmas, he says people can still get involved by going to www.flandersfieldappeal.com.

So, with all the WW1 commemorations reaching a peak, it seems a great time for young and old alike to pay their respects to the fallen and a visit to London is recommended, not just for the Garden but much more besides.

Links

http://www.eurostar.com/uk-en

http://www.thistle.com

http://www.fifteen.net

http://www.bookingofficerestaurant.com

http://www.prezzorestaurants.co.uk

http://www.memorial2014.com/en

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