WHO IS THIS?

What can you tell us about the image on this plate — Who is the bust? Who is the model portraying?  And who is the model?  Three answers, please.

Limited to readers in the U.S. and Canada only

The winner will receive a trade paperback copy of Beaux, Ballroom, and Battles: A Celebration of Waterloo.  It contains nine stories by nine authors, all centering on a romance involving the Battle of Waterloo; one is written by Victoria Hinshaw.

We will post the name of the winner (of any, or at random among the correct answers to all three questions) on Monday, May 31. The winner will send us a snail mail address for the prize.

WATERLOO WEDNESDAY: WAR HORSE – THE REAL STORY

Today we pay tribute to the war horses who fought on both sides during the Battle of Waterloo. If you read through the lists of Regiments who fought at the Battle, you will find that most had a veterinary surgeon assigned to their ranks. For all practical purposes, in the aftermath of the Battle there were hardly enough medical staff to care for the human wounded – hospitals were sadly understaffed and medical supplies lacking. The sheer number of wounded overwhelmed even the most dedicated of the medical staff attached to Wellington, the Allies and the French. Many horses were so badly maimed or wounded that they could not be saved, nor could they be allowed to suffer. Many soldiers who had just witnessed the most horrific human casualties on the battlefield still found the heart to put their equine brothers in arms out of their misery in the hours after the Battle.

Of course, there is no visual record of the bonds that were forged between soldiers and their mounts at Waterloo other than, perhaps, the Duke of Wellington’s own bond that was forged with his horse, Copenhagen, with whom he shared command during the Battle. After living out his retirement at the Duke’s country estate, Stratfield Saye in Hampshire, Copenhagen was buried with full military honours, his grave and tombstone still to be seen on the property.

Pure History Specials: War Horse – The Real Story (60 minutes) is a superbly made documentary that uses period film, first hand accounts and historians to tell the story of how the soldiers of World War I lived, cared for and fought with their horses and sheds light on the day to day bond they shared and the attachments they forged with these equine brothers, and sisters, in arms.  Though WWI took place one hundred years after Waterloo, we can’t help but believe that things hadn’t changed all that much during the intervening century and that what held true in 1815 held true in 1914.

Here is a five minute clip of the British Heavy Cavalry from the film Waterloo (1970) with Christopher Plummer as Wellington.

LOOSE IN LONDON: PUB SIGNS WE SAW ALONG THE WAY

Another Wellington pub, this one near Savile Row.

14 King Street, just doors away from Almack’s.

Another Bag O’ Nails, not to be confused with our local near the Palace.

The Duke of Wellington, near our hotel in Kensington Square

The Hatchet

Leicester Arms
Red Lion
Great Expectations in Reading
Duchess of Cambridge, Eton
The Henry VI, Eton
The Two Brewers, Windsor
The Ship and Shovel
The Sherlock Holmes, London
The Wells, Hampstead, where Victoria had lunch and Kristine managed to choke down some bread and butter. But that’s another story . . . . . 

LOOSE IN LONDON – A DELICIOUS TREAT IN SOHO: RANDALL AND AUBIN

16 Brewer Street, Soho, London
After leaving Mr. Foggs, we cabbed it over to Randall and Aubin in Soho. Known for their fresh seafood, Randall and Aubin has been a favourite since opening in 1996 and it has a contemporary Manhattan vibe with it’s Subway tile walls, wood floors and marble topped tables. The dining room is a buzz with voices, laughter and music, while the prep kitchen, open to the dining room, affords a view of fresh oysters being shucked and a variety of fresh fish being readied for the table.

Victoria and I have eaten many a meal together and we know what we like – seafood. Especially moules, or as you may know them, mussels. And oysters. Lobster ain’t bad, either. The menu at Randall and Aubin is huge – what to choose?
We needn’t have worried because our server, Adriana, was the perfect hostess. R & A is that rare place where the entire staff – servers, line cooks, chefs and host – are not only consummate professionals, they believe in their product, i.e. fresh seafood. Nothing, really, could be better. 
Arianna, who was not only knowledgeable, but also gorgeous, served us some bread with anchovy butter and then led us through the menu,  suggesting that we try is the mixed rocks huites – in other words, the oyster sampler, served with challot vinegarette, horseradish and Tobasco. This is what’s so great about restaurants like R & A – even the most dedicated foodies will learn, and taste, something new as suggested by the staff, who are passionate about what they serve. 
Tastes of heaven!!
Victoria and I were served two of each type of oyster, so that we could taste them together and rate them as we went along.
Here’s our ranking: 
Native = 5 best!
English = eh, salty
French = salty sweet
Scotch = eh
Irish – excellent

All gone…too fast.
Then it was on to the great moules (mussels) with garlic, parsley and cream.
The sauce complimented the flavour of the meaty shell fish and we made quick work of them. I think it was at this point in the meal that Victoria and I swore we’d never had so much fun digging into fruits de mare. I can’t recall exactly which of us suggested that we eat here at least twice a week when we move to London, but I know I didn’t argue. 
For an entree, Victoria opted for the pan roasted Hake with spring onion. Cooked to perfection, the white fish was melt in your mouth perfect. 

I opted for the crab and lemon risotto, which tasted as good as
it looks. 

Amazingly, we found room at the end of the meal to try a combination of raspberry ice cream and salted caramel ice cream. Sorry, no photos of dessert as, by that time, Victoria and I were in a fabulous meal stupor. 

Don’t take our word for it – if you’re into real seafood, prepared and served by people who are passionate about seafood, Randall and Aubin should be on your “must do” list. 
Randall and Aubin, 16 Brewer Street, Soho, London