Friday, the 1pm train to St Pancras is cancelled so we have to catch a local train to Doncaster, then take an East Coast Mainland train to King's Cross. We get there in less than two hours and London is even warmer than Sheffield... Into the underground rail system... Hammersmith and City Line to Edgware Road... An American woman drops her Oyster Travel Card as she leaves the train and it drops onto the track. She tells me she had paid £200 for it that very day. We wait till she has found a member of staff to help her... Then on to The District Line to West Brompton... We walk along Lillie Road and stop at a toy shop... Buy Zachary a wooden spinning top, a "Playmobil" human figure with a dinosaur and an inflatable banana... Ian is bringing Zach along their street in his pushchair... He has been at nursery school all day...Ian makes us a wonderful vegan Caesar salad with mushrooms, tofu and homemade wholewheat croutons followed by Sarah's lovely rhubarb crumble... I visit the nearby "Bedford Arms" for the first time... two pints of "London Pride" then back...
(Take a breath)
Saturday - Shirley and I walk to "The Half Moon Cafe" on Fulham Palace Road for brunch while Zach is having his midday nap...We spot "Core Femme" outside Charing Cross Hospital...Later 74 bus to Bishop's Park... There's a sandy beach there and children's playgrounds. Local people having outdoor time with their kids... Nearby The River Thames flows and we go up the bank to see it. There's a nice breeze as a team of eight rowers go by on their way to Putney Bridge... We buy some supplies from "Costcutter" then it's back to Ian's house... Evening meal for Zach, then bathtime and bed... All weekend Zach has been saying "pider" - pider, pider, pider because he has been shown one and it really interests him but also "moth" for two or three moths are resting on the ceiling... Maybe he will be an entomologist... Ian orders a Lebanese meal which is delivered after half an hour... Lovely wraps and tabbouleh with hummus, babu ganesh and flatbreads... I watch Trump on television saluting his birthday parade - a guy who dodged the draft for heaven's sake and his sidekick Angry Hegseth looking like a clown who is out of his depth...
Sunday morning toast and coffee... I opt to remain out back in the sunshine reading my book while they hot foot it to the Waitrose in Chelsea for more vital supplies... I doze and when I open my eyes they are back... It's Father's Day and Ian makes a lovely vegan brunch with roasted tomatoes and chick peas plus a tofu version of scrambled egg with sourdough toast... Goodbyes then bus back to West Brompton... Tube back to St Pancras where it is chaotic getting on the 15.32 train back to the land we call Up North... Delighted to bag two seats in Coach B and we rattle along home - Shirley knitting and me reading... Kettering, Leicester, Loughborough and Derby... Sheffield buses along Ecclesall Road are in short supply so we spot a taxi and climb aboard...£10...then cheese on toast before I catch my bus to "The Hammer and Pincers" quiz... The word of the weekend is definitely "pider" (Adult English: spider)...
Sounds like a good time was had by all!
ReplyDeleteThe word of the weekend was busy. You had a good time with good food, family and travel.
ReplyDeleteHappy Father's Day to you, Neil.
ReplyDeleteThat was a trip!!
ReplyDeletePider.
You had a lovely weekend! My cat caught a pider just now ... and ate it.
ReplyDeleteThat was a busy weekend, but very satisfying I'm sure. Glad you two got home safe and sound. The three of us are heading to the mountains tomorrow for a five days. Jack is beside himself with excitement.
ReplyDeleteIt all sounds perfectly wonderful, except for the tofu version of scrambled eggs.
ReplyDeleteNice - sounds like a gran weekend, and a very civilised way to spend fathering sunday..... 'ow much were thee london pints? Were they flat as farts?
ReplyDeleteA whirlwind trip, full of fun and family.
ReplyDeleteYou had a wonderful time visiting family and savouring the delights of London. And you even managed to get to the local quiz on time as well. Trains seem to be acting up more lately. My daughter went up to London the weekend before you did and had problems of cancelled trains both there and back.
ReplyDeleteI bet you played with the spinning top as well. Was it fun? We could all club together to get one for your birthday.
ReplyDeleteSome mouthwatering meals there! Tabouleh is one of my standard dishes in the warmer months; I made one for us the weekend before last and will most likely make another batch for this coming weekend, when it is supposed to be warm again (although not quite as hot as the past weekend).
ReplyDeleteYour mention of trains reminds me that I haven't yet booked our trains between London and Harrogate. There is still time, but I can get better prices the earlier I book.
Incy Wincy Pider.
ReplyDeleteA quick and wonderful weekend, surrounded by love.
ReplyDeleteYes. I need to buy some bulgur wheat and make some tabouleh. I have made it with quinoa before and that was good too.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you got to spend some time with Pider Man. Perhaps he will be a entomologist.
I hope you and Mrs. P. are getting some much needed rest after that whirlwind adventure.
Sounds like a fun, relaxing weekend of family time! Isn't this weather great? I'm loving it.
ReplyDeletePiders are my friends and I never do them harm if I can help it.
Good summary of your busy weekend, it reads like a "fast forward" of a video :)
ReplyDeleteA nice way to celebrate Father's Day. Sounds like you enjoyed it.
ReplyDeleteA busy weekend
ReplyDeleteA happy weekend with your loved ones
ReplyDeleteSeeing your mention of Kettering made me smile. I live in Kettering, Ohio (pronounced Kett-er-ing) and your Kettering and mine are Sister Cities. My Kettering is named after Charles F. Kettering, who invented the self-starter and had many other inventions that were instrumental in the evolution of the modern automobile.
ReplyDelete