I just had one of those days on Sunday where everything falls together in the right way all day.
I woke up early to head to London to do a charity walk for
DEBRA- a small charity who need more recognition.
The weather was crap - really misty and freezing cold and one of those mornings when you wake up and you are the most comfortable you have ever been in your life and you resent the day for arriving so soon and stealing your comfort away. Bastard.
I went with Mother and Father Bee- as the only single Bee in the family my brother and sister were otherwise occupied on an early cold Sunday morning. Winners.
We caught the train into London and slowly the sun came out and the skies grew blue so things started to look up a little.
The walk was a bridge walk so you could do 3, 5 or 7 bridges through London- we chose 5 which took us from near Waterloo down to Tower Bridge.
The start of the walk was on a moored ship on the Thames where we signed in, got our DEBRA t-shirts and some free food. I'm never one to say no to a chocolate muffin, let alone a free one. First big win of the day for me.
The 3 of us set off- it wasn't a big group walk just a walk at your own pace kind of walk. The weather was pretty great for an October day in the UK- sunny, warm, blue skies and made me feel much better about leaving the comfort of my bed!
[As some of you may know I am on the big new job hunt to move myself to London as soon as I can so I can be a young, single gal in the big city with my friends, and this day just made me want to get there faster! If you are ever in London on a Sunday in the sunshine I would say to 100% go for a long walk around the river. The day turned out to be much less of a charity walk and much more of a casual stroll along the river.]
Our day was set to a musical soundtrack of buskers and artists serenading us with drums, trumpets, accordians and clarinets with the smells of roasting nuts and the sights of all of London's landmarks.
We stopped for lunch on benches on the opposite side of the river to the Shard and a view of Tower bridge rising up to let a sailboat through. Endless runners including a man flying along the river like an urban panther- what a name for a cologne or a band that would be!- We saw a convoy of old school minis and agreed that they should be brought back. Make the insides a little more modern but keep them externally the same and actually mini like they were! Mr&Mrs Bee both reminisced over their old minis they had when younger- Father Bee had a red one and Mother Bee had a mustard yellow(!!)
We passed the London dungeons, The Clink prison, The Golden Hinde- an old ship docked on a spot of river accessed through old cobbled streets where around the corner men were lining up for a Whiskey 2012 showing- Father Bee thought they were just peeing against a wall- a group of 80 strong men all peeing- I don't think. The ship was just welcoming aboard a group of excitable 6year olds all dressed up for a pirate party- I wanted to join. I did notice that you can have sleepovers on it- I might have to inquire for my 24th!
We passed street entertainers, the Tate Modern where some half an hour later a Russian tourist vandalised a 50million pound painting and everyone was chucked out- Casual- The Globe theatre, St Paul's and the Tower of London.
My favourite part of the day though was the little surprises that only a big city on a lazy sunny Sunday morning could produce.
The World's largest bouquet of flowers in celebration of the flower council of Holland- built from 2-8am that morning where we were given some free lillies and sunflowers. . . . . . from male models I might add. Yum.
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| The hunks in trunks. Well, in white t-shirts. |
We passed through a whole bunch of stalls set up for Malaysia week where we tried out some dragon fruit, watched some guys in traditional dress play a Malaysian version of hacky sack, and got some cheap freebies which everyone loves.
We stopped to watch someone called Flame proof moth perform on a sunlounger on the edge of the Thames- tides slowly coming up and envelop him and his cables and mic stand- His singing was pretty shite but what he sung about was pretty awesome.
I saw a tonne of cool places that I'd love to come back and explore and restaurants and pubs that I want to come back and try out once I'm an official Londoner- including a Mexican restaurant built out of shipping crates next to the Southbank centre.
We also stopped for a London priced drink where we were serenaded by the echoes of a gypsy band playing some gypsy music with their gypsy instruments- they were actually pretty great- where Mother Bee said she wasn't looking forward to the train back home. I said I wished we could find a car boot sale or something that would sell some old books so I could buy one for the journey.
20 minutes later my wish was granted. Big win number 2! I got a Bill Bryson book which I've been trying to get hold of for ages from one of the 20 or so tables set up outside the Southbank crammed with second hand books and records for cheap.
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| Also came across this guy flame throwing from his trumbone |
One of my most favourite moments though was when we had come down from crossing a bridge, under and along the river side and past a small college where a window was a jar on the second floor and we could hear a big band practicing. They were great and it was just one of those moments where you just stand still and take it all in. Until your Dad cracks a joke to ruin the moment and you step on a mummified river rat. But stuff like that just doesn't happen out where I live.
All in all the day was pretty great and something that I would definitely do again on another sunny Sunday whether for charity or not . . . . . . and whether I look like I'm heading off to a blind date in a coffee shop with my flowers and book or not.
Oh - and I went home to a roast.
Overall, I think I win. Actually, I know I win!
