The Royal Ballet, Covent Garden

Today was all about the ballet, specifically The Royal Ballet and its London locations.

The Royal Ballet is Britain's flagship ballet company with an international reputation as one of the absolute finest. It has been around since 1931 and took up residence at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden 15 years later and has around 100 dancers in its company.

Since 2003 the School has been housed in a separate complex to the Opera House itself and students access the main building through the strikingly elegant Bridge of Aspiration, a twisting concertina structure that I think gives a real sense of movement, fluidity and dynamism.

It is affectionately known as The Bridge of Perspiration and a bit of a nightmare to clean, apparently. Before you gain entry into the School, younger students (aged 11 - 16) go to school at White Lodge, a rather grand mansion in the middle of Richmond Park.

This former Royal Residence, once home to the parents of The Queen and birthplace of Edward VII - the one that married Mrs Simpson and abdicated - has got to be one of the most competitive boarding schools there are.

But at least the kids there have great views. Although they are probably too busy training, or indeed young, to notice 😉