I have been to LONDON to see the.......

Nah - nothing like that!  I went to London to meet up with friends......Meeting up with friends was not a problem....but visiting London?  Thats a different story.

I have to admit I haven't been to London - that is walking the streets of London for, let me see - it really has to be at least twenty years!  Why?  Because I don't like London.  Well thats what I thought until yesterday.  I actually had a great time.

And you wouldn't believe this...I live just a short way from the train station, I don't even catch the train! But what caught my eye on Saturday was the state of the footbridge.  I remember over twenty years ago when the old footbridge was in place, it was always looking nice.  Then soon after they, whoever they are, decided to put in a new bridge - a more modern footbridge they said - but look at it - its actually rusting away!!

Its terrible to let it get into a state like this!

 

 

I am always too early to catch a train, so I sat at the platform waiting for at least 20 mins.

A train!!  Nope not mine its going the wrong way! 

 

Not long after it arrived.  I found a seat and sat down and pulled out a book to read.  Behind me came two people with cycles! What, hey, where are they going............noooooo.....not their wheels up on the seat!!!  In my day, that is when I caught trains, bicycles had to go in the goods van....no good van??? Now I am wondering if I am sitting on a seat that had a dirty bike wheel on it! Mmmm mustn't think about it.

 

A few stops, a few pages read and a few sleeps we are pulling into London.

 

 

 

We are here!!  Now to find the bus.  Yes I had planned exactly how I was getting to Foyles Book Shop, where we planned to meet. First I needed to find the "Ladies", ahh here it is.  What??? 30p for a p.....!!! OMG I never heard that before!!!  Wouldn't of minded if they were super doopa loos, but they weren't........!

 

 

Well thats done, now off to find the bus.....

 

Which way?  Ahh here we are - the bus is already coming.  I hop on show my pass and was then told it will not be going to Charing Cross Road, but only just across the bridge.  Oh no....that means I have to walk - but which direction?  Ah yes I did print off a map - thank goodness.

Now I think I was clever.  I did not get lost!  Here we are....we all met in the Cafe for coffee and then to Prezzo, in New Oxford Street for Lunch.

What do we talk about?  Well lots of things really.....but we also talk about.............

 

and

 

Something we all have in common - we love books!  We swapped books, we had a book dip, we took books from piles from the centre of the table and some of us brought books that were on others wishlists........isn't that great!!

And after lunch - where did we go.  We went to a ......wait for it.......a bookshop.  Surprised? 
No I guess you are not surprised.  "Any Amount of Books" the shop was called ..... I didn't buy any - but others did - loads of them!!  I didn't buy any as I still got 835 on my shelves to read.

Well what a day!  Super weather and a nice long walk back to the railway station - thank goodness for comfy shoes.

Just can't wait to go again......