"An eventful week, Gordon. An eventful week," mused Mum as she plodded manfully across the yard, headscarf battened firmly down and bowl of corn in her mitt.
"Jolly chilly wind, more snow and now rain again. And the forecast doesn't look too promising. You know, Gordon, this time last year was a positive heatwave. But perhaps it is a sign that we will have a hot summer."
I'll believe that when I see it!
"Anyway, as I was saying - eventful week. Last Saturday us Best Buddies from days of Yore met up in London for our reunion. It was well over a year ago that we all met last time. Doesn't time fly?"
It certainly does.
"Dad dropped me off at the station in good time. Lucky that, Gordon - as the station has been completely refurbished since I last went, and I couldn't actually find my way in. You could see the looks on the station peoples' faces as they saw me coming. 'Here comes trouble' flickered across them as I approached."
Yes - I know what they meant.
"I bought my ticket after a great deal of quizzing the nice man behind the counter - he was remarkably patient considering - and then studied the computerised board to see which platform I needed to be on. After a few minutes - even though there are only 4 platforms, I headed back to the nice man behind the counter - and would you credit it, Gordon? He said 3 before I had even asked him the question!"
Quelle surprise!
"I then waited slyly behind another gentleman to watch where he put his ticket - so as not to make a complete fool of myself -"
Of course.
"- And headed for the platform! So Mandy arrived on the train and I sprung in beside her and off we set for London!"
Sprung?
"We made good time Gordon - actually caught two Underground trains too - and met Aunty Bella and Pauline in Covent Garden at 11 o'clock. We walked to Trafalgar Square - the name commemorates the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805, a British naval victory of the Napoleonic Wars over France. A kind man took a photo of the four of us!"
"Jolly chilly wind, more snow and now rain again. And the forecast doesn't look too promising. You know, Gordon, this time last year was a positive heatwave. But perhaps it is a sign that we will have a hot summer."
I'll believe that when I see it!
"Anyway, as I was saying - eventful week. Last Saturday us Best Buddies from days of Yore met up in London for our reunion. It was well over a year ago that we all met last time. Doesn't time fly?"
It certainly does.
"Dad dropped me off at the station in good time. Lucky that, Gordon - as the station has been completely refurbished since I last went, and I couldn't actually find my way in. You could see the looks on the station peoples' faces as they saw me coming. 'Here comes trouble' flickered across them as I approached."
Yes - I know what they meant.
"I bought my ticket after a great deal of quizzing the nice man behind the counter - he was remarkably patient considering - and then studied the computerised board to see which platform I needed to be on. After a few minutes - even though there are only 4 platforms, I headed back to the nice man behind the counter - and would you credit it, Gordon? He said 3 before I had even asked him the question!"
Quelle surprise!
"I then waited slyly behind another gentleman to watch where he put his ticket - so as not to make a complete fool of myself -"
Of course.
"- And headed for the platform! So Mandy arrived on the train and I sprung in beside her and off we set for London!"
Sprung?
"We made good time Gordon - actually caught two Underground trains too - and met Aunty Bella and Pauline in Covent Garden at 11 o'clock. We walked to Trafalgar Square - the name commemorates the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805, a British naval victory of the Napoleonic Wars over France. A kind man took a photo of the four of us!"
Take 4 Girls with Major-General Sir Henry Havelock in the backgound
Sir Henry Have A Look?
"There was a huge Fountain - Harvest would have loved it! Do you know that at the beginning of last April they stopped all the water supply to the Fountains in Trafalgar Square? The Hosepipe Ban, Gordon - and you know what happened then!"
I sure do!
"Then there was the statue of Horatio Nelson - really high - and he had a pigeon on his head. Nelson was the vice admiral who commanded the British Fleet at Trafalgar. Of course there aren't many pigeons in Trafalgar Square now, Gordon. At one time there were 35,000. Too many. We only saw a brave handful, and you aren't allowed to feed them."
"There was a huge Fountain - Harvest would have loved it! Do you know that at the beginning of last April they stopped all the water supply to the Fountains in Trafalgar Square? The Hosepipe Ban, Gordon - and you know what happened then!"
I sure do!
"Then there was the statue of Horatio Nelson - really high - and he had a pigeon on his head. Nelson was the vice admiral who commanded the British Fleet at Trafalgar. Of course there aren't many pigeons in Trafalgar Square now, Gordon. At one time there were 35,000. Too many. We only saw a brave handful, and you aren't allowed to feed them."
 The main Fountain in the Square |  Nelson's Column |
"And I met this really nice Priest who gave me a Lollypop. He was either over 7 foot tall or standing on a plinth. But I wasn't going to peek under his Priesticles to check.
The High Priest aka The Lollypope
I don't think it was the new Pope Francis, Gordon. Although they do say he is a humble and generous soul, and apparently travels by public transport to work. I mean there were plenty of London buses around. A kindly being, we are told and not one to pontifficate."
Oh dear. Oh dear. Oh dear.
"So we went to a very nice hostelry nearby and ate and drank and talked. And talked. And talked. Until it was time to catch our trains homeward and we parted ways with fond farewells ---- until the next reunion!"
Oh dear. Oh dear. Oh dear.
"So we went to a very nice hostelry nearby and ate and drank and talked. And talked. And talked. Until it was time to catch our trains homeward and we parted ways with fond farewells ---- until the next reunion!"