Tube stations have whiteboards on which they post notices about things like station closings, train delays, etc.

But this morning at the Chancery Lane stop where I get out to go to work, the whiteboard said:

Friday, June 13

Good Luck???

Heard shortly before 7 this morning: "Today is the birthday of His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh." (That's Philip, the queen's husband)

Followed immediately by the playing of "God Save the Queen."

And then the news.

Every now and again you get a little reminder like this that you live in a country that is governed by a constitutional monarchy.

Today is London Garden Squares Day -- scores of community and other gardens normally closed to the public throw open their gates for the day.

Jay and I visited seven gardens in Notting Hill and adjacent Ladbroke Grove, including the one in "Notting Hill" where Hugh Grant romances Jullia Roberts.

It was one of those typical London spring days, starting out cloudy and threatening, then turning beautiful -- blue skies and sun -- then threatening clouds and rain, and finally beautiful (and warm) again. We had a great time.

Many of the gardens had playground equipment which provided fun for Jay. And one -- off Kensington Park Road -- featured a wind quintet that managed to finish their selection before the rain hit (clothespins kept their sheet music from flying away in the rising wind).

Last night, we saw "His Girl Friday" at the National Theater starring Zoe Wanamaker as ace reporter Hildy Johnson and Alex Jennings as her cynical, wisecracking former boss and ex-husband (both are wonderful). The play -- updated by John Guare -- is an affectionate, side-splitting look at American journalism in the '30s.

My favorite line, from Hildy: "They can't help it. They're newspapermen. God made them that way."