Greetings all and first up let me thank Anna, Shilpa, Jo, Marion, Sarah, Dorota and Mary (LinkedIn) for your comments, likes, loves, shares from my previous post and for Tina for filling in the spot kindly offered by the lady who was unable to come. It means a lot for you all to take the time to pop by and show interest and support.
As I type this I am a touch fatigued and hopefully I will post something of some worth before tiredness wins this battle. Well, today was a splendid one and it felt unusual for me to return to my old roots. The train journey was illuminating especially when we breezed through Lewisham, Peckham Rye and Denmark Hill. Old memories did return in abundance. Soon the train lumbered into Victoria and I decided to procure a ticket on the tube to South Kensington.
Where I perused the internet last night I gleaned the price to be £2.50 which is ok I suppose for a little bunny hop up the road. Imagine my astonishment when the machine informed me that it was to be £6.50. My dear readers, truly this is someone having a giraffe at my expense. I attempted to put the details in again and nay, the price shone back at the same level. Now, this old cockney is no tourist and I know when I'm being taken for a bit of a mug. Verily, I declined said offer and instead put one foot in front of the other and embarked on a pilgrimage through Belgravia.
Considering I've walked a few miles out here in Kent, a two mile jaunt was of little consequence. Soon I walked on by where I spent a summer working for Nat West and looked upon Harrods once again. South Kensington soon came into view and I awaited to see where my old colleague was and lo and behold, running late. I took in some sustenance from a subway clone and didn't particularly enjoy it but it did the job. Then it was off for a jaunt up Exhibition Road and a wander round the Royal Albert Hall. Still my old friend was distant and having all sort of shenanigans on the tube.
The glorious sunbeams from the previous day had departed to be replaced by a weeping heaven and it didn't particularly dissuade me. The Albert Memorial peered at me and I thought I would take the chance to take a few pictures which now sit proudly in Facebook world. A few hardy souls were going for it with a sparring session beneath Albert and I headed forth into Hyde Park for a brief sojourn. Again, some ancient memories returned and I would have stayed a good while but the clock was sprinting ahead and my partner in time for the day was wending her way towards Kensington.
The temporal advance was showing no sign of decelerating and we did finally manage to meet up and hastened to the show. We missed a couple of opening questions but settled down and awaited the entertainment to begin in earnest after a short intermission. I must confess to not being disappointed and the superlative "Bloody brilliant" springs to mind. It was truly awe inspiring and I must send huge gratitude to the one who couldn't make it. A truly great choice and gutted they couldn't make it. Tina and myself took a good few pics and videos and I do hope to upload them over the next few days.
Then it was time to head back to Victoria. The walk gave an opportunity to catch up on how things have been over the years and her cold had taken a turn for the better. We headed through Pimlico way on the return leg and then it was time to take my leave. What I had noticed about London is the constant bustle there. When I was part of the great city it seemed quite natural and usual but today I certainly observed it in full flow and it is a bit overpowering. Then a new feature came to assail me. Before it was just a case of seeing and hearing the green man flashing and beeping as you crossed the road. Now, there is a ten second countdown which was a new one on me. I wonder, if you didn't make it on time if you would be mown down by a self righteous taxi driver? Knowing London, of course gov!
Well, time to end and gratitude and love to all who've made it to the end and of course to the lady who came up with this idea in the first place. Golden light, love and healing to you all and on that note adieu :)
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