Now I am back home safe and sound at Port 80, it’s time for me to recount the story of my recent trip to the UK. All in all, I had a brilliant time and ticked off everything on my to-do list and then some. I even had some ok weather too – better than the dreary, grey and rainy skies I seem to have come back to anyway!
My journey from Angoulême to Bedford was typically smooth and uneventful, although really, 6.30pm is not an ideal time to arrive in central London – and nor was 7.30 pm an ideal time to reach Bedford as it meant interrupting my folks’ meal time. Dad came and got me and we ate immediatley on our arrival. My nan was over too so I got to say a brief hello to her before she headed off home. After wolfing down my food I then took a quick tour of the place which has undergone a lot of change since my last visit in December, and looks amazing as a result. Dad has built a gorgeous new oak staircase, intricately carved, that now faces the other way to the original one, with the result that there is a lot more space down in the lounge. They’ve both also done a lot of work on the guest bedroom, which too looks very lovely.
As it was a work night and I was tired from the journey, we had an early night that evening. I also wanted to get to bed early becuase I had a meeting at 9.30 the following morning – yet another referral courtesy of Dad. The company is called Howard & Mason and is a joinery outfit that works partly for individuals but also do a lot of work on behalf of other joinery companies in the area. They are very well established and respected in the area, but with no website, were starting to feel a bit invisible, so finally decided to do something about it.
Fortunately, they are based about 5 mins from my folks’ place so I didnt have far to go – although I was up in plenty of time as I find it increasingly hard to sleep when over in the UK, where a main road never seems too far away and rush hour starts at around 5am just as it gets light. I had a lovely meeting with the client and am looking forward to getting my teeth into the project as he seems like a really nice guy and their work looks brilliant, so the site should come out nicely all being well.
After the meeting I got back home and chilled out while the folks worked. Dad was back for lunch and made me his version of the now famous Port 80 sandwich, which was very tasty. That evening, Dave joined us for dinner and Dad put together a very tasty chicken meal (a Jamie Oliver no doubt) served with a spicy side dish of sweetcorn, coriander and pepppers. It was lovely to catch up with Dave, who is in really good form and not long back from a trip to Cyprus with his girlfriend, Amy. He seems really smitten and the two plan on moving in together imminently, which is just great news. I didnt get to meet her on this occasion as she lives a little ways away, but the two are booked to come out and see us for a few days at the end of July which I’m really looking forward to.
Mum had booked the next day off work, so that afternoon, she took me up to Milton Keynes to do a spot of shopping. She treated me to some t-shirts from Next and then we called into an O2 (mobile phone) shop. My iPhone is a really old model and, since doing a software update, was so slow as to be unusable so I wanted to find out about upgrading. Upon learning it would cost around £400, I decided against that plan, and instead did some hunting on e-bay when we were back home. I managed to score that evening – a much more recent iPhone, good condition, that the seller promised to ship next day – so I gave Iain’s address in London for the delivery.
The next morning it was time to head off for London. Dad took me back to Bedford and we were both amazed to be greeted by clear blue skies and sunshine all the way. Not what was forecast but most welcome indeed. I made my way to Iain’s place and immediately got started on my shopping duties. First on the list: smokable supplies from our excellent long term London source. He’s recently moved so is now walking distance from where I stay in London which is most serendipitous. Once that was sorted, I grabbed some lunch and returned to Iain’s to eat and chill out. Iain was back lateish that evening – he is still being forced to work crazy hours and is now firmly on the lookout for a new job as a result. He was home at 8ish, but ended up working in between dinner and glasses of wine until 10:30. Steve, our ex-landlord from next door, was in London for a meeting and invited us over for a drink or two, so we called in and ended up staying till around midnight when I went off to bed, and Iain to work for a while longer.
A major reason for my trip back home was to see the “David Bowie Is” exhbit in London – the most popular thing ever put on at the V&A museum, and hence, totally sold out. I’d read that tickets were still available if you got there first thing in the morning so had Friday earmarked for this but when the morning came around, I was fuzzy headed from the wine and tired from noise-induced patchy sleep, so I decided to postpone the trip till Saturday and nominated Friday as shopping day. My first stop was the City where I picked up a few bits and bobs, including a haircut, then Covent Garden for a new watch battery and yet another trip to Next. I then hit Soho for a few guitar-related supplies. By now, my feet were sore and I’d got most things ticked off, so I headed back to Dalston to rest. That evening, I was out to the City again to catch up with my friend and one-time work colleague, Fran. Also with her were three other work people, two of whom I knew and one new face. Given the plan to get to the museum early in the morning, I’d intended to leave after a couple drinks, but as the beer and nachos flowed, this sadly fell apart. I think I got back around midnight, heading immediately to bed, more inebriated than I should have been.
I came to at 8.30 and, after a moment’s hesitation, jumped right in the shower and charged over to South Kensington, with David Bowie playing on my iPod and ‘good ticket karma’ thoughts running through my head. I arrived at the museum a few minutes before it opened, feeling chuffed that there were only about 15 people ahead of me. Once the doors opened, my optimism dwindled somewhat when I realised that there was another entrance and some 60 people had come in that way, all ahead of me. Luckily, after 40 mins of queing, I scored me a ticket for just a viewing in just 30 mins. Elated, I used the time to wolf down a sandwich then came back to the V&A.
I’d read up somewhat on the exhibit, but still hadn’t appreciated the full scale of what they’ve put together there. Spread over several rooms, it acts as a biography of Bowie’s life from birth to present day, covering his music but also his acting career and his considerable skills as a painter. There were some excellent and disturbing pieces from the late 70s when Bowie had been going through a self-destructive, cocaine-fuelled period. It may not have done him any good mentally, but it led to some great paintings – and innovative music too. The many fabulous and outrageous outfits that are a hallmark of his were on display in cabinets, often juxtaposed next to video screens showing live performances with the man himself modelling them. I’ve often read about how much control Bowie liked to have over his performances, but seeing some of the sketches and even models that he made to outline how he wanted the stage organised, was really awe-inspiring.
A nice feature of the show was the audio headsets. These were interactive, changing according to where you stand, playing snippets of interviews, concerts and commentry. The final room was the show-stopper: a large open plan room with huge video screens on 3 of the walls. There, a montage of live concerts played on a loop. At one point, the screens showed 3 different performances of the song ‘Heroes’ – one from the 70s, on from the 80s and the other from the 90s. The videos were synchonrised and with the headsets, you could switch between the 3 audio streams. Like most of the people there, I ended up staying a while in this room, enough to watch the entire loop twice. I was originally due to see the show with Steve, another big Bowie fan, but he had work commitments in the end. In a way I am glad I went on my own as by this point I was overcome to the point of welling up so would have felt a bit of a tit in company. As you can see, I could go on about the exhibit for ages, so I shall spare you and leave it there. A truly insipring experience. I can’t believe it will be dismanted later this year: it ought to be left up permanently. My only criticism was that it was so crowded that you really did need the full 2 hours to see everything as there were queues everywhere. Still, that is a fitting testament to the man’s influence and achievements.
Feeling a bit light-headed and overwhelmed, I returned to East London to complete my shopping duties: a Sainsburys run. In hindsight, Saturday was a poor choice, but despite the crowds, I got everything I needed. Back home, my wonderful day continued with the discovery that my new phone had arrived. I gave it a charge as I unloaded my purchases and rested my feet. In playing around with it, I found that I actually needed a new sim card, so reluctantly headed out again to the nearest O2 shop. Luckily for me, there was one in Islington and I’d planned to meet our friend David Cox there later anyway, so it just meant getting there early. The serendipity continued when I got the phone sorted easily, and the sun came out meaning I could sit outside in Islington Green and bask while waiting for David.
Both he and Iain got there not long after and we eventually located a bar with a free table – one called the Narrow Boat which is a lovely place right on the canal. After a few beers, Iain and I headed back to Dalston. Iain didnt feel like cooking so suggested a chinese place not far from his, to which I readily agreed. We both had excellent meals and then went back home for a final glass or 2 of wine before bed. It was here that the serendipity ran out for me, unfortunately. I came to at around 5 am feeling nauseous and feverish and ended up spending the next 2 or so hours within a few feet of the bathroom with a very upset stomach. All I could taste was my main course from the previous evening so I suspect food poisoning. I eventually managed to be sick, and immediately felt a lot better, which was a huge relief because all I could think about was how I was going to manage the return journey to France in such a state. Thinking I was out of the woods, I showered and headed off. I had no issues until I was on the Eurostar, when I began to feel terrible again. I shall not go into details, but the journey was the most harrowing train ride of my life, with repeated, and sometimes failed, dashes to the toilet to be sick.
Matt got me at Angoulême at 5,30 and I was still a feverish and shivering wreck. This was really unfortunate as it meant I missed 2 social events. Our friends Rigit were in town and had invited us over for meal that evening but obviously I was in no fit state. Matt went, sending my apologies. I soon began to feel better at home – much of it must have been the motion of the train I think. I managed to eat a little chicken soup – my first food since the dodgy meal – and then passed out for about 10 hours.
I had a rough night and was still out of sorts the next day, meaning social event #2 – a dinner round Lucien & Mauricette’s – also had to be cancelled. However, I did manage a lunch of poached eggs and toast that Matt made for me, and felt much improved after. I had another good long sleep last night and woke up this morning feeling absolutely amazing, just by dint of feeling normal again. I’ve just gotten back from a meeting with another new client, which went well, although at 60 km away, it was a bit of a trek. So, I now have 2 projects to get on with, which is very welcome after my recent dry spell. Now we just need the weather to sort itself out – it’s cold, grey and rainy here, which for late May, is now getting depressing. Iain and our friend Matt Jones are coming over for the weekend from Friday, so here’s hoping it picks up for their trip! Ok, this is a tome so I shall stop here. A la prochaine fois…