J-M in the House

We are now in the middle of our week of entertaining J-M, currently over here from the Silverwood's domain in Ireland. She is being treated to a week of delights and entertainments. Top of the list is undoubtedly the London trip on Tuesday - the excitement of a train ride up there, underground trains, just being there and walking the streets ("It's not as busy as I thought") and Harrods (mainly the food halls which are truly spectacular, and where J-M bought fudge just for the green Harrods bag), the toy dept and the outrageously priced young-people's fashion dept (tiny ra-ra skirt for £200+ anyone? Little jacket for £1099?).

From there we move on by taxi to China Town (Gerrard Street, naturally) for a Chinese meal at lunchtime (delicious and she fell upon it, but the place would never win any awards for fast service!). From there to Hamley's and circuit after circuit of several of the floors; pink overload in the "girls' floor", and lots of time (and plenty of money) spent in the "Build a Bear" dept.

In Harrods, by the way we'd just missed some celeb 'babe' or other from Girls Aloud in there launch her new make up range, getting only a glance at the back of her head as she disappeared into a area crammed with screaming herberts (who'd all queued, presumably) chased by 20-30 'entourage' people. Mum tried to blag a way through some displays to get closer, but a very polite young shop assistant said "Ahem.... I'm afraid that area of the shop is currently closed, I'm very sorry".

Mum and Dad had not met BuildaBear before but they have now - you buy an empty soft toy bear "skin" and you take it to the stuffing dept where a friendly assistant talks the child through stuffing it, giving it a little heart to stuff inside, and letting him/her press the on-switch with a foot, making pledges to always love the bear etc and then, inevitably, there are many many opportunities to spend money on outfits and other BuildaBear related stuff. J-M started the week with a fixed 'spending money' budget and managed to make quite a dent in it just in that one dept.

From there we walked down through some of the posher shopping streets of London, New Bond Street for one, past Cartier jewellery, Dolce and Gabbana, YSL etc - every one of them with doors closed and hefty security men guarding the door. We guess they need to see a Platinum Card before they'll even let you set foot. Our destination at that stage was Buckingham Palace but by then J-M's feet were blistered from walking too long in pinchy-shoes. We'd tried to find softer shoes for sale but could find none in her size.

It was a good day, all be it exhausting.

More on this adventure tomorrow

Deeski

Ragworth's Adventures in London

With Diamond in Greece (Poros) at present with John, Ragworth is being dog-sat by Diamond's little brother "Tot". I say "little" - he is bigger than Dad, but once a "Tot" always a tot in their family. They are from up North, so everyone is "Our Gavin" and "Our Mam" - even Denis's "little brother" who is 70+ is still known as "Our Kid"

Anyway, "Our Ragworth" is currently in the safe hands of Tot and , because Tot works in that London, Rags is currently up in the smoke. He is being walked in Battersea Park and, when he managed to find the only muddy puddle in Battersea fell foul of Tot who "Knows about terriers" and found himself bathed and then brushed out and stripped as you would a Show-Dog for good measure. Rags is reported to have enjoyed the experience and feels very much the man-about-town now.

Our own adventures have been more pedestrian - a nice gentle one to the Rec tonight where the mowers had just been through, so we had a great time chasing about kicking up the mowings and rolling over and over attacking each other in sprays of grassy bits. We met black collie (him of the white hind toes) Ben, and new kid on the block, softest cutest dog you'd ever want to meet, 4 month old Husky pup "Kaya" with his pale blue eyes and the softest downiest coat you'd ever touch.

Go Kaya - go Rags-about-Town

Deefs

2CV London to Brighton

Huge adventure today! Dad's 2CV club's London to Brighton run. "London" and "Brighton" are, in this context, just there for historic reasons. The Kent gang actually start at the Cock Inn in Luddesdown, near Meopham, and everyone finishes at Hove Park. They just call it the "L2B" so evryone knows what they're talking about.

Sooooo, we all get up early and a couple of 2CV's pull up outside our house. We are loaded into our own 2CV along with water, picnic etc, and the three cars head for Luddesdown. There gather 25 (we made it) cars for a photo-call.

Then we set off in our convoy and bimble gently through Kent and Sussex, following bits of M25, passing Lingfield Racecourse, Turners Hill, Hands Cross and eventually Devil's Dyke over the chalk. By then our route has merged with all the other routes and several hundred 2CVs and other old Citroens descend on Hove Park

It's great - it's a massive park so we can get out of the car and race about, playing ball and meeting all the other 2CV-dogs. The back seat comes out of a 2CV and makes a perfect picnic chair. It was reasonably warm and stayed dry all day, and Dad shared his pork-pie with us.

What a day - home and hosed now, and we've even had Diamond, Den and Asbo round for an evening meal. Tonight NO-ONE will need to sing me a lullaby

Deefer zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz