Friday 15th March
Term finished on Thursday lunchtime so there was plenty of time to haul the gear down to the car once I’d finished work and deliberation on which coats and boots to take were completed!
Patsy was locked and loaded by 10:30am however Google Maps predicted lighter than usual traffic, particularly along the Purley Way, so I sat, all hitched up for quite a while until deciding to depart at 11:15am. I didn’t want to arrive early and there is nowhere to park up near the site, the only option being to traverse the local streets, not something I was keen on doing.
As it was I arrived at 1:01pm and was warmly greeted by wardens Maria and John, who I have got to know well, through Sandra.
The motor mover was proving somewhat awkward and I ended up pushing Patsy most of the way onto the pitch, fortunately no side to side levelling was required – not perfect but near enough.
Sandra:
I was really looking forward to a few days break in London, it had been a while and we had some good things in the pipeline. First though, I had to get to Euston and, as many readers will know, this is no mean feat and at the mercy of a train company well, I could go on ... However, I am happy to report that my direct service both ran, on time and had a buffet car!! Shock wasn’t the half of it! Equally, my usual assistance with boarding, seating and luggage etc. worked great. Euston has got passenger assistance down to a T and never fail.
Richard had advised that he was running late and I might have a wait. So I was both surprised and delighted as the electric buggy rounded the corner to see a beaming Richard waiting. There is a great lounge to wait in though so would not have been an issue. As Richard will explain, a slightly slow start to return to site but we made good time.
Legs down, power on then I made my way over to Euston to meet Sandra who would be joining me for a few days. The journey back required a bit of a diversion as the lifts and escalators for the southbound platforms at Euston where out of use.
Back at the ‘van I continued to set up while Sandra made a cuppa. We were conscious of time as would be heading to Bromley later for a play. Soon it became clear however that there was an issue with the water system, the pump cycling every few minutes for a few seconds. Looking outside revealed a steady drip of water from the front of the ‘van. Great.
The problem was easily identified and soon sorted. The water inlet faceplate has an additional outlet for an exterior shower, fed via and adaptor that connects to the inlet after the water filter.
It was leaking from the feed to the shower point, dripping down and along to the front of the ‘van. Having had a reminder via YouTube of caravan water connectors work the adaptor was removed and the caravan system connected straight to the filter. I watched nervously as Sandra flipped the switch to the pump but all was good. A plethora of cloths were used to dry the area as much as possible and the hatch left open to help everything dry out.
In the end the fix didn’t take long but we’d already decided to forego the theatre just in case and instead had a pleasant evening in front of the telly. Dinner was batched cooked cottage pie which went down very well indeed.
Public transport used:
Bus 3 to Brixton UG to Euston, 18 to Warren St, UG to Brixton, 3 to CP.
Saturday 16th March
A decent day, weather wise but we’d deliberately kept it free to relax. There was a short outing though, down the hill to Sydenham. Enriched by a switch fee from changing banks I decided to buy a new telly for the ‘van and a click and collect from Argos was organised. Back at the ‘van I enjoyed setting it up and was delighted that it could play my hard drive loaded with TV and films direct rather than via the laptop and a long HDMI lead. Both Patsy’s telly and the one at home are ancient in tech terms and distinctly ‘un-smart’. This was a new experience although I fear I’ll get used to it and want to replace the one at home, which in every other respect, is fine.
Sandra:
Well, boys and their toys.... you get the picture! The old TV worked fine but the improvement was particularly noteworthy and not having to use the laptop was great.
A lazy afternoon and evening ensued. It was good to just chill. Sandra got to sample my fish pie – the first time I’d cooked such a thing – and was suitably impressed. It was good to be able to share the fruits of my labours again, after prepping it over a video call the previous weekend.
Sandra:
Yes, we had made fish pie and even over the Internet, I could see how well it had gone. I was not, nor did I expect to be disappointed. Indeed the exact opposite! It was truly delicious and a fitting testament to Richard’s culinary skills.
Public transport used:
202 to Sydenham, 450 to CP.
Sunday 17th March
Back at Battersea Power Station today since first visiting last October. However it was a first for Sandra and additionally we’d booked Lift 109, which takes you up one of the iconic chimneys. It’s actually two lift rides, the first to the top of the building then swapping to a circular lift which takes you right to the top, popping out like a chimney sweeps brush and giving 360 degree views of London.
You don’t get out of the lift but stay at the top for around 15 minutes giving plenty of opportunities for lens clicking. A fantastic experience, a very smooth ride to the top but slightly unnerving when you first arrive at the top. Thoroughly recommended though.
Sandra:
I had been wanting to visit here for while since my friends John and Maria paid a visit not long after it opened. The newly opened chimney lift was an added bonus. Lifts and escalators are everywhere and made for an enjoyable visit. You must book ahead for the lift part and the disabled access lift is a separate booking too.
Suffice it to say it is a very slick operation, the obligatory souvenir shop on the way out and overall a very memorable occasion. Hold on to your credit cards though, the shopping arcades are full of designer shops and labels! A few cafes and restaurants complete the offer and the rest is given over to private and presumably very expensive accommodation.
We eschewed returning direct to site but instead took the riverboat west to Putney. I particularly enjoyed the throb – ahem – of the powerful diesel engines when the captain opened the throttle, the screaming turbos providing ideal accompaniment for those that like that sort of thing.
A little further up from the landing stage were the boat yards from where the Oxford & Cambridge crews enter the water for the annual boat race.
Back at the van I rustled up a simple corned beef hash for dinner before more TV. Patsy’s on board mobile WiFi was working well, easily streaming the catch-up services available on the new telly, it was already proving a worthwhile investment. The water leak aside, Patsy didn’t seem to have suffered from her longest rest since I’ve owned her. Everything was working well, nothing had fallen off or worked loose. She was repaying my faith in here when I forked out for the new front panel last year. At 16 I expect a few strops but I think she will be good for a while yet. Just as well!
Sandra:
It was a difficult period of time but it was good to see that the new front was doing its job and repaying Richard’s faith in Patsy.
Public transport used:
Bus 417 to Telford Ave, 137 to Battersea, Riverboat to Putney, 85 to Putney Stn, 37 to Brixton, 3 to CP.
Monday 18th March
We headed first to Hatton Garden, recoiling at some of the prices of the merchandise but also to see where the famous heist took place.
I confess to an ulterior motive to this as just off Hatton Garden through a passageway is the delightful Ye Old Mitre, a cracking pub that always serves a good pint, and so it proved on this occasion too.
Sandra:
Again , having seen various films and TV series about this, I wanted to see where it had happened. I think the normality of the area was what struck me most, obviously the goods being sold are not your usual fruit and veg but they are shops nonetheless. We had a good old window shop, remarking on size, cost and type of gemstones used. They ranged from delicate, elegant and timeless to some items which would have looked better on a boxer, such was the size! A couple of shops didn’t even have prices and we both agreed that if we had to ask, well we couldn’t afford it.
The pub was quaint and had a very interesting history as befits such an establishment. It was good to hear the landlord explaining to an American gentleman how real ale is brought from the cellar to the hand pump in the bar. Its quite an exacting procedure.
Next up was the Royal Courts of Justice. I’d had vague notions of sitting in on a trial but a glance at the court lists suggested that most of the day was giving over to ceremonies for barristers making ‘silk’. Lots of smiling faces from suitably attired legal beagles and when we retired to the pub opposite it was clear more celebrations were in order. I liked the morning coat attire worn by the ushers too, very traditional, formal and smart.
Sandra:
Another tick off of the list. The building is not as old as we both would have thought, built in the late 1800's I often have to remind myself that the Great Fire of London destroyed so many historic buildings, many of which were rebuilt.
After a forgettable meal at a Greedy – sorry – Greene – King pub we proceeded to the London Palladium for the main event of the day: ICONS, featuring the music of David Bowie.
As we sat waiting, after a visit to the bar of course, I thought about all the acts that had played here and remembered watching Sunday Night at the London Palladium on the telly back in the day.
This was no cheesy tribute act – no one was dressed like Bowie, the music was performed by a full orchestra led by Leo Green – who I must confess I’d never heard of. But the show was outstanding, there was a quartet of singers doing various songs and even before the interval the largely grey haired audience were up dancing in the aisles much to the horror of the ushers, keen to ensure ‘elf an sayfety’ guidelines were adhered too. The first half closed with Rebel Rebel, received ecstatically by the audience.
The second half included the song Let’s Dance – one of my favourites, produced with Nile Rogers. I fondly remembered Chic doing it the two times I’ve seen them live. A stomper and clear floor filler judging by the audience reaction.
The show closed with Under Pressure, superbly and powerfully delivered and, like the rest of the audience we departed with huge grins, it had been a cracking night. Watching musicians and singers at the top of their game is always a joy, a fabulous evening.
Sandra:
An absolutely fantastic evening, these performances, definitely not Tribute acts, are raising the bar very high indeed. Leo, son of the famous Benny Green, was a whirlpool of energy and must have had springs in his trainers, he never stood still! He has quite the musical pedigree and can make a saxophone literally sing. I don’t think The Palladium knew what to do!! However, a full house on a Monday night is not to be sniffed at. I do hope they will take it on tour.
Public transport used:
Bus 3 to Herne Hill, train to Farringdon, 341 to RCJ, 26 to Trafalgar Square, 12 to London Palladium, 159 to IWM, 3 to CP.