Author Archives: Elaine Elkington

The first book I read in 2014 was ‘WOLF HALL’, by Hilary Mantel. It’s long and was quite a challenge but I suddenly found myself ‘in step’ with it after about 200 pages.  And, by chance, I started 2015 with another long but ultimately satisfying piece of writing.  ‘THE GOLDFINCH‘ by Donna Tartt. This starts […]

Tintin books have always been a favourite in our house.  I think we must have the whole collection, neatly nibbled around the edges, as they were loved so much! John and I made a foray to Somerset House by the Aldwych to see a small exhibition of Tintin in the New Year.  A new resolution […]

‘There’s an exhibition about Samuel Pepys on in Greenwich’, said my friend, Kate.  Last time I was in Greenwich was last  summer. A place full of grand, light filled spaces – (even though bitingly cold today).  In the summer, I was enchanted by the Cutty Sark, the market, coffee upstairs in Waterstones, the wide roads […]

A family outing.  Our seats were on the first row of the balcony, giving us a stunning view.  The film was ‘Raiders of the Lost Ark’, with a live orchestra playing the musical score. Slightly early, so we walked up from South Kensington tube and John said he would show me around Imperial College, where […]

In 2015, I jotted down the title of every film I saw, with a couple of lines to remind me what I liked or didn’t like about them.  Here are a few of the most memorable. I started the year off with GRAVITY in 3D, (George Clooney and Sandra Bullock), thinking it was not my […]

I meet up with my three university friends four times a year, as near to each birthday as possible.  This time the venue was Daylesfords in Chelsea. The food is both healthy and delicious. And downstairs they have an excellent deli. Many years ago, John and I rented a flat in Ebury Street.  You can […]

In the last days of September, we went on a five day voyage of discovery to see aeroplanes at Duxford,  Sutton Hoo, Ely cathedral, Wicken Fen, the Tide Mill at Woodbridge and the castle and oysterage at Orford.  Fen country. Somewhere we had never explored.  And I forgot to take my camera. Bof … but […]

If somebody asked me what Hammersmith is like, I would probably say I don’t spend much time there but it’s a great place from where to get to anyplace else. There’s the Piccadilly and District lines and across the road the Hammersmith and City and Circle lines (with new, spacious walk-through trains). And there is […]

This small reservoir lies close to the Thames and sometimes you can count up to twelve herons as you walk around it.  It is quite hidden from the main towpath and you can be quite alone in your ramble. stopping from time to time to look at birds and surprise the occasional water rat. This […]

One of the top pests in London dwellings is the small but deadly clothes moth, whose larvae are at this very moment chomping happily through your or a near neighbour’s cashmere jumper.  All wool garments spell ‘feast’,  the banqueting parlour being your wardrobe or wherever you may leave your jumper – hanging on the back […]