Riding down to London along the spine of England, aboard a motor coach. We only stopped at Milton Keynes bus station, then straight back on the M1 motorway. Shirley was knitting yet another baby cardigan as I read "Shadowlands" - A Journey Through Lost Britain by Matthew Greene.
We alighted from the National Express coach early - at Marble Arch tube station, saving ourselves at least half an hour before the service terminated at Victoria Coach Station. On the Central Line to Notting HIll Gate and then change for The District Line to West Brompton.
Then on to a number 74 red London bus on Lillie Road bound for Fulham. We alighted opposite Normand Park at the same time that the coach from Sheffield should have reached its final destination.
Ian was still at work so we got to spend an hour or so with Sarah and Zach before the master of the house rolled up. The little man is growing nicely, bright and alert with occasional smiles and of course I sung to him as is my wont...
Sarah was heading out at five thirty for dinner followed by a balletic performance of "The Nutcracker" at The Royal Opera House. It was the longest she had spent away from her baby since his birth in late October. However, she had nothing to fret about because Zach had three adults to look after him.
Later Ian ordered us a delicious takeaway curry which was delivered to his house in thirty minutes along with a separate order of four bottles of Indian beer also brought to his doorstep. Isn't that rather mad?
On Saturday we looped round Fulham before some grocery shopping happened at the local "Waitrose" supermarket. Back home we caught up with the day's football results and then in the evening Ian made a delicious vegan bolognaise with fresh basil leaves.
By ten that night, I felt restless so I went out to the closest local pub - "The Rylston" and supped two pints of bitter before bedtime but the atmosphere in that establishment was as you might find in a cowboy saloon in a ghost town. Tumbleweed rolled by.
Today, Sunday, we were out of the house by ten thirty and heading to Victoria coach station for the bus back to Sheffield. It set off on time and all was going well until we reached Luton. That is when the M1 motorway ground to a halt because of a multi-vehicle collision further up the road. How very inconsiderate of those travellers to delay our progress! We were back forty minutes later than the schedule had promised. I guess it could have been worse than that.
It had been so lovely to see our little grandson again and to witness how well his parents are coping with his presence. Love can move mountains.
Keep making those trips to see the little guys. You will never regret it.
ReplyDeleteIt is going to become a very familiar journey by car, bus or train.
DeleteGood food, good drinks, good family. What more is there?
ReplyDeleteA wild orgy?
DeleteLove can indeed move mountains, though it is less successful with a traffic snarl due to crashes. I'm glad your visit went well and now Zach has his own little Grandpa song :)
ReplyDeleteNorth south east or west
DeleteGrandpa Pudding is the best
He's so wise and very strong
Best of all, he's never wrong!
Sounds like a good weekend trip all around. And you are right, it could have been a lot worse on the motorway back up; your coach could have been involved in the accident.
ReplyDeleteSimilar to your 40 minute delay, I arrived just over an hour late at Offenburg train station on Friday evening. It made for a late evening meal; we sat down at the dining table at 10:00 for our customary bread, cheese and wine start of the weekend.
Good to know you son and his family are doing so well!
Your meal sounds semi-religious!
DeletePS: I am intrigued by the title of the book you were reading. Will you write a review?
ReplyDeleteIt will take me a while to read but just for you I will review it in the end.
DeleteA lovely weekend.....I hope that you waved to me as you passed J 10 ?
ReplyDeleteI did wave! By the way, it is inadvisable to wander around your house in your birthday suit with the curtains open!
DeleteMuch I could say but I will stick to my admiration for Victoria Coach Station. We have nothing like that here for our buses.
ReplyDeleteAnd you are in Victoria! Just as Prince Albert often was.
DeleteI've just spotted the next Christmas Number 1.
ReplyDeleteWas it with the Christmas Number 2?
DeleteCoach, Tube, bus... well done for keeping the transport links going.
ReplyDeleteWe all have to do our bit.
DeleteOn The Buses. Which TV character would you play?
ReplyDeleteI would have been Arthur Rudge. You would make a great "Blakey". JayCee could be Mabel Butler.
DeleteSounds like a very satisfactory quick visit! No photos of the little chap?
ReplyDeleteI didn't take a camera.
DeleteLove can, indeed, move mountains!
ReplyDeleteAll up, it sounds like a very good trip. Except for Zach having to listen to all those quacks!
His grandpa is quackers!
DeleteA nice weekend away. At least you were not driving when things ground to a halt.
ReplyDeleteThat's a good point. All that concentration as you stop start stop start.
DeleteI liked how you ended your post. "Love can move mountains." That is so true. It sounds like you had a lovely time in London, despite the delay in returning.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a very sweet time.
ReplyDeleteI was like Sarah- I never left my babies for very long. I just couldn't do it.
I wish we could see a picture of the little boy.
Glad you enjoyed your weekend with Zach! I will see my new grandson, Adam, in February and we have to fly to Houston, TX to see him. I look forward to holding him!
ReplyDeleteSounds like a great trip! Re. your comment on my blog, we only missed each other by about an hour at the Finchley Road/Frognal Lane intersection. I was there at 11:30 a.m. and probably again at 2 p.m. I don't know The Rylston but it's my experience that a lot of London pubs are pretty sleepy. Perhaps still too many pubs, even though loads of them have already closed down.
ReplyDeleteThose buses scare me a bit, at least over here. We've had a rash of them that have suffered catastrophic damage resulting in them ending up in the ditch and several of the passengers deceased. A couple last year were due to blown tires. I'm not sure what the one last week was the result of.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a great weekend. Thanks for taking us along.
ReplyDeletePerhaps I should go to London via coach , rather than the shitty trains
ReplyDeleteI last travelled on a coach from Liverpool to London Victoria Coach Station in about 1960.
ReplyDelete