One minute we were in a tube with wings, filling in time, and then the next we were in the land of the red double decker buses. Randall is a slow learner and does some things the hard way so from border entry it was onto the trains and a couple of changes before we found our Coaches and Horses hotel in Kew Gardens. But we got there. Our body clocks had moved by the start of our second full day. We spent a good few hours at the National Archives on our first day out trying to find a letter written to Government in 1860 concerning our prime convict only to find that there is practically no chance it still exists. We looked everywhere. Quel dommage.
Still, we have tried and the researchers helping us were great.
For the rest of the day we visited Kew Gardens and enjoyed the quite warm weather. Speaking of which it seems from here that the Donald and the US have the whole world offside still and his empire could be fading away. As for here in the UK it is elections, elections and elections but the people are enjoying school holidays and very friendly and helpful, despite the times.
On the Saturday of the London incident, we visited Greenwich and inspected 'Cutty Sark' and the Observatory. The place was crowded, the weather was good and we enjoyed a tavern lunch. As it happened one of Randall's walking mates spent the day at Borough markets and lunched in the pub there. But here is the thing I think. It is a bit like going through an intersection where an accident happened this morning. These are random events. Sure you can mitigate risks by hiding under the bed but 'these things will pass'.
Now Yvonne has found her feet on her Rabbies Tour. It can be difficult as an older woman on her own but she avoided Rick Stein for something better it seems and is ready for further adventure from there before moving on to the end of the tour and to leave England over the weekend.
As for Randall, he has survived three long, wet, windy and tough walking days along the border of Wales. Lodgings and food have been variable but the group is coping. The fourth day started wet but fined up over the afternoon. And the group is looking forwards to a rest day now. Randall is tucked up in a little pub in Berriew Wales. We are split between pubs as the area does have some trouble coping with our group size of 11 grumpy old men. We had probably our tour highlight dinner last night in Oswestry. Fantastic. Although the only only restaurant diners who were an older couple probably on a special night out may not have coped with the noise we generated at times. Our hosts were great and right on the ball. Other places have been variable.
The election is today so it will be good to get in a pre and post vote note. From here there does not seem to be much local interest and we have barely seen any election material. But I guess if you are walking along a dyke dating back to 800 or so then it may be understandable. But Wales in particular seems somewhat stuck in the past and downtrodden so maybe London happenings are a long way from their agendas. Maybe May by a few or as a rag paper headline put it 'Don't throw Britain down the Cor-byn'. Maybe she gets back in?
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