The line from Earl's Court to Kensington Olympia is closed most of the time so we had to travel via West Brompton but we were soon walking down Russell Garden Mews to Ian and Claire's house.
Mum and Jen had travelled down by train from Lancaster the previous day. It was lovely to see everybody.
The house is mostly finished now and Peter and I were to sleep down in the Wellness Suite in the basement, between the sauna and the jacuzzi. Alongside the video dance floor a beautiful black vinyl floor with gold flecks had been laid and it is very soft to walk on. There were new gold padded vinyl panels in the kitchen and fabric inserts in the walls of the TV lounge. Claire showed me a piece of software to install on my iPad which could control the systems in the house. Swiping my thumb still opened the front door.
In the early afternoon Ian led Mum, Jen, Peter and I towards Kensington High Street via Holland Park to catch a tube to Charing Cross and walk over the Jubilee Bridge to the National Theatre to watch John Lithgow in The Magistrate.
The show was entertaining and when we came out it was dark and the South Bank was crowded and very festive with Christmas stalls and entertainment. The views of the London Eye and across the Thames to Big Ben were spectacular.
We strolled with the crowds across Westminster Bridge and caught a taxi from The Embankment so that we could see something of the city as we road back to the house. We caught a glimpse of Horse-guards' Parade, the lights in Oxford Street and passed Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park before heading via Notting Hill back to the house. Peter treated us to sushi for supper and after a sauna with Ian and Jen I had the best night's sleep in months.
A Hogarth family vegetarian Christmas Lunch was planned for Sunday. Claire and Ian made a nut roast whilst Mum, Jen, Peter and I strolled up to Westfield to do a spot of shopping. Mum wanted a handbag for Christmas but we didn't manage to find one. The shops didn't open until noon because they are only permitted to open for six hours on Sundays. Peter bought some wine for lunch and Jen managed to get some jeans for George and a field jacket for Ed.
Kelly and Matt arrived at the house soon after us and then there was much excitement as Lucy and Cody arrived with baby Peonie. Mum's Great Granddaughter.
We had brought some cute giraffe shoes from South Africa for her.
The food was delicious and afterwards we retired downstairs to the lounge.
Ian had recorded the World Soccer Club championships final between Chelsea and Corinthians so everyone was sworn to secrecy abouth the score and we pretended it was live. Sadly Chelsea were beaten by the South American team.
Afterwards we played "Panic" a game where you give clues to describe the words on a card to your team. Our team was well beaten!
Mum and Jen left on Monday morning and we walked them to the nine o'clock train. I finished programming the new multi-program timer for Ian and Claire's outdoor Christmas lights.
Peter and I set off to explore London and to do some Christmas shopping. We walked down to Kensington High Street and caught a number 10 bus to Oxford Circus.
We are both pretty hopeless at shopping and all we managed to buy all day was a waterproof picnic blanket for Ian and Claire!
Peter said we should go to the British Museum but we abandoned that idea after walking in the wrong direction down Oxford Street. Instead we caught the tube down to London Bridge and went to get a close-up view of the Shard. Unfortunately it is not opening for tourists until February so we couldn't go to the top.
We crossed the Thames at London Bridge, the weather had been pleasant since we had landed at Heathrow but just at this spot it was suddenly bitterly cold and windy. We retreated to The Monument pub for a spot of scampi and ham and eggs. We thought we would walk back west past the Bank of England and St Paul's. The funniest thing was Peter was desperate for a loo after the beer and the loos at Holborn required twenty pence coins. He couldn't find one and so we went into another pub and ended up spending seven pounds on two drinks for Peter to use the loo!
By this time we were looking for a bus back to Kensington Olympia so we carried on along Tottenham Court Road to Oxford Street. The Christmas lights had been switched on (it was dark by 15h30). The street lights were mostly white and not very impressive. There were more spectacular lights on the big department stores, John Lewis, B&H and Selfridges. A number 10 Hammersmith bus appeared but the traffic was so bad that we kept leapfrogging it as we walked. Eventually we jumped on just before Park Lane and swiped our Oyster Cards. We alighted at Kensington Olympia and walked back to Ian's house arriving at more or less the same time as Claire, on her way back by bicycle from the dentist.
On Monday evening we ate at the local Iranian restaurant.
The next morning we caught the 9h55 from Kensington Olympia to Milton Keynes. It took an hour and cost twenty pounds single. Peter's sister, Wendy, met us at the station and we drove to Aspley Guise to see their Mum, Joan. We had a spot of lunch and Hannah joined us on her lunch break from work.
Robin was playing golf and we met him back at their house. We took Alfie, the black Labrador, for a walk in the nearby cricket field and it was soon dark.
Wendy had made a delicious beef in Madiera for supper and both Jack and John came over to join us.
On Wednesday we drove to the big Milton Keynes shopping centre. I had been looking for an iPad mini - the model I wanted was not yet available in South Africa and the London stores had all sold out. We found one in the Apple store and did a bit more Christmas shopping. Afterwards Robin, Peter and I had a spot of lunch at the Swan in Woburn whilst Wendy was at the hairdresser. We all met at Carol's house, Joanne and Stefan were back from Hull where they had been looking at a minis and Howard's grandchildren Benjamin and Nathan were visiting. After a supper of bangers and mash we played some sevens.
On Thursday it was back to London. Not just London but to Kensington Olympia opposite my brother's house! Wendy had tickets for the Olympia horse show and we joined her pony club on a coach from Westoning at 9am. Peter and Robin were intending to play golf but it was too wet so they ended up having lunch in another Swan pub with Alfie. The horse show was exciting and we did a spot more Christmas shopping at the stalls set up in Olympia. I treated myself to a purple rain jacket and was persuaded to buy some sharp French tree lopers and secateurs by a dishy French salesman. Gullible as ever!
Wendy had left a lasagne for supper and by the time we arrived at the house it had been warmed up and was delicious.
On Friday we managed to complete our Milton Keynes Christmas shopping at the big Tesco's. I bought a Kindle for Peter.
We picked Joan up and the five of us went for a posh lunch at the Crooked Billet in Newton Longville. We had to wait outside until they opened bang on twelve!
There's me in the new jacket!
The food was deliciously expensive (thank you Peter!). Robin and Peter finished off with some very strong cheese washed down with a range of white wines.
On Saturday we popped over to Carol's as Anton and Helena had arrived from Germany. Stefan had made delicious sausage rolls and we gorged ourselves. In the evening, after chicken pasta we went to a village hall to listen to a band called Size Nine. Wendy and I did a spot of dancing but were eclipsed by the Drummer's wife who became more and more inebriated as the night progressed and eventually had to be "assisted" from the room.
We had decided to offer the nieces and nephews an activity in lieu of presents so on Sunday they had booked to go ice sliding and we were to go and watch them. Peter and I cooked breakfast and we went for a walk with Wendy and Alfie. The snow centre in Milton Keynes is effectively an indoor ski slope with manufactured snow and ski lifts. We sat in the warmth of the coffee bar but the youngsters were bundled up in ski clothes and helmets on the other side of the glass windows.
Afterwards we popped to The Barge for a drink and then Jack and Hannah fetched fish and chips for all of us on their way home.
Monday was Christmas Eve and we did some final shopping at Tesco and then went to fetch our hire car, a black Ford Fiesta. Wendy does a traditional Christmas Eve supper of steak with a brandy and mushroom sauce - it was delicious. Afterwards we watched an episode of the Royle Family which we hadn't seen for years.
It was Christmas morning and Hannah went to fetch Joan. The first visitor was Robin's brother, Mick. He had made a DVD for Katy by putting photos of her since she was born to music. A bit later Geoff and Claire arrived with Charlie and Ani. Much excitement was had opening hundreds of presents until the lounge floor had disappeared under piles of paper.
Hannah had made some mince pies with homemade mince meat and they were delicious.
Once Robin's family had left for their own lunches we drove over to Carol and Howard's house and started all over again with the presents! We sat down for a delicious traditional turkey lunch at about two thirty in the conservatory and gorged ourselves. Then there was a break before dessert and we gave each other "tree presents". Don't know how we will carry everything back home!
On Wednesday Wendy was preparing a Boxing Day lunch but Peter and I were leaving for Grimsby to visit his family. We joined the others at a traditional Boxing Day hunt at Great Yardley on the way. However the ground was too wet for the hunt and the horses just cantered up and down and showed off how splendidly they were turned out.
We drove north up the back roads and I navigated us towards Geddington where I lived during the early eighties. Unfortunately the river was flooded and we couldn't get access into the village to see my old house.
We carried on through Corby, Stamford and Grantham and then saw the spectacular Lincoln Cathedral and had a spot of lunch in the Salutation Inn before arriving in Grimsby just after three. We navigated using the iPad but after a while it seemed not to pick up the maps and current position until I loaded a data bundle onto the English micro sim.
Location:London and Milton Keynes
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