From Buckingham Palace to WaterlooBuckingham Palace in all its beauty

Buckingham Palace in all its glory. I walked to there from Bond Street where I had lunch with cousin Pietie Olivier who has just completed his MBA at Oxford University. Well done cousin. I am really impressed.

Then on down St. James Park towards the War Cabinet Rooms which I skipped as I did not feel like spending 18 pounds to get in!

Two of the many types of geese in St. James, but they could not care a bit that I wanted a decent shot. I left them and carried on.

Reached Big Ben, Parliament and Westminster Cathedral. Still very impressive and for me as a historian and lover of good things it will always be a special place in history.

I was totally unaware that Abraham Lincoln a place in Parliament Square. An amazing man. The film 'Lincoln' does him some justice.

Another place (of many) that I did not enter due to excessive cost (in Rands), but what a magnificent ediface this is.

Looking accross toward Parliament and Big Ben, I saw ........

My beloved Nelson Mandela on my left and then something else that I heard before seeing.............

maybe his salary was too little, but boy can this Scots Guardsman play the Bagpipes. Just so powerful and it resonates somewhere deep don to that little bit of Scottish ancestry somewhere along the line.

Another iconic building in London and the new Red bus design which Paul Dashwood's dad had a lot to do with. His final design project. Boris' new London bus!

One of my great people from history - Winston Spencer Churchill.

Just had to take this shot of the Boris/Dashwood Big Red buses with their trademark diagonal window down the up stairs front and back. Love that. Makes them unique and instantly recognizable.

And on to Downing Street, but David forgot I was coming! Not very good form having travelled for 7 months for the tea and scones!

In order to get this shot, a lady/female/women police constable, pushed me out of the way (because I was blocking pedestrain traffic) when I tried to get a people free shot. She certainly did not help the cause!

On to Covent Gardens via Trafalgar Square and this really interesting group of human statues. Looks as though he is suspended, but he has a hidden steel rod from the ground in front through his sleeve and onto a harness. Very clever and intrigues most people.

And after a seriously long afternoon of walking I eventually arrived from Covent Garden via Leicester Square, trafalgar Square, South Africa Gouse, accross the bridge to All Bar One and the Old Boys gathering and first in was Shaun Baulk. So very good to see him. He popped in for a while before heading out to dinner. So good of him to make the effort. One of my boys doing well abroad. I love it.

A whole bunch of my boys from the early nineteen eighties to 2013 with Andrew Douglas right back corner. Magic evening with my boys from the 38 years of teaching. Thanks to Richard Marsh for putting me up for the night. Thanks to Alan Horsfiled for co-ordinating the evening. Such Magic. It brought tears to my eyes and warmth to my heart.

View South from Ruchards new apartment. Nice view without the tall buildings.

A view accross to another part of the apartment block. Not a bad early morning view.

And so on to Waterloo station for the next part of the continuing journey.

While waiting for the train I took this shot of London commuters pile of bikes.

And Boris' bikes.

Back to the station and onward to Windsor again for a little R&R.