Friday 15th – Sunday 17th October

Although various groups have met and there have been many Zoom Calls with Drinks during lockdowns, the six Tea Girls haven’t been physically together since the end of September 2019. This is therefore an exciting event with a great deal of catch-up required.

Friday 15th October

We are travelling to London from our 6 different geographic locations by train and meeting/staying at The Tower Hotel https://www.guoman.com/the-tower. It’s a haunt we once used many years previously. Some rooms have been refurbished; some notsomuch. Our room was fine and the view was fabulous.

This evening we are booked to see Jersey Boys at The Trafalgar Theatre with a pre-theatre meal at Brumus in the Haymarket Hotel https://www.firmdalehotels.com/a/restaurants-bars/london/brumus-at-haymarket-hotel/.

London is open again …….. well sort of. We couldn’t get in to any our our planned venues for post-theatre drinks around Strand – “not open at the weekend(!)”, “full”, “residents only” or maybe they simply thought we looked a bit dodgy!”

Eventually, we strolled over the river to the South Bank and were welcomed into the Lyaness Bar in Seacontainers London (now a hotel) https://www.seacontainerslondon.com/eat-drink/lyaness-bar/ for late night cocktails.

And then the proof that things are still not normal; the hotel called us a taxi – no show; we stood on the road and hailed everything in site – no good; eventually C managed to find a taxi through an app. The driver was ‘Danny’; he kindly turned up as promised by the app in his new electric cab which can take all six of us. Yay Danny!

Saturday 16th October

This morning we are booked to visit Kensington Palace, including the ‘Designing for Royalty’ exhibition, containing Diana, Princess of Wales’ wedding dress.

My ‘best bit’ was in the jewellery room – Queen Victoria’s Tiara (and also necklace, brooch and earrings). The diamond and emerald tiara, a gift from Prince Albert, was simply stunning.

I had seen Diana’s wedding dress once before at Althorp House, but it was beautifully displayed here at Kensington Palace in the newly-conserved Orangery.

After a visit to the gardens, we left Kensington Palace and made our way to meet C’s daughter who also happened to be doing touristy stuff in London. A small glass of Prosecco and lovely chat at Coco Momo Kensington https://www.brunningandprice.co.uk/cocomomokensington/. Then the Underground back to Tower Hill.

Pre-dinner drinks & nibbles in our room.

Our dinner booking was at Smith’s of Wapping – a short stroll along the river. However, there was a bridge closed and a diversion in place which meant we had to leave the river path, circle St. Katharine Dock and return.

Smith’s of Wapping is a triumph https://smithsrestaurants.com/smiths-wapping/ lovely food (fish the speciality) and friendly, attentive staff, one of whom you can see was an excellent photographer, making sure Tower Bridge and The Shard were nicely located in our group shot!

Sunday 17th October

This morning we checked out of the Tower Hotel – wheeling our suitcases – walking underneath Tower Bridge and then past the Tower of London to reach the Tower Coppa Club https://coppaclub.co.uk/towerbridge/ where C had managed to book a ‘pod’ for our brunch.

From here we started our separate train journeys home. So good for the girls to be together again – so much to catch up on – never enough time!