Saturday 9th November
Today we are heading to London to stay at Andrew’s and no doubt do some babysitting, but first a visit to “Sue’’s Cafe” for a hearty breakfast to set us up for the day.
As usual the journey from Crewkerne to Waterloo was comfortable and un-eventful, though between Basingstoke and Clapham Junction the train was quite crowded with England fans heading to Twickenham for the match against Australia; naturally I was jealous not to have a ticket😡😡😡
Arrived at Andrew’s where Christine volunteered to collect Elton from school, then they went to the local park, I watched the rugby; another England defeat👹👹
Sunday 10th November
A lie in is out of the question with a 4-year old. Christine was about at 0730am thanks to Elton, I managed to hang on ‘till a more acceptable time!!! We had our breakfast but had to keep quiet as Andrew had made the best of a resident babysitter and hadn’t return home ‘till the wee hours.
Eventually we headed out to the Farmers market, a regular occurrence in Marylebone on a Sunday morning. London is a very busy bustling large city but strangely enough Marylebone manages to keep its character and remain a village surrounded by London. We then went to the local park where the children enjoyed themselves in the play area before walking back to the flat. It was 1100hrs en route home so we stopped, along with many others outside Waitrose to observe the 2-minute silence.
After a couple of games of crib decision made. Andrew was heading off with Elton to meet up with friends and Christine and I headed to Bond Street Station and got the tube to Westminster.
Today being Remembrance Sunday we decided to get out at Westminster and walk up Whitehall to Trafalgar Square; do the “touristy” bit. Though the day’s Cenotaph services had finished, there were still a lot of folk about, in fact as we exited Westminster tube station we caught the back of the band of the Scots guard playing as they marched off towards their barracks. We fought our way along Whitehall against the crowds heading back. to Westminster, stopping at the Cenotaph to see all the wreaths laid by the various departments and veterans as they had marched past earlier.
We reached Trafalgar Square and mingled with crowds and did the tourist bit, taking ‘photos!!! We then headed past Charing Cross station and headed down Villiers Street to an old “haunt” of mine, “Gordon’s Wine Bar” with its vaulted candlelit cellar and old oak barrels and it’s been there since 1890. We enjoyed a “meagre” glass of wine, but not so sure of the price, £11.50 each; ouch; We didn’t have another!!!!!
Leaving Gordon’s we headed along the embankment then turned up past the Savoy up to the strand and headed to Covent Garden Market. As usual the place was heaving and the Buskers were drawing in the crowds and one in particular got our attention. This busker was singing various light operas but added into his performance, he did “illusions”; he had the crowd spellbound. We also watched a juggler standing atop of a ladder entertaining the crowd with his “rhetoric” and juggling with knives.
It was getting a bit cold so headed to the Covent Garden tube station but en route passed a McMullens pub. McMullens brewery established in 1827, another blast from the past, I thought they had been swallowed up by a larger brewery But apparently not, still a family business. Naturally we went in and I enjoyed a couple of pints of their AK, still as good as it was back in the1970’s when I was regular participant of it, Time to head out, so off to the station.
Back at the “ranch” we had dinner and a cosy evening in front of the TV; Andrew has gone away on business so babysitting!!!