Meeting a Channuck
Trip Start
Aug 23, 1996
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299
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Trip End
Ongoing
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London, United Kingdom
Monday, December 18, 2006
Fresh from two days in Belgium, I made my way to Kensington High Street to meet Susie the Channuck. Once she had arrived, she was hungover from a blinder the night before. She was also still suffering the effects of jetlag, so first off, we went and had a coffee before we headed off to the Churchill Arms. Lunch was had, Thai of course. I have been eating here for years and the quality never changes. I made the Channuck have a beer, she struggled !!! We ate, I drank, and then we moved on. I think one of the best things in London is the parks. We walked into Kensington Park and onwards. We skirted by the Albert Memorial and Royal Albert Hall. She asked about it and all I could think was
I read the news today oh boy
4000 holes in Blackburn Lancashire
And though the holes were rather small
They had to count them all
Now they know how many holes
It takes to fill the Albert Hall
Into Knightsbridge and through the little mews and we arrived at the Grenadier. Years ago, Lucy and myself worked here, and not much has changed. It still gets loads of Seppoes visiting the pub, but it has now gone down the no smoking route. It is really strange being in a British pub with nobody smoking !!! Quite a few beers later, we moved on towards Victoria, jumped on a tube and went to Tower Hill. The plan was to hit the Jack the Ripper Walking tour, but, and there always is a but, we had drunk to much so we were late and we missed it. We went back to Embankment and walked up to Covent Garden. Realising that Susie was homesick, I did the only thing that was possible, I took her to the Maple Leaf. The only Canadian pub in London. Susie fed me one her local beers. Truthfully, it wasn't very nice, so after we finished, we went next door to a classier joint, the Walk-a-bout !!! I forced a Fosters onto her, as this is as bad as Aussie beer can be. We had a quick pint and moved on again.
It was now getting quite late, so we made our way down to the Strand and walked through Admiralty Arch and along the Mall. We had a quick walk down to the Horse Guards Square where the Trooping of the Colours takes place every year. Into St James Park we went. The lights from the city were quite amazing, so I gave Susie my camera and she went crazy, shooting at trees, the London Eye and whatever else was lit up. We walked through and ended up at Buckingham Palace. Years ago, the gates use to be open and we use to get blind and ride home on our pushies and stop and talk to the guards. The gates are now all locked up. It doesn't happen anymore. Quite amazing what a little bit of terrorism can do for you !!! At the end of the road, we entered the centre of Grosvenor round-a-bout. Recently, the NZ Government had opened up their version of their ANZAC memorial. Very different to the Australian one. I left Susie shoting at it and also at the Wellington Arch. I walked down to the Australian ANZAC memorial. I have found Turramurra before (where my Mum lives), but as the light was crap, I had no chance. I did spend plenty of time, because Susie was having a ball. Give the girl a camera, and it keeps her quiet and you alone, to take moments like this in. Eventually, she did drag me away. We walked into Hyde Park, Susie asking if we would get mugged !!! And out the otherside, back to the Albert Hall and Memorial. It was getting late, it was nearly 23:00, and we were both dieing. We walked onto Gloucester Road, where we jumped onto a tube and we said our goodbyes
It was good to meet up with someone who you have been speaking to on the internet. It was the second week in a row where I had met someone from Travelpod, and it is always good to put a voice and face to a name. Now I only have another couple hundred more to meet !!!
Comments
London binge drinking
Our turn is coming up soon....!!