Battersea Power Station

Yesterday, possibly when he, the Minx, and I were having a post-curry drink in the Wellington at Waterloo, Dan suggested that we pop out at lunchtime today to take a ride on the new extension to the Northern Line that goes out to Battersea Power Station.

Well, anything Underground related is like catnip to me, so we met up with Dan around midday, and caught the tube from Waterloo, enjoying the new stations at Nine Elms and Battersea Power Station, albeit only passing through the former.

The refurbished power station itself is an architectural joy, and it was a treat to see it from the inside. I must say the shops didn't much appeal to me, but then I don't think I'm in their target demographic. We also snubbed the elevator trip up to the top of one of the chimneys; I'm not paying twenty odd quid for a ride in a lift.

Once we'd had a quick bite to eat, Dan caught the tube back into town, but the Minx and I had a while before our next meeting, so we walked back to the hotel, making a brief pit stop en route at the Tamesis Dock bar for a glass of mulled wine. 

And once our meeting was done, we met my folks and my brother at the Union Jack Club* before heading down to Hampton for dinner with my good friends Keith and Ange.

I first met Ange in 1993, when we both worked at Barclays Bank (which is a story for another time), and Keith was her boyfriend, with whom I became good friends when I worked in London around 2002/2003. (It's Keith who runs The Song Sommelier, for whom I've done a couple of interviews.)

Along the way, Ange has become Milly's godmother and Keith is Dan's godfather. And, indeed, Dan joined us a little later on, having travelled down after a rehearsal, resulting in one of those evenings when I could just take pleasure in the conversations and laughter from a bunch of people whom I love.

*Ex-servicemen's club, for which my dad has membership on account of his national service.