Luke

Up very early. Although I’d set my alarms incorrectly, I was awake anyway by any 5:45am and so, by 6am, was up and getting ready. Mum & Dad were having breakfast when I surfaced and we all left the house at 6:45am heading for Victoria. They are taking a coach holiday to Cornwall which Mum arranged for dad’s birthday and is why they stayed with us last night.

To help them, and their luggage, I needed a step-free train route to Victoria. I'm lucky that I have a choice of routes. According to various websites and route planners, lifts were out of action at Wimbledon, Clapham Junction and Vauxhall. But no indication of which lift and if I would need them. Took a gamble and went via Clapham. One of the lifts I needed was, indeed, out of service.  We did get another lift to a different platform for an alternative train to Victoria but it was slow. And, in spite of leaving a decent amount of extra time, I started to worry. Nonetheless, we disembarked about 7:30am.

The Shearings holiday coach was leaving from Victoria Green Line Coach Station. I’d looked it up and even Wikipedia says that it should not be confused with the nearby Transport for London owned Victoria Coach Station but, if I hadn't checked, all the signs pointed to the TFL one and we may have been lost. 

Later, we left home just after 6pm. A route to Waterloo and then a tube to Tottenham Court Road and a switch change to the, very impressive Elizabeth Line for a one-stop trip to Farringdon.  We left using the Barbican exit which, as it turned out, was the right exit for the piano bar we were going to. We had a pit-stop at a Subway for a sandwich before heading down some steps to be seated for the evening.

We saw west-end performer, Luke Bayer, sing. More good music but he had a, self-admitted, tendency for sadder songs. We had wine and Espresso Martinis. The sounds were a broad selection of tunes from The Rolling Stone, Joni Mitchel  and various musical theatre numbers including something from Tick, Tick, Boom and The Little Mermaid. Quite a fun evening in a lovely venue. We should go again.

On the way gnome, we stopped to buy bread in the M&S so we could make toast before bed.