After a break from writing I’ve decided to pick up my pen- or in this case my finger and write about our current mini London trip. It’s slightly more challenging writing on my phone than typing on my laptop or iPad so apologies for mishaps!!! We have had an amazing busy summer since our fabulous family trip to New York for our grandson’s bar mitzvah! Spending time at the beautiful Norfolk coast enjoying the fabulous weather. A London trip for my birthday in August. The show ‘Moulin Rouge’ was the highlight, thoroughly recommended especially as we upgraded our booking by enjoying champagne & cheeseboard Pre show and interval. http://www.moulinrougemusical.co.uk. London again for our daughters 50th & granddaughters 21st just days after the Queens funeral. London was still awash with floral tributes and a busy London felt strangely proud but calm. Late September also brought a day trip for Joolia & myself to Sheffield to enjoy a brief lunch with Aspen on her actual birthday. Aspen is at Sheffield uni studying nursing. It was great to meet her flat mates & put faces to the names. I gave up alcohol from 30th September to 30th October hoping to improve my health as a little scare shook me up! So on to this current trip to the ‘smoke’ primarily for our businesses buying groups – a two day AGM. We decide to go a day early to avoid any train strikes. A leisurely start to the day we take the 11am train to Liverpool Street. The train is on time & we reach London at 1pm. We tube straight to our Kensington hotel, our room is ready so we check in , unpack and refresh before heading out to find a spot for lunch. As it’s raining we don’t venture too far & find a little independent type restaurant called Zuaga. https://zuaya.co.uk/. Beautiful decor & delicious South American tapas type food. Some of the tastiest food I’ve ever had. Leaving the restaurant feeling relaxed and rather merry we walked to the tube station and headed for Embankment the nearest stop to our theatre for the evening. We have an allotted time to enter the theatre of 6.15. As we are early Roger finds an excuse to pop into the Princess of Wales pub for another bit of research! This is a lively bar but we find a perch and wile away an hour or so. Then on to London Playhouse & KitKat club for our experience this evening! http://Www.Kitkat.club. Similar to Moulin Rouge strictly no photography allowed not that you have any free hands for your phone. We queue a few minutes at the stage door as instructed and dead on 6.15 we are allowed in, single file , bags searched we go down some stairs and into a narrow corridor & cellar passage way. A heavily made up female appears at a wicket window and hands us a shot of snaps as we pass along still moving. We then enter a cavern type bar, dimly lit and colourful, we are entertained by scantily dressed dancers of all sexes if I’m allowed to say that?? It’s difficult to dec as they all have such long false eyelashes causing a draught !! The music is lively jazzy making you bounce on to the next room/bar, so many different little rooms it feels like a secret priest holes. Musicians of all sizes playing various instruments from accordions to flute, sax, violin. One room had a cage built on top of the bar and dancing girls & boys with practically nothing on jigger and jive energetically! It’s very entertaining! Eventually we see the signs and find out seats. It’s a circular stage with seating all around. Some people still having supper& waiters are circulating taking drinks orders & bringing them to your table. I wish I could take photos but it’s strictly forbidden, they put a sticker over your phone camera on entry! The performance was great. We loved it. I won’t spoil it in case you readers wish to go see it We highly recommend it! Sadly the cast changed recently so we missed Eddie Redmain but the new cast were fabulous. After the performance we walked around Covent Gardrn and eventually caught the tube back to out hotel around midnight.Exhausted.
Next morning we sauntered into breakfast finding Other Norwich Inns members who also arrived early. A walk after breakfast we joined friends and walked in Kensington gardens. Back at the hotel we meet fellow members for our first Jolly of the AGM! Secretary Craig instructs us to meet in reception as the coach will leave at 3.30 promptly. Our treats are always a surprise only being told what to wear and where to meet. I’m first at the coach outside the hotel giving myself time to stroll . The driver asked me if I’m the party going to the races??? So the secret is out but I keep it to myself in case it’s one of Craig’s ‘red herrings’! Slowly we make our way to wards Heathrow airport! We pass Twickenham Stadium, Kew Gardens, Fullers Brewery fellow passengers trying to guess our destination . Eventually we arrive at Kempton Park racecourse for an evening meeting. We are in the Dessert Orchard hospitality room. Great views of the course. My friend Carol is very excited as she discovers a horse she had shared in is running. Norwich Inns Sponsors a race which is all televised! I have no idea about horse racing it’s not something I’d go out if my way to do but I thoro enjoyed the eve especially as Roger & I had a few wins! Thanks to help from a friend wink wink!!! Back at the hotel we have one more drink in the piano bar , others favoured the Goat pub opposite , some retire sensibly!
Wednesday is our AGM meeting. As only one vote per business is allowed I left Roger to attend the meeting and stayed in my room updating this blog and clearing emails. Showered and ready for our Second surprise called ‘Afternoon Delight’ we are instructed again ‘smart casual with a coat as there’s a short walk’!! Also the tube drivers are on strike so we have to walk back to the hotel after lunch! The meeting is due to finish at around midday, we need to be ready for transport at 1pm.
Liquid Tales 