Hi Nostalgiacs!
I flew back home to America last week and I'm already missing London loads. Hardly a surprise as I am a die-hard Londoner! I really enjoyed catching up with family and friends, and just having a good old wonder around town - which included visits to soho; Freddie Mercury's former Kensington home and a night out at Bill Wyman's restaurant, Sticky Fingers. Mr. D and I also celebrated us having been a couple for ten years with a wander around Hyde Park and a peddle-boat ride... something we used to do in the old days!
I didn't get to see everyone or do all the things I had planned to do - funnily enough a month isn't long enough for all that even though it deceivingly seems so! Never mind - it's a good excuse to head back to London at some point soon.
But just in case you're wondering, I am happy to be back in America, in my own home, getting back to my projects and my work, as well as enjoying a quieter, gentler pace of life that exists out here in rural New England.
As most people who have moved to another country will say, you're never happy - when you're in one country, you suddenly find yourself wanting to be in the other. In an ideal world, I'd do six months in the UK and six months in the US. Mr. D. says that the only way that can happen is if we have a very big lottery win, and seeing as neither of us ever buys a ticket, even a small win isn't on the cards!
Oh well - it's a nice thought!
Other than seeing family, friends and tucking into decent fish n' chips, one highlight of the trip was the amazingly huge stack of magazines I received courtesy of a lovely young man, MJ, who like me collects vintage magazines and is a complete nostalgia nut! I meet a lot of interesting, kind-hearted people in the most random and bizarre ways and MJ is no exception. Around three years ago, I bought a bunch of magazines from, you guessed it, MJ. I thought that would be the last I heard from him when a few months later, he left a comment on my then blog for a post about vintage magazines. I think we both realised then what a small world it really was! Since then we've kept in touch, swapping notes on our magazine collection among other things.
When MJ heard I was going to be in London, he very kindly offered to give me the copies of the magazines that he had doubles of. I was only expecting a handful of mags but I got much, much more than that. What was astounding is that MJ refused to accept a penny for them which is surprising considering he could have sold the lot. He really is a sweetheart and I'm very lucky to have gotten to know him - and not because of the freebie magazines! It's always lovely to meet someone who restores your faith in humanity. MJ - thank you for your very big-hearted gesture. You rock! x
I had been back in America for only a few hours when I got the shock of my life! Well, a shock anyway. I cannot believe that the Alessi Twins are making their way back to Ramsay Street! WHAT??? NO WAY!!!
It has been almost thirty years since Caroline Alessi and Christina Robinson left Erinsborough for new lives in Italy and Hawaii respectively. Fans felt that it was unlikely that the twins would ever set foot in Ramsay Street again, especially as the actresses who played Caroline and Christina, Gayle Blakeney and Gillian Blakeney, appeared to have given up acting and have since relocated to California where they've been living for more than twenty years.
It goes without saying that Neighbours fans who remember the soap in its heyday will be delighted by this completely unexpected surprise (OK, true - all surprises are unexpected!) It's not known what their storyline will be or when their return will air but we cannot wait! No doubt they will be locking horns with Paul (who doesn't?) and be making a real impact on Ramsay street just as they did all those years ago.
And as nostalgic as it is for Neighbours fans to have the Alessi Twins return, it must no doubt be equally nostalgic for the Blakeneys to be back on set, reunited with Stefan Dennis who plays Paul Robinson - Christina's ex-husband - and the crew of Neighbours, some of whom would have worked on the show when they were on it. I'm sure it'll be a short stint which is disappointing but it'll be great to see Caroline and Christina back again.
As I said, we can't wait!
@Bailamos - I hope you had as good a night out there as I did! ;)
Paid homage to Freddie many years ago outside his house and the walls were indeed covered in lovely tributes by the fans to Freddie. And funnily enough Sticky Fingers was one of the last places my friends and I dined out at before we all had to self-isolate.
Oh you should! I was actually expecting it to be heaving with fans - and despite the constant trickle of fans wanting to pay homage - it was a lot quieter than I expected which was great for me because it meant I got to have my own moment of Freddie time! Someone who had visited many years ago was surprised to see that the walls were scrubbed clean. She said it was covered in graffiti when she was last there.
I love Queen! I never visited England but I hope to do so one day and when I do, I will be going to Freddie's house :)