Back from London. All went well.
Late on Saturday afternoon, there was a little house party for Zachary when members of Sarah's family dropped by after the separately important engagement meal in an Italian restaurant in nearby Chelsea.
There was her mum and dad and two of her five brothers plus their partners and Zachary's only male cousin and the lovely girlfriend of another of Sarah's brothers. He is an officer in the British army and co-incidentally was at a stag do up here in Yorkshire.
I found myself talking to one of the girlfriends. She was about twenty five and very pleasant, asking questions that showed interest in who I was and the life I lead. It was only afterwards that I discovered she is a genuine "Lady" and a bona fide member of the British aristocracy. Her father is a duke and her family home is a sprawling stately home in Sussex. I have racked my brain but I do not believe that I have ever met a "Lady" before.
Zach's birthday cake was a work of art, decorated with animal figures from a BBC TV animated children's show called "Raa-Raa The Noisy Lion". We gathered round as the single candle was lit before singing the little fellow his first "happy birthday" song.
Shirley and I babysat for all of Saturday night as Ian and Sarah returned to a certain pub in Chelsea where the evening session of the engagement party was now in full swing. They got home just after midnight and this morning they both had raging hangovers.
Zach is coming along nicely and is much loved. It was great to spend more time with him. He is pretty mobile and has a happy, uncomplaining nature. He laughs readily and has everything that he needs though that list was supplemented with numerous generous birthday gifts.
At 3pm we were at King's Cross Station to catch our return train home. Because of Sunday engineering works, we had to come back via Doncaster on the main east coast line. Good heavens! What an impressive journey that was - speeding along in a sleek, new train at 125mph*. We reached Doncaster railway station in just 1hr and 33mins. Fantastic!
* - Thanks to Tasker Dunham for correcting my previous estimation.
200 mph on land is a little scary. These little guys can surprise us every day by what they know and can do.
ReplyDeleteIt is interesting to see how two baby cousins who were born just nine days apart are developing so differently.
DeleteI am pleased you had a good time. You received bonus time on a train for the same fare. I don't like the sound of Raa-Raa The Noisy Lion. It sounds loud.
ReplyDeleteYou gave Phoebe Trotro Andrew and I give you "Raa-Raa". You will have hours of fun if you can find him online.
DeleteI think the difference between "Ladies" and us (me, not you) common people is that they are taught (trained?) to show an interest and ask leading questions to keep a conversation going. Ditto upper classes that have upper class educations.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad Zachary's birthday was a success, but sorry about the raging hangovers from the engagement party goers.
I think of you as a "Lady"... Lady Elsie of Adelaide! Talking with a plum in your mouth and riding horses across the landscape, yelling "Tally-o!"
DeleteI actually do have a certificate that allows me to call myself a "Lady of Glencoe" since I bought a few square feet of land there, as did many others, so as to save the area from being bought by developers who would no doubt ruin the reserve.
DeleteThat's really quick, 1 1/2 h from King's Cross to Donny!
ReplyDeleteEveryone had a great weekend, by the sounds of it. And you obviously managed to get up from the futon bed.
I have developed a strategy for getting out of the futon bed. It involves a pillow on the floor and a chair.
DeleteWhat an interesting weekend including a chat with a Lady. Maybe in time you will get invited to her country pile. As I hate driving on motorways, I use the train a lot to travel long distances. I thoroughly enjoy looking out of the window and seeing all the different scenery.
ReplyDeleteTrains are usually less stressful and when we get to Fulham by car we have to pay £14.50 a day to park! No free parking permits for visitors! In Sheffield equivalent suburban street parking would cost nothing!
DeleteHappy Birthday Zach. Glad you had a good time with Grumps and Grandma.
ReplyDeleteEh? Who's this "Grumps" character?
DeleteTime does fly by so quickly, they grow up too fast.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a cue for a song!
DeleteBeware 'Lady's' who live in Sussex.
ReplyDeleteThey seem to like rough northerners clad in animal skins, waving crude clubs.
DeleteIt is good train services are beginning to turn up to London. Lillie's coach trip down took all night and there was a bit of a skirmish on the coach. It sounds a lovely weekend with your grandson.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was a student, I did a lot of hitchhiking but no one seems to do that any more.
DeleteHappy Birthday to little Zach. It's hard to believe he's been here a year already!
ReplyDeleteYes... and we are all a year older too.
DeleteHappy birthday to Zach. Was the engagement party for Ian and Sarah? If so, congrats are in order.
ReplyDeleteNo, no my little Pixie - one of Sarah's brothers was getting engaged to a woman called Meg. Funny - we never had an engagement party.
DeleteIt sounds as though everyone had a good weekend. We gave one of our grandchildren a 'Raa-Raa the Noisy Lion.' He loved it and it amused us, but parents aren't always so appreciative.
ReplyDeleteUntil three weeks ago I had never heard of Raa-Raa!
DeleteSounds like a very successful and fun-filled trip to London. Where you met a Lady! Is Zach walking yet? I love hearing that he laughs readily.
ReplyDeleteI've only learned what stag do's and hen do's are from reading. We do have stag parties which are the same, I think, as a stag do, but the term hen party is hardly ever used.
Zach is an expert and speedy crawler - like Mowgli in "The Jungle Book" but he will stand unaided and sometimes staggers between people or sofas... but he is too young for stag-dos.
DeleteWell that must be a first -- a diversion that's BETTER than the original route! Glad you had a fun weekend and avoided any hangovers yourself. :)
ReplyDeleteIn the last two months most of my days and nights have been sober Steve.
DeleteGlad you had a fun weekend with Zach and the gang.
ReplyDeleteZach and the Gang sounds like a pop group... with Ellen D on drums!
DeleteI always wanted to learn how to play the drums but I never did!
DeleteGlad to hear, Britain is building more fast train lines.
ReplyDeleteIr's not a new line - just upgraded. A lot of our rail system is in need of upgrading.
DeleteLine speed 200 kph not mph.
ReplyDeleteThank you Mr Anorak.
DeleteThat's why they used to be called Inter City 125. The Inter City 225 was wishful thinking.
DeleteThree cheers for the Anorak. I did wonder at that 200 mph. "Have they built the HSR already?"
DeleteI hate to admit defeat but you have got me Tasker! I feel like a hedgehog on the M1.
DeleteAutumn leaves cover Fulham posh cars.
ReplyDeleteAutumn leaves cover Fulham posh cars.
DeleteFootballers visit some of Chelsea's top bars
While I looks up at the glittering stars
Trying to make out the position of Mars
Such a nice weekend! And you met a Lady and she sounds very nice, too.
ReplyDeleteAre you a "Lady" too Deb or just a commoner like me?
DeleteGood heavens! I'm a commoner of course, you are a kind sir.
DeleteThank you milady!
DeleteI hope your companion does not read your blog. She might be insulted by your remark about never before meeting a lady.
ReplyDeleteI prefer country wenches.
DeleteI have mixed feelings about the beautiful manners of the very posh.
ReplyDeleteI only found out that this charming young woman was a "Lady" after she had gone.
Delete