One Month in London!

[stellabella]

I'm a tourist.  In fact, it's my very favorite thing in all this world to be.  

til i heave me last breath, jaymes. i'd tootle around london with you any time.

the recommendations are overwhelming and generous--i am going to have to schedule my fun. i cannot wait.

i had tea at fortnum & mason in january, when i was playing hooky in london for three days. have also had tea at claridge's & brown's. tea is the ultimate tourist indulgence, and though the locals may scoff, surely they make allowances for us yanks who have nothing to compare here at home--unless you count a bottle of Coke and bag of salted peanuts. brown's has gone downhill, claridge's serves tasty nosh, but is so snobby i can't even find humor in it, so i was delighted by F&M, where the food was mediocre but the charm unmatched--i sat next to two chatty english ladies and their fluffy dogs--maybe i'm imagining the dogs.

i try to stay away from horrids. i visited once and was swept into a sea of swirling bodies, admonished by a guard to remove my day pack, hurled recklessly through the food courts til imade my breathless escape back to the street and straight for the V&A, perhaps the quietest place in London. i am a liberty girl, my head filled with pipe dreams.

my other favorite place--the crypt below st martin's. why do i love it so much? when i am home it is the place i miss most.

[Simon Majumdar]

Stella

I will leave the others to talk of the boring stuff

What we have to decide is when we are going to meet you in the Wenlock and get bladdered?

C'mon guys what are you? Bleeding Amateurs........

S

[tony h]

or, how about meeting at St Johns? I'm sure other eGulleters may want to join in (horses couldn't drag me back to the wenlock)

[Andy Lynes]

Oh god does it have to be the Wenlock? Its very nice and all that, but its in the middle of nowhere, and it is sodding miles to the next drink, I dont care what anyone says.

I come from Portsmouth, and when we went on pub crawls in my youth , it was literally possible, and sometimes necessary, to crawl on your hands a knees from one disgusting hostelry to the next. I'm just not used to the vast acres of nothingness, broken only by the sight of the odd burning car or hapless OAP being beaten to a pulp by a gang of disaffected and extravagently pierced youths that make up the passing landscape of an eGullet drinking expedition (and I use the term advisedly).

Give me convienience or give me death.

[Wilfrid]

Where is this Wenlock, then? Deptford?

[Andy Lynes]

It's "near" to where Simon lives is where it is. Sort of Old Street way in the City, Hackney I think.

[Simon Majumdar]

The reason I suggested The Wenlock was

a) To Piss Andy off ( natch )

b) Because Stella loved it on a previous visit

Now if you guys want to get all selfish on our arses, well that's just up to you

S

[Andy Lynes]

Why dont you and Stella have a few at the Wenlock and the rest of us will meet you at the checkpoint to civilisation and we can take it from there?

[Wilfrid]

Old Street area sounds perfectly civilized. I was thinking you meant South of the river, or some council estate in Tottenham. Big girls blouses.

I hope my opinion from the other side of the Atlantic is both helpful and relevant. (Just couldn't think if I'd been to the Wenlock - apparently not.)

[Jaymes]

I'm a tourist.  In fact, it's my very favorite thing in all this world to be.  

til i heave me last breath, jaymes. i'd tootle around london with you any time.

i try to stay away from horrids. i visited once and was swept into a sea of swirling bodies, admonished by a guard to remove my day pack

Well, when I was last there, it was the dead of November, so perhaps the smart set was skiing in Gstaad.

And the tourists were cruising the Greek Isles.

And the guards were looking for someone shiftier. Someone with a daypack, perhaps?

[stellabella]

And the guards were looking for someone shiftier.  Someone with a daypack, perhaps?   

Ay! There was a sign posted that all visitors must carry any daypacks next to their bodies to facilitate the movement of people through the store. It was a tidal wave of humanity.

The pal I was with insisted we push our way to the food courts and we drooled and bought lunch to take with us. I haven't even tried to go back again, but if I am ever over during the dreary off-season I will go back in, just because I love to torture myself looking at millions of things I cannot afford.

Jaymes, what am I saying? London in January was terrific! I wasn't able to spend much time out-of-doors, but the city is still the city.

Jaymes, did you like the steak and kidney pie? I tried a bite of one at a pub in the Cotswalds. It tasted like urine. Was I ever disappointed. I felt that there had to be delicious versions elsewhere of this most famous dish. If you recommend it at Harrod's, I have a friend visiting me who would love to try it--that might be a fun thing to do one afternoon.

[stellabella]

Andy, what I went through to find the Wenlock, you have no idea. I walked for hours. But it was worth it. At no time did I ever feel my life was in danger, although now, having read your post, the hairs on my spine are erect.

Just kidding!!!!!!!!

First of all, I will be drinking pints at the Wenlock with Simon because he's responsible for bringing this pub into my life. We can certainly start here and meet others elsewhere later, or we can all be BIG BOYS and just do the right thing and meet the young rooky yank at HER favorite pub, considering that she's the one who traveled 5,000 miles to be here.

Um, Andy, we have a date at the Kit-Kat factory. I am not sure how I am going to fit all this in.

In truth, if any egulleters want to meet up for a crawl, i am game. It is my sincerest hope that Miss J will come, as well. I arrive July 3, and July 4 I am attending the Lion King. Otherwise my time is absolutely unscheduled. I leave Saturday the 28th. You decide and tell me where to meet. I found the Wenlock, I can find any place.

[Jaymes]

I DID like it, Miss Stella.

On that particular visit, I was with a tightly-herded bunch of folks and we had little say exactly when and where we went. We had Steak & Kidney Pie several times during that visit and, although I am certain Londoners (especially eGulleteers) could tell you where to find better, when I took my first bite there, I remember thinking to myself, "Oh. Well, THIS is good! I was beginning to wonder!"

We were not at the food court however; but rather, up in the dining room. Christmas was on the way, so the place was decorated and festive and fun. And I quite liked the S&KPie. There were five at our table and we passed stuff around and everything was, we all agreed, exceedingly tasty.

I bought a beautiful white wool "throw" for my sofa. I also bought some Harrod's aprons, one for my daughter to wear in her bachelorette pad, and two more as eventual hostess gifts to bestow upon my "foodie friends" the next time they invited me for dinner (these two particular friends had each expressed a desire to travel to England someday but had not yet been able to; they were ab fab thrilled with my gift).

So, all in all, it was great fun.

And, believe me, I know a little something about fun.

[Andy Lynes]

We may have to save the Kit kat factory for next time!

I am on holiday from 19th July so I would obviously prefer it to be before then. In all honesty, The Wenlock is not too difficult for me as I am based in the City, but it's much more difficult for others to get to though, especially after a days work (oh! what a hard life we all lead) so somewhere a bit more central might be more convienient.

[stellabella]

Jaymes, I am giving Harrod's another go.

Andy, whatever you decide is fine with me. I'm gonna find Simon at the Wenlock whether we arrange to meet or not .

Tony? Macrosan? Who else? Anyone, everyone. It would be my pleasure.

[Tonyfinch]

Yeah,of course. Wenlock is fine for me. Coupla days I can't do but name a date and lets see.

[macrosan]

I'm here Gimme a date, two days notice (preferably) and I'll be there.

[Miss J]

I would love to come, but unfortunately my time just got a lot harder to schedule. I was told this morning that I need to work on a project in Dusseldorf for the next four weeks, probably starting this Wednesday. (Hmm...guess I better do some ironing, then.) I'll be back in London on the weekends, but I'm absolutely ruled out of any/all weeknight gatherings. And that includes Fridays.

So I guess I'll have to be with you all in spirit. Just don't give Stellabella tinned crickets, okay? I'm sure a packet of pork scratchings would be frightening enough...

Miss J

[Simon Majumdar]

I am in the good old US of Stateside between the 8th and 16th. otherwise, I am, as always up for a drink or three

S

[Tonyfinch]

How about Fri July 5th?

[magnolia]

I was in the Savoy Grill last week - not my idea and I wasn't paying.  Forget about it.  If you want to check out the Savoy, have a cocktail in the American Bar.

Ah, but if high tea is your thing, Savoy's is a relative bargain and is the real thing. Plus there doesn't seem to be a dress code; they don't sneer at you if you aren't Royalty or Celebrity; and last time I was there (couple of weeks ago) I walked in off the street (though I suppose it's always better to reserve). And it's right around the corner from Simpsons so if you're still hungry after your 10 deadly sins or whatever, and it's about 4pm (just post breakfast!) then you can stroll right in

[stellabella]

Friday, the fifth of July, sounds fine.

Magnolia, tea at the Savoy? This would be a new one, perhaps well worth the effort.

As the date draws near I'll try contacting as many of you as possible and we'll see about this little piss up. Miss J, I will miss you. Thanks for the wonderful advice.

[Gavin Jones]

I'd very much like to take a drink with you all on the 5th (Wenlock or elsewhere), if permitted.

[Wilfrid]

I don't suppose anyone wants to move it to the 11th or 12th, on the grounds that I am potentially more interesting than Simon?

[Gavin Jones]

I would also like very much to go drinking on the 11th or 12th.

I know this make me sound like a terrible drunk, but I may well be one.

I also believe the Wenlock was Simon's designated drinking establishment.

Others that are possible (excluding Wenlock) from the expressed preferences of the members might include the Market Porter (v. handy for Borough Market & London Bridge Friday or Satyrday).

Pride of Spitalfields (not that this pub ever opens late, oh no, and if you turned up at midnight would definitely not serve etc etc)