My Trip to London March 2011
 

DanaC is currently in London doing research for her MA.
She invited me down to stay Saturday night, and keep her company on Sunday.

I enjoyed myself enormously - it's always good to see her and on a fair day it is a treat to walk someone else through our capital city. It was a fair day, and I did make her walk. I thought her brain might need a break from facts and figures, so I really just steered us about a bit.

I ended up with blisters. I have two in a very peculiar place on my big toe. I might even share them later.
Dana took lots of pics of views etc, and she does have a superfine camera, so I hope she'll feel the need and find the time to post some here. Without wanting to sound arrogant, I already have plenty of photos of the areas we walked round (and have posted quite a few here), so mine are just a few snapshots of a friend.

First, leaving Aylesbury in the sunshine. The Committed Scholar was still working on Saturday, so I didn't leave home til gone 15.00. As you can see, at this time of day the platforms are empty - too late for a shopping day, too early for a night out. I am wearing my Wonder Woman t-shirt.

You look so fine, SG!

Got completely lost and turned around on the Tube. My goodness I used it every day for years! I've no idea how tourists cope. The weekend is when all mechanical/ maintenance work is done, and many stations/ some lines are closed. They're getting ready for the Games next year. Darned inconvenient though, even for someone with a working knowledge of the main connections.

I found my way to the hotel in the end. It was clean and had decent sized towels. I liked. Of course I wasn't paying anyway!

Another shot of ME ME ME in my room - still suffering the issue of how to take photos without an obvious camera shadow. As you can see, I cheated and kept my eyes out of the sun. I look cabbaged - I wasn't, I'd just arrived.

Second pic is a weirdly sited mirror.
Too low for a standing adult, too high for a seated one.
Perhaps I was given a room for people of restricted growth?
If so, they couldn't have got it more wrong - I was wearing my platform trainers which bring me up to 6 foot.

View from the window.
Well, Dana never promised me a rose garden.

Outside view.

Dana, finally!
Ever notice how when I write up a trip the main reason for it doesn't appear until halfway through? No, I didn't either.

Check out the reflection of her arse in the blank TV screen.
Dirty minx knows how to pose.

We stayed in Saturday night, and mostly introduced eachother to some new obsessions. Or if not new, at least new angles.
The Eternal Student outdid me in every aspect of partying and I retreated, a shambling mess, off to bed. I'm sure I snored like a coalition airstrike.

This is approaching Kings Cross on Sunday morning.
Note the beauty that is St Pancras/ the old Midland Grand Hotel in the background.

Attached is a proper pic of it - it's a ridiculous Gothic folly that lost money for aeons. Or at least decades. Now run by Rennaisance Hotels, it is on my go-to list for when I get my pick of five star hotels. Gotta happen sometime, right?

And off to Covent Garden!
Down to Belgo, a subterranean Belgian Restaurant - I took Mum there last year on her post-birthday pre-lumpectomy treat.

Dana was as enthralled and appreciative as she always is and I felt as proud as if I ran the place myself.

Is it pictures of food now?
It is.

I definitely had the best starter, busy as it was. Not a dieters' salad :(
Warm salad of smoked bacon, shredded duck, eggs & black pudding with garlic croutons and a Dijon mustard dressing

Dana had Croquettes with cheddar, gruyère & Orval beer cheese served with piccalilli & salad garnish. Which I found a little heavy. But then I was patting myself all over in appreciation of my own fine choice.

I honestly cannot remember which beer she had.
Something with a coffee aftertaste - but not actually coffee flavoured of course, the Belgians are serious about their beer. I had Strawberry Fruli (as usual) which is about a foppish as they get. On investigation she probably had a Westmalle Dubbel, as it says it quite clearly on the bottle!.

Mains!
Lots of pics of mine.
Dani was delighted by the colours, so took some pics to do it justice.
I was more interested into laying waste to Moule Mariniere-town.

So yes, for me a kilo pot of the moules (Marinière – steamed with cream, white wine, garlic, celery & onion) with fries. Not a dieter's main course!
For Dana, slow cooked shank of lamb served with roasted winter vegetables, creamed mash and a DeKoninck beer and balsamic jus.

Hers was lovely, but again mine was far nicer.
In the competiton of the food, I win.

And here am I, contemplating whether mussels have souls before devouRing them and all their kindred.

I look very fat in this photo. I'm not. Dana just isn't good at taking photos.

YAY! You two look amazing! SO happy you shared your pics!

gawd, looks like fun!!!

I like how Dana went from Committed Scholar to Eternal Student. :D

Very nice journal, SG, as always.

So, talky bit.
We came out of Belgo and wandered Covent Garden.
The street performers were out in force on the first really fine Sunday of the year.
If you're prepared to put your hand in your pocket you can be entertained there for hours. Of course you could get a drink and stand on the balcony of the Punch and Judy and get it all for free, but sometimes they send a collection plate up there too, and if you can afford Covent Garden beer prices you'd be pretty mean not to contribute.

We saw some good living statues - the idea is done to death so it's down to the performer to make it their own. And a dog in a doghouse - I know Dana has a good photo of that. She can explain. He was funny, as was the camp Centurian.

We browsed a lot of super-fine things. Dani bought an authentic Jedi robe.
She can explain.
I think we were mistaken for a couple by a gay ice cream seller - we got a big discount and a smile anyway. I had strawberry and Dana had coffee. We licked eachother's cones, in case he was watching.

We walked from Covent Garden to Leicester Square, to the outskirts of Piccadilly, then down to Trafalgar Square. From there across the Embankment and Old Father Thames to the South Bank. Again - LOTS of entertainment, from a free-running competition/ demonstration outside the National Theatre (official, set up with mats and pommel horses and other ways to simulate locations) to a sand sculptor, to a Cuban three piece band to pavement artists.

On the way back up to Waterloo station, we stopped for a hotdog. So a sister picture to the one I took of Dana in Glasgow. No Limey this time though :( Still, if anyone can work a mouthful of hot meat product on her own, it's DanaC.

Cheers doll.
Would have been fine to have you there too, but I know from experience what the trek is. Anything less than 48 hours in London or Glasgow stops the journey being viable.

Cheers Bri, I can't wait to see if Dana puts any up.
Hers have far more general interest.
Of course what you can't see from any of the pics is the time we spent gasping for breath while laughing. We're fellow word-perverts (werverts) with a very similar comedy-landscape. It was just great.

Ah Pete, you see I saw it from both sides of the fence.
I admire her dedication on the one hand, but when it comes to out-partying me I can hardly be expected to condone it. I have standards.

Bah. I wish I'd been there! You look like you had a whole lotta party!!!!

It would have been awesome had you been there, Limey. Alas, in my usual haphazard way I ended doing it all at the last minute (only finalised dates of my trip and booked hotel four days prior ;p)) and as I only had saturday evening and Sunday free, it would have been a hell of a haul for you to get down here just for an overnighter.

Gotta say it was great fun. Sundae's a peach for coming, as I basically dropped it on her mere days before. Much as I enjoy my own company, and as naturally solitary as I am, I am not used to extended periods of time on my own. I may only spend half an hour in a day with Mum, or my bro or J, but it's a rare day I don't spend time with someone I am close to. The prospect of 10 days away felt like an awful long stretch of time 'til Sundae agreed to come over Saturday.

I have promised fair notice next time lol.

I have photos, and was going to sort them tonight, but after nearly two hours wrestling with the travelodge central booking system in order to extend by one night (want to take advantage of Thursday's late night opening at the National Archives) I have had enough of computery activities.

Couple of points:

Firstly, re: the Jedi robe. I am wearing it currently. I reallly wiish I had a light sabre. In fact...I am just about to watch the second half of Phantom Menace. I started watching it on Friday night, but was shattered so only made it to the midway point.

It's not actually a Jedi robe of course :p It is a gorgeous bathrobe, with hood. Having been on an intermittent quest to find the perfect dressing gown/bathrobe, for about the last ten years, I was finallly introduced to The Bathrobe Company, Covent Garden. They were all lovely. Lots of russets and ochres and terracottas. kind of Persian weave type things. Heavy and substantial, with gorgeous details and proper big hoods. All lovely, but I saw one that I just had to have. In amongst the autumn colours was this one blue robe. Ahh but it's sooo nice. I just fell instantly in love wiith it. And what's brilliant is, the design is suuch that even when it fades in the wash, or if the dyes run, it'll still look gorgeous. The kind of thing that actually looks better when it's been worn in.

The shop and its wares came highly recommended by past customer, Sundae :) And I can now tick that quest off as completed.

I really like bobbing about London, but I never know where to go. Having someone there who knows it well is so different. I got to see way more of the sights than I normally would, and ended up eating in the wonderful belgian restaurant pictured above. It's a hidden gem of a place. You'd have to know iit was there. And I truly could not believe the prices. I'd expect those prices at a restaurant or good pub round my way, but this was Coven Garden ffs. And the food was really good. Cooked to perfection and well-presented without being showy. Lovely relaxed atmosphere to the place too.

The night before we'd had a very pleasant evening watching and listening to stuff and generally laughing our tits off. Sundae is very funny. (vunny). I suspect the staff thought we were slightly mental. Also very funny was the DvD commentary of Blood on Satan's Claw, as recorded by the League of Gentlemen, and provided by Sundae. As a horror fan it's great to hear other horror fans pull apart a movie, but so much better when those horror fans are themselves writers and moviemakers. They have a real insight into the technical stuff. And since all the contributors are thoughtful, witty and erudite, the resul;t is very entertaining.

Right.... I'll post other stuff soon. But I have to go. Got a pressing engagement on Tatooine... *swooshes a lightsabre*

Sounds like Fun !!!

Looks like y'all had a whole load of fun. :thumb: More pix! :D

Ah well, another time. Meanwhile I note SG has ace recommendations when I need a new bathrobe (I have one from that company and it is now around 16 years old ... ) and food (:)) for next time I am passing through the Metropolis.

I've been wondering if SG hasn't missed her calling. It seems like she should be in the travel business somehow. With her documentary on her hometown and her travel dialogs, it seems like a good fit.

I don't know anything about the business though, so I could be wrong.

these are wonderful. I want to go to London! and Paris, too. That's on my bucket list.

Me too. My bucket list is so long though, I'll need another life to complete it all.

Can we all chip in and buy Dana some clothes that aren't gray?

Hehe.I like grey!

Not all my clothes are grey ;p But most of my favourites are. And muddy green and khaki, and brown and purple. Oh and blue.

pics or they don't exist

looking back at the hotel room pic, with the tv reflection.....hey dana, nice arse!
although you're wearing too much there! lmao!

that's great footfootfoot!

:)

Poor Dana. I think you look great in grey -you have such vibrant eyes and hair color, they'd fight with many clothing colors. All my clothes are black. Except my sports-mom team shirts. They go on over the black at the start of the event and come straight off afterwards. :lol:

I love black. It goes with everything - especially black.

I like black and gray together. I'm wearing that right now. With a splash of maroon. Yeah, I'm colorful. :rolleyes:

Love the shirts, foot.

Very nice job, foot!

black? are ya'll emo or as my daddy gets confused and says "those emu girls"?

Looks like you all had a great time!

Me too. I like to think that wearing black and black observes the kosher principle of keeping separate things....well....separate (having an inarticulate Tim Minchin moment there diguised as cleverness/too cool for school smartarseness).

Two succulent dwellars shared a room and there are no pictures? Shame, shame, shame

we all have to make sacrifices...

I blame Dana.
I told her in Scotland that I was up for taking a few artistic shots of her when we next met.
But she force fed me Being Human and then partied me too hard.
I was an unwilling participant.

Next time, I promise.
If I can make a promise about someone else's nekkidness that is.

I keep stopping by here hoping she's uploaded some of her photos.
But then I saw the work she is undertaking first hand. It's a serious commitment. They don't fund trips to London to study Social Trends As Evidenced by Coronation Street Characters 1960-2010 you know.

So I'm loathe to push her too hard. I have the rest of you to do that.
DANA - send me one of those mysterious zip files or something. I'll do the rest. No wait, weren't you sending me a dongle? See how I bandy about terms which mean nothing to me.

Photos of you bandying a dongle about sound rather nsfw-ish.

Pen drive, darlin, Pen drive ;p Or data stick...though that last sounds like something from a ST:TNG slash fic :p

Ok. I is home. Got home yesterday. Loved being back in my own bed yey.

Much as I enjoyed the hurly burly, sturm und drang of King's Cross, I am happy to be back in my little village, with my not so little dog. Who was so delighted to see me.

I will, I promise, get the photos sorted out. Along with what I have from Glasgae!

Right now I am quite tired. In fact I didn't get up until 12:30! The last few days research were quite intense. Trying to get as much stuff as possible before leaving. It can get scary, when you're basically just knocking stuff off the list of sources, and not finding anything lol. Or only finding odds and sods, nothing to write home about. But, the last few days in particular I started to find some interesting stuff.

Most of it I still need to read in detail. Particularly the sources from the National Archives, which I was able to photograph. I basically just read enough of each to see that it might be relevant and then photographed for later perusal. This includes two entire ledgers of around 200 pages each, showing a summary of General Regimental Courts Martials across a period of about 5 years.

Whilst at the National Army Museum I came across an unpublished history of James Pipon (Commissariat for Jersey) along with a transcription of his journal and letters. Couldn't take photos at the NAM study centre, but was able to order the entire document (110) pages as a photocopy. So, still need to read through that.

Much of the stuff I transcribed myself (btw, writing by hand in pencil doesn't half make one's wrist ache) I need to read more carefully. I don't really take in the details as I am writing.

Hey though, get this:

On Wednesday I went to the NAM and was sitting in the Templar Study Centre, quietly taking notes from an 1812 Officer's Order Book from Gibraltar, when someone tapped me on the shoulder and said 'Heya Dani"

It was Matthew, the academic who acted as my external examiner for my MA, co-conspirator of my supervisor on his Soldiering project. He was there with one of his undergrads. Also there, as he pointed out to me, was a lad who'd been at the historian's workshop in January, and who'd really impressed me as just being a very serious and knowledgable PhD student (Cambridge, I believe, and already on the board for the major journal in our field.)

The four of us ended up getting coffee and lunch together. Was really nice.

Also, whilst sitting at the big central table transcribing from the Order Book, Matthew slides a note across the table to me:

'Don't look. To your right. Peter Snow.'

My jaw dropped. And after a suitable pause I allowed my eyes to drift to the side and sure enough, there he was. Peter bloody Snow! I overheard him speaking to the archivist at one point: and it was so recognisably his voice lol. Awesome.

I am pretty sure I saw him once at the NA, but he was way over the other side of the reading rooms, so couldn't be sure.

That probably means very little to the Americans...but to the Brits, it might.


The rest of the photos are on my laptop, but I did take a handful of shots of Halifax station, which are on this machine. I'll post 'em in a mo.

I just love coming back to my hills. I see the craggy landscape and I know I am home. These are views from the station, including one of the old station, now part of the Eureka science museum.

Wow! Peter Snow. Very impressive.

Thought I'd add my London pics to this thread.
Noting as I do that Dani never posted hers...

Went up to London yesterday to see David Tennant and Catherine Tate in Much Ado About Nothing. The tickets were birthday presents for Mum & me, and my parents paid for the travel and the meal out. Wonderful.

We met my brother in London - he had the day off but was meeting ex work colleagues for lunch and doing some shopping for his wife's birthday next week. We went via the Tube (although it is overland at this point) from Amersham. Got on a new Tube as well - very swish! It's the first I've seen this far out of town. Previously we've ridden the really old, really bouncy ones. I posted a photo on RFN 2011.

We decided to change at Baker Street and go to Waterloo.
It's where my grandparents used to live, and they were having a Festival of Britain anniversary on the South Bank. Mum remembers the original (1951) but admits she was too young, and bored by a lot of it!

Here is a view from outside the Royal Festival Hall, looking down on the bunting and the various information booths. There were street performers, a fairground, an artificial beach, lots of food stalls and other things to spend on of course. But I liked these little Londoners taking advantage of a fountain for free play.

So we walked our usual walk. over the Hungerford foot bridge and down to Embankment Tube Station.
This time we walked up Villiers Street, and as always I was on the lookout for free samples :)
I saw a shop called Chewy Junior and was simply intrigued by the name, so drifted over, only to find - yes! - they were giving away samples!
I was intrigued - they have a soft but chewy outside and cream inside. The sample I had (about a 16th of a full bun) was vanilla inside and chocolate on top. I could not for the life of me work out what it was like, except that it was lovely and I would gladly have eaten 4 or 5. Especially as I saw they did a cheese version!

Mum & I (who shared my sample) discussed where we thought they orginated. The staff were Indian/ Asian, but that means nothing in London. The buns were very like European cakes, but not quite like anything we had had, and we're reasonably well travelled between us.

Got home to find it's an original creation, by Kevin Ong, and the majority of outlets are in the Far East! In fact London is the only European outlet. Well, that told me!
No pics, but do visit the website.

From here up to Covent Garden, via Leicester Square. As usual, Leicester Square is being dug up. For the Olympics this time. We think it's something to do with the drains..? Leciester Square (the grassy centre square with seats) seems to spend 75% of its time enclosed/ out of bounds/ under renovation.

So we walked up Long Acre rather than linger.

Covent Garden is the best place for street entertainment in London.
It can be a very cheap way to pass a couple of hours - cheap, not free. If you watch a show you really should put something in the hat as it passes.

We bought some water from M&S and had a wander.
I tried to get a picture of what the artists see when they are performing.
The first is a shot of people waiting for a show to begin - the crowd triples in size if it's good. And this chap was - he stretched a rope between two of the columns behind him and had a tightrope act, juggling knives.

Below is an opera singer - The Royal Opera House is part of Covent Garden, so it's all very relevant. She was singing popular arias and seemed to be going down well.

Because it was a Monday it wasn't a market day.
The stalls were instead taken up with people selling "antiques" and bric-a-brac.
Nowhere near as wonderful as on a market day, but still some interesting things to look at.

Covent Garden outside and in.

Another shot of the lower level - on the other side from the singer above.
And detail.

The paella smelled gorgeous btw.

At this point we were joined by my brother, and started a hunt for a Pizza Hut that did the £5 per head Happy Hour deal.
we tried Covent Garden (were told yes on the door, then no after waiting 10 minutes for service - grrrr). No on The Strand. And then no at Leicester Squre, despite being told yes previously. I stood my ground, the greeter checked with another member of staff and yes, we were good to go.

We all left some pizza, but it worked out cheaper than sharing. Especially as we all have very different opinions on what a pizza should be. I suggested taking the leftovers home for Dad, but Mum said he probably wouldn't eat them anyway. And I'd have been stuck smelling pizza all the way through the play.

Mum & Steven's meals, partially devoured.

Walked off to Trafalgar Square, to walk off some dinner and kill some time.
All the places we visited were all within the vicinity of the theatre, hence being happy to try three restaurants to get the best deal.

Tourists sat in front of the National Gallery, I have Trafalgar Square behind me.
Most of the pigeons are gone form the Square now (thanks Uncle Ken) but you can still find some to chase, if you are determined.

My bro and various other tourists at the Olympic countdown clock.
Currently residing on the Fourth Plinth, Yinka Shonibare's ship in a bottle.
Don't worry, there'll be a big cock on it in 2013. No, seriously (safe for work!).

Tourists taking photos.
And why not :)

Traf Square is known for its fountains.
On hot and sunny days (and New Years Eve) it's hard to keep people out of them.
Not a problem yesterday. It was warm, but only intermittently sunny.

Details.

Shark!
And one for Sheldon. And for the laydees of course.

Family discussion about where to go next.

St Martin in the Fields.

So off back up to a pub we saw earlier.
There was outside seating without too many smokers and it was a good place to watch the world go by.
It's at the junction of Long Acre, Cranbourn Street, Garrick Street and St Martin's Lane. Even if you don't know any of these places, you can at least appreciate that it means plenty of people going past.

The above photo is the second take.
As I took the first one, Stevo's hair blew into his eyes and he tried to flick it out.
This is the best picture of my brother EVER. It is definitely going on a birthday card.

And a poster for the show we're going to.
Don't they look lovely?

And so to the theatre.
The Wyndham has one of the smallest theatre lobbies I have ever encountered.
We squeezed in because we wanted to use the toilets and book interval drinks before taking our seats. So we were in the theatre at 19.00 precisely.

Mum went to the toilets upstairs before 19.00, but I thought I had plenty of time, and went to the ones in the Stalls. I queued for 15 minutes. Ridiculous. Turns out there are only two cubicles in the ones downstairs. And some of the ladies were taking up to 3 minutes - what were they doing?! Yes I did time them. 15 minutes waiting leaves you lots of time to invent pointless games. FTR I took 40 seconds.

First photo is of the Stalls from the toilet queue (approx location of Mum & Stevo)
Before I was told I was not allowed to take photos in the theatre.
This was technically incorrect - you are not allowed to take photos during the performance - which I wouldn't do anyway. But I had my shot, blurred as it is, so there was no point in arguing.

I sat separately, because we got better tickets as a two and a one seat booking than we did as a three. I was quite pleased at this, as I didn't have Mum poking me in the ribs and hissing comments :)

The show was magnificent.
Very funny, very well paced, and my mini-binoculors gave me really detailed glimpses... ;)

Second pic is the stage from my row as I was leaving.
We were in Row M, which I thought would be a long way back. As it turns out it they were still excellent seats. I've been spoiled recently, so I forget that anywhere in the Stalls is still close to the stage.

And finally...

From the show (this version was set on Gibraltar in the 1980s...)

Catherine Tate??? looks like IM to me.

great story Sundae. Why did you bother to obfuscate the faces in the bottom picture of the stage? I've been to London, and I don't remember any of the things you discuss. I'll have to unearth the pictures from that trip and see if I can make any connections.

Thanks for the story!

IM?

I blurred the faces because they were very clear, looking at my camera and I was sending it to quite a few people as well as posting here.

Although it's funnier to say they were both really ugly.

infinite monkey, of course.

Nah. That picture is highly airbrushed and even then she looks a bit like a horse.
Tate has her own form of beauty, but Infi is more conventionally attractive.

Anyway if it was IM I'd have to kill her, because David Tennant is sniffing her hair.

I have two very jealous daughters here! Nice sharing Sundae.