We walked to St. James Park Park this afternoon from our hotel.

A leper hospital was at this site until King Henry Vlll began to build a red brick hunting lodge here from 1531 until 1536. There were several other leper hospitals in London and Westminster.

This illness grew in and around Europe after the time of the Crusades.

The monk, Matthew Paris, wrote that lepers were forbidden to enter public spaces such as inns and churches. they were not allowed to eat, walk near or bathe with healthy people.

Edward l issued an edict in 1346 expelling leprosy sufferers from the city of London.

The Prince Regent, later George lV commissioned the construction of the Park in 1811. John Nash was the architect and landscaper that created the park in a year’s time

The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee is coming up shortly. It is the 70th anniversary of her being on the throne.

We walked through the park and saw the band and the Household Calvary practicing for that event.

The Mall was closed to automobile traffic and we were able to take some great pictures of the Palace and other interesting historical statues and buildings without having to worry about traffic.

We met a man in the park feeding the birds.

He was an expert on birds and mentioned that some birds from the Hawaiian Islands are here for breeding purposes and are doing very well. They were dwindling down to a dangerous level and are now on the rebound.

I am a little surprised that they have become accustomed to the climate, but nature is resilient.

As I have mentioned before, I am related to most of the royal families of Europe. Many of my distant relatives lived here at The Palace in London.

I have gained little by that association, by the way.

We walked through the park and saw many folks carrying tulips attached to their bulbs fresh from the ground. They were nearly finished blooming and they were free for the taking.

My wife loves coming here in the spring while the flowers are in bloom.

We are going back to London in a few weeks for a wedding.

It’s nice to be able to travel again.

I hope you all have a chance soon to do the same, soon.

I hope this map below will give you a sense of how the area is laid out.