A fantastic and intriguing evening of wine tasting at @thegamebirdlon where we had a tour around the 17th-century cellars that now house around 8,000 bottles of wine. The cellars were used as an air-raid shelter by the American Airforce who were stationed @thestaffordlondon (lucky them!) and there’s a whole collection of original #WorldWarII memorabilia including newspapers, posters and gas masks. You can book the whole space for private dining too. We were looked after by Master Sommelier, Gino Nardella who has worked at #TheStafford for over 35 years. I’d assumed that #thegamebird was just a reference to a menu with a good selection of game dishes, but it turns out that there’s another twist to the name. It’s a tribute to Nancy Wake, a former resident of The Stafford and an eccentric spy who used the in-house American Bar during the Second World War. She apparently decided that she liked the place and moved in to live there during her last years. During the War she was a leading figure in a network that helped Dunkirk survivors – Allied airmen and Jews to safety. She was the most decorated woman of the Second World War and was a true heroine – parachuted into France in 1944 to prepare for the D-Day invasion for example, where she lived rough and managed the organizing and training of 7,000 Maquisards. Such was her love of The Stafford that she determined to spend her final years there – and although she never had the resources to pay her bills, the hotel was happy to accommodate her. Prince Charles and a whole host of anonymous donors used to contribute to her living expenses, which included 5 or 6 G&Ts in the American Bar each day! She died on August 7th 2011 at the age of 98. It’s particularly charming that the hotel’s restaurant is named after her – and that there’s still a picture of her in the #AmericanBar. #iglondon #londongram #instalondon #prettylittlelondon #londonstyle #londonculture #lovelondon #londonisopen #londonigers #lookuplondon #londonblog #tbin #londonarchitecture #historiclondon #tumblr

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