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London, United Kingdom

The last few days have been spent largely on admin, communication and yet more quality time at the post office. But without a doubt, the highlight was waking up one morning to the smell of chocolate cake being baked and better yet, being baked for me! Although my birthday had come and gone, the Furzedown Family calendar hadn’t yet presented a window of opportunity to celebrate so it was an unexpected delight to emerge from my boudoir to find not only cake waiting but also Vic and Pete who’d made the executive decision to work from home! Sadly, they actually do work, they even do overtime, but at least I got them for breakfast, lunch and dinner (Rollo and I were left to our own devices for happy hour).

I also finally managed to spend a day out and about in London. I got the tube to Leicester Square and wandered towards Covent Garden. I did a whip around the covered markets, moseyed up Floral Street and then across to Neal’s Yard – home of the eponymous apothecary and also Hair by Fairy where I once used to have my tresses tended to. I had a fringe trim for old times sake before exiting the yard to Monmouth Street for a coffee I could count on.

Back in the day, Monmouth Coffee was the one place we knew we could go to for a reliably good cuppa joe. I remember going there with Rachael and Marlon shortly after they found out Madiba was on his way. Rachael, who at the time was known to us as ‘The High Priestess Caffeina’, was forced to have her first decaf and was surprised to find it not totally disgusting. In the interceding years, it would seem that Monmouth Coffee have gone from strength to strength with a trendy revamp of the cafe and their beans being served at the more discerning cafes around town.

Next stop, Charing Cross Road, now under significant reconstruction and sadly depleted of many of the bookshops that used to line its length. I stopped a while in Foyles bookshop which has thankfully stood its ground and hopefully will continue to do so for a long time to come.

I kept on to the actual Charing Cross and then crossed the Thames to the south bank which was all dressed up for summer with bunting, beach huts and even a beach! It wasn’t quite Bondi but that didn’t stop people, myself included, queueing for ice creams and kicking back in deck chairs to enjoy it while it lasts!

After all this activity, I think it’s time for a holiday…

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