And so back to Finchley – Finchley revisited!
Things were a little different this year though!
We arrived a week into our host’s holiday, the sitter for the first week passing us the reins. However, we didn’t get to see our hosts and the other sitter had already left before we got there, so there was no handover and no written instructions either! At least we could call on last year’s hazy memories!! Gulp!
The house was strewn with drying bed sheets, we had an unwell dog and a cat who’d gone AWOL. We didn’t have gerbils this year but there were two new kittens. Welcome to the reality of pet sitting!
We settled in, straightened the house, tended to Juno the dog, and introduced ourselves to the kittens who managed to make everything right with the world! Cotton, the missing cat, was nowhere to be seen.
Poor Juno! She was very out of sorts and we got through quite a lot of carpet cleaner, if you know what I mean! The good news is after some gentle chicken and rice meals and guitar ballads, she was quickly back on her feet and up for adventure.
We enjoyed long walks, Juno covering at least three times the distance we did and always finding something to carry!
We fell back into last year’s routine of walking through the allotments and into the park twice a day…
…and often further afield to the lake and woodlands. Nice to see the lake filled with water this year! It must be all that RAIN!
In some parts, the woodland paths were being upgraded for easier walking. I’m not sure I like them but they’ll soon be trodden in and the edges softened.
And what of the cat part of the story?
Brother and sister Maverick and Peggy were the newbies. Maverick, as you can guess from his name, was a little naughty and Peggy was the the vocal princess.
Maverick had mastered the cat flap and getting in through the bedroom window at night! Grrrr! He was independent and cheeky in the most endearing way. He was the most curious but also slept for hours!
Peggy, on the other hand, had not discovered the genius of the cat flap (despite several lessons) and so spent more time outside waiting to be let in. Maybe she just preferred having the door opened for her!
Each of them was super cute and utterly adorable together.
Cotton didn’t agree! Cotton voted with her feet! Sadly, we saw very little of Cotton!
But she does have a little story of her own. Her owners were understandably upset to hear she’d left home so when she did unexpectedly appear one morning we were asked to keep her inside. A new collar arrived the next day so should she go AWOL again anyone finding her could at least phone home!
It was much colder this year and I’d travelled light. I raided the charity stores for warm, long-sleeved clothing and layered up. Not a good look! Vivienne Westwood said ‘Buy less, choose well, make it last.’ I didn’t always choose well! Note to self…check the armpits before buying!
The weather really wasn’t great…
..but we still managed to get into the city!
We hit all the cool places and as is often the case with London, found new things we’d missed the last time.
There’s always a buzz around the Seven Dials area. If you want to know what’s trending – come here!
Check this out. A sushi train but with cheese!
Neal’s Yard and Covent Garden is around that area too so there’s lots of interesting stuff to see. We even stumbled upon a WeWork office – did anyone catch the 2022 mini-series about the infamous startup, WeCrashed?
We also discovered the Gorilla Trail here. I’d heard of the similar Elephant Parade, inspired by the elephants of Thailand, but wasn’t aware of the gorillas. We found six but there were 15 of these life-size Gorilla sculptures all designed by internationally recognised artists and well-known personalities. They were auctioned last year and raised £130,000 for African conservation.
Talking of the Elephant Parade did you know there’s a Dudeism elephant? The Mellowphant! Designed by Oliver Benjamin. Yes, my Oliver Benjamin!
So… back to London and some landmarks that never get old.
Trafalgar Square!
How come I have the daft expressions?! He’s too photogenic! Curse him!
The Portrait Gallery.
Entry is free but not for the special exhibitions. Instead of paying the fee for the Paul McCartney photographs we just flicked through the book in the gift shop! Cheapskates!
And just around the corner is Admiralty Arch (now under construction), The Mall, Buck House, Green Park, and the Strand which are always worth a wander.
Then there’s the theatre, of course, the theatre! We got to see three more excellent shows!
We Will Rock You first came to the West End in 2002 and ran for 12 years! I loved it! It returned this year for a limited 12-week season and we managed to get tickets. Ben Elton, the writer, had a lead role this time around. I loved it more! Olly not so much, baffling!
Crazy For You was an unexpected hit for us: foot-tapping score, some very funny moments, and great performances from the leads. We had pretty good seats too!
A Strange Loop was a raw and sometimes graphic performance (certainly not for kids!) and a musical unlike most you’ll see in the West End. Minutes before the opening scene we were whisked from our seats in the gods to about ten rows from the front. It really was up close and personal!
Our ten days in London were over too soon. Next Stop Englefield Green to meet a new family and pet. I wonder what’s in store for us!
That’s way too many bags to carry!
We timed our last London food shop badly so had a lot of supplies to take with us. At least we’d have plenty of food at the new place!
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