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Good Morning, Rusty!
A lovely day here - slightly warmer and the sky is blue and sun shining! We had an enjoyable brisk walk!
Have you been out for your paper yet?
I don't know a lot about James ( the Greater), son of Zebedee..... where does Santiago de Compostela fit in? and why pilgrimages there? and the "Field of Stars"?
What is that? Your turn to tell me something........
Yes, we have a lot of green spaces in London, not only the central parks but many Commons and parkland in the peripheral areas of London.
We have several large parks very near us - a few are within walking distance but there are more within a short drive.
(I won't name the near ones or I might have to borrow Hector next time I go out! you are remembering to feed the piranhas?)
Trooping the Colour........ I must confess that I have never seen this!
The custom goes back to Charles II when the Colours of a regiment were used as a rallying point in battle. To ensure that the soldiers recognised the Colours of their own regiment, these were trooped in front of them everyday.
The "Trooping of the Colour" ceremony is now held on the Queen's "official" birthday in June each year. It takes place on Horse Guards Parade. The Queen herself attends and takes the salute.

P. S. Sorry, Rusty - I should have explained , in case you didn' t know, that the "Colour" is the regimental flag. but I see Jazzy has clarified that.

Morning, JG, are you aware that Rusty is expecting you to provide pom-poms on Saturday?!

hi Elle
I have searched my wardrobes, but the Pom Poms are nowhere to be seen so I guess they must have been chucked out at some stage :(
I'm amazed you have never seen Trooping the Colour. It was tradition in our household to watch it every year. My husband was glued to it, as he was also in a marching band (playing the Tuba, supported by a sling !) for several years. He used to turn off the commentary so that he could give me his own version !

Yes, Jazzy, I'm amazed too!
It just never happened somehow!
It is an omission we shall have to rectify !
I've seen the 'Changing of the Guard' though man y times! It always reminds me of "Christopher Robin and Alice"!

Elle, Not been out yet. I have a rendezvous with a young one later!
No, keep your neighbourhood secret.
Croydon is fine, not quite on your doorstep!
Well, I have mentioned before that I have a limited education, but Santiago translates as Saint James,
and Compostela is the field of stars.
Possibly from Spanish? Stellar is to do with stars in our language, the compo bit must be the field?
Anyway, there is a huge cathedral there dedicated to St James the Great.
And it is the destination of thousands of pilgrims who walk there each year. The route they take has a name, but it is not in my head just now. May start in Germany?
I love your phrase, "the Queen herself"!
I knew all along Her Gracious Majesty was an Irishwoman!

Another P.S....I meant I'd never seen it "in the flesh", so to speak - I have of course seen it on the TV.

Elle, the route is Camino.
http://www.santiago-compostela.net/

Sorry for misunderstanding, Elle. I too have not seen it "in the flesh", only on TV, but I have taken visitors to see the changing of the guard a few times.
The guard going off-duty has to report to the incoming guard before changing duties; one year when I was there, I and the crowd I was in, were convinced they were telling each other jokes!

Rusty, thank you for the link - I shall study it shortly.
I now have to go and attend to one (or five!) household chores that I have been putting off all the morning! (and there's not much more 'morning' left!)
Enjoy your time with your granddaughter- are you off for a bacon roll?
(I wonder if the Queen is reading this......?)

Another thing, Elle.
To send and receive messages on a mobile device, you need a SIM card unique to that device.
I have one in my phone, but there is no place for one in a Hudl.
I have doubts about WhatsApp on a tablet?