Atriptohistoric Londonis always a pleasure,butwhatifyoucould choosewhicheraof historytovisit?
Hill is on Curzon Street and is known for one of its famous employees, Nancy Mitford. She was one of the infamous Mitford sisters (not the one that married Oswald Mosley).
She wrote Love in a Cold Climate and worked at the shop, making it the centre of the social and literary scene during the 1940s.
If walking is not your thing, try an Afternoon Tea Bus Tour. Sit back and watch the sites go past on an old London Routemaster bus.
I must admit eating lovely pastries and delicate sandwiches as we drove past the Houses of Parliament, Downing Street and The Royal Albert Hall among others, definitely made the whole sightseeing thing a far more pleasurable experience, and was better on the knees.
But there’s plenty to keep you entertained back at the hotel. By staying in a Club room you not only enjoy a full buffet breakfast, but you also have access to a fully equipped gym as well as entry to the Club Lounge where you can have complimentary tea and coffee, and even enjoy afternoon tea.
There’s a pub on site, the Smith & Whistle, which serves craft beers and British wines as well as bar food.
There are also three places to eat, The Palm Court (English cuisine and afternoon tea), Mercante (Italian food and buffet breakfast), and Caffe Musetti.
This is definitely the place to stay for a special occasion, as it offers guests the chance to really sample life in the Roaring Twenties with the services of a bar tender for up to two hours.
They’ll ask you which spirits you like and then tailor a list of cocktails just for you. I recommend the mint julep.
The hotel first opened its doors at the height of ‘The Golden Age of Cocktails’ and was popular with the bright young things of the time.
Apparently there’s an etiquette to the drinking of cocktails.
Did you know that until the 1970s ladies wore gloves much of the time and while it was fine to sip a cocktail wearing gloves it was polite to remove them at mealtimes? Me neither. Gentlemen had to remove their hats, of course.
In the Palm Court to the front of the hotel, there’s a cocktail timetable for you to dip into.
Midday is the Mint Julep, 2pm the Classic Champagne Cocktail, 5pm the Carolina Plantation Bracer, 6pm The Colonial Cooler, 7.30pm The Americano, 9pm the Martini and The Sazerac brings a rather boozy day to a close at midnight.
After all that it’s a relief to have a fabulous room to return to and a super king-size bed to envelop you ready for a night’s sleep.
All in all, the Sheraton Grand Hotel was everything I’d hoped life in the Twenties would be. The glamour and sophistication of the place shines through.
I’ve been called a bit of a flapper. Well, I think that’s what they said.
Now where did I park my Bugatti? www. sheratonparklane.com/