It's been a very busy summer and it's only about to get busier still! I made my first trip on a plane since lockdown this July when we went to Georgia. And then two weeks later we hopped on a plane again as we headed to... LONDON BABY!!! That's right, after more than three and a half years, The Man and I finally made it back over the Atlantic and all the way home! The last time we were in London was in the spring of 2019. After such a long time it was a very surreal experience being home again.
The two weeks just flew by and we didn't get to do a fraction of the things we had planned. So next time, we'll put a lot more care into arranging things. But of course I was happy to be back with family and friends and in the city I still call home. And of course I loved being reunited with my collection of vintage magazines, books, collectables and other bits and pieces. Though contrary to popular belief, we did not head home for the Queen's funeral!
THE END OF AN ERA...
One of the most notable events of this trip was of course the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II. When we booked our tickets for the London trip, Her Majesty was very much alive and we didn't think she'd be going anywhere. Sadly we were wrong about that. The Queen passed away just four days before we flew out, and I did wonder about what the mood of the country would be like as the passing of a reigning monarch is not something that many of us in Britain have experienced as we'd had a queen who had been on the throne for seventy years. Even my mum said that Queen Elizabeth was the only British monarch she'd ever known, as she was crowned queen before my mum was even born!
While I didn't queue up for thirteen hours to see Her Majesty's coffin as she lay in state, or stand out in the street as the funeral procession went by, I did sign one of the many condolence books that were laid out for the public to sign, and mine just happened to be in one of my old haunts - Redbridge Library and Museum. While I admit to not being the world's biggest royalist, Her Majesty was someone's mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, as well as the only reigning British monarch any of us had ever known. And I have to say it - she was a pretty fine one! Her Majesty the Queen did an excellent job of serving her country and carrying out obligations - with one of the last being the appointment of the new prime minister, Liz Truss (and how were we to know that just over a month later, we were to have another new prime minister? 2022 has been full of changes all right!)
Everyone has memories about the Queen during her reign, regardless of whether they met her in person or not. My mum told me about how she saw the Queen go by her office in Central London during the procession for the Queen's Silver Jubilee. My dad actually got to shake hands with our new reigning monarch, King Charles III (but that's another story!) And as for me, well my little primary school-aged self - along with the rest of the class - had to create a birthday card for Her Majesty, celebrating her fiftieth birthday (or was it her 60th? Maths was never my strong point!) And the best card was going to be sent to the Queen. My card didn't win (clearly art wasn't my strong point either!) and I can't remember who the lucky winner actually was (no doubt they're now telling people about how they designed a birthday card for her) but I do remember our class receiving a letter from Buckingham Palace, thanking us for the card and saying that it was much appreciated by Her Majesty. A friend asked me if that letter was framed and hung up in class. Actually... it wasn't! And I have no idea where it actually got to - perhaps 'Miss' took it home with her. But for me, that's my own personal favourite recollection I have connected to Queen Elizabeth.
Once King Charles has his coronation next year, it will mark the beginning of a new era and a new chapter in history. No one knows right now what Britain will look like under the reign of King Charles III just yet but one thing is for sure - Queen Elizabeth II will not be forgotten in a hurry.
Rest in peace, Ma'am - and thank you... for everything. x
A trip to London is never complete without a visit to my old haunts - for the pure nostalgia of course! One was to book shop Foyles in London where I used to go during my student days and was a hangout for my friends and I when we weren't students - purely for the love of books - and going even further back in time, was where my dad used to go during his student days! This particular visit was to meet up with, dare I say it, a student from my teaching days who I haven't seen since leaving for America. Unfortunately being away from London for so long meant that I lost my bearings and couldn't remember the way to Foyles. And as it happened we bumped into a couple... who were looking for directions to Foyles as the last time they were there was forty years ago! It turns out they were on their way to a wedding but wanted to make a detour to the café at Foyles for a cuppa first (if you ever get the chance, do drop in at the café. Not only do they have amazing beverages but the staff are lovely!) As it turns out the husbands guessed the right way to go to one of London's most famous bookshops, while the wives were left to admit that on this occasion, the boys got it right!
I also took a stroll down Ealing Broadway, a place where I went to uni; worked at my last place of employment before heading over to America, and where I met my gang of girlies who have been my bezzie mates for more than twenty years. Ealing always holds lots of special memories for me: uni, work, hanging out with friends, mad nights outs... And you can always get a good bit of shopping done there too!
But one of the most awesomest (yeah, probably not a word!) things about this trip - apart from seeing family/framily of course - was meeting the lovely friends I'd made via the wonderful world of blogging!
Even though I had started blogging about four years before moving to America, it was only after moving out here that I created something of a community through my blogs, including this one, where I've got to connect with some amazing people who I always knew I'd want to meet up with for a cappucino, or better yet, a few cocktails. I got to meet a few of them this visit, and we really hit it off just as I hoped we would. No longer online friends but friends! Cannot wait to meet up with them again, as well as meet more lovely people from this fab community. Just another reason why I'm so grateful for this site!
Photos: Angel Noire
GIF: Wix
Blog graphics: Angel Noire
