London and back

So many steps! London is just so big, the steps add up in no time. My solo just for fun London trip started a bit rushed, I had to catch an earlier train because Avanti West Coast cancelled the one I booked. They left it late to tell me, 90 minutes before my scheduled train and 35 minutes before the alternative they suggested. My lucky stars were aligned: a taxi came quickly, there was not much traffic and I even found a free seat. I got to London an hour early, found my hotel and marvelled at the size of my room, which had about the same dimensions as our bathroom. Cosy, clean and modern, a good choice actually. After dropping my bag I went for a long walk in Regents Park to enjoy the evening sun and to stretch my legs after a long train journey. 

Friday morning I got up bright and early to go to the Stitch Festival. The queues were going round the block but moved fast. I would say 95% women and many wearing patterns I recognised with fabric I recognised. I told myself I must be mad to come all the way to London for a bit of fabric admiration. But I got over myself quickly and almost immediately bumped into the stall of my all time favourite fabric shop, Guthrie & Ghani. After a quick chat and a promise to be back I went in search of coffee because I needed to be fully caffeinated for a this experience. Then I did a full tour of the exhibition hall and spotted several more stalls of fabric shops and pattern designers I only knew online. The Fabric Godmother, Clothkits, Tilly & the Buttons, the Friday Pattern Company and many more that I had never heard off. 

I went back to Guthrie & Ghani and bought a Sewing Society kit I had my eyes on for a while and also some of their exclusive fabric. Hannah and Rosie from the shop were as nice as I had imagined them to be. Their customer service is always outstanding, they once helped Richard find an alternative fabric to one on my wish list, which had sold out. Just a shame I forgot to bring my gift vouchers because I completely blew my budget. I also bought fabric from the Fabric Godmother and I had a good look at some of the fabrics I haven been coveting online. They produce such nice fabric lines, often quirky, never boring. I stopped at a stall with African wax fabrics for a wee chat and it turns out the lady who ran the stall grew up in Blantyre, where I bought African wax fabric on the market. I have still not cut into this because it is too beautiful. I stopped by a crazy stall that had tons of good value fabrics. I talked to former Sewing Bee contestants and got some good tips for fabric shopping in Glasgow. Apparently it is all happening on the Southside, where I rarely pass through. I felt worn out after about three hours and took leave. Carrying a heavy bag of beautiful fabrics that will see me through the Apocalypse. 

The festival was in Islington so I took the chance to explore this neighbourhood. I found a tiny greengrocers with tempting strawberries. I decided to do my retail therapy in Islington, as both shops  I had planned to visit had branches there. Uniqlo and Anthropologie if you are curious. I bought two plain t-shirts in Uniqlo then later regretted that I had not bought one in each colour. After this, it was only 3 pm and I decided to put my feet up for a bit before going into Central London for a dance performance. I planned a stop at Liberty’s because it would be a shame not to visit (no purchases). I enjoyed tacos for dinner, with a Margherita. I quite enjoy dining out on my own, with just my thoughts for company, and The Guardian. Although of course no good news stories to read. 

At the Royal Opera, I treated myself to a glass of wine at the bar and ended up chatting to a nice couple and an Italian woman who was like me, on her own. It was a most enjoyable conversation about so many different topics, I felt totally invigorated by it. The dance performance was unusual, baroque music combined with modern dance. I love the music and movement but it took a few minutes to get used to the huffing and puffing, I was that close to the stage! After the show, which finished at 9 pm I was pooped and went straight to the hotel. 

For Saturday, I had booked tickets for the zoo. I think the last time I visited London Zoo was before the now teens came to live with us. I am in awe of the gorillas, when you gaze into their eyes, you can see we are cousins. It is humbling to see them. We should treat gorilla habitats with more care so none have to live in captivity. I passed through the lions enclosures just in time for feeding. The carcasses offered were bigger than Jack, for sure. I visited the tropical rainforest aviary, which I love because the birds are all around and their songs are beautiful. I also visited the butterfly house, which is an all time favourite. One settled on my head, attracting lots of attention. I left the zoo with some sadness. Not because I had to leave but because we people are destroying the planet, more and more quickly, bringing many species of animals to the brink of extinction. 

I decided to pop back into Central London to get more Uniqlo t-shirts (I have four now), making sure to have enough time for the Welcome Collection opposite Euston station. I love this place, it is free, has a lovely cafe, a good shop and always excellent exhibitions. If you are travelling from Euston, take the time to visit, even if it is just to pick up a nice sandwich and slice of cake for your train journey. All made fresh on the premises and so much better than any meal deals you can pick up at the station. I spent the train journey back to Glasgow doing a bit of work and watching downloaded TV programmes.

All in all, a good trip! I have a couple more London trips planned for work, maybe I can include a show or two, and a bit of retail therapy. 

Better still, I have enough photos of at least one more post! Thanks for visiting 😊