Our second London visit 15 to 20 March 2018

This time we met some of the Clixbys

Thursday 15 March 2018

Waiting for lunch at the Upper Deck

Deja vu! We took a train to Zurich Airport at 12.46, checked in our bags and again had lunch in the Upper Deck. I had a chicken kebab with artichoke, shared some chips with Richard and enjoyed a glass of Chardonnay. We were offered a panna cotta for dessert - hard to resist. 

Our flight departed on time at 15.55 and arrived on time at London City. Laura was busy at work so we took an Uber to the Coborn pub in Mile End. We had an early dinner there - I had sausage and mash. After having another beer, we decided to walk to Laura's and collected her key from Guy, her neighbour. Laura came home soon afterwards. I watched an episode of Masterchef.

Friday 16 March.

One of the rather strange artworks in the Saatchi Gallery

We were up at 8am. I had Dorset cereal and pear for breakfast. The gardeners came at 9am and did a good job tidying up Laura's small garden; they cleared out the overgrown grasses in her raised beds. It looked much nicer when they left.

We got the underground to Sloane Square and walked along the Kings Road in Chelsea to the Saatchi Gallery. We saw the exhibition Known Unknowns, which featured some rather weird artworks, many of them collages. Then we had a coffee at a cafe across the road - poor service.

A few of the plants in the Chelsea Physic Garden were in bloom

Next we walked down to the Chelsea Embankment and the Physic Garden. Not many of the plants were in bloom other than in the hothouses. But we saw some interesting medicinal herbs and I bought a few postcards to send to friends. We had lunch in the Coopers Arms and I had nice liver and bacon, but I felt rather queasy later.

On the way back to the station we called in to Boots and bought a few essentials.  Then back to Mile End where we had a short nap. 

In the evening we met Laura at Embankment station, and walked to a nearby Spanish tapas bar, where we managed to get seats and ate shared tapas, and enjoyed a glass of white Verdejo. We went with Laura and Dan to the Noel Coward theatre to see the musical The Girl from the North Country. We met Dan's parents there. It was very nice to chat to them both. You can read a review of the play at the top right.

Rembrandt's self portrait

The production was very clever with a great ensemble cast, and we had good seats. It was a story set in the 1930s depression in America featuring the songs of Bob Dylan. We had some champagne in the interval, and got the tube home. 

Saturday 17 March, St. Patrick's Day

We had snow! Dan went out for some bananas and we had a nice breakfast. Then Laura and Dan were going to an Indian Cookery course. We headed to Trafalgar Square and the National Gallery. There we headed first for the Rembrandts, having seen a BBC4 program about his life and work. His portraits are the most striking and insightful works. 

Then we made our way to see our favourite Turners including The Fighting Temeraire and Steam, Speed and Rail.We also looked at Constable and Monet works.

The Fighting Temeraire by Turner

Then we crossed the square to Prezzo which we always  like, and had a nice shared pizza and some Barolo for lunch. The service is always good there. Next we headed along Pall Mall to a wine shop that Richard had discovered, where we bought two wines, one red and one white, for Laura and Dan.

Then back to Piccadilly and to Mile End; we walked round to the post office and bought a Guardian and some stamps after queuing for ages.

In the evening we had dinner with all the Indian dishes that Dan and Laura made at their class. Kathryn joined us and chatted a lot. I felt tired again.

Sunday 18 March.

Hugh, Richard and Julie at Laura's for Sunday lunch

I had a bad night and spilt a glass of water on my book. We got up at 9am to more snow. Hugh and Julie were coming from Birmingham for lunch; I wrote three postcards to my gardening friends. 

We spent the morning preparing for lunch - three roast chickens, cabbage, carrots, plus roast potatoes, peas, stuffing, gravy and cranberry sauce. 

Niece Emily, Will, Robbie, Hugh, Richard, Laura, Julie

Hugh and Julie arrived on time - great to see them. Then Robbie, Emily and Will all arrived and we had a lovely lunch, preceded by prosecco. We also had some nice wines, and Emily made a yummy treacle tart. I shared a few memories with my brother Hugh. 

At 5pm everyone left and Dan went to work. We watched Saturday's Casualty and a film about Nina Simone. We made plans for tomorrow.

Monday 19 March

Laura and Dan left early and we had breakfast and watched BBC Breakfast. Then we caught the tube one stop to Stratford to the Westfield Shopping Centre.

Laura and me in the bar

First we headed for John Lewis and bought some pillowcases and a hand towel in their great homeware department. We also got some tablespoons for Laura. Then we visited Waitrose for lemon curd, cumin seeds and gravy granules. We had a coffee nearby, and I bought some watercolour paint in WH Smiths. We walked back to M&S and bought sausages for us and Audrey, plus some nice cheeses. I got some nice berries and very cheap daffodils for Laura. We only get tulips in Thalwil. 

View of Tower Bridge from the Oblix Bar in the Shard

We had a sandwich and a beer at Laura's house and rested a bit. Then we headed out to London Bridge, from where we walked to the Oblix Bar at the Shard. The lift took us up very quickly to the 32nd floor where we found a table by the window. Laura arrived to meet up and we took lots of photos of the clear views of the Thames, the Tower of London and several bridges and high-rise buildings. We shared a bottle of Lorimer Gruner Veltliner 2016. 

The Shard from ground level

Then we all went to nearby pub the George Inn in Borough High Street where we had a beer. Laura had to leave for a posh work dinner and we got the tube to Elephant and Castle where we had a nice Chinese meal in the Dragon Castle. It came with a lot of pak choi which was tricky to eat with chopsticks.

Back at Laura's we watched TV; Dan came in during Masterchef. I am still reading The Seagull by Ann Cleeves, one of the Vera series.

Tuesday 20 March

Awake early for our return flight. It was -3 waiting for us in Thalwil. We enjoyed breakfast with Laura and Dan, and then got an Uber to LCY. We had a coffee in Illy Cafe while waiting for our flight. In Zurich we took the train and bus home, and turned up the heating!

Another full weekend in London!

Our Newton February reunion - Friday to Tuesday 23-27 February 2018

I'm writing this from the point of view of Richard's and my experience. Other stories may vary!

Friday 23 February 2018

We took a train to Zurich airport arriving in time for lunch at the Upper Deck. The temperature is minus 2 in Zurich and it's also very cold in London. As always, Richard and I are looking forward to our Newton Family weekend.

Enjoying a pre-flight drink in the Upper Deck at Zurich Airport

Our Swiss flight to London City airport left on time at 15.55, and we were met by Laura at LCY. We topped up our Oyster Cards for public transport in London. Then we took the underground and the DLR to Mile End and walked to Laura's house nearby. No rain or snow so far.

Soon we took an Uber to Jikoni in Marylebone where we met the rest of the Newton clan including Richard's brother and sister and their families, and we enjoyed a meal of Asian food. We all had shared starters and then I had a cauliflower dohi. We also ordered a white Cote de Gascogne and a Malbec. For dessert I had a creme brulee.

We took an Uber back to Laura's house.

Saturday 24 February

Cousins Robbie, Kathryn, Laura plus Dan

We had coffee and watched a bit of the Winter Olympics. Then we took an Uber to Kathryn's and Robbie's place near Waterloo. They cooked us all a very nice Newton Family Brunch which was delicious.

At Tate Britain

Then we walked to nearby Tate Modern. We saw an exhibition of Modigliani's paintings and sculpture which took about an hour. It was quite a busy and popular show, and the sculptures were particularly interesting.


Then we took a boat on the Thames from Bankside to Greenwich. We managed to get seats inside as it was quite cold on the river. We passed some familiar landmarks including Tower Bridge and the Globe Theatre.

We stopped in Greenwich for a drink and lunch at the Old Brewery pub. I had nice soup. Then Richard and I returned to Laura's with her and Dan.

In the evening we had a lovely dinner cooked by Laura and Dan - chicken, colourful rice and raspberry crumble which I helped to assemble.

Sunday 25 February

I felt better in the morning. We enjoyed a nice breakfast of Dorset Cereal and coffee with Laura and Dan. Then we took the Central Line tube to the British Museum, walking from Holborn through the Sicilian Avenue.

A beautiful Italianate street

In the British Museum we met the Hernandezes. We went up to the third floor to see the Egyptian sarcophagi, which were wonderful, and many artefacts from that era. We also viewed some Greek and Roman relics. The BM has a fantastic collection, nicely displayed over three floors.

Then we went along to the Members Room, courtesy of Lesley and David, and enjoyed a welcome coffee and cake. We returned to Laura's via Boots in Holborn where I bought a few things, but we failed to find a cash machine. However, I managed to post a card to Matthew and Sarah.

In the evening we got the tube to Kings Cross and met the others in the Booking Office bar. We shared a bottle of Chapel Down sparkling wine, even though the service was very slow.

Egyptian sarcophagi

Then we walked to nearby Euston to the Hint Hunt Games place where we split into two teams of four. I was with Richard, Laura and Robbie who was our team leader. The other team was Kathryn, Lesley, David N and Cheri. David H had returned to Manchester and Dan had to work. Each team went into a locked room and had to look round and solve clues and collect cards in order to escape. It took an hour, and we were almost successful!

Then the eight of us had dinner at a great Mexican place, Mestizo. We enjoyed delicious margaritas and then shared tacos and toppings - another very nice meal.

Monday 26 February

Snowing! Laura and Dan both had to work. Richard and I planned to go to the Wallace Collection and later to the Shard, and we hoped to meet David and Cheri, and Lesley, Kathryn and Robbie. It was 0 degrees in London but -10 in Thalwil!

Plan B - we had breakfast at Laura's, some nice Dorset Cereal with berries, and coffee. Then we took the Central Line (very handy) to Bond Street. However, I bent down to look in a suitcase and did my back in :-( Very painful.

At the Wallace Collection we met Lesley. It was an interesting museum in a beautiful old house, with classical paintings on the walls and many silver and porcelain artefacts. We saw the famous Laughing Cavalier.

The Laughing Cavalier

After that we said goodbye to Lesley who was getting the train home, and Richard and I enjoyed a pub lunch in the Marlborough Head. I had fish and chips and a pint of Greene King beer.  Then we walked along to the Marks and Spencer at Marble Arch, a huge store. I bought gloves, a scarf, a jumper, socks and a T-shirt. Richard bought four types of cheese.

We tried to return to Laura's house via the Central Line, but our train failed to move, due to a signal failure. Eventually we left that train and caught a connection on the District Line to Mile End via Notting Hill Gate and then the Circle Line.

So we were late back and missed out on drinks at the Shard. Maybe next time? Laura went there to meet David and Cheri and they went up to the 32nd floor.

We took an Uber to Dim T where we met David and Cheri, and Kathryn and Robbie came along later. We enjoyed a very nice Asian meal - I shared Five Spice Squid with Richard and then I had Japanese fried rice with chicken. We also enjoyed a South African Chenin Blanc. It was a cold night but we had a clear view of the river and the Shard.

A glimpse of the Shard

We took an Uber back to Laura's. She and Dan arrived home later.

Tuesday 27 February

We were up at 8.30, had a shower and breakfast of Dorset Cereal and coffee. Laura and Dan went to work. We packed and got an Uber to LCY for our 13.30 flight to Zurich. It was freezing, 0 degrees in London but minus 9 in Thalwil.

We had a drink in the City Bar -  a nice Rioja. I read the paper until we were called to the gate. It was snowing.

The flight was comfortable. The steward even knew my name! It was -7 in Zurich but the flight was almost on time and we took a taxi home. All fine in Thalwil.

Another successful Newton Family weekend. We missed Matthew and Sarah though.