Farewell to the Fordes

3 July 2008
London

I'm "working from home" this morning (ie., having a half-day holiday) so I can see Mum and Dad off. The sun is playing peek-a-boo behind the clouds this morning, and Mum and Dad keep jumping up to get their coats out of their bags or pack them away, depending on the weather change. It's very funny to watch.

I took Mum for her walk this morning, and we popped into Caffe Nero one last time for a quick takeaway coffee, so we could walk around the neighbourhood with our cappuchinos like proper Balham Yummy Mummies.



Here they are finally sitting down, waiting for their taxi to take them to Heathrow:



And the final couch portrait, taken with my camera on timer:



And they're off!



I'll miss them and their funny little ways - the half-skeletonised teabags left all over the kitchens in cups for re-use especially - but I don't think the trip could have been any better than it was, and I know we all had a marvellous time. In the past three weeks, I've learnt a lot about the virtues of patience, the pleasure of taking things slowly, and the importance of enjoying and appreciating everything about living in London.

I wish them well for a safe trip home, and am working on them to come back again some day.

THE END

Last Day

2 July 2008
London

Today I went back to work, and Mum and Dad stayed at home, cleaned the house, and cooked my dinner for me. Hoorah!

Here we are polishing off a final leg of Welsh lamb...



...with some strawberries and cream for dessert.



They've had a great time, and I'll be sorry to see them go tomorrow.

Regent's Park

1 July 2008
London

Today was a scorcher - 28 degrees Celsius, which is about the hottest it's been in London in a year. Mum was keen to make the most of my final day of holiday with them, but I was a little worried that if we went outside, Dad would melt in the heat.

After an early lunch, we went to Regent's Park, which is an oasis of decorative 18th century landscape gardening and lush green fields right in the heart of central London, just above Oxford Street and Baker Street. It's surrounded by some of the most expensive real estate in London - mostly smart 18th century Georgian houses grouped in a semi-circle around the park, most of them still owned by the Crown Estate.



As it was a Tuesday afternoon, I assumed that the park would be mostly empty but for a few students and old ladies with big hats. I reckoned without the inspirational effects of sunshine in summer, which brought hundreds of people to the park (many of them on their lunch hour). Mum and Dad were impressed by the landscaping, and Dad appreciated the number of park benches thoughtfully grouped around the long walking parades.



Here's the only photo in existence of Dad walking around outside with just a shirt and no coat on, in front of one of the impressive decorative gardens and fountains.



After a restorative ice cream, we headed into the inner circle of the park, which houses the Queen Mary Rose Gardens - a spectacular collection of rose beds which left Mum and Dad breathless with excitement.



Here are Mum and Dad with their old friend Ingrid Bergman (the roses, that is).



By 3 o'clock, the sun was pretty severe, I suggested that we head to Fortnum & Mason for another afternoon tea, but Mum and Dad were keen back to Balham, so I tried recreating the same ambience at home with my Wedgwood tea set.



It seemed like too beautiful a day to just sit at home, so after dinner, we headed back into town, for a final stroll around Trafalgar Square.



It was a gorgeous balmy evening, and half of London was out in the streets, eating drinking and celebrating the good weather.



There's usually some festival or other happening in Trafalgar Square, and tonight there was a huge turn out for Canada Day, with a Chieftains-esque Canadian folk band playing in the Square.



This is one of my favourite pics of Mum and Dad, taken in Trafalgar Square. I think the look of delight on their faces speaks for itself.



After a stroll back down the Strand, we said a quick hello to Oscar Wilde...



and took a walk over Hungerford Bridge to check out the view of the London skyline.



We wandered down the South Bank to check out Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament.



We tried to get into Le Pain Quotidien for a coffee, but the queue was too long, so I had the cunning idea to buy some little cakes and take them back to have with a cup of tea at home. On the way home, Dad caught up with the latest 4am adventures of Amy Whitehouse in the tabloids.




All in all, a brilliant day, and a great end to my holiday. Mum and Dad have another day at home tomorrow before heading off on Thursday.