London fun

Oooh! What a lot of fun there is to be had in London when tis Big Kev Walsh's birthday!

Drinking at The George (crazy sideways pub) at London Bridge, then Malaysian dinner at ridiculously posh restaurant, then back to the George, then home by coach (OK, that bit wasn't so much fun). And Man Oh Man have I ever missed those guys so much! To think that a big bunch of us used to go out like that a couple of times a week. Now it's a few times a year if we're lucky.

So: Paula & Stu - Present & much missed, having not seen or spoken to them since the wedding, Big Kev - Usual fantastic self, Ian and Sue - fleetingly glimpsed but an unexpected treat, Jools & Sylv - ditto, but we're probably seeing them at the end of the month, Flo - same old fruity self (very drunk, bless him!) and some goob managed to make the mistake of asking him about Salman Rushdie - made even worse by the fact that she was a pretty girl - poor thing couldn't get away! And Spuddie - a complete delight. I've missed that girl so much! We spent a good couple of hours in the corner of the pub catching up, and have now got lots of semi plans in gear for meeting up in future weekends. All in all then, a success.

The tube was slightly weird - we haven't been to London since Jools' birthday party in June (and thusly haven't been on London Public Transport since The Incedent) so we were a bit nervous using it for the first time today, and I've never seen tube trains and stations so empty before in my life. Bless, the bombs seem to have hit Smokey's Tourist Trade really hard. And, by Gum, I was struck again on our trips into and out of the capital by just how breathtakingly beautiful the Houses of Parliament are. Day and night, they just shine, and the reflection of ornate gold shimmers on the Thames... People of the world! Go to London, right now, and stand and point at Big Ben (Hitherto to be known as Captain Tick Tock) and go 'Oooh... pretty.'

Go!

Now!

I command it!

Dance, my little puppets of mayhem, dance!!!!

Anyhoo, I'm tired and drunk and it really is time for my beddy now, so I'm going to go.

(no subject)

A hardcore lay-in for the lads was enjoed by both Hubs and self today. Half past twelve. Well done us!

Forgot yesterday a classic piece of bizzare conversation with Kev while trying to find the pub from the station:

Me: (rings Kevin)
Kev: Hiya Gabs, where are you?
Me: Outside London Bridge station. There's a Lloyds on our right and an HSBC on our left.
Kev: Hmmm. (There are obviously rather a lot of banks in London, so my description hasn't helped.) So you're on the High Street?
Me: I think so.
Kev: Right. You need to walk away from the water.
Me: Eh? (this is particularly confusing since it is raining and thusly there is water everywhere)
Kev: The river. Walk away from the river.
Me: (craning head for sight of the Thames, seeing nothing but buildings) I don't know where the river is! (sees familiar Vibrator shaped skyscraper through a gap in the buildings) Ooh, I can see the Gherkin, though.
Kev: OK then, walk away from the Gherkin. We're on the left.

You see, that's why I love London so. It's a town where 'walk away from the Gherkin' is actually a useful direction, and not the gibberish that it should be.

My hairdryer has died for no reason. It was very old, I suppose. *sigh* Sunrise, sunset...