Day Six Friday 22nd September

 French toast for breakfast. I've tried most of the selection now but I have to say French toast is a bit too deserts. Too sweet. And not very filling as I will find outshone enough.

Today we're going to Notting Hill and more importantly Portobello Road. The last time I was there was in 1979. Melody is taking the lead on this one and we get there smoothly. The sun is shining and at at times it even gets a little warm. Enough for me to take off my jacket. Which goes straight on when the clouds cover the sky. I miss my old sunglasses which broke the other day. They were light enough to keep on all the time. The new sunglasses are very dark so if I enter a shop or want to look at something I have to switch glasses. Oh, the pain of ageing.

As we walk to the market we come across George Orwell's house. Small and neat. Considering he wrote the line "Suburbia is just a prison in rows" it looks pretty much as he described. Or maybe he was reflecting. Still, it's George Orwell whose book 1984 was a massive part of my teenage years. Along with Clockwork Orange.

Portobello Road is a street of stalls selling ..well basically stuff. The usual stuff. Not very vibrant. No reggae sound systems which I recalled from my visit 45 years ago. Just a pleasant walk in the sunshine. The only time I see some interesting junk is at the end where there is a small area of people selling stuff cheaply. I found a box of 45s which was full of great stuff but I already owned it all. 

Grabbed myself some Himalayan Moomoos from the food stalls. It was an alleyway full of food from different and kind of exotic locations. Some countries I wasn't familiar with. But the aromas were amazing. And the moo moos were delicious.

Walked back up the street looking for Rough Trade. They used to have my single She Lets Me Know on the wall about 25 years ago. A picture of the wall was in Q Magazine and it was exciting to see it there. So I pop and look around the records and buy myself The Cramp's "Stay Sick" The girls are with me and their interest in a record shop doesn't last long so they go off. I go upstairs and scan the walls and unbelievably the wall hasn't changed. Aged yes. But changed no. I tell the assistant that's my band. I can't believe it. I got my picture taken with the wall. Can't believe the wall hasn't changed.

Continue walking back to the station and get ahead of the girls ending up in a different place than we arranged. But I soon find them and walk a little more to Kensington High Street to look at some more shops.  The girls are feeling tired and leave me alone to try on trousers. but always the wrong trousers until I realise I'm trying on the wrong size.  I have worn the same size forever and now I am smaller. Never occurred to me. still, I didn't find anything I liked.

Back to the hotel and have to make a change at Paddington. The last time I was there was in 79 too and when I came out of the subway I was gobsmacked by the architecture. It looked amazing and not something I could capture with my iPhone. It's all been done up mainly because the Eurostar train now goes there. Looks fantastic. I hear the surroundings look cool too so I'll be back.

Bought a small bottle of wine and crackers and went back to the hotel to chill. First red in a week and it was good. So good I fell asleep for a few hours. 

Ruby was seeing a friend in Paddington tonight so Mel and I had dinner downstairs. First, we watched the first half of England vs Scotland. Great game and 2-1 to England at halftime

. England won 3-1 in the end. But we were eating downstairs when that happened. Nice little pub but the giant beer garden is still empty. I guess it's a summer thing.

And that's a wrap for the day.