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Published: August 19th 2012
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Unfortunately Dad was still feeling bad up until he left, but well enough to get on a plane I hope. I am now staying with my Aunt Hilary and her husband Ivor in a two foot wide cot in what was their dining room and has become my room. While the conditions are not ideal, they will certainly do and they have been nice enough to welcome me into their small Watford flat. But I’m getting ahead of myself. Before all this I spent three days in a hotel with Dad and Luki called the Jurys Inn. I booked this place after some research and found it to be reasonable (250 pounds for three nights and three people). When we got there after the drive down from Tetford being led by our navigator Penelope to the door of the foyer, we all three sighed in relief when the automated voice told us “you have reached your destination”. We hauled in our large amount of luggage (I’m going to be cutting down my luggage size when I depart for Contiki) and I was surprised to find my researched paid off; not only was the hotel reasonable, it was actually quite luxurious. Well
luxurious in comparison to what I may soon be staying in. But it wasclean, modern, and had all the necessities. Additionally the staff were incredibly friendly and helpful. After learning wifi access was 10 pounds a day I asked a man at breakfast about this and he returned with a code that would give me access for 24 hours. The next morning when I asked again at the lavish buffet breakfast (eggs, sausage, bacon, croicent, fruit, yogurt, bagels, hash browns, baked beans etc), the lovely waiter returned with a code that would give me 48 hours access. On the last day he came in with four codes for four days access. I was spoiled for internet! But didn’t need the four days since that was our last. But that is one thing I’ve noticed; my computer is like a lifeline to everything; information, friends, purchases, bookings and even all my documentation which I’ve saved and/or clouded. Internet access is so important to a traveller that when I didn’t have it at the farm I felt quite cut off. Not that I don’t get the sense of being alone in a foreign land, but the internet is like a
safety net.
Anywho the days we spent at the hotel were lovely and I enjoyed spending some time with Dad and Luki very much. The first afternoon after our arrival Luki and I went to check out the local area of Watford which is an area North of central London and nearby my Aunt. We found some great shopping spots (including two of the previously mentioned “Poundlands”) and had a delicious late lunch. We watched a movie then headed to bed. Day two we planned on going to Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum, however on our arrival we found the line was over an hours wait. Plan B was to attend a West End show. Unfortunately my top pick Wicked was wold out for that day so we went with choice two, Singin in the Rain. I enjoyed the show, especially it being my first London one. The voices could have been stronger and while the leads were set up for failure in that they were following such talent as that of Gene Kelly, Debbie Reynolds and Donald O’Connor, they did a fine job. I particularily enjoyed some of the great tap numbers where timing was everything. Of
course the famous “Singin in the Rain” number was the highlight, accompanied by a reprisal of it for the show’s finale that included the whole cast and was a stand out. After the show we went straight to my Aunt’s flat in Carpender’s Park where I met yet another relative for the first time (Hilary and Ivor’s eldest son Simon; my first cousin). That night we planned ahead and bought our tickets for Madame Tussaud’s for the following day and thus skipped the long queue. I enjoyed the museum, even though I’d seen a lot of it before in New York, it was fun to go with Dad and Luki and we got a couple of great shots with some A-list celebs 😉 We then got the train back to our hotel and were picked up by Ivor for dinner. This was the best meal I’ve had in the UK so far. Lamb shank with roast potatoes, broccoli and fried zucchini. But I did feel so full I didn’t even want breakfast the next morning. We then packed up and had a look in a local antique market where I found some antique pearls I liked and Dad bought them
for me. Nope they weren’t real (for four pounds I’d be surprised) but apparently they’re from the 30s and I like them. After our shopping trip we packed the car and headed over to the flat. We got me settled in my previously mentioned makeshift room (dining room) and had tea. I said bye to Dad and Luki and sent them off in a car en route to Sydney via a night in Dubai. Then I felt well and truly alone.
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