Ooh I say! How very posh!

Ooh I say! How very posh!

Hi there!
Thanks for popping in today!
I’m not in though. 
Invitation to a business lunch in London.
At the Goring Hotel no less!
Ooooh I say!!! A day off. 
(Poor old Dave has to hold the fort. Cheese and Pickle sandwich for him)
The Goring is London’s last family-owned luxury hotel.
Mr Goring is a very nice man too. 
So let’s go find out a little more….
The power of Google, eh?!
Built by Jeremy Goring’s great-grandfather Otto in 1910, The Goring has been lovingly run by the Goring family since its inception.
Otto Goring saw great promise in a plot of land situated at the Buckingham Palace end of what today is known as Beeston Place. (Well spotted Otto!!)

After removing a public house and several cottages, the path was laid clear for the last grand hotel of the Edwardian era – The Goring.
Opened on the 2nd March 1910 this historic hotel was finally complete, along with en suite facilities and central heating in each and every bedroom 
– widely believed to be a world first.
Cool. Well I am off to taste its fair cuisine 
Aren’t I lucky?! Work and prep has to wait until Saturday, 
because this is one experience I don’t intend to miss!
But I did log one of the projects I hope to do on telly on Monday.
So here’s a little preview…
I think she would have fitted in perfectly at the Goring back in the day, don’t you?
Come on! Let’s get that imagination of yours fired up!
Fill in the gaps if you please:
The year is…..

This stylish lady, whose name is…..

is meeting (who)……

at the Goring Hotel, Belgravia……

for what purpose?…

Hmmmmmmmm…….


Love & hugs
Barb

This one’s for Dave xxxxx

90 thoughts on “Ooh I say! How very posh!

  1. How exciting Barb….this is like a modern day mystery. The Goring is an AMAZING hotel. You must be the elegant lady in 2016 meeting Mr Bond for secret 007 Clarity business…LOL.I can't wait to find out.Have fun xx

  2. How exciting Barb….this is like a modern day mystery. The Goring is an AMAZING hotel. You must be the elegant lady in 2016 meeting Mr Bond for secret 007 Clarity business…LOL.I can't wait to find out.Have fun xx

  3. Fill in the gaps:
    her name is Lady Charlotte Elizabeth Squires of Sloan Street
    who is meeting Sir Anthony Augustus James son of Sir Bellamy of Eaton Square , to have luncheon at the Goring to discuss how they both plan to run away together and get Groovi in the South of France… I feel a chapter for a Romantic book is being born…ok back to reality and back to my groovi plate mate…enjoy your lunch at the Goring Barbara Hugs Shahab xx

  4. She is Mrs Goring going to meet Mr Selfridge who wants to buy this fabulous hotel and at it to his portfolio. The year is 1911. Mrs Goring needs to be careful that she is mot seduced by Mr Selfridge who is quite good at talking the talk. They are set to meet in the restaurant and will be eating the finest cuisine in London……
    Anyway, best get on with the school run
    Much love Sam

  5. Its 1925 and the honourable Clarissa Bobcat-Smythe is meeting her extremely rich but rather boring future husband Count Ludwig Von-Hipple-Popple and his rather terrifying mother for a cream tea. On the way there though our heroine bumps into a newspaper seller and in a moment of Clarity decides to run away to Kent with him thus leaving the HipplePopples to eat all the Clair's themselves

  6. The year is 1920 and she is Lady Lavinia, she dressed to kill and hoping to make a conquest. Will she be successful or will her reputation be damaged for ever…… Breakfast is where she is heading

    Do let us know what you ate, sounds very exciting, I m with Dave only I shall be having soup! X X

  7. Swanky or what Barb! I hope it still has all its original features. I love a good piece of architecture and original decoration. Have fun. Cheese and pickle sandwiches for Dave! – much love Jayne

  8. Morning Barb, oh you crack me up with your blog writing, every day I laugh along with the rest of your followers, hilarious……….thank goodness for tenna's.

    Stay safe, healthy and happy, hugs, June Smith xxx

  9. She is Miss Tamsin Goring who is waiting for her secret lover Lord Bathurst. They plan to tell her father Otto that they intend to wed. The sooner the better. ;-/

    Have fun Barbara, just think of me eating my packet soup in my hospital bed 😩
    Xx

    1. Yum, packet soup sounds……. nice? Anything that doesn't give you pain is good. Hope your stay is over soon, I expect you will be in over the weekend if you are still there today. Fingers crossed you have a TV so you can watch Hochanda! Xx

    2. Thanks again ladies. I was told earlier today that I would be going home this afternoon, but 2 hours later told today's blood test was not good enough for them to let me escape. Oh well another day to enjoy hospital food. One has to be pragmatic, I would rather be here if I took a turn for the worse.
      There is a TV but it's bust. My mobile data plan couldn't cope with the HD hochanda stream, but I should be home by Sunday so I'll not miss Barb!
      xx

  10. Hi Barb,
    Wow how lucky are you to be going to The Goring! Beautiful hotel ( I've only seen pictures can't afford to stay there!!) . You'll have to tell us all about it tomorrow. Could you not have smuggled poor Dave in too?! Anyway enjoy your sandwich Dave. Love Alison xxx

  11. Lady Babs,groovi girl about town.is meeting The Dowager Dutchess Von Wrinkleburg ( spymaster,industrialist and occasional high wire artist) in the hotel Belgravia bar,as they are both parched,to drink gin, and oversee ( from a height) world domination of crafty paraphernalia. Xx

  12. Good morning Barbara!
    The year is 1925.
    This stylish lady is Lady Hesketh-Fortescue from North Cothelstone Hall. She´s meeting Lord Molesworth-Houghton from Nether Addlethorpe at the Goring Hotel, Belgravia, to hand over a tie as a birthday present.
    Rolf xxx

  13. Oh wow – enjoy your lunch and don't forget to crook your pinky! I love your vintage ladies – just so beautiful!

    Now who is this one? The year is 1930, and this stylish lady, whose name is Madame Hortense de la Verre, is meeting the Head of Fashion from Fortnum and Mason at the Goring Hotel, Belgravia to try to get them to stock her exquisite pill box hats, which are the height of fashion in gay Paris!

  14. Hi Donna, Sheila, Diane, Brenda and Dot, hope you are having a good morning.
    Is your school breaking up for half term today Donna? If so you'll have more craft time next week. Yippie!
    Sorry you were on melt down yesterday Sheila, have you been doing too much?
    Has your heating been sorted out Brenda? Hope so too cold to be without heat.
    Love and hugs yo you all. xx

    1. No different Sheila, go on 7th March but it's only a group session discussing exercise pain management etc. Then probably a wait until I can get into physio. Thought you were on a roll with all the challenges, but good on you for trying. Just pace it. I'm trying to do the calendar challenge, as a challenge to myself. Love and hugs Pam xx

  15. Wow! I have just had a look on line at the interiors and this is a really beautiful and traditionally elegant hotel and I'm sure the food will be fantastic Barbara. I can just see you in your swankiest outfit having a five course lunch with a very handsome man whilst poor Dave is chomping on his cheese and pickle sandwich, and perhaps you are discussing displaying some of your fabulous artwork in some of their public spaces. I can just see your beautiful canvasses sitting so prettily on the handmade dyed and painted wallpapers. Well, you never know do you, and anyway hope you had a lovely time! x

  16. Heh! Heh! Love this!
    Enjoy your lunch and your day off.

    The year is 1910. This stylish North East Lady, Miss Beatrice Keekaballaboot has a clandestine meeting with Monsieur Arsenaller at the Goring Hotel. She is hoping that by wearing these homely colours, she may reach her goal and become the first high flying 'footballer's wife'.

  17. Wow beautiful art work such wonderful colours to stand out looking forward to the hochanda shows .have a lovley business lunch I bet Dave prefers his cheese pickle sandwich.xxx

  18. I'm reading The Girl Who Kicked The Hornets' Nest at the moment, so on that note. The year is 1919, her name is Natalya Volkov she works for an elite firm of private investigators and she is meeting the head of the MI5 to expose a spy who is believed to be meeting someone else for lunch at the Goring Hotel. Enjoy your lunch and I hope you get home safely – you never know who is lunching at the same time as you!

  19. It's 1912 and this stylish lady, whose name is Eliza Doolittle is meeting Professor Henry Higgins at The Goring Hotel, Belgravia to discuss how the rain in Spain stays mainly on the plain.

  20. The Year 1920, The lady's name is Sophia She is meeting Her friends Dave and all the clarity staff to organise the new promotional moving picture advertisement for a diamond of mindfullness – Clarity Triple Club x

  21. Hi Barbara, all these sacrifices you've had to make to attend your business meeting today!!!!! 😉 Looking forward to hearing all about it. Hope it was a success.

    I've got heat, but no it's not sorted, it's turned into a much bigger problem. The gas pipe from the meter to the boiler needs upgrading, and the meter is at one end of the long hall and the boiler at the other! Why is the pipe needing upgraded – because it should have been done when the boiler was installed over 5 years ago! Yet one more thing to add to the ever growing list of bad things that's been coming to light. It's complicated, you know how I talk of things suddenly going really bad over two years ago, and I found out stuff about a senior person in my old support service, uncovered lies and deceit that had been going on all along since day one 7-8 years ago, it's all tied up in this.

    Anyway, after telling me about the pipe issue, he then said he was going to have to ask me if I would allow him to turn off the gas or electric to the boiler, as in law he had to to make it safe. But then he told me I could refuse for him to do it and continue to use the boiler. I had no idea what to say, what to do, what was going on, and I couldn't make sense of any of it. I could understand fine his explanation of what the problem was, but that's the only bit, that's Asperger's for you! So 2 huge on the spot problems to deal with /give answers, on top of my huge Asperger's problems related to this type of thing. I tried phoning the social worker, left a voicemail thing but she's never got back to me. I did manage to get the guy who's been allowed to give me a garden visit once a month. He couldn't make the decisions for me, just spoke to the heating engineer and then tried to reassure me. So after asking lots of questions I kind of got to thinking maybe the heating guy was doing that your world thing of trying to tell me something without actually saying it i.e. it would be ok for me to refuse for him to turn the boiler off. So I've now got a big red sticker on it, which is really freaking me out, on top of freaking out about being asked to allow him to turn it off for safety and technically I've refused – not something an Asperger's brain can handle. Upgrading the gas pipe is something they can do, obviously not covered by the central heating care thing. At least getting the power company to do it I'll know it's done properly, a huge fear after what I've been through with workmen in the past 5 years. They could need to lift the floor if they can't access it via the hall cupboard floor. The mess and the new problem that will leave me with when I've got no chance of getting any workman work done at all for goodness knows how long if ever because of no help and support at all. We're arranging it so they come when the guy is here for my garden visit the week after next so I won't be on my own for that bit.

    1. Brenda it makes me so cross that you've been left to sort this out on your own but what a lovely man the garden visit man seems to be. It also sounds like you had a caring gas man too who was trying to help you. I am so proud of what you have achieved by yourself and I hope it gets sorted for you very soon xxxxx

  22. I had a bad experience earlier yesterday too that I'm not handling in my head and heart. I was in the kitchen and heard magpies, didn't think much of it as they are noisy for nothing much. And they’re scary birds so I don’t like to look at them anyway. Daisy jumped onto her chair that sits at the backdoor glass and was intently watching so I had a look to see. On my neighbours drive 2 magpies had another magpie flat on it's back and were pecking viciously at it. It looked dead already, I didn't know what to do and was really upset, couldn't bear it, but thought if I disturb them and the poor wee soul isn't fully dead then I've just made it's death and suffering even more prolonged. But then it started to cry in pain, so I immediately opened the back door and slammed it shut and all 3 immediately flew away. My thinking was that they must have only just started to attack the wee soul like that as I had only just started hearing the noise and it's only just started to cry in pain, so maybe it's still ok and not badly hurt yet. I just couldn't bear it, had to do something. I just hope the poor wee soul is ok and not having to have a far longer agonising death by me chasing them off it, but I'm kind of thinking if it was wounded it wouldn't have been able to fly away immediately like it did. I can't get the pictures out my head and heartbreak for it out my heart though.

    Love Brenda xx
    p.s. Dave, I'd choose your cheese and pickle sandwich any day!

    1. That is a horrible image to have in your head Brenda. It definitely needs replacing with one of Barbara's mindful pictures.
      I hope you feel better soon. I don't like magpies either.

    2. Not a nice thing to witness. I used to live near Glasgow, we had so many and I hated them. I now live near Inverness and there are no magpies up here. I was fortunate enough to have watched two robins in the garden yesterday flirting with each other, lots of tail flicking and singing, it was lovely.

    3. Keep thinking that if it was badly injured it would not be able to fly off and actually you just saved its life. Without you intervening it would have suffered an agonising death, so thanks to you it has a second chance. Somewhere it is safe and warm, nursing it's injuries but alive and healing. I am sure this is what happened so just picture it hoping about enjoying its life, your it's hero! Karen xxx

    4. That's an awful image to have in your head Brenda, turf it out and think of something nice, it wouldn't have flown away if it was badly hurt, you've more likely saved its life. Well done you for scaring them off him. Love and hugs Pam xx

    5. Hi Brenda don't you worry my friend he flew Brenda he flew birds don't take off if they are hurt you did the right thing.
      Sorry about the boiler still needing repairs done wish I could be there for you to fight your corner I worry your not getting the help you deserve but keep saying a wee prayer you have the strength you need to cope when you can just keep coming here for support as we love you..here is a wee cuddle to help you sleep…xx

  23. Dear Port Out Starboard Home Barb. I think her name is Talulah Postlethwaite meeting Sir Montigue Knackersby to exchange hats. Good Luck for Sunday and Monday, can't wait!

  24. Gosh Barbara – what an amazing place! I have looked at their website and it looks stunning – no doubt you will have had a fabulous time, and why not? Shame for Dave – but then he probably loves cheese and pickle sandwiches!! Bless him!
    I think that the year is 1911 and the lady in question is Lady Edwina meeting her (married) sister, The Countess Mountbatten for Afternoon Tea. This is influenced by my own love of Afternoon Tea, and having looked at the menu at The Goring – I am going to put this onto my bucket list. Need to start saving though!! Thanks Barbara for leading us to use our imagination to escape from our everyday lives, wonderful!! Looking forward to seeing you on tv! Gilly xxx

  25. Ooh Barbara, you lucky thing you. What a fabulous place to have to go to a meeting – such a drag!! I am sure Dave will enjoy his Cheese and Pickle sandwich.
    In 1928 after a moment of Clarity, Lady Octavia Cressida Rossiter-Smythe has arranged to meet the Rt Hon Rupert Tarquin Caverstock at the World Famous Goring Hotel, The Rt Hon gentleman sent word to Lady Octavia that he was in possession of an extremely rare Faberge Egg which had apparently been decorated with a fabulous array of parchment roses brushed with gold. Rumour has it that it is part of the superb Groovi collection recently stolen from the Tsar's Palace in Moscow. xx

  26. Hope you had a lovely lunch ..The year is 2017 ,Dame Barbara Gray is having a secret meeting with the head chef Monsieur Marcel Fargeot , to get the recipe for the elite cheese and pickle sarnies to take home to Dave …

  27. Hi Barb – sounds like a wonderful way to spend a few hours at The Goring – lucky you……When Peter & I first got together we spent many hours at the Café Royale before it was re-furb'd. I love London….
    I think this was 15th November 1930 & Miss Funny-Fanny was meeting 007(Bond…James Bond)for a few cocktails to discuss the "next mission"……….Who's going to make poor Dave's sandwiches?!?!?

  28. Hi Barbara
    Oh you need your best bib and tucker for lunch there! Hope you had a wonderful lunch and your business meeting was successful. Hope you haven't come home and said 'Dave I've found a lovely place for our wedding!!!!'.
    Beautiful picture, now what can I think of – the right honerable Victoria Fortiscue Smythe is meeting sir Aberforth Huntington Doodah for cocktails and a light supper, oh and it's 1920.
    Dave I hope your cheese and pickle sandwich was delicious!
    Take care
    Love Diane xxx

  29. This is my second day with little or no TV nor internet access. Never mind, I had a great time playing with inks and shaving foam. It looks as though you have had a very special day at that lovely hotel. It is so unusual for such a place to survive in the hands of the founding family. I hope your day was really fabulous. xxx Maggie

  30. The Hotel looks great and I hop your lunch was too. The afternoon tea looks tempting.
    It is 1927 and the mystery woman calls herself the Grand Duchess Anastasia and is meeting Alfred Hitchcock, to try to persuade him to make a film about her family and her escape. He turns her down, despite her elegance and anyway he prefers blonds! So she went to Hollywood.
    Carol

  31. Hello Barb, Well how posh, I hope you had a great lunch and productive business meeting. Love the image. Looking forward to your shows. I though I would have a go at your story, so here it is
    The year is…..

    The year is 1932, this stylish lady, whose name is Amelia, is meeting Mr Goring and a secret investor, at the Goring Hotel, Belgravia, to discuss their willingness in providing funds to her for a great and adventurous challenge.

    Have a great day. Bx

  32. My thoughts on your picture has to be….

    The year is 1902, this stylish lady, whose name is Princess Travelleana From Afar is meeting Major VE La de Farr et al , at the Goring Hotel Belgravia. The reason for their meeting is to celebrate the marriage of the beloved daughter Jasmine From Afar to son Burt VE La De Farr The outcome was a great day was had by all although the Goring Hotel Belgravia was never the same after the guests were seen swinging on the chandeliers.

    Crafty hugs Pen x

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