I had a very enjoyable day yesterday meeting a friend in London and going to Simpson's in the Strand for lunch, followed by the Fashion on the Ration exhibition at the Imperial War Museum.
Simpson's is the restaurant that features in Murder Must Advertise as the location to which hapless Willis tracks Wimsey and Pamela Dean, where he eats mutton and is miserable. It traditionally serves a lot of roast meat. And other things, but mostly roast meat. Some might question the wisdom of arranging to eat a large amount of roast beef at lunchtime on a hot July day in central London, but as the place is air conditioned, this was in fact very easy to do. It was a lot of fun, and not only was the beef (and roast potatoes, horseradish etc,) excellent, but so were the puddings.
Thence to the IWM's exhibition space, which was not air conditioned, and the warmth of which could not simply be put down to the lunch. The exhibition, on clothing during WWII, was fascinating, though (thanks to![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
white_hart for alerting me to its existence), and we agreed that the WRNS definitely had the best uniform, and that there was quite a bit of the Utility clothing that we'd actually purchase if Marks and Spencer's did it as a special line. I have some bits of clothing alterations to do that I have been putting off*; perhaps I should watch Enigma and re-enact 'Make Do and Mend'.
*I hate alterations. They are often quite tricky and you don't even get anything new.
Simpson's is the restaurant that features in Murder Must Advertise as the location to which hapless Willis tracks Wimsey and Pamela Dean, where he eats mutton and is miserable. It traditionally serves a lot of roast meat. And other things, but mostly roast meat. Some might question the wisdom of arranging to eat a large amount of roast beef at lunchtime on a hot July day in central London, but as the place is air conditioned, this was in fact very easy to do. It was a lot of fun, and not only was the beef (and roast potatoes, horseradish etc,) excellent, but so were the puddings.
Thence to the IWM's exhibition space, which was not air conditioned, and the warmth of which could not simply be put down to the lunch. The exhibition, on clothing during WWII, was fascinating, though (thanks to
white_hart for alerting me to its existence), and we agreed that the WRNS definitely had the best uniform, and that there was quite a bit of the Utility clothing that we'd actually purchase if Marks and Spencer's did it as a special line. I have some bits of clothing alterations to do that I have been putting off*; perhaps I should watch Enigma and re-enact 'Make Do and Mend'.*I hate alterations. They are often quite tricky and you don't even get anything new.
