Lunch with bethanthepurple, dinner with <user site="livejournal

[mattp]

Got a text message from bethanthepurple earlier today who happened to be visiting London, so we met up wandered the streets for a bit, had a bite to eat and then headined into town.

En route we met alienfox so I prodded him for details of the then-forthcoming gathering chez lui.

In town I we wandered up to cybercandy going via
a junction called Seven Dials. I'd taken a few photos of it before over recent days, but it had been raining and the photos weren't as good as I'd like.

The junction istself is near Leicester Square and consists of 7 one way streets (4 in, 3 out) meeting at a mini roundabout with a tall monument in the centre. This monument has 7 sundials on it (one on each face), hence the name.



Later we wandered to south towards Westminster and wandered through St James Park. We found a guy hand feeding squirrels - it was fantastic - I got loads of photos and a few videos. One of a squirrel running up the guy's leg, taking a nut and scurrying off.


Shortly after 5 we went to head the quarter hour chimes but annoyingly a noisy bus and a police car went past and masked the sound. Such a small thing to do, and still I've not yet heard the bells up front in person. I shall have to stand next to the tower next time I'm in the area :-)

Then we went our separate ways and I headed up to Islington to have dinner with zapruder. Rar. We finally met up after 2 previous failed attempts. We ate at a place called La Porchetta and they served huge portions. So big, in fact, that even I with my huge appetite was unable to finish. Never mind - I took it home with me and finished it off the following day.

I had previously thought about writing up my tumour story in book form, but don't quite know how I'd pad it out into a reasonable length. Conversation over dinner gave me a few ideas, including adding some stories about how Nf affected me as a child, some stories from school and those medics to whom I've been a patient.
So, thanks for re-kindling my interest
I shall start looking for publishers at some stage.

All in all, it was an awesome and yet tiring day.

Comments

The Dutch connexion...

[mhw.livejournal.com]

Oh, I found out why the plinth said that Queen Beatrix had been invited to do the unveiling: the Seven Dials area was developed during the reign of William and Mary, and Queen Beatrix was in the UK in 1989 to attend the celebrations of the 300^th anniversary of their accession to the throne. William of Orange-Nassau was a Dutch nobleman and a nephew of James II, and had married James' daughter Mary, so after James was deposed they were offered and accepted the joint monarchy of the UK.

It wasn't a happy marriage, unfortunately; William seemed to be far more interested in his boyfriends (two of whom he elevated to the English Peerage) than in his wife, and when he did have a relationship with a woman it was with his wife's Lady of the Bedchamber.

I wonder how many fervent Irish Unionists are aware that their beloved "King Billy" was a philandering queer :)

Ouch!

[mhw.livejournal.com]

One of a squirrel running up the guy's leg, taking a nut and scurrying off.

Rather unfortunate phrasing, really...