Monday: breakfast at Club Sandwich in Haymarket (we had been planning on breakfast at Platform 5 but they weren’t doing food that morning) – saw my old pal Danny in the street while killing time before the train – Easter Dalry House and Distillery Lane chimney – train to Kings Cross – traditional pint at the Dolphin – walk across town in the hot sun to our Easy hotel in Norfolk Place, Paddington – more booze at the Royal Exchange pub in Paddington who have a sale of Ray Lowry cartoons and prints
Tuesday: our much planned walk across London, from the South East (Bromley) to the North West (Kilburn) – travel to starting point at Bromley slowed by tube disruption – train from Victoria to Bromley South – Wetherspoons breakfast at the Richmal Crompton – three stink pipes spotted on route (points!) – coffee and cake at the Horniman Museum cafe – crossed the Greenwich Meridian (according to the pavement) – Beckenham Place Park – crossed the River Ravensbourne – Dulwich village – concrete house – Havelock Walk street art – Bon Scott memorial plaque – V2 memorial plaque – Grafton Dance School – Judith Kerr primary school – street art – beer break at the Half Moon Herne Hill – Railton Road – jerk chicken and patties at Maureen’s Kitchen – British Interplanetary Society – Little Portugal – Bonnington Square community garden – cake and squash at the Bonnington Cafe kindly offered outside opening hours – over Vauxhall Bridge – more beer at the White Swan in Vauxhall Bridge Road – Victoria Station – Grosvenor Place – across Hyde Park to Marble Arch as bikes whizz by – Edgeware Road – Paddington Old Cemetry – Guinness and Scotch eggs at the Kilburn Arms, walk complete, tube back to Paddington from
Wednesday: the Globe on Lisson grove, a great wee pub – Marylebone Station – Ada Lovelace at St Marylebone Parish Church – Where We Once Played by Edward Rollitt at the Bomb Factory Marylebone – Marylebone High Street charity shops – Brunswick Centre – Duke of Cumberland empty plinth in Cavendish Square – Duke of Kendal pub in Paddington – Tulip wands cycle lane in Sussex Gardens – cat in a window in Norfolk Place
Thursday: solo expedition to the West Kensington standing stones – Greggs breakfast – Hyde Park Italian Garden – Record and Tape Exchange (£47 spend on first visit in 35 years) – Palace Garden Terrace – Barkers department store – pint of bitter at the Anglesea Arms, my regular back when i worked at – the Institute of Cancer Research – bought notebook at Librairie La Page – Night Side of Nature show at Purdy Hicks gallery (as recommended by Stewart Lee) – Brompton Road – Beatrix Potter vs Princess Diana – gates of Brompton Cemetry – Earls Court redevelopment – poutine at the Elm in North End Road – West Kensington standing stones (no idea how long they’ve been there) – Lillie Road Recreation Ground – Holyport Road in Fulham where I stayed in 1986/7 – Greyhound pub/venue no more (closed up Southern Belle) – Keir Hardie house in Hammersmith – tube back to Paddington – Sussex Arms with bizarre aviation theme
Friday: Greggs breakfast – train to Bristol – YMCA shop, didn’t buy dinosaur, Jan got skater boy soft shoes
Saturday: Palestine museum – Rough Trade, my new favourite record shop (£44 spend) – picked up two old Mighty World of Marvels at Mike’s Comics in St Nicholas Market – YMCA shop 10 books – late night hotel fire alarm
Sunday: lunch at Crispy Dosa, “you two always order the same” – hotel drinks with Chris and Julie
Monday: Wetherspoons – six and a half hour train journey home – Katie and Kerry – leaking air conditioning – missed Pans train by tiny margin – welcomed home with tea and biscuits
