Python, Sushi & Lots of Walking

As a birthday treat for Rich, we decided to get away from it all and run off down to London for the weekend.

We stayed at the Paddington Hilton, which is an enormous Art Deco building which forms part of the Paddington station complex and was formerly the “Great Western Royal Hotel”

The hotel was designed by architect Philip Charles Hardwick and was opened in 1854 by Prince Albert. Owned by the Great Western Railway until privatisation of the railways in 1983, the grand building was finally bought by the Hilton chain in 2001.

We woke up with excitement (well, I did, TOH would have been happy left to sleep all morning I think) knowing that all of London’s glories awaited us; and, with a warm Summer sun shining down it was decided that we would stroll into town.

Our first port-of-call was Kensington Gardens, home to Sir George Frampton’s statue of Peter Pan.

From there we carried on to Hyde Park, which was in the middle of the Wireless Festival, up Park Lane, through Grosvenor Square (past the Embassies) and so to Oxford Street. A long, very warm, but thoroughly enjoyable walk.

We popped into the Apple store (naturally), bought nothing (equally naturally) and tootled on towards Shaftesbury Avenue where we had tickets for Spamalot at the Palace Theatre.

The show was hilarious, fairly true to Python’s original script, whilst reaching whole new levels of mirth and silliness. To single out one performer would be impossible in such an ensemble piece, I haven’t laughed so much in an age. Go and see it, or I shall taunt you a second time, you sons of a silly person.

After gorging ourselves on ham-and-jam-and-spamalot we had dinner at Yo!Sushi (57 Haymarket). Though a sushi lover, I’d never been to a dedicated sushi restaurant before and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Whipping dishes off the conveyor belt, whilst trying to read a menu that is more like an instruction manual was certainly an experience, and one I’d happily repeat.

It was such a fine evening that we continued our walk with a visit to Trafalgar Square, the weather had brightened (after a torrential downpour) and it was a perfect opportunity to grab some shots of my beloved National Gallery and Nelson.