We have been resting today after quite a big outing yesterday. Stephen has a headache, I woke up with one, but have been OK since getting up.

Stephen had been planning to meet up with an old school friend since we came to England and yesterday was the day. We caught the train to Windsor where we were picked up and taken to a cafe for hot chocolate and to discuss what we were going to do with the day. They immediately began reminiscing about school days.

In the end, it was decided to stay in Windsor and visit the castle, which dominates the town. Windsor is part of Greater London, but feels like a village because of the surrounding farmlands, part of which is owned by the Queen. We had lunch, Stephen and I sharing a cooked breakfast.

It was certainly very interesting to visit a working castle. The Queen uses it as a weekend residence and we did not actually go to the section which is the private residence. We saw ceremonial rooms – reception, dining and drawing rooms, plus some historical areas. No photography was allowed inside, but the outside was a good subject and we saw some guards doing their thing, marching about in their red uniforms.

This garden is where the moat used to be.

Stephen and David. They are the same age, of course, having been in the same class at school. They have interests in common, including a love of the city of London.

The castle has views over the town and towards the surrounding countryside and the Long Walk, which we saw as we were driving away.

We were not alone. There were many, many tourists visiting, but the process was handled well by the staff and we didn’t feel overwhelmed.

Later in the day, we were caught in a heavy shower of rain. David, the friend, took us back to his flat for a rest, then we went to a Chinese restaurant with his lady friend, Lorraine. It was after 9.00 p.m. when we were dropped off at the station to catch a train back to Clapham Junction, then another train back to East Croydon. We caught a tram up the hill. It was dry, but there was a bit of breeze and it was quite chilly.

The train journey to and fro is quite easy, with very little waiting on platforms. Anyway, on the way out I had time to buy a coffee at East Croydon, which made a 20 minute wait go quickly. We started out quite early for us, at about 9.30 a.m. and appreciated having a sunny morning.

A photo before I was told not to take photos.

We may go out to do some shopping later.