I had so many plans for my blog this week. However I have basically been out too much enjoying London with no spare time to write my blog. It’s unlikely I will catch up with myself so here’s a summary with some of my blurry photos as have now figured out how to download from phone to PC although the actual editing of the photos (ie turning them the right way round and putting them at different locations in blog) is still beyond me. I can turn them round but for some reason I am unable to save them.

Friday – Sunday – a weekend trip to Oxfordshire to visit friends who live in a lovely village called Bampton near Oxford for the princely sum of £8 return on the train. Bampton is known for having 3 Morris dancing teams and my friends told me that over the May bank holiday (maybe next year!) the village is taken over by Morris dancers as they dance their way around the village. All the big house owners are legally bound to open their grounds so it’s a good opportunity for the locals to see behind the scenes. We spent the weekend cycling although my fitness was sorely lacking and eating which I am quite good at.

Tuesday – a pub crawl with my American friend D to those 2 fantastic Belgravia pubs The Star Tavern (photo with all the hanging baskets) and The Grenadier (see my previous entry).

Wednesday – a guided tour around Charterhouse in Clerkenwell (the other photo) – absolutely fascinating and unknown to many of the people I work with in Farringdon probably less than half a mile away. This was followed by a practice walk in Mayfair for exam re-sit after which I was fit for nothing.

Thursday evening – was meant to be a walk down the Strand with Londonist and Chris Roberts to promote the latest edition of the Penny Dreadful for the 21st Century One Eyed Grey but the torrential rain thwarted us and we only made it a couple of hundred yards to the Lyceum Tavern which I had never realised was a cheap Sam Smiths pub and we stayed there for the duration of the evening. Good to meet some of the Londonist staff and see Chris again although a shame not to do the walk.

Friday – a night in but length of evening scuppered by the National Express rail strike.

Saturday – a VaughanTown meetup where I enthused about my 4 visits to VaughanTown (where you talk (not teach) English to Spaniards with a good standard of English for 6 days and stay in a luxury hotel with all meals included in remote parts of Spain and meet fantastic people and generally have a good time – mention my name if you book!).

Today – I hosted a Spice tour around the BBC at Portland Place followed by lunch at Strada.

Think I need a rest!