As we arrived in good time, we had coffee at Ikea ,where the staff overwhelmed by our numbers, gave us free drinks.( to clear the tills I guess!)
Then to the Shri Swaminarayan Hindhu Mandir Neasden.
We had an interesting video about the conception and the construction of the Mandir followed by a short talk by an excellent volunteer lecturer about the 18C charismatic prophet to whom the Temple is dedicated.
The Mandir is a masterpiece of Indian stonework and craftsmanship but maybe a bit too ornate for English eyes accustomed to our more austere churchs.
At 11.30, we went upstairs to the Temple where we observed the daily ritual of the Murti Darshan.
After lunch break,in Kings Road, we met our two guides at Sloane Sq Station for our tour of Belgravia. We saw the homes of the rich and famous, the few remaining pubs and the Mews which once had housed the servants of the great houses but now desirable and expensive in their own right. Residents: past and present: Baroness Margaret Thatcher, David Niven, Vivien Leigh, Lord Lucan, Mozart, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Omar Shariff, Sheikh of Dubai, Noel Coward,most of the Russian moguls and others I have forgotten.
We all had the extraordinary sight of seeing our Barfordian coach being seemingly preceded by mounted police. (see photo)
I hope it was an enjoyable day for all. Thanks to Jackie Eastwood for taking over at short notice.
