Went down to London between 29-31 May, just before the big Diamond Jubilee shindig for the old Queen doing 60 years on the job. Great weather (which they didn't get for the actual Jubilee itself) and did all the usual touristy things that I never did during the 5 years I actually lived there: Big Bus, River Cruise (a freebie from the Big Bus ticket), Shakespeare's Globe (a rip-off) and theatre (Wicked). Found a good hotel in Bayswater called the The Cleveland Hotel London at 39-40 Cleveland Square, just down from Paddington station. Good value and room included a small kitchen area to make breakfast and whatever. Total £255 quid via ebookers, paid in advance. Fi loves Old Londra and I'm always happy to re-live it through her eyes.
By the time we got back the Sad Boys (Tomaz, Ian Sweet and Rene) where already esconsed in Edinburgher. I joined them on Friday early afternoon. I hung in there gamely until about 3am, when I collapsed in a George Street nightclub and had to get ferryed to the hotel on the back of a rickshaw in a tired and emotional state.
Next day, at Sweetie's insistence, we ended up at Musselburgh races. 25 quid in and another 15 down the drain on useless nags. Good day out though, beered up and fun watching them all toff about in their finerey.
Watched elements of the Jubilee stuff on the telly. Felt sorry for them on the Thames on the flotilla in miserable cold weather and driving rain - must have been maddening after several weeks of fabulous weather. The old Queen is a right miserable old grump though: oddly blank and characterless, with no obvious personality and a face that most of the time looks like a bulldog licking piss off a thistle.
As usual Scotland was very tepid about the jubilee, though London had gone mad. Despite that, a few brave souls put bunting up a round their houses and somebody even decorated the lamposts.
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