Every so often I can half imagine the scene which Canaletto painted when he depicted the Horse Guards Parade from the south west, full of picturesque incident, the pond in St. James’s Park much less lush than it is now. The Horse Guards itself is not an especially distinguished building, designed by William Kent right at the end of his life (he died in 1748), a piece of flat, patternbook Palladianism, aggregated out of distinct parts like a children’s toy. But tonight it looked good in the evening sun:-
| Charles | Saumarez | Smith | 
For me this is a scene most associated with those glorious three days in May 2006 when the Royal de Luxe Sultan’s Elephant came to town. Even though it’s nine years ago I can’t pass Horse Guards without thinking of the magic of the young girl figure taking a shower in that space. I also remember the elephant parading down Piccadilly. Must have been one of London’s best theatrical events ever.
Joan
Yes, I think I remember it coming past Trafalgar Square (or is this false memory syndrome ?). Charles
Not false memory syndrome. Checked the rather wonderful book that was produced as a memoir of the occasion – ‘Four Magical Days in May, How An Elephant Captured The Heart of A City’ and there are pictures of the procession passing there.