I arrived at London Heathrow a few hours after I had intended, however, due to a power failure in England, Jess and Andrew were also a little delayed on the train, so they didn't have to wait too long for me. I made it through passport control with no problems at all, and customs actually appeared to be empty, so I could have actually smuggled 2kg of smelly cheese into the country and they would have been none the wiser (I didn't, of course).I walked through the "last chance duty-free shopping" area without a sideways glance, and made it through to the arrivals lounge, where I was greeted by 2 very friendly, familiar faces! For those of you who don't know them, Andrew is a teacher and worked with Nicky when she was up at Ringarooma, until he was swept off his feet by Jess, an English dentist, who came to Australia determined NOT to bring a bloke back with her (so brought back Andrew instead). They are now living in the UK, in Hitchin, which is a half hour train ride out of London, and on their last trip to Australia (at Christmas time) they very kindly offered to meet me at the airport and give me a place to stay when I arrived in London.
So we hopped onto the underground and made the 1 hour journey into London King's Cross Station. Andrew and Jess presented me with my very own Oyster card to use, which is a rechargeable train ticket, that you scan at the start and end of every journey, and which turns out cheaper than buying a trip ticket each time. Very handy! A bunch of American students got onto the train at our first stop, and did not shut up for the whole time they were on the train, which was about 45 minutes! Boy, Americans sure do like to talk, and they love for other people to hear what they are saying (appologies to any American friends who may be reading this: Jessamyn, Josh... of course, there are exceptions to any rule!).
At one of our stops, someone had pulled the emergency alarm and so we had to wait until they had investigated into it until we could get on our way again. Apparently, sometimes you can be waiting for quite a long time while they investigate. Luckily, it was only a few minutes in our case (otherwise I think Andrew might have exploded from frustration of having to listen to the students talking).
We got off at King's Cross Station and had to wait a little while as our train had been delayed (due to either the weather or a power failure). When it did eventually arrive, it turned out to be on Platform 9, so we had to walk past the famous Platform 9 and 3/4 from the Harry Potter Novels, and saw Harry's trolley, which was halfway through the brick wall. It was another half hour train ride to Hitchin, and Jess and Andrew pointed out all the interesting sites along the way. This consisted of the stadium where Arsenal play their home games. It was a short car ride from the train station to Jess and Andrew's flat, which they will only be living in for another week before they move into their new house that they have bought - very exciting. That night we had pizza for dinner, which I think Andrew had been looking forward to ever since I accepted their offer for a place to stay. It was excellent pizza. And nice and garlicky, especially if you add the extra garlic butter that they put in there for you! We then watched Big Brother UK and the highlights of the AFL which they have on cable. It was great, they showed highlights from the Sydney Collingwood match that the 'Pies won. Thanks alot Jess and Andrew, I'm embarrassed to say that I'm now hooked on BB! It is much more interesting than BB Australia!
The next day, Andrew had to go to work, but Jess had taken a couple of days off, so we walked into Hitchen for a little look. It took us about 10 minutes to cover all the important sights! It is a pretty little town, and they had a nice farmer's market on that day. Jess bought some bread to go with our dinner that night, and we had a few taste tests of some of the goods that were for sale. That afternoon we had a relaxing day just chilling out in front of the TV, until Andrew came home, and we headed over to their friend's Dan and Helen's house for dinner. It was an Eggplant themed dinner- Helen had made a delicious Eggplant bake, and Andrew made a yummy eggplant pasta dish. For dessert we had Rhubarb Crumble which Helen had baked, and Apple Pie that Jess had bought from the Farmers Market, with Clotted Cream Icecream (that is clotted cream icecream, not clotted cream AND icecream, and it was delicious).
The next morning Jess and I went for a walk out in the fresh air and along a country path near their house. It was very refreshing, however we couldn't go too far, because it had rained ALOT and the path was a bit muddy. Back at the house, I packed my bag, then caught a taxi to the train station, and a train into London.
After dropping my bags in my hotel room, I caught the underground to Oxford Circus, and took a walk down Regent Street. After sorting out my business at the bank (I had to activate my bank account), I then had time to do a bit of shopping before heading back to my hotel for the night. Wouldn't you know it, the walls were very thin in my room, and next door, my neighbour was an American woman who liked to talk on the phone! It was quite handy though, as she talked about all the places she had been, and so gave me an idea of some of the sights that would be good to see. Also, she had just been to see a musical, and from what she said I gather it was The Lord of The Rings Musical, and she thoroughly enjoyed it (despite never having seen the movies or read the books), so if anyone is planning on seeing a show in London...
The next morning I had to get up early to catch a train to High Wycombe, where I had my appointment with my accountant. This meeting lasted 1 and 1/2 hours, and basically now I'm setting up a limited company, as it works out better for tax. It was quite frustrating, but I'm not going to bore you all with details of my meeting. My company's name is Towns Locum Services Ltd. So if anyone needs a vet, just give me a call...
That afternoon I visited Westminster Abbey, although I didn't actually go through it as it was closed by the time I got there. I walked around the outside though, and intend to go through it perhaps on my next trip to London. For those who don't know, or can't quite remember, Westminster Abbey is the church where all the monarchs have their coronation, and also where Princess Diana's funeral was held. I also walked past the houses of Parliament, which are just across the road, and "Big Ben".
On Friday morning I woke up to the news that an unexploded bomb had been found in the West End. That was exciting, and made me a bit nervous, but everyone just went about their normal business, like nothing had happened (except that there were a few road closures and traffic diversions). I had a meeting at the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons that morning so that I could register to be a member, pay my money and swear the Veterinary Oath. It now means that I can practise anywhere in the UK, and I can put the letters MRCVS after my name.
On Friday afternoon I walked from my hotel to Buckingham Palace. I didn't see the Queen, or either of the Princes who were in town for the Concert for Diana which was held the following day. I walked right around the perimeter of the palace and it's gardens- the royals certainly have a lot of space. Apparently you could fit 4 football stadiums in their grounds.
On Saturday morning I walked back to Buckingham Palace to watch the Changing of the Guards Ceremony which occurs every day at 11:30am. I had been waiting for about half an hour (you have to get there early in order to get a good spot by the rails) when at 11am, a couple of the guards walked out to change the sign to say that the next changing of the guard would occur at 11:30 am the next morning. Apparently, a little bit of drizzly rain is just too much for the poor guards to cope with (they said it ruins their instruments, I suspect they just didn't want to get wet).
So I went for a walk along the Thames in the rain instead. I didn't get very far before having to turn back to make it to the Apollo theatre in time for the Saturday Matinee of "Wicked", a musical which told the "real story" of the witches from The Wizard of Oz. It was a really great show, and a fantastic way to spend a rainy afternoon. Adam Garcia stars in in, but unfortunately, he didn't perform on the afternoon that I saw it. His understudy was terrific though, as were all the other performers. I'm sure it will be coming to Australia soon. It was great to go and see a musical again, I haven't been to one in a while. London is spoilt for choice, there are so many.
On Sunday morning I headed to Buckingham Palace again to see the Changing of the Guards Ceremony. This time I hadn't waited in vain, as the sun shone a little, and they actually went ahead with it. It was quite good to watch. The soldiers march down 
The Mall, in their red coats and furry hats, some of them playing instruments, some of them riding horses, and they enter the gates of the palace. Then they do a bit of shouting, and then a small group of them sit in a circle and play some songs (they played a Beatles Medley!), then the ones that were just on duty leave, and the ones who have just arrived stay. Quite entertaining.
That afternoon I bought a ticket for an open-topped double decker bus tour around London. The ticket lasts for 24 hours from the time of purchase, and you can hop on and hop off as you like. It took me through a very exclusive neighbourhood, where you can only lease the houses, and they are all painted "Queen Anne White", which is basically a shade of cream. It is the most expensive area in London, but it doesn't appear on the Monopoly Board because in real life you can't actually buy a property there, so you can't buy one in Monopoly either! Margaret Thatcher's house is down one of the streets (which we saw) and there is a police officer which stands guard at her front door 24 hours a day! We also passed Sean Connery's house.
We went past Westminster Abbey, went over the Thames, past the hospital where Florence Nightingale worked (I think it was called St Thomas's, but I'm not 100%), past the London Eye,
back over the Thames, past St Paul's Cathedral, which is where Diana and Charles got married, past the memorial in honour of the great fire of London, back over the Thames, then over the Tower of London bridge, and I got off at the stop for the Tower of London.
I took a tour at the Tower of London with one of the Beefeaters (one of the guides that lives and works at the Tower, you can only become a Beefeater if you have spent about 18 years loyal service in the Royal Army or Airforce). The Tower of London was built as a palace, but it is probably more famous for being a prison, and for being the site where Anne Bolin was beheaded (along with many other prisoners). The crown jewels are also housed there, and are on display to the public.
I hopped back onto the bus tour once I'd finished looking at the Tower, and it took us to Trafalgar Square, Picadilly Circus, past the Mall gates, down a street where they have all the exclusive Gentleman's clubs (some which have a waiting list of 30 years!) and along Park Lane on Mayfair, we passed Spruikers corner, where people get on their soapboxes every Sunday, and arrived back at where I started at Victoria Station. It was a great way to see London, and they have live guides on board who give a running commetry, but can also answer any questions you may have, so I would recommend it to anyone who is visiting London for the first time.
On Monday morning, I got back on one of the tour busses (as my ticket was still valid) and headed to one of the docks, as a free ferry ride was included in the bus ticket. I got on one of the ferries which goes all the way to Greenwich, but I got off a short distance down the river at The Tower of London, as I thought I may have been seasick if I rode for too much longer (it was a rough day on the Thames!)! I got back on the next bus which came along (which was the same bus I had got off to join the ferry!) and rode back to Victoria Station again.
After lunch, I took a train to Harrod's for a look and (I hoped) a shop. It was the first day of Harrod's big sale, so it was VERY busy. I didn't even buy anything! There was a little Laduree (the French patisserie I discovered in Paris) which is attached to Harrods though, so I went there for afternoon tea, and also bought some more macaroons to take away with me! That night I had to pack my bag as I was leaving for Belfast early the next morning.
On Tuesday I got up bright and early and had a quick breakfast before checking out of my hotel and headed to the bus station to catch a bus to Stansted Airport. I got to the bus station at 7:40 am, and thought "Great, I will make the 8:00am bus!" Unfortunately, the ticket office only had two desks open (out of 13), so it took me 15 minutes to buy a ticket, and the girl told me that I had to buy a ticket for the 8:30 bus as I wouldn't make the 8:00 one. So I bought my ticket, then had to wait 30minutes in the departure lounge, waiting for my bus. Once I got on the bus, I was infuriated to find that you could actually buy your ticket off the bus driver! So I WOULD have been able to catch the 8:00am bus! Anyway, nothing I could do about it now that I was on the 8:30 bus! The bus was to take 90 minutes, however, due to delays on the road, the driver told us that it would actually take 10 minutes more. I thought I would be cutting it a bit fine to make my cut off for check in which was at 10:40, however, we made it by 10:15 and I was able to check in. I felt a bit sorry for a woman on the bus who was sitting in front of me. She was supposed to be catching a plane at 1:30, but she didn't realise until she was on the bus that the bus didn't go to HEATHROW AIRPORT! The bus driver organised for her to get straight onto a bus that would be leaving for Heathrow as soon as we got to Stanstead, so I don't know if she made it or not.
After checking in, I headed straight to security, in order to get through in time for my flight (which left at 11:10). Unfortunately, I managed to get in the slowest moving line, and the security guard told another man off for pushing in (even though his flight was leaving VERY soon), so I didn't want to push in, even though time was ticking very close to my departure time. I heard someone come to the security area and call another passenger through, so I figured that they would do the same if my flight was about to leave. My departure time came and went, and I figured that the flight must have been delayed... You may have guessed by now, but I MISSED MY FLIGHT!!! It turns out that actually, they don't bother to call you if your bags are on the plane and you are not. They just turf your stuff off the plane and go without you!
So after spending over an HOUR in the security line, I then had to turn around and go back through, in order to pick up my bags, buy another ticket, and check-in all over again! And wouldn't you know it, this time my flight WAS delayed, for AN HOUR! It wasn't a great end to my London adventure! I did learn an important lesson though: I must not be so polite in the line at the airport, if it means missing your flight, just push in! I'm wondering if maybe it is a bit of Karma coming back to me for laughing at Shannon, the Canadian lady who missed the barge in Amsterdam!!!
After dropping my bags in my hotel room, I caught the underground to Oxford Circus, and took a walk down Regent Street. After sorting out my business at the bank (I had to activate my bank account), I then had time to do a bit of shopping before heading back to my hotel for the night. Wouldn't you know it, the walls were very thin in my room, and next door, my neighbour was an American woman who liked to talk on the phone! It was quite handy though, as she talked about all the places she had been, and so gave me an idea of some of the sights that would be good to see. Also, she had just been to see a musical, and from what she said I gather it was The Lord of The Rings Musical, and she thoroughly enjoyed it (despite never having seen the movies or read the books), so if anyone is planning on seeing a show in London...
The next morning I had to get up early to catch a train to High Wycombe, where I had my appointment with my accountant. This meeting lasted 1 and 1/2 hours, and basically now I'm setting up a limited company, as it works out better for tax. It was quite frustrating, but I'm not going to bore you all with details of my meeting. My company's name is Towns Locum Services Ltd. So if anyone needs a vet, just give me a call...
That afternoon I visited Westminster Abbey, although I didn't actually go through it as it was closed by the time I got there. I walked around the outside though, and intend to go through it perhaps on my next trip to London. For those who don't know, or can't quite remember, Westminster Abbey is the church where all the monarchs have their coronation, and also where Princess Diana's funeral was held. I also walked past the houses of Parliament, which are just across the road, and "Big Ben".On Friday morning I woke up to the news that an unexploded bomb had been found in the West End. That was exciting, and made me a bit nervous, but everyone just went about their normal business, like nothing had happened (except that there were a few road closures and traffic diversions). I had a meeting at the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons that morning so that I could register to be a member, pay my money and swear the Veterinary Oath. It now means that I can practise anywhere in the UK, and I can put the letters MRCVS after my name.
On Friday afternoon I walked from my hotel to Buckingham Palace. I didn't see the Queen, or either of the Princes who were in town for the Concert for Diana which was held the following day. I walked right around the perimeter of the palace and it's gardens- the royals certainly have a lot of space. Apparently you could fit 4 football stadiums in their grounds.
On Saturday morning I walked back to Buckingham Palace to watch the Changing of the Guards Ceremony which occurs every day at 11:30am. I had been waiting for about half an hour (you have to get there early in order to get a good spot by the rails) when at 11am, a couple of the guards walked out to change the sign to say that the next changing of the guard would occur at 11:30 am the next morning. Apparently, a little bit of drizzly rain is just too much for the poor guards to cope with (they said it ruins their instruments, I suspect they just didn't want to get wet).So I went for a walk along the Thames in the rain instead. I didn't get very far before having to turn back to make it to the Apollo theatre in time for the Saturday Matinee of "Wicked", a musical which told the "real story" of the witches from The Wizard of Oz. It was a really great show, and a fantastic way to spend a rainy afternoon. Adam Garcia stars in in, but unfortunately, he didn't perform on the afternoon that I saw it. His understudy was terrific though, as were all the other performers. I'm sure it will be coming to Australia soon. It was great to go and see a musical again, I haven't been to one in a while. London is spoilt for choice, there are so many.
On Sunday morning I headed to Buckingham Palace again to see the Changing of the Guards Ceremony. This time I hadn't waited in vain, as the sun shone a little, and they actually went ahead with it. It was quite good to watch. The soldiers march down 
The Mall, in their red coats and furry hats, some of them playing instruments, some of them riding horses, and they enter the gates of the palace. Then they do a bit of shouting, and then a small group of them sit in a circle and play some songs (they played a Beatles Medley!), then the ones that were just on duty leave, and the ones who have just arrived stay. Quite entertaining.That afternoon I bought a ticket for an open-topped double decker bus tour around London. The ticket lasts for 24 hours from the time of purchase, and you can hop on and hop off as you like. It took me through a very exclusive neighbourhood, where you can only lease the houses, and they are all painted "Queen Anne White", which is basically a shade of cream. It is the most expensive area in London, but it doesn't appear on the Monopoly Board because in real life you can't actually buy a property there, so you can't buy one in Monopoly either! Margaret Thatcher's house is down one of the streets (which we saw) and there is a police officer which stands guard at her front door 24 hours a day! We also passed Sean Connery's house.
We went past Westminster Abbey, went over the Thames, past the hospital where Florence Nightingale worked (I think it was called St Thomas's, but I'm not 100%), past the London Eye,
back over the Thames, past St Paul's Cathedral, which is where Diana and Charles got married, past the memorial in honour of the great fire of London, back over the Thames, then over the Tower of London bridge, and I got off at the stop for the Tower of London.
I took a tour at the Tower of London with one of the Beefeaters (one of the guides that lives and works at the Tower, you can only become a Beefeater if you have spent about 18 years loyal service in the Royal Army or Airforce). The Tower of London was built as a palace, but it is probably more famous for being a prison, and for being the site where Anne Bolin was beheaded (along with many other prisoners). The crown jewels are also housed there, and are on display to the public.I hopped back onto the bus tour once I'd finished looking at the Tower, and it took us to Trafalgar Square, Picadilly Circus, past the Mall gates, down a street where they have all the exclusive Gentleman's clubs (some which have a waiting list of 30 years!) and along Park Lane on Mayfair, we passed Spruikers corner, where people get on their soapboxes every Sunday, and arrived back at where I started at Victoria Station. It was a great way to see London, and they have live guides on board who give a running commetry, but can also answer any questions you may have, so I would recommend it to anyone who is visiting London for the first time.
On Monday morning, I got back on one of the tour busses (as my ticket was still valid) and headed to one of the docks, as a free ferry ride was included in the bus ticket. I got on one of the ferries which goes all the way to Greenwich, but I got off a short distance down the river at The Tower of London, as I thought I may have been seasick if I rode for too much longer (it was a rough day on the Thames!)! I got back on the next bus which came along (which was the same bus I had got off to join the ferry!) and rode back to Victoria Station again.
After lunch, I took a train to Harrod's for a look and (I hoped) a shop. It was the first day of Harrod's big sale, so it was VERY busy. I didn't even buy anything! There was a little Laduree (the French patisserie I discovered in Paris) which is attached to Harrods though, so I went there for afternoon tea, and also bought some more macaroons to take away with me! That night I had to pack my bag as I was leaving for Belfast early the next morning.
On Tuesday I got up bright and early and had a quick breakfast before checking out of my hotel and headed to the bus station to catch a bus to Stansted Airport. I got to the bus station at 7:40 am, and thought "Great, I will make the 8:00am bus!" Unfortunately, the ticket office only had two desks open (out of 13), so it took me 15 minutes to buy a ticket, and the girl told me that I had to buy a ticket for the 8:30 bus as I wouldn't make the 8:00 one. So I bought my ticket, then had to wait 30minutes in the departure lounge, waiting for my bus. Once I got on the bus, I was infuriated to find that you could actually buy your ticket off the bus driver! So I WOULD have been able to catch the 8:00am bus! Anyway, nothing I could do about it now that I was on the 8:30 bus! The bus was to take 90 minutes, however, due to delays on the road, the driver told us that it would actually take 10 minutes more. I thought I would be cutting it a bit fine to make my cut off for check in which was at 10:40, however, we made it by 10:15 and I was able to check in. I felt a bit sorry for a woman on the bus who was sitting in front of me. She was supposed to be catching a plane at 1:30, but she didn't realise until she was on the bus that the bus didn't go to HEATHROW AIRPORT! The bus driver organised for her to get straight onto a bus that would be leaving for Heathrow as soon as we got to Stanstead, so I don't know if she made it or not.
After checking in, I headed straight to security, in order to get through in time for my flight (which left at 11:10). Unfortunately, I managed to get in the slowest moving line, and the security guard told another man off for pushing in (even though his flight was leaving VERY soon), so I didn't want to push in, even though time was ticking very close to my departure time. I heard someone come to the security area and call another passenger through, so I figured that they would do the same if my flight was about to leave. My departure time came and went, and I figured that the flight must have been delayed... You may have guessed by now, but I MISSED MY FLIGHT!!! It turns out that actually, they don't bother to call you if your bags are on the plane and you are not. They just turf your stuff off the plane and go without you!
So after spending over an HOUR in the security line, I then had to turn around and go back through, in order to pick up my bags, buy another ticket, and check-in all over again! And wouldn't you know it, this time my flight WAS delayed, for AN HOUR! It wasn't a great end to my London adventure! I did learn an important lesson though: I must not be so polite in the line at the airport, if it means missing your flight, just push in! I'm wondering if maybe it is a bit of Karma coming back to me for laughing at Shannon, the Canadian lady who missed the barge in Amsterdam!!!
Love,
Lis x
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