Day 1 Kentish Town

The whole morning passed so quickly on Saturday. I gave the house a big clean and Johnny did the big shop. There are 2 kilos of bacon in the freezer. Will Ginny and Perry survive? Before we knew it we were piling the bags into Ginny’s Golf and heading to Tulla for the first leg of our flight to London. The holiday details are always silky smooth as they are left up to john and he is the ultimate organizer.

The flight to Singapore was very full so hopes of a spare seat next to us quickly evaporated. Everything was going to plan and on time until the cockpit announced a delay due to a fault signal on one of the doors. We taxied back and engineers were called. We sat on the ground for an hour and a half till everything was rectified, more fuel taken on board and we could get another try at takeoff. John noticed an extra long takeoff run before the plane finally turned its nose up to the sky.

The flight was so smooth and pleasant. The pilot made up lots of the lost time. The food was good and despite the age of the aircraft, the entertainment system worked. 8 hours later we were in Singapore for a 50 min transfer to another aircraft (much newer) and the final long leg to London. We left Melbourne in blazing spring sun and arrived in London on a glorious blue skied sunny autumn day. Though it was only 9 degrees when we landed it was certainly warm enough to shed the coats. No problem with the luggage meant we had a quick exit from the airport. Using the UK passports meant we could avoid the long lines at passport control. The only black spot was that the 3 fragile stickers and metres of bubble wrap could not protect the wine decanters and champagne glasses I was carrying to Britt and Wil. Singapore airlines managed to smash everything except 2 classes. Bastards!

We got to Kentish town by tube. It was a strange feeling wizzing down the Picadilly line for the transfer to another line. Al these monopoly board names! What a brilliant train network!  Even though it was Sunday the trains quickly filled. We took Perry’s advice and found a station with fewer steps but despite this lifting the bags through the stations wasn’t much fun. It was great to arrive at Kentish Town and see the view that we had been checking out on street view for some months. It was even greater still to approach Britt’s gate and to be met by the exited barks of the doggies and Brit’s beaming face.

Tea! We needed tea! It had been three hours since the plane landed. Brit’s and Wil’s home was every bit as spacious and lovely as it looked in the photos. The garden was bathed in sunshine and autumn had yet to begin stripping the leaves from the trees. There were figs on the trees, olives growing in the pots and thanks to Britt’s and upstairs lady’s efforts, flower colour dotting the garden.

Britt and will had  planned an introductory walk around the area and a dog walk through Hampstead Heath. By now the streets were brimming with the locals who were making the most of the sunshine. Just about every street was advertising its own street party. We walked down the leafy Bartholomew Road to the busy High Street. B and W are so well placed for transport, shops and that amazing park. It felt as if a people show had been staged just for us. The girls were off their leads as soon as we got through the gates of the heath and they were quickly getting to meet the local pooches and smalling their way through the long grass. This park is ENORMOUS and everyone was finding something to take their fancy. We had about an hour and a half to spend before wandering down the road to the pub where B and W had booked us in for a late lunch/ early dinner.

We took a soaring, circuitous route through the park, past the bowling greens, the lake and up to  hill that afforded an amazing view of the City of London. The girls knew the way and Bella nearly got thrown into the lake. Honestly you couldn’t draft a more perfect scene. There were church spires and even a verdigris cupola dotting the horizon. Hardy souls had taken picnics to the top of the hill and were relaxing in the sunshine as a kite danced with happiness at the crest.

B and W had booked a table for 3pm and just as well as the pub was full and even the footpath tables has been taken. There were lots of people lingering outside with drinks in hand. The whole of the outside was covered with flowers tumbling out of the pot plants. Will ordered a chacuterie plate and tempura vegetables to share. Then of course it was mains with the pub putting on some spectacular Sunday roasts. Despite the temptation, john and I ordered the haddock. Superb food and a glass of cider followed by a glass of beer certainly slowed my pace on the way home. It was great to see places welcoming the dogs and of course Molly immediately with a tiny girl all in pink.

We resisted dessert (mainly because there was no way we could find any space in our overstuffed stomachs) but on the walk home we picked up some Lebanese cakes in the High street and took them home. B and W’s coffee machine would give anything on Lygon St a run for its money so it was coffee and cakes while watching British telly as the sun set.

A perfect beginning to what promises tp be a perfect holiday! And did I forget to say that britt had a wonderful pair of black Todd loafers waiting for me. So lucky!

See you tomorrow. Cheers, Lily