London Lights

---

Hi Guys

Good to find time to get back. I think, well I know the last blog got us to Oxford to see Ray.

From there we headed off to London via the A40. Everything was travelling smoothly until there was displayed a message about a delay near the Target roundabout.

A DELAY.

It took us close to 2 hours to travel the couple of miles to the accident site (a semi-trailer roll over). This was frustrating enough with some twat in a van in front of us constantly letting car after car in front of us. Sometimes 5 & 6 at a time. I was not happy to say the least. I changed lanes to get by him, which wasn’t hard as he was still letting cars in, only to notice he had a clipboard on his lap and he was doing his F*&%$*ing paperwork for the day, totally oblivious to what was going on around him. I was not happy Jan. Gaynor had to use all her coercive measures to stop me winding down the window and giving him a right gob full.

Ultimately we cleared that and headed into London proper. Busy to say the least, with us trying to find the road we had to turn down and being confronted by no right turn at street after street. Hopefully not ours. We also were heading into the congestion zone where between 8am and 6pm you pay an £8.50 fee, luckily for us we were held up for long enough that we turned into the zone at 6:05pm. One small win for the day. Found the Langham and let Gaynor out with all the luggage and headed off to return the car. This was easier said than done as I had one porter showing me on the map and another telling to go left then left again followed by 2 rights, a left, stay straight for 3 streets, veer left, go over the roundabout, stay right , 2 left turns, first driveway after the Costa coffee house and your there.

I stuck with the map. Delivered the car to a drop off at the Marriott hotel and got a cab back to the Langham. Was shown to my room by a nice young lady who had a glass eye which was ok except it didn’t always look the same way as the normal one. This was very disconcerting as I was trying no to stare, but always felt that I was.

Anyhow got to the room, down to the Club Lounge and grazed for 1 ½ hours, this included Champers, beer and French Pinot. No need to dine after all that. We then headed into town to look at the Christmas lights. Down to Oxford St then up to Regent. All very impressive, albeit the vote goes to Regent with its twelve days of Christmas theme interspersed with promo’s for the Peabody movie/cartoon. No camera was taken so we had to do it over again the next night. ( 1^st world problem).

Up for breakfast after a night long hot shower, with real water pressure as opposed to the press button electric showers which you have to dance around under to get wet. Buffet style but not eggs to order so I had to make do with scrambled. Then off to Harrods to see what the “poor” people were doing. There Christmas windows were interesting with an Orient Express/ Gatsby theme. Phaffed about for an hour then headed over to Hyde Park for the Christmas Wonderland. Very large set with rides and such, mulled wines, sausage and sideshow games. Being only 11:30 in the morning it wasn’t very busy, but very impressive to say the least. Luna Park on steroids with lots of snowy type stuff.

We did manage to bite the bullet and buy ‘a pay as you go’ mobile phone sim card for Gaynor from Lycamobile. Plug in the Sim and away we go. It worked, so I bit the bullet and purchased one for moi. Funnily enough it worked as well. No ringing the helpline, resetting etc. Fantastic.

Leisurely stroll back to the hotel via Piccadilly St, a pub for lunch and taking photos. Into the club lounge where I wrote my last blog. This whiled away 2 to 3 hours until the lovely Bree (a friend of Gaynor’s) appeared and we spent the next 2 hours chatting and quaffing. Very civilized. Time to go, so we walked Bree to Oxford Circus (funnily enough no clowns) where she descended into the underground and we proceeded to take photos of the lights we looked at the previous evening. Then we walked back to the hotel whereby Gaynor headed up to the room and I turned left in to the Artesian Bar, where I drank, met interesting people and think I lost my scarf (sorry Robin). The barmen was amazing to watch making cocktails with such theatre. I got him to make me an ‘Old Fashioned’. A cocktail comprising of mostly Bourbon. I then wandered/ reeled my way up to the room.

Woke in a bit of a fog but felt well rested. Had breakfast then headed out to find a homeless person to give all my pence to. Failed. Did find a ‘Big Issue’ man so he was pleased with his sale and I dumped all my other change (£2-3) in his lap. He wished me well in Budapest.

Back to the hotel, limo to the airport, check-in then to the lounge to wait for the flight.

Am currently on the plane using Word to write my blog as I was falling behind schedule and it’s not easy to remember stuff, especially if it is done in a alcoholic fuzz. Hopefully more to come soon.





Greg

---

Comments

[Kate Grimes]

Well, Gregory Howard...
That's the last time my husband gives you a scarf! Glad you're enjoying the sights. Love from Robin, Hodge the Wonder Cat and me xx

[Great American Ballpark Tour]

Mea Culpa
I am bereft Kate....plus I have gone back to being cold....will Hodge ever forgive me, let alone the lovely Robin?

[Gadabout3996]

Like the Navy days of old!!!
What's changed .....just a few years older and perhaps a bit wiser! Following your travels with interest. Harry