Next morning, after a good-sized breakfast in the galley, we listened to a fascinating talk about life on board the Belfast before being given the freedom of the ship for an hour. We packed up, said our farewells to the crew and then moved to the Design Museum to study the life and work of Iraqi-born architect Zaha Hadid, best known for the BMW Building in Leipzig and designer of the London Aquatics Centre for the 2012 Olympics.

Moving from one age of architecture to another, we then settled ourselves beneath the mighty dome of St Paul’s to examine not only the architecture of Sir Christopher Wren but also to admire the restoration of the paintings within the dome to mark the 300th anniversary of the church’s completion.

We then climbed to the whispering gallery and then on and on up to the lofty lantern above the dome, from which we gained the most wonderful views right across London in all directions. [Image]

This was a brilliant visit packed with interest and excitement. A thousand thanks are due to Mrs Vicenzotti for her hard work and meticulous planning in preparation for the trip.