London

Primrose Hill is a grassy hill north of Regent’s Park, which offers great views over London and which has given its name to an adjacent, affluent, residential area. It's separated from Regent’s Park by Prince Albert Road and London Zoo and is a great place to watch the sun rise and set - or firework displays at New Year. Like Regent's Park, Primrose Hill was once part of a royal chase and is now managed by The Royal Parks Authority. The top of hill is about 200 feet above sea level and is one of 6 protected viewpoints in London. At one time, duels and prize-fights took place there and, apparently, medieval soothsayer Ursula Southeil, aka Mother Shipton, predicted dire consequences if London’s urban sprawl were to engulf it. Whatever, it is now a sacred place to Druids, some of whom believe the hill is an ancient site. However, this might only date from the 18th C, when a learned Welsh stonemason, Edward Williams (Iolo Morganwg) decided it was special.

Primrose Hill was purchased from Eton College in 1841 to extend the parkland available to the poor of north London for open-air recreation. On the summit is a York stone edging with a William Blake inscription: “I have conversed with the spiritual sun. I saw him on Primrose Hill.” An oak tree, ‘Shakespeare’s Oak’, was planted in 1864 in a ceremony watched by a large number of working people to commemorate the 300th anniversary of Shakespeare's birth. A replacement tree was planted in 1964.

The Queen's Chapel of the Savoy is all that remains of the Savoy Hospital founded by Henry VII, which stood on site of the earlier Savoy Palace, sacked during the Peasants' Revolt of 1381. It is a private royal chapel of His Majesty The King and not subject to episcopal jurisdiction. It is part of the Savoy Estate, the Duchy of Lancaster’s principal London land holding. Since 11 May 1937, by command of King George VI, it has also been the Chapel of the Royal Victorian Order.

You’ll find the Ragged School Museum in a group of three canalside former warehouse buildings which were once the largest “ragged” or free school in London. Copperfield Road Free School was established by the London missionary and philanthropist Dr Bernado in 1877. It provided a basic education to tens of thousands of children until it closed in 1908. The museum includes several galleries, an authentic Victorian classroom where you can sit at a desk and experience a lesson, and an East End Kitchen from the 1900s, demonstrating what life would have been like in a simple, one-room home with no electricity or running water.

Somehow, Copperfield Road seems an appropriate address; Twist Lane might have been better.

Photo credit Gordon Joly via flickr

Remembrance Sunday falls annually on the second Sunday of November, closest to 11th, to mark the Armistice, the day the guns fell silent, at 11am on 11th November 1918. The red poppy, which seemed to thrive on the Western Front, has become a symbol - worn by people throughout the UK as a mark of respect. Services take place in towns and villages all over the land, to honour all who have suffered or died in war. The National Service of Remembrance is held at the Cenotaph in Whitehall. In addition to a march past by veterans and troops from each of the armed forces, tributes are paid by the Monarch or a representative, other members of the Royal Family, members of the Government, political and faith leaders, senior representatives of the armed and civilian services and high commissioners of Commonwealth countries.

The National Service is coordinated by a Government Department, but a good starting point for more information is the Royal British Legion.

The Royal Hospital Chelsea was founded in 1682 by Charles II as a retirement home for soldiers. The architect was Christopher Wren. Today, it is home to about 300 veterans, who have served in the British Army all over the world over the last 60 years or so. Known as Chelsea Pensioners, they can be seen out and about in London in their distinctive red uniforms and three-cornered hats. Tours of the hospital can be arranged, and there is a museum. Particular highlights include the great hall and the Wren chapel. Among those buried on the site are ex-Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and her husband Denis, in the Margaret Thatcher Infirmary, which opened in 2009. The Royal Hospital's extensive grounds are also the location for the annual RHS Chelsea Flower Show.