Onto week 3
Tina McInerney
We returned to Romsey on Sunday, 17th and on Monday 18th we we were off to London. We stayed at the ROSL for the 2 nights which was pretty handy. It is in a great spot overlooking Green Park just off Piccadilly. Our first day, we went off to organise discount tickets for a show - Come from Away. Then we both went wandering around the town. The lights in the city were beautiful. Dinner was at the ROSL.
Next day, I went to the British Library for a tour of their treasures. I loved it - there was the first stamp printing machine, Jane Austen’s writing desk, 500 year old bibles, the Magna Carta and so on. It is amazing to see the novel Mrs Dalloway written out in longhand by the author, Virginia Woolf. There are hardly any crossing outs - how did they arrange their thoughts so well.
After that, I kept walking up to Islington High Street as I wanted to go to a particular cafe run by Yotam Ottolenghi. By the time I had walked there I was pretty happy to sit down and sample his menu and it was delicious food. After that, I went off for a walk back to an area called Camden Passage looking for a wool shop. I follow the shop on Instagram but after all this time and walking it was a bit of a waste of time so I have unfollowed them! It was a disappointment! On the way though I found 2 interesting things - the house where George Orwell lived for a few years and also the house where Caroline Chisholm lived. Of course I wouldn’t have found these gems if I didn’t have Matthew’s bool, London City Secrets’ tucked under my arm. It is the best book for London. My book was last published in 2011 and I don’t think they will update it. Not that these secrets will go out of date any time soon considering how long most of them have been part of the London scene.
That night Dad and I went off to see the show ‘Come From Away’ and we loved it. It was a story about the people on the planes which were diverted to Newfoundland during the time of 9/11. It was a musical with a difference. The next day we did something. I can’t remember what except that we caught the train back to Romsey.
Thursday, Tony went off to play golf with Roger Lillie while I met Roger’s wife, Margaret for lunch. The next activity was turning on the lights in Romsey which happens after a Christmas Float Parade. There is great excitement.
Not many photos: