Nearly 10am GMT. Watching Nothing to Declare Australia while enjoying my morning coffee.
Windy and rainy outside.
Later looking forward to a pub lunch at The Mitre and a warm greeting from Rudi the sweetfaced pub dog.
Yesterday enjoyed a lovely lunch at the Angel and the Crown in Richmond with my friend Maggie. Then back to where I’m staying to nap. With the TFL strike occurring gave myself plenty of leeway time wise to get from Richmond Station on an Overground train to Crouch Hill.
I’d never taken a bus into Richmond ( although the stop is directly across the road. Simply enjoy the 20-25 minute walk ) Went by bus this time and learned its a good 15 minute stroll from the Richmond Bus station to the Richmond train station.
At the train station topped up my Oyster card with a 10 pound note and got on an Overground train to Crouch Hill. Was met there by Rick. Close to an hour journey. Arrived and we enjoyed a coffee at a place called PlanB.
Walked a couple of blocks to where we found the W3 bus stop. 5 minute wait till it arrived, dbl checked it was heading to Alexandra Palace. Hopped on. Bus drops you on the road in front of the Palace where its 3 set of stairs up to it.
Place is huge! Theres an indoor ice rink, as well as a pub/restaurant and more than one theatre space.
Great views. Many iPhone camera images snapped.
Doors opened at 6:15am and as it was a bit windy and cold, enjoyed getting inside and drinking a flat white.. Fair warning there only 3 rectangular tables with benches if you need to sit down. The majority of us stood. The lobby area is massive. Definitely need more places to sit.
2 days before Rick had received notification to stop at the box office to be offered newer and better seats. The long and short of it, production had removed some seats to place some projection equipment. Turns out the “ better “ seats weren't better. Closer to the stage but at an angle. We stuck with the original seats and other to having to listen to the man one seat away chew his food like a cow….and i kept thinking who brings food to eat into a theatre. Realized he’s of a generation who sits on their couch stuffing their face. No concept he wasn’t at a movie theatre or at home. Annoying and during intermission I politely asked if he could be less noisy while eating. He laughed and said “ its a stupid show, we are leaving.” Rapture!
My final bit about the long night out is that actor Nicholas Farrell who played Scrooge in the play was on my train to Crouch Hill and then onto Richmond. Not surprised by this as in a small world moment I’d saw him on the Thames River path in Richmond in 2019. I’ll surmise his home is in Richmond.
While waiting on the Gospel Oak Platform I took the moment to approach and say through my mask
“you did well tonight.” He was surprised but said through his mask “ oh, thank you.”
Getting my “needed return to the states test” on Monday morning. Fly back LHR to LAX on Wednesday. Sigh.
Tomorrow evening Christmas at Kew Gardens. Looking forward to it. Hope Mother Nature rids herself of todays rain by then.
EDIT; Pub lunch at The Mitre was great. Rudi very happy to see us. I got a side plate of toasted bread with a small bowl of olives. Main course was a great salad with parmesan cheese shavings and tasty balsamic vinegar and oil dressing.
And yes, I got a Guinness which I sipped while my friend enjoyed 2 mugs of mulled wine.
