We picked Lynda up at 8.45am and drove straight to Northampton station. The place is still a mess with no sign of the new building being ready yet. We were due to get the 9.25am train but that was late so it was almost 10am by the time we were on our way. The train was packed to the gunnels, probably because it was the start of the half-term holidays.
From Euston station we took the Underground to Leicester Square and queued up for theatre tickets for the evening. We were unsure what to go and see but "Ghost Stories" looked good and also the show "Once". However, we couldn't get four seats together for Ghost Stories and there were no discounted tickets available for Once (£70 for a seat!) so we decided on The Commitments at the Palace Theatre on Shaftesbury Avenue.
Once this had been sorted out we walked the short distance to the lovely Caffe Concerto for a late breakfast. As usual I was desperate for a coffee! We all chose Eggs Benedict with bacon and the meal was delicious.
After breakfast we walked to the National Gallery and I suggested we go and see one of my favourite paintings - Susanna at her Bath by Francesco Hayez - but I couldn't remember the artist or when it had been painted. I asked a member of staff who said he'd never heard of it and that it definitely wasn't in the gallery! Luckily, Andrea has a great iPhone so she googled the name of the painting and we were able to find it straight away. It was as lovely as I remembered and the girls agreed with me. We also saw Fiona's favourite, the painting of the famous racehorse, Whistlejacket, by Stubbs and then wandered into the Impressionist gallery and had a good look at Van Gogh's Sunflowers. I still don't understand what all the fuss is about with Van Gogh's paintings as a lot of art in the National Gallery is, in my opinion, far better!
We left the National Gallery and walked through Trafalgar Square where a large NFL Fan Rally was in progress. It was manic! The streets were packed with people and we briefly stopped at Horseguards Parade to see the horses...
We passed the Cenotaph and made our way past the Houses of Parliament to the Embankment. We still had an hour before we were due to board our river cruise so we popped into The Princess of Wales pub near Charing Cross for a glass of wine. It made sense to order a bottle between the four of us and it was great to sit and relax for half an hour in the busy pub.
Before long, it was time to board the Bateaux cruises for our afternoon tea! We had a fantastic view over the Thames...
The afternoon tea was very pleasant, indeed! We had a table right next to a large picture window which gave us a great view of all the sights including the London Eye, the Shard, the Globe Theatre and Cleopatra's Needle to name just a few. Our meal started with a choice of teas (I went for English Breakfast) followed by sandwiches. We enjoyed cheese and cucumber, ham and smoked salmon and there was plenty to go around. After the sandwiches we were given freshly made warm scones with clotted cream and jam, macaroons, doughnuts, mini lemon meringe pies and chocolate eclairs. Delicious!
Our lovely glass teapots were regularly refilled and by the time we returned to our starting point we were all stuffed! I would definitely recommend the trip!
www.bateauxlondon.com
We all waddled off the boat and made our way to the Underground at Westminster. From here, Lynda wanted to go to Harrods so we decided to catch the train but had a nasty experience when Andrea became trapped in the doors. The platform was so busy with people the whole journey was very unpleasant and as we all tried to get on, the doors shut, almost trapping her between them. We told her how many stops it was to Knightsbridge, but she managed to get off even though she nearly became trapped again. It was a frightening experience.
We all agreed that the Underground was horrible - it was stiflingly hot and crowded beyond belief. It was lovely to get back up to ground level and be cool again as we walked to the famous store. Our first stop was a loo break and we passed the Champagne bar on the way, with several people sitting on stools and enjoying a glass or two. Lovely! It reminded me very much of KaDeWe in Berlin where Keith and I enjoyed a glass of champagne once, as a treat.
I noticed a glass cabinet with a Boodles necklace...
Sophie and I had watched a television series about Boodles earlier in the year and it was great to see one of their pieces. The sapphires and diamonds were beautiful!
On the way to the Food Hall I gasped at the prices of two cashmere jumpers - one was £950 which I found unbelievable, but another was £1350! Who in their right mind would pay that for an item of clothing?!
In the Food Hall, Lynda and Fiona bought a couple of Christmas presents and we had a good look at the fresh fruit and vegetables which didn't look real, it was all so perfect...and with perfect prices too!
Rather than go back down to the Underground we caught a taxi to Shaftesbury Avenue which was lovely, albeit a tad costly at £20. Still, it was worth it as by now we were all a bit weary and it was great to ride in comfort to the theatre. The traffic was horrendous and our driver took us along a short cut through Bond Street and Regent Street which were crammed with shoppers.
The Palace Theatre (built in 1891) is beautiful and in the bar we admired the lovely marble everywhere. We enjoyed a glass of wine before the show and ordered another bottle for the interval. We had great seats in the Dress Circle but a couple of women a few rows in front of us were determined to spoil the show for those around them. They had a small girl with them and had obviously been drinking heavily before and during the show. In the second half all of them were escorted out of the theatre and peace reigned once more!
The show was very good indeed and at the end we were all on our feet clapping, singing and dancing along with the music. We emerged into the night at 10pm and with the aid of Andrea's phone, found the nearest Underground. Even though it was late the streets were still crammed with people and bars and restaurants were doing a brisk trade. Does London ever sleep?
We had an uneventful journey back to Euston and then made it onto the 22.34 train back to Northampton. Sophie texted me to say that her and Keith were at the station and it was heaven to sit in the car and be driven home! We dropped Lynda off and then it was back to have a quiet drink and a slice of Keith's chocolate cheesecake before bed!
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