We are intrepid and dedicated to our staycation task. Despite a BBC hourly weather forecast of light rain-heavy rain for every interval of the day, we headed out for some church tourism. Bob is determined we get up to the 300 church mark, so we are focusing on the London churches we haven't checked off yet. We had very good luck and managed to see four (#291-294). The first St Cyprian's was charming and lovely. The next three were 19th centuryCatholic, two neo-Gothic and one neo-Baroque, all way over the top for my taste.

The last we visited, Brompton Oratory, is next to the V&A, so we decided to pop in, and I'm so glad we did. Fitting right in with yesterday's, bird house city, we saw 1:1 Architects Build Small Spaces which is about to close this weekend. 19 architects were invited to submit plans for "structures that examine notions of refuge and retreat." Seven of the projects were chosen to be built full-scale in various V& A galleries around the museum. Five of the seven were wonderful. (The one from the US, a wooden plank shed, sort of a dog run, from Alabama doesn't even bear mentioning since it missed the point of the exercise entirely. Has the US lost the ability and talent to design anything of note these days?) We both seem to have forgotten to take any photos of the Brazilian spiral staircase with tiny alcoves hidden behind red curtains.

The cutest was the Beetle's House from Terunobu Fujimori, Tokyo set in the new medieval gallery.

The coolest one, the one I want for my refuge was the Indian In-Between Architecture from Studio Mumbai. A set of interconnecting spaces on several levels with narrow corridors connecting them and built around a tree.

Bob's favourite, the one he wants for his refuge, was the Norwegian Ark, by Rintala Eggertsson, Oslo. A stairway wound its way around the center of the book tower, with sheepskin covered benches on two of the levels.

Finally, the cleverest was also from Norway, Ratatosk by Helen & Hard, Stavanger. Ratatosk is an Old Norse name for a squirrel from Norse mythology. It was made by splittling ten ash trees and arranging them in a circle so you can stand inside. And it has all sorts of hand and foot holds in the tree trunks and branches to make it a climbing structure for children. And there were children enjoying it today.

When you go off exploring in London, you are never quite know what you will find!