The Long Non-Event.......

Ladies that lunch! This time six of us, three are my first cousins, two are my sisters who of course are also their cousins. We all live so far apart but try to get together once a year usually around springtime however last year life got in the way for a few of us and it never happened and this year it took till October, so I was really looking forward to it.

Ipswich to Liverpool Street by train takes just over an hour, meeting the others in the station 11:45am and the pub we are going to is a very short walk away. I decided the train would be more relaxing than driving to Newbury Park and taking the underground the rest of the way which would take about two hours.

Hubby drove me to Ipswich station at 9:45am and I bought my off-peak return ticket for £42.20. Online it said my train to Liverpool Street was 10:06 on the information board it said "10:09 - expected 10:12" so already running a little late, it actually left at 10:15 but still plenty of time.

First stop Manningtree, second stop Colchester, then it didn't move. We were all asked to leave the train as it was terminating here because someone had been hit by a train a little further up the line. So we all left platform 2 as told next train to London will leave from platform 4. It had turned bitterly cold so I stood inside the now packed coffee shop but with my poor hearing and tannoy announcements being what they are I found it difficult to hear and didn't want to miss something important so instead I walked up and down the platform to keep a bit warmer.

I had WiFi so messaged my sisters to tell them and was just about to message hubby when he phoned me. He'd heard there was a rail problem and was checking on me. Told him I'd wait till 11:30 and if I wasn't on my way by then I'd come home.

No reply from my sisters so did it all again by text. Told them to go on without me and if I can I'll meet them at the pub.

The tannoy was keeping us very well informed and by 11:30 they were saying the London line will remain closed for at least another hour. So I made my way to platform 3 for the next Norwich train stopping at Manningtree then ipswich. They announced this would now be the scheduled 11:47 service. Text my sisters and everyone sent sad regrets and I was sad too. Text hubby who said he'd meet me at Ipswich 12:15. Then the driver announced "change of plan we're leaving in four minutes" so another text to Hubby as this was nearly 10mins earlier and he said he'd be at Ipswich for 12.

Well first stop Manningtree where it sat for a while, then the driver said "Passengers I'm so sorry to say that I've a bit more bad news for you....." turns out a freight train had broken down on the line just ahead of us and we were going nowhere.

Another text to Hubby who by now was at Ipswich station. So checking with station staff that yes indeed this was going to be a long delay I left the train and the station to wait outside for Hubby to come in the car for me.

The latest we were told was no London service for at least another two hours, so I was right to head home and now nothing moving toward Norwich either, glad I was sitting outside waiting for my lift, so when a few cars pulled up outside and a passenger was getting out I rushed forward to warn them before their lift drove away and they were very grateful, one even offered me a lift to anywhere I needed to be, so kind of them, but Hubby was nearly there.

Much later in the day when I  checked the rail situation it was still in chaos,  had I gone I would probably have been struggling to get home again. Then I wrote the sorry story on facebook, later still I thought it odd there had been no comments made, well that was because it wasn't there! ! !

So I wrote....
"Hahaha Well that's typical for today, I wrote a long post which has now disappeared!"
By then I just wrote the shorter to-the-point version 😉

I've claimed my ticket price back on the Delay Repay Claim form online but there's nowhere on the form to ask about compensation for not actually getting to where I wanted to be or if I'd incurred further costs because of it. Automatic emails now saying it's being processed.

OK not the outcome I wanted, two hours away from home getting nowhere, but actually I talked to quite a few lovely people during mutual commiserations. Yes Colchester station was freezing but sitting outside Manningtree waiting for Clive I was on a bench in a suntrap 😎 And walking through Manningtree station to the exit I discovered the tunnels are displaying artwork done by the residents of Acorn Village that I would never have seen otherwise.
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Time for tea.........

Thankfully no headache after pills at 4:30am and was feeling well enough for meeting family in London for something we had arranged weeks ago.

Afternoon tea was booked in a place near Charing Cross station for 1:30pm, however, afternoon tea takes a lot longer than you may think hahaha. I drove round to collect Daughter at 10:30am and she drove (to save my head) in my car  (to save miles on her car which does oh so many) to London (to save very expensive train fare). As usual we decided to park at Newbury Park (endish of the main A12 before hitting city traffic) and use the underground for the rest. As it was raining and because of the time we tried the station car park first (also expensive but convenient) but there were no spaces so we found a space in a nearby side road. Parking around there is a little complicated if you're not familiar with it as you can park on single yellow lines during the day but not between 11am and noon unless inside a marked white box. We parked but not in a white box,  just as another car parked in front of us, but it was 11:50am so we decided to sit in the car for 10mins in case a traffic warden was nearby and laughed as the people in the other car didn't get out either so we knew they were having the same conversation as us. When we all eventually got out we had a little chat as we'd obviously developed a parking bond lol.

Newbury Park station on the central line to Tottenham Court Road, changed to northern line for two stops to Charing Cross. We were actually about 30 mins early so even though it was raining a little we went for a walk and found some gardens and looked at the statues. No sign of any geocache nearby (Daughter always checks) but we found a tap dedicated to Henry Fawcett by all his grateful women (snigger/smirk/giggle)!

Daughter and I were the first to arrive at the pretty little tea shop (straight to the loo of course) very quickly joined by SisterS and sisterP and not long after that by nieceV who is beautifully pregnant at 32 weeks. 

Lots of non-stop lovely chat between us all and lots of yummy food as you can see

SisterP had to leave just before 4pm as she needed to get a bus then get her commuter coach back to Kent but we stayed chatting nearly another hour then all walked together a little way for different journeys home to Middlesex, Surrey and Suffolk (that's why meetups are rare and special).

So for us back on the northern line at Charing Cross changing to the central line at Tottenham Court Road (disappointing lack of buskers in any of these stations). By now the trains were sardine packed and after a few stops I was getting far too hot so off at Bank Station hoping to walk a bit to cool off but it was raining quite hard so we jumped on a bus (number 25 that I used school days and when I worked in the city in my former life) and got off at Mile End (where I lived from age 6 to 20) and there is now a large park built right across the main road which we decided to investigate as Daughter was convinced there'd be another geocache there but unfortunately not. 

Back underground for the tube Mile End to Gants Hill for a very quick visit to our favourite Biegel Bakery and loaded up with enough to eat fresh and more for the freezer, back down for one more stop to Newbury Park and to the car. 

I was finally home about 9:30pm needing another cup of tea and my bed :-)

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A year and a centenary.....

Hard to believe that my op was a year ago! I've just had another full body CT Scan and I'll get the results when I see the consultant on 7th October. Can't help feeling a bit nervous till then but so pleased that they are still keeping a close eye on me.

Daughter and E are Tudors again for a few days, it's Michaelmas at Kentwell Hall, and the other three children are staying at home with M so hubby is doing the taxi service for R to and from her drama group.

Saturday evening we joined our neighbours at a local quiz night/social evening and we won the quiz yaay! There was a huge buffet, a chap singing most of the evening and a couple of entertainment interludes. All good fun. 

Unfortunately I had stomach pains and very little sleep that night. I hope it wasn't anything on the buffet or others might have suffered too. 

Anyway not wanting to let down bilA we went ahead with our Sunday as planned.  

We drove to Newbury Park and collected bilA at about 11am (ish) then drove right into London as there is no congestion charge at the weekend, and parked at a multi-story right near Tower Hill station which is only £2 for the whole day! And just across the road from the car park is the Tower Of London, the most beautiful, powerful, historic site in the whole of London in my opinion. I grew up and went to school near here and we often chose the Tower as a meeting place for friends (it was mostly free then).

But today we came to see the poppies, displayed in memory of World War 1, one hundred years ago...

Sorry for the poor photos, the sun was right in front of me :o(

 

There are still lots of volunteers adding to the display which will keep growing until remembrance day on 11th November when they will be sent out to the millions of people that have bought one. 

 

The weather was really hot, see so many people in t-shirts, and it's nearly the end of September!

 

 

Of course we had a 'Costa' stop then a walk around and stopped again outside a tapas bar on St Catherine's Dock where the men had beers and a light lunch and I had a glass of water!

 

Unfortunately, not feeling my best, I asked if we could cut the day shorter than we hoped it would be, so drove back to bilA's where Hubby had another cuppa then off home.

 

I did just manage half a cup of tea and one slice of toast then had a really early night and had a late(ish) morning and felt a whole lot better.

 

 

In case there is any confusion I had posted this once and two comments had been added then blogger lost it......then I found a half saved draft version!!! I think I've remembered roughly what I put the first time. So with fingers crossed I'll post this again.

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Hit the ground running.....

After being away for two weeks in Wales and all being quite relaxed we got back to sisterS and bilK's house Friday early afternoon. SisterS unpacked and even got some washing and tumble drying done. The plan was to eat out and a table was booked for 7:30pm and taxi booked for 7pm for the ten minute journey so plenty of time to get ready and all very relaxed.

Then we discovered that Twickenham rugby ground (walking distance from their house) was host to the World Wide Jahovah Witness Convention all weekend with about 60,000 people coming and going. So when our taxi was still stuck in traffic at 7:45pm and bilK had made lots of phone calls he cancelled both taxi and restaurant and we walked to the high street for fish and chips. The bonus of this outing was bumping into their son (my nephew of course) and his girlfriend as we waited for our fish they came out of the supermarket opposite, hugs all round :-)

Saturday evening we were off to The British Legion club for bilK's dad's 90th birthday party. That should have been another quick taxi journey but we changed that to a walk to the station then train then walk none of which was far, and the traffic jams and crowds of people waiting to get on the train we'd just got off of proved we'd made the right decision. It was a great party and he is obviously a very popular man judging by the quantity of people, cards and gifts. Buffet was yummy, balloons and banners added party atmosphere and the cake J made looked excellent and tasted great too.

Sunday morning we all headed to the birthday boy's house for a family brunch he loved the surprise of us all turning up and had an audience for card and prezzie opening.

As you've no doubt seen on facebook or other social media there is the #alsicebucketchallenge and three of this family group had been nominated so as it was sunny and they had each other for support the chilly deed was done. Very funny to watch and SisterS and I both breathed a sigh of relief that it wasn't us. I'd donated anyway.

So lovely to eventually arrive home. I really am a homing pigeon and it felt like I'd been away a bit too long. Unpacked, case and bags away and the intention of catching up on some of our recorded programmes but we both ended up needing an early night.  Monday it rained all day so a couple of washes to clothes horse upstairs and then I needed to shorten a new pair of jeans and repaint my nails for another day out.

Tuesday and a day in London to meet up with sisters and cousins as arranged two months ago. Firstly I had the big debate of whether to use mainline train to Liverpool Street or drive to Newbury Park and tube to Liverpool Street?  There are pros and cons for both although a big factor is about £12-£15 to drive and about £40ish for the train plus the hassle of how to buy and/or split the ticket to get the best deal....hubby and I kept changing our minds all evening. Awake to the radio alarm in the morning to hear on the local news about the rail problems so that decided that I was driving.

Us three sisters met at Liverpool Street station and back on the tube to Leicester Square then a quick walk in the rain to the Chinese restaurant. We were early but they were happy for us to take our table and we were served tea. We chatted away and were then aware that the others were quite late and made phone calls that went to voice mail and kept making excuses to the restaurant staff and ordered bottles of sparkling water and a spring roll each to ease our hunger and embarrassment. The three cousins were travelling together and apparently they had got on the wrong train but did arrive safe eventually. We let CousinS and CousinB do all the ordering as they'd been to this restaurant lots and we filled ourselves up on dim sum and crispy duck and it was delicious and the conversation never stopped. Then all too soon it was time to head home with lots of hugs and kisses and promises of doing it again at least once a year if not more.

And today the sun is out so I've cleared three loads of washing and got two dried on the line and the third upstairs while hubby has been seriously tree pruning and catching up on some paperwork. My usual Wednesday night out tonight so guess we're all back to normal :-)
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Friday in London....

The day for Hubby's birthday present to me.
Set off late morning.
Rain on the windscreen.
Brother-in-law not home so no first cuppa.
Good parking spot right near the station.
Oyster cards (one old one new) at the ready.
Newbury Park to Stratford.
Lived at Mile End up to 40 years ago, this time just passing through.
Quick look round Westfield shopping centre, just to say I have.
Hubby tried on a couple of jackets but didn't buy.
Latte a bit bitter for me but a fruit scone and cream to die for.
Underground again Stratford to Tottenham Court Road.
Asian looking girl with very round face and tiny rosebud lips.
Walked to Covent Garden just started raining again.
Hubby in short sleeved shirt, me in yellow raincoat.
Daft street entertainer, putting clothes on, couldn't see why, we walked on.
Stopped for a beer in the Punch and Judy cellar, I had sparkling water.
An operatic female voice as we left the pub.
A man in a silver 'tin man' suit posing for photographs with children.
A good walk round the market stalls but bought nothing.
Hanging over the railings to watch two violins and a cello.
Old lady with a little red basket collecting for the musicians, proud grandmother perhaps.
Passed a bakery with loaves in the window mostly around £2ish but two were priced at£4.75 each.
Stopped for another beer, more fizzy water was just too much liquid, must find myself an alternative drink.
Slow stroll and window shopping down to Porters for dinner.
Restaurant chosen and paid for online as theatre package so no on-the-day deliberations.
Steak and ale pie for him and fisherman's pie for me and both yummy.
Syrup sponge and custard just perfect.
Lots of people opposite outside taking photos this way, us eating or beautiful building?
Checked when we left, but building nothing special so it must have been just the bright red awnings that were photogenic.
St Martin's theatre, The Mousetrap, 60 years old (like me).
Intimate theatre, red velvet drapes, unfussy wood panelling.
Dress circle, good view.
Well acted but no character actually won me over.
Some titters but no real laughter moments.
Don't understand all the hype, it was good but not wow.
Thank you Hubby for sitting through my sort of entertainment.
We must never reveal who done it.
Chilly but dry when we came out.
Leicester Square tube change at Holborn.
Two tourist children fighting, mother looking stressed, long day for them too I guess.
Holborn to Mile End standing, planned strategy.
Mile End to Newbury Park seated, strategy worked.
Car just were we left it, always a pleasing sight.
Uneventful drive home.
In the house and into bed :-)
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