{"id":447,"date":"2013-08-06T23:14:00","date_gmt":"2013-08-06T23:14:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rochellesroost.com\/index.php\/2013\/08\/06\/being-a-sloan-ranger-in-chelsea-and-knightsbridge\/"},"modified":"2026-10-08T04:59:32","modified_gmt":"2026-10-08T04:59:32","slug":"being-a-sloan-ranger-in-chelsea-and-knightsbridge","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rochellesroost.com\/index.php\/2013\/08\/06\/being-a-sloan-ranger-in-chelsea-and-knightsbridge\/","title":{"rendered":"Being a Sloan Ranger in Chelsea and Knightsbridge"},"content":{"rendered":"


\n<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\n<\/div>\n
\nTuesday, August 6, 2013:<\/span><\/b><\/div>\n
\nLondon<\/span><\/b><\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nBeing a Sloan Ranger in Chelsea and
\nKnightsbridge<\/span><\/b>

\n

\n<\/span><\/div>\n
\n            <\/span>My day began with 8.00 am Mass at
\nSt. Paul\u2019s Cathedral that I attended with my friend Cynthia whose husband,
\nBishop Michael was saying it. It was the feast of the Transfiguration of our
\nLord and was, therefore, said in the special American Chapel in the back of the
\ncathedral\u2014a chapel that was created by the people of Great Britain in
\nappreciation of American effort in World War II and in memory of the Americans
\nwho died giving their lives for the defence of Europe. It was a very moving
\nservice indeed after which we met a couple of folks from Kerala\u2014one was a Roman
\nCatholic priest from the Bronx in New York, Fr. Jose; and the other was his
\nnephew Shibu John, a scientist with Royal Brompton Hospital in London. Michael
\nended up inviting the two of them to his place for breakfast so we spent some
\ntime over porridge and toast and tea chatting with them. Today was also the
\nmorning I decided to go out and get my special breakfast from Paul<\/i>\u2019s\u2014almond croissant with a hot
\nchocolate (as only Paul can make it). Such yumminess! I carried it over to Amen
\nCourt and had it while Cynthia prepared breakfast for her unexpected guests.<\/span><\/div>\n
\n            <\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
\nOff to Chelsea:<\/span><\/b><\/div>\n
\n            <\/span>After breakfast, I sat working for a
\ncouple of hours. Then, Cynthia and Michael and I set out for Chelsea by Tube to
\nsee the flat into which they will soon be moving. We stopped at Trinity Church
\nen route at Sloan Street to pay a visit\u2014it is a beautiful Arts and Crafts
\nChurch with stained glass windows by the Pre-Raphaelites William Morris and
\nEdward Burne-Jones. We spent a little while in prayer after which we stopped
\nbriefly inside the Jo Malone showroom for a sample spray. It was then time for
\nus to get to the flat and survey it. Michael and Cynthia were so proud and
\nhappy to show me their new place. It is a gorgeous flat, bright, light,
\nspacious and yet not overwhelming. They are indeed deeply blessed to have it.
\nWe sat and had a cup of coffee together and then I was off, leaving them to get
\nback home.<\/span><\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nBecoming a Sloan Ranger:<\/span><\/b><\/div>\n
\n            <\/span>I spent the next few hours doing one
\nof the things I most love to do when I am in London\u2014dallying on the King\u2019s Road
\nand browsing through its thrift shops for antique jewelry and vintage finds. On
\nand off the 22 bus I stepped, stopping off at all the stores that are my usual
\nhaunts. And I rode all the way to the Mary Portas shop at Parson\u2019s Green.
\nIndeed it was my lucky day because I found a genuine Sadler\u2019s Brown Betty
\nteapot, an antique hand painted porcelain cup and saucer to add to my
\ncollection, an interesting necklace with twin interlocked hearts and a set of
\nfour Swarovski crystal candleholders that were all splendid buys. Indeed, as
\nCynthia put it, I did very well with my vintage browsing. It was also great to
\nsimply slink around Sloan Square and Sloan Street like the Sloan rangers of the
\n60s. Interestingly, I did actually enter the Vivienne Westwood store\u2014the very place
\nfrom which the designer made her daring debut in punk fashion that heralded the
\narrival of punk culture. It is a rather iconic store and I was glad to be
\nthere.<\/span><\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nOff to Knightsbridge and Harrods:<\/span><\/b><\/div>\n
\n            <\/span>I could hardly believe that it is
\nthe last week of my stay here in London and I have not yet entered Harrod\u2019s<\/i>. Had I gone there as soon as I
\narrived, I might have had a glimpse of their half-yearly sale. There were no
\nsales, alas, but I was there specifically to buy a Christmas pudding to carry
\noff home and I was pleased to have a first shot at their newest stock that has
\njust come in. I also bought a box of biscuits for my friend Bina to whose place
\nI was headed in the afternoon. Harrods<\/i>
\nalso gave me a chance to browse a bit in its famous Food Halls, took in its
\ngift sections and then left.<\/span><\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n

Dinner with
\nFriends in Harrow:<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\n            <\/span>On the bus across the street I
\njumped only to get off at Green Park Tube station from where I took the Tube to
\nEuston. I was headed to Harrow to spend the evening with my childhood friend
\nBina who has lived in London for 25 years with her husband Naveen. At Euston, I
\nfollowed the signs to the Main Line Overground trains and reached Harrow at 5.
\n15 pm after dozing off a couple of times on the train! Bina was waiting for me
\nin her car at Harrow and Wealdstone station and off we went to her place. <\/span><\/div>\n
\n            <\/span>We spent the rest of the evening, as
\nalways, chatting and catching up. In a short time, Navin arrived and joined us
\nfor dinner. Bina and I always have a great deal to say as we go back a long way
\nhaving first made friends when we were but 13 years old. Our friendship has
\nstood the test of time and it is always a delight to meet up with her and her
\nfamily in London. <\/span><\/div>\n
\n            <\/span>Dinner was vegetarian as Bina sticks
\nto a non-meat meal on Tuesdays\u2014we had rice and dal with chick peas and a mixed
\nvegetable. By the time we were done with her delicious meal, it was 8. 45 and I
\nwas ready to leave. They dropped me back to the station and I took the fast
\ntrain to get back to Euston from where I got to St. Paul\u2019s on the Tube.<\/span><\/div>\n
\n            <\/span>Cynthia and Michael were admiring and
\nenvious of my buys and keep wondering how I am possibly going to carry these
\nloads off to the States\u2014frankly, I am wondering too! I had a bowl of vanilla
\nice-cream with chocolate sauce and Michael\u2019s homemade flapjacks before I
\nexcused myself and went up to bed.  <\/span> <\/span> <\/span> <\/span> <\/span>     <\/span><\/span><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Tuesday, August 6, 2013: London Being a Sloan Ranger in Chelsea and Knightsbridge             My day began with 8.00 am Mass at St. Paul\u2019s Cathedral that I attended with my friend Cynthia whose husband, Bishop Michael was saying it. It was the feast of the Transfiguration of our Lord and was, therefore, said in the… <\/p>\n

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