Day: 20 September 2026

I could have spent much of this week writing about going out to eat and/or entertaining, but decided that would be too dull. On the other hand, on Wednesday night we (American and I) went on the London Eye (always a fantastic treat) and then wandered down the South Bank. It is probably one of my favourite areas of London.

• Old County Hall. It’s a pleasure dome of treats, but the best bit is the aquarium. We didn’t go in this time, but I love the place and am writing this as a kind of note to myself: go back to the London Aquarium.
• The London Eye. My thirtieth birthday was spent on The Eye in a hired capsule with a whole bunch of friends – all of whom had almost no notice but arrived for drinks, a ride and pizza. This time we were on The Eye as the light started to fade – which actually made it all the more magical. We even bought the tacky tourist snap that they take on the way down.
• New Hungerford Bridges(s). I have spent years walking over the old, narrow bridge, avoiding the winter floods and the summer camera-wielding tourists. The new bridges look stunning. They are boulevard-wide and, in fact, very pleasant to walk across, and each bridge offers very different but fabulous views.
• Royal Festival Hall and National Film Theatre. They may be concrete, and they are certainly not photogenic, but they are some of my favourite locations. Long may the concrete jungle live.
• Oxo Tower. A great building with a great restaurant (even if I can never afford to eat there) and, if you don’t want to go on the wheel, the viewing gallery at the top (free and near the restaurant) provides a stunning view of St. Paul’s Cathedral.
• Tate Modern and Millennium Bridge. After all the fuss at the turn of the century, these are two worthy additions to the London landscape. The interior of the Tate Modern is fantastic (the sheer size of the entrance is great). And the Millennium Bridge is in just the right place and looks gorgeous when lit (although the last few times I haven’t seen the lights on).

On the way back from these sights (we didn’t do New City Hall or Tower Bridge, Hayes Galleria or Butler’s Wharf), we stopped for a pseudo-traditional pub meal of chips and beer. Even though I suspect the pub was full of tourists, it felt like the kind of place I went to regularly, so I guess it had an air of authenticity.

After all this on Wednesday, I was looking forward to last night. Last night was meant to be an evening off from being a tour guide (not that I mind, but the break would be good). I was having dinner with some friends (and some old friends who were coming down from Scotland). My friends in Worcester Park were preparing dinner, and it was to be (in fact, it was indeed) an evening of memories and fun. However, things did try to put a damper on the evening.

• I was late. I was attending presentations with a client, and they ran over.
• My friend Jo, who was cooking, had been taken ill and had been in and out of the hospital for two nights (nothing too serious, thankfully). So, she didn’t feel like cooking – her husband decided to, and the food was excellent.
• We were all so tired (me from working, them from the illness/hospital adventures) that we called a halt to proceedings at 10.30pm.

It’s a shame when things don’t quite go according to plan, especially when you’ve been looking forward to them. I’d hoped to have a long catch-up with the folks from Scotland, but we ended up with the briefest of chats. Ah well, maybe next time …