London weekends: 06 & 07 June 2015

Saturday

A day out in London with Clan Russell, featuring the Changing the Guard and the London Transport Museum.

Sunday

Tickets

London weekend tickets: London Transport Museum, Saturday; Santander Cycles, Sunday

London weekends: 09 & 10 May 2015

Saturday

Sunday

London weekends: 25 & 26 April 2015

Not strictly London, but the earthquake in Nepal became the focus this weekend, with emails to/from/about Val.

In other news….

Saturday

  • Breakfast at Trade, near Spitalfields Market – excellent. Tasty menu, and lovely relaxed service. We’ll be back.
  • Home via Leyden St Cotswold Outdoor for a crampon-friendly-yet-trekkable boot mooch. Maybe the Women’s Rebel Lite GTX, the spec and fit are spot on…. but pink?!?! Am I supposed to dress up as a sugar plum fairy before I don crampons for the Cordillera Blanca Traverse? And ‘Rebel’ – really?
  • Curzon Mondrian (in the former Sea Containers House) for While We’re Young – 1.10pm showing ticket cost £8 in contrast to the new Curzon Bloomsbury (Renoir as was)’s £18 ticket for the same film, same(ish – still afternoon) time. Each. What on earth? Meanwhile, in the Mondrian we were the only people in their brand new cinema. Comfy seats. Decidedly non kid – perfect.
  • Across the Thames and into Covent Garden to visit Cotswold Outdoor branch there. Boots purchased. Superb service from Ca’tia.
  • Home to follow news of the awful earthquake in Nepal. Twitter #NepalEarthquake provided an invaluable source.

Sunday

  • Coffee at Bar Italia – by Boris Barclays Bike Santander Cycles (Ah, the alliteration is strong in this one)
  • Back to base for Waitrose shop and a day at the computer.
  • Marathon? What marathon?

London weekends: 18 & 19 April 2015

As Samuel Johnson said, When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life.

So I’ve decided to start keeping track of how I spend my London weekends.

Saturday

Sunday

Canals and Cafes, Parks and (Very Nice) People

…. aka a very fine way to spend a sunny Saturday morning and early afternoon, as the photos attest.

Up early, Phil and I set off to walk to the Counter Cafe by way of Regents Canal and the Hertford Union Canal.

Acton's Lock No 7, Regents Canal
Acton’s Lock No 7, Regents Canal

A mite chilly to begin with, but once the sun built up a bit of oomph in the clear blue skies the day warmed up, and by the time we got to the Counter Cafe we opted to sit outside on their floating deck, admiring the reworking of the Olympic Stadium on the other side of the Lee Navigation. Yippee!

Russell and Arthur joined us, and we tucked into good coffee and even better breakfasts. Not the cheapest, but veeeery tasty.

Breakfasts at the Counter Cafe
Breakfasts at the Counter Cafe

A stroll around the recently opened Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park followed, in the company of Matt Sheret. Lots of wild flower planting and new trees surround the scaled back sports arenas, repurposed Olympic buildings and new Park accoutrements including a climbing wall, fountains and playground. It’s weird to see large new roads routing through the middle of spaces I last visited on foot during the Olympics – although that was almost 2 years ago. A nice (nostalgic? practical?) touch to name the new bus stops after nearby Olympic landmarks.

Commemorating the British Olympic Teams Medal Tally, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park
Commemorating the British Olympic Teams Medal Tally, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park

With the lure of ‘tea’, Matt led the way out of the Park to The Hackney Pearl where another excellent Americano each ensued, accompanied by Blueberry Yoghurt Loaf (me) and Baked Cheesecake (Phil).

Coffees and cake, The Hackney Pearl
Coffees and cake at The Hackney Pearl

Going our separate ways, Phil and I headed home via Victoria Park – lovely on an early summer’s day, the big open spaces contrasting with the crowds at Broadway Market and London Fields – then returning to our eastern edge of The City by way of Columbia Road and the hipster backstreets of Shoreditch.