Think Sex and the City meets Manchester in London and you are close(ish) to setting the scene for the day.
Just back-tracking to the turbulent week. I think the level of turbulence can be easily summarised by the fact I nearly ran myself over with my car.
As I was getting the shopping out of the boot, I could hear Rob the Wise's wizened words, "Will you please remember to put the hand break on when you park the car". Yes, even writing this I can feel the fear unfolding again in slow motion...
Open the boot of the car; Sainsbury's bags in my hands, clinking; car moving towards me and increasing in speed; drop the bags - find the time to put the clinking one somewhere safe; open the passenger seat door as car is still in transit; spread-eagle myself across the passenger seat as I heroically dive for the hand-break; cheering in the background (err, that never happened:Ed); neighbour walks past to see Sainsbury's bags strewn across the car park floor and me, legs akimbo, facing down over the passenger seat.
Yes, a shopping trip with m'mam and lovely sister-in-law in Covent Garden (or 'Coventry' Garden as I later found that I had been telling everyone via the wonders of predictive text) was just the tonic needed.
Yes, a shopping trip with m'mam and lovely sister-in-law in Covent Garden (or 'Coventry' Garden as I later found that I had been telling everyone via the wonders of predictive text) was just the tonic needed.
As I arrived at early o'clock in Covent Garden, it was so peaceful and calm. Whilst waiting for the others to arrive, I spied the Disney Store in the corner of my eye and thought to myself, "I will pick up an over-priced Minnie Mouse toothbrush which glitters and sparkles whilst you brush your teeth". I hasten to add that the toothbrush was a gift for Bethan as they don't do an adult one...unfortunately...
Anyway, I saw a very long queue of people outside of the Store and considered if it was really worth queuing for a bloody toothbrush? I decided it was and joined the queue.
As I stood there, patiently, I was people-watching along the queue for quite some time (people watching - a favourite past-time of mine; especially as I make up stories for the people I watch much to Rob's annoyance) and was disconcerted to see that most of the people looked liked they were of high intelligence and had copies of Tolstoy's War and Peace on their person; I started to consider that the Disney Store would be the last place on earth that they were visiting, never mind queuing for. "Hmmm", I wondered and decided to ask the academic-looking man in front of me (who vaguely resembled Bamber Gascoigne) why they was such a long queue for the Disney Story to which he replied in a very posh voice,
"There isn't daaarrling...Ha! Ha!...we're queuing for tickets at The Royal Opera House so we can be assured of seats to watch Verdi's Don Carlo which has been directed by Nicholas Hytner".
"Doh!" came my reply.
Later that afternoon, we went to 'arrods to get m'mam a bag and looked in 'obbs at some fancy dresses - yes, it was not the time and place for me to forget about dropping my /h/s; however, I was so excited to be with the girls shopping and dining in London with my free day pass that I didn't give an 'oot.
"There isn't daaarrling...Ha! Ha!...we're queuing for tickets at The Royal Opera House so we can be assured of seats to watch Verdi's Don Carlo which has been directed by Nicholas Hytner".
"Doh!" came my reply.
Later that afternoon, we went to 'arrods to get m'mam a bag and looked in 'obbs at some fancy dresses - yes, it was not the time and place for me to forget about dropping my /h/s; however, I was so excited to be with the girls shopping and dining in London with my free day pass that I didn't give an 'oot.
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| This is my 'Arrods bag from the Mancunian Branch of the famous London Store. M'mam doesn't know what she's missing :-) |
