Clare told me ages ago to book our birthday off1 and the day off after and she would sort something. I suspected there would be an overnight, or at least a night out, but did not know what. Then with the train strike landing on the actual day she had to let me know, the plan was London, hotel is booked, but can we still do it? She had already happily decided yes, yes we can, if we stay the night before too. Then we can still get into London on the 26th, not have to worry about travel on the 27th, and then hopefully go home again on the 28th when it's settling down again. And not have to cross picket lines or anything. So London is all on! Now how to get there the day before? I don't have the day off and I'm a bit busy to book it and we'd only be travelling up fairly late in the day anyway. So I decided to do an extra day in the office, so headed in this morning2. This did mean getting up early, so in theory going to bed early. As it was going to be a two day trip I got a taxi instead of leaving the car at the station.
Busy day at work, Tuesdays are very meeting heavy. Odd being the only one in the office. There are other people from other teams sat in our area, but I've only seen one person I know to speak to all day. Got a treat Ethiopian mixed box for lunch but I was done quite quickly and back to work, so I can try and get away early. Doesn't look like I will get away too early though as the meetings are still going and I have a little wrapping up to do.
Two friends are probing me as to where I am staying tonight, I would not imagine they are really planning to gatecrash, but you never know. Are they trying to trash my hotel room?3
I walked to Old Street after work. Did not get off quite as quickly as I'd hoped4 but Clare and the boys had not been in long. They had checked into the Premier Inn and the boys were already being a bit hectic in the room. They go crazy for the bolster that they have on the second bed in the room that makes it a day bed / sofa thing. So I got them out as quickly as we could and we went to a nearby Brewdog bar. It's good because Clare likes it, and they are happy to let the kids in, even when it's busy. They had a big stack of games so we had great fun playing Obama Llama and thinking about dinner. We took a tube one stop to Angel, not just for the longest escalator in London, but for a Franco Manca pizza. Hadn't been to one for ages, I always ask if we can and usually get voted down. It was quiet in this one, but pizza was tasty. Isn't everything so expensive at the moment though? Really noticing it. After there, back to the hotel. Clare and thing one went to the bar while I settled thing two into bed, then they returned and I ran out to look for another pub. Walked around the hotel, looked in one place that had just called last orders but didn't look good enough to stay. Eventually found my way back to The Old Fountain5, one I'd enjoyed before, been in there a couple of times I think. I ordered two halves to try a couple of different things and then started to wonder about the odd glasses I'd been given. Were they just far away? Aren't they a bit small? I took them back to the bar, yes, they're third glasses not halves, but I definitely have only been charged for thirds. Then the bar person who actually served me spoke up and said no, it was their mistake. I don't suppose they were trying it on, I think it was an honest mistake. I like it there, I would go back.
A rush around to try and find some water to take back to the room. I saw people queueing at a doorway between shops where I suppose there was some kind of secret bar, I definitely didn't notice there being anything there when we walked past earlier.
The TV in the room came on randomly in the night, no-one slept very well. I was awake early enough to think I should have brought my running gear, but then didn't wake up properly and get up until half nine. And so begins my fifties...
Paul Clarke's blog - I live in Hythe in the deep South. Wed to Clare + father to 2, I am a full stack web engineer, + I do js / nodejs, some ruby, python, php ect ect. I like pubs, parkrun, eating, home automation + other diy stuff, history, genealogy, TV, squirrels, pirates, lego, + TIME TRAVEL.