Hunters and the mayor of London...

Lucy was over from Armenia this week so on my day off we booked dinner at Langans in Mayfair, a place recommended to me by my current client.

It was wonderful. The food exquisite, the service attentive but not overly so, the atmosphere warm and lively... And of course we were dining with the Ken Livingstone, Mayor of London - well, ok he was at the next table! When a waiter delivered a dessert to a young man at another table nearby and started singing Happy Birthday, Ken sang along too. After the hip hip hoorays Ken jumped up and shook the bewildered lads hand. All very amusing.

Not quite so interesting as the drama going on outside in one of those modern timed toilets that was positioned on the corner opposite. Firstly a rapid response car turned up (a paramedic) and then a police car, then an fire engine and lastly a van of the company that looks after the loo's. Then while I was watching the birthday boy blush with extreme embarrassment, the whole drama ended and when I looked back only the toilet company men were left.

So I am left wondering... Did someone have an unfortunate event within the loo and then get stuck? Or was it just a paramedic who needed the loo and didn't have the right change?

But the highlight of the evening was the bottle of Hunters wine we had with dinner. I was so excited to see a Hunters Sauvignon Blanc on the wine list - there was no hesitation in my choice - sorry Lucy if you thought you'd have liked something else!

A fun night out indeed.

I am sailing.....

If you see me floating by, could you please throw me a rope and haul me in. It means someone has lifted the anchor on the UK and we're now drifting aimlessly with the currents.


Britain has just experienced the wettest June on record and some parts are still under water over a week after the worst of the rain.

I'm keen to see some sunshine... Today the forecast was for rain, hail, thunder and lightening, sunny spells and wind. Just add some snow and we will have about all the weather throws at this country! Yesterday we had all of the above, today just rain and wind in my neighbourhood!

Roll on summer - which will apparently be on the 12th July for just one day according the weather 'experts' in the UK. I remember this last year - it was supposed to be August 12th - but it never happened. Instead we had a heatwave of several weeks that got more and more difficult to live in.

Oh I do love the weather here - never a dull moment!! - A wet one maybe...

Living in London

As you are probably aware, London has had another terrorist event. Car bombs, undetonated - thank goodness!

It set me to thinking about the risks of living in a city that is at the top of the list for these sort of crimes. I love London and I wouldn't want to move just because of a possibility of danger. Anywhere I live will have an element of risk... buses, trains, planes, industrial plant, murderers, branches falling from trees, etc. So why leave the place I love for fear of something that may happen.

I do believe there will be more successful attacks on London. But I figure that if I live as safely as I have control over, and be vigilant, then I whatever will be, will be.

I love London and am willing to take the risk to enjoy the lifestyle that I currently enjoy.

Phoning the police

I just got a text from the babies mother warning of reporters potentially banging on the door so I went down to talk to the nanny and on the way I spotted Miss 4.5yrs on the phone in her parents bedroom.

I wondered who she could be talking to as I'm sure she doesn't know any numbers... I asked her who she was talking to and she said 'the police'. OK, so she doesn't know any other numbers except the police - so it now appears.

So I took the phone from her and said 'hello?'
And the voice at the end says 'hello'.
I say 'Is this really the police?'
She says 'yes'
I said 'oh'
I said 'I'm so sorry, we're going to have to have a serious chat'
She says 'yes, she asked me to put Master 3.5yrs in jail'
I said 'oh...'

Once off the phone, Miss 4.5yrs tells me that Master 3.5yrs was being mean and chasing her so she wanted him in jail. We had a little chat about wasting police time and hopefully that will be the end of it all.

But, in the middle of all this is the reporters...
Why? Because my clients are connected to the lad who just won the British Apprentice TV show this week. His mothers house is currently surrounded and we're just lucky to have the occasional door bell.

Oh the excitement...

The hill from hell

I've been on a mission to get into shape and I was going to hire an exercycle because I'm in this job (in one place) for 12 weeks. I thought it would be a good chance to get some regular exercise as this is the one thing I find difficult in my job. Some days I don't even manage to get outdoors let alone take a good walk.

But, I discovered the need for a device to exercise on may not be necessary after I arrived here and discovered the hill I have to walk up to get to the house... I thought to myself I could save a few pennies and get fit!

So instead, as often as possible - still not every day but certainly most - I put the boys into their pram and go for a walk. It does not need to be a long walk as right on my doorstep is the hill from hell. It's short but steep and boy do I know when I've walked it!

I go down and do any shopping or chores that need doing then take a deep breath and walk up the hill, I then turn around and walk down again. Then another bracing breath and up again. So far it's only twice, but I think I may be ready for another run this week. I have to say it must look quite 'interesting' watching me. While people huff and puff up the hill, I overtake them pushing a huge double pram with 2 babies on board. I then turn at the top and do it all over again! I do huff and puff myself, but I'm lucky in that at the top of the hill I can hide in my front yard and do my breath catching in private!

The other day, I went on a small marathon walk with the babies and walked a few miles (who knows how many!??). To get home I walked through Primrose Hill which is a lovely park set on a hill, as you may have guessed. Before I got there I thought I would head home via the 'home' hill thinking I wouldn't have had enough of a work out by then. How wrong could I be! Primrose Hill lives up to it's name and the hill I walked up was much longer but as steep in places as the 'home' hill. I was in a major sweat by time I got to the top but the view over London was wonderful.

I went home the easy way instead.

My dear friend Chris

I got news on Tuesday night that I honestly didn't expect and it's taking some getting used to. My dear friend Chris who has been battling cancer all of the 5 years I've known him, passed away a month ago.

I went to work for Pam and Chris back in 2002 when Chris was first diagnosed. I was hired to take care of their wee boy, Isaac for 3 months, he was 5 months at the start. I stayed with them for 5 months in the end and only left to go home to celebrate J & L's 21st birthdays. When I got back I moved back into their tiny flat and we all lived there for a total of 3 years.

Mum and I eventually decided to get our own place and we moved in October 2005. I had spent 3 years playing scrabble and watching bad tv with Chris most evenings (when I wasn't working), drinking too much wine and listening to Chris's fantastic selection of music, being driven to complete distraction by Chris's desire to cleanse every germ off the face of the planet, playing more scrabble, talking about Chris's illness and his fear of leaving Isaac and Pam alone, BBQ's in the back garden, walks in the park and row boats in the Hollow Ponds with Isaac - I have extremely happy memories of that time in London.

When Chris took ill again last year his doctor recommended he go home as soon as possible if he wanted to go at all. Home being Canada. Within about 8 weeks, the house was sold and all belongings packed up and shipped out. It was a sad day when mum and I saw them off at the airport. I wondered if I'd ever see Chris again, but deep down I really thought I would. I never thought I'd be getting this news before making a trip over there to see them all settled in their new life.

I have missed Chris, Pam and Isaac so much since they all went to Canada, but it's hard to imagine that I will never get to see Chris again. It doesn't yet feel real and I'm not sure it will until I land on Canadian turf and he's not there to meet me.

I know Chris is in a better place and he never has to suffer again. I wish I could be with Pam and Isaac, but until such time as I can visit, my thoughts and love are with them.

Feijoas and jaffas

My mother truly knows the way to my heart... or is that my stomach?

She went home for a month and upon her arrival back here, presented me with 6 feijoas and a box of jaffas. I was a very happy little chicken! I am eating the feijoas one by one and thoroughly enjoying each one.

"The Feijoa (Feijoa sellowiana, synonym Acca sellowiana), also known as Pineapple Guava or Guavasteen, is an ever green shrub or small tree, 1-7 m in height, originating from the highlands of southern Brazil, parts of Columbia, Uruguay and northern Argentina..."
"...The fruits have a juicy sweet seed pulp, and slightly gritty flesh nearer the skin. The flavour is aromatic and sweet..." (Wikipedia)


Jaffas are an orange candy coated sweet with chocolate in the middle. Also rather delicious and unfortunately I was less able to ration these and they are now all gone!

Next time I head for home I really need to plan it for the feijoa season.