Buckingham Palace, the official residence of the British monarch, is one of the highlights of any visit to London. Did you know that just beside the palace are the Royal Mews, which you can also visit? The Mews are where the Royal Family have kept their fine horses and elegant carriages for centuries and where they have parked their luxury automobiles since Edward VII purchased the first royal car in 1901.

My friend Phil Coppell, a Liverpool Blue Badge Tourist Guide, tells me that he took Ray Davies a member of the English rock band The Kinks on a Beatles tour some years ago. He queued up and paid for his ticket like everyone else and, during the tour, mentioned that he had originally set his song Waterloo Sunset in Liverpool but the line ‘Mersey Sunset’ did not scan and he moved it to London. He had always had a soft spot for Liverpool and said that whenever The Kinks played at the Cavern or other venues they always had a great reception.