Celebrating the 70's - A chronicle of time and temperature

Thursday 14 to Monday 18 March 2024

Thursday

Up early for a brief walk down to our local train station, Westhumble Box Hill, to catch the train to London. Unlike the UK's totally stuffed health system, the public transport system usually works beautifully, and so, we arrive at Clapham Junction in an hour, in a clean and comfortable carriage.

An easy walk to our Air BnB to drop off bags and, in nice weather, we walk through Battersea Park across Albert Bridge to Kings Road, Chelsea to visit our old favourite café, the Bluebird for breakfast and to the Worlds End Distillery, a once proud pub serving Flashy pints by the open fire on his way home to Fulham some 30 years ago. A little tired now, the pub that is, only opening three days a week.

Wanting to have a look at the food hall at Harrods, in the hope of getting pigeon, pheasant or hare, we walk to Fulham Rd and catch a bus to that paragon of gastronomy. It’s smaller than Flashy remembers. But that’s true of most things. Still expensive but fun to have a look and realising that we were staying in London and not heading home, alas no game meats were purchased.

We then walked for bloody miles, to Whitehall via Buckingham palace and all the sights in between. By this time, we needed sustenance. Luckily, Lady P had done the research and we arrive at Raffles Hotel in the Old War Office building. Now, this is more like our style. The Drawing Room is a bit like the Windsor. Lots of leather and olde world charm. Our lunch spot indeed. ‘A Singapore Sling’, she shouts! Flashy was so dehydrated from walking 23,000 steps, he skulled a lager and sat back to pursue the menu.

We dined on a club sandwich and a magnificent quail Wellington, paired with a good Province Rose or two. Coffee too at the end, took the spell from walking to two hours and we reluctantly headed off once again on shanks pony.

So off we march to the Tower of London, with a small segment by tube, to emerge at the Citizen M Hotel. This great concept is very similar to the same one in Paris at which we stayed for NYE. We proceed toot sweet to the roof top bar, with enormous windows overlooking a huge swathe of London and the old head chopping place, The Tower of London, right next door. Observing the best table in the crowded bar, from our second best table (quickly snaffled on arrival), Lady P suddenly swoops as the guests vacate, removes the reserved sign, and plonks herself down. Flashy limps over slowly. We now have the best seat.

Our plan here, is to spend a couple of hours until it’s time to walk the short distance to the Aldwych Theatre, where we have tickets in the dress circle for Tina, The Tina Turner Musical. We nurse a single (but large) drink for the required time then head off.

We have great seats and the show is excellent. Lady P heads for the ladies at intermission and returns to find Flashy in conversation with a young blonde woman. Only took him 3 minutes. It turns out she is from Brisbane. Small world eh?

After a slow start focusing on Tina’s early life of domestic violence, the show took off with many of the well known songs, terrific lighting and live backing band. The encore finishes with Simply the Best to a standing ovation. Some of the oldies were groovin’ along, singin’ and a clappin’. Tube and bus home to our comfortable Air BnB for the night.

Friday

Up and at ‘em again and a walk around the corner for a decent breakfast. Then another walk, again through the very pleasant Battersea Park to Cadogan wharf on the Thames. Thanks to Lady P, we get an hour’s cruise in the Uber Boat (ferry), down to Canary Wharf, looking at all the sights from the perspective of the river. For 11 pounds, not the fifty it costs on a "River Cruise". Pretty clever, eh?

We arrive at 11’ish and have a coffee and a pint of beer at the first place we see. Lady P is no use without her coffee. We then head to the free Museum of the London Docklands before a planned excursion to Oxford later in the day, so filling in time again. The museum was actually pretty good, but easy to get lost if you're a bit tired, for example from walking 23,000 steps the day before, or not sleeping well after an exciting musical. Flashy headed off to the third floor to the bathroom and Lady P says “I won’t leave the second floor.” Confused by the coloured displays and gangs of noisy school children suddenly appearing, Lady P got lost or perhaps a bit confused. Luckily a kind staff member reunited her with Flashy who, unsure where to go, simply sat next to the lift and hoped someone would find him. She did.

We then made it to the Borough Markets, looking for smells, sights and some lunch before we train to Oxford. We found all the above. Very busy and not much order, with people wandering about every which way. No footpath discipline here at all. However, we find a great tapas bar and enjoy a good feed and watering, before heading to Paddington for our train trip.

Carefully watching the pennies, Lady P did not reserve actual seats on the train (discovered later that they don’t actually charge to reserve a seat) so, elbowing our way on board through the scrum of travelers, hell bent on getting on the train, we grab two seats together but facing the wrong way. Flashy doesn’t care. He likes going backwards. However, the couple sitting next to us, have also not reserved seats and are asked politely to move by another couple, who sensibly had reserved seats. Luckily the train is full of Poms, not Irish or Russians, so there is a degree of politeness among the travelers. The trip to Oxford is pleasant with nice views of the green countryside, sheep and deer along with ravens.

We are met at the station by Alyssa and it’s a very short walk home to her apartment in Oxford Castle. Yes, the old castle. But a modern extension within. Her lounge room overlooks the grassy mound where the did all the executions back in the day.

Not content with sitting down for a cleansing gin and tonic or three, the ladies head off for another walk with Flashy grumbling along. Alyssa’s choice of pub for dinner is miles away, walking again, but luckily not up hill. A good feed and we are joined by Alyssa’s friend for a lively conversation. Taxi home, thank God.

Saturday

After a light breakfast, Alyssa, as a current student (Ph.D.) and past Magdalene College alma mater, has the magic card to gain access to the various Oxford colleges and college grounds, so we had a very nice explore around Oxford. A taxi ride to a pub called the Perch for a very nice but expensive lunch. Well, we did have a couple of bottles of Champagne and red to go with the seafood platter starter then venison, beef and fish.

Sunday

A cook up English breakfast in the apartment, then we head the short walk to Oxford station to catch the train to Waterloo, then Epsom, then bus to Westhumble. A fun excursion on public transport. Again, having no reserved seats and seeing, as the train pulls in that there are more people than available seats, Flashy makes the executive decision to actually believe the rail staff, when they advise to take the train on platform 2. Nice. Plenty of seats. But it goes the long way to Marylebone, not Waterloo, meaning that we will miss the connection from Waterloo to Epsom. Not by much though. Does that help? Oh, well, its Paddy’s day and there is a new pub at Waterloo Station, serving Guinness and fried snacks. We eventually get there and settle in, have a pint and some snacks – delicious too - and get the next train/bus home. Phew!

Worlds End Distillery, Chelsea