20 September 2018
24 Hours in ‘The Smoke’
It’s funny how I still think of London as the ‘Smoke’. The air seems to be no different to any town or city in the UK nowadays, yet when I lived there in the seventies it is how people referred to our vibrant, multicultural capital.
I never tire of spending time in London and have just had the luxury of enjoying a quick 24 hour adventure in West London. I refer to the trip as an adventure because the places we visited were new to me, so any discovery is an adventure, surely? On the way home I managed to tick off two ‘must visit’ sights too.
The reason for the trip was a David Crosby concert in Shepherd Bush. My OH and I set off after dropping Martha (our separation-anxiety-suffering monkey-of-a-dog) to our good friends Maria and Alan. Honestly, you can’t imagine how much we appreciate friends like them – unless you have a similarly dependent pet. Even just a couple of days, where you don’t have to worry about leaving them, is heaven.
The concert took place in The Empire Theatre, Shepherds Bush; a brilliant atmosphere, super helpful security staff, excellent view of the stage and a stunning interior all helped to make the concert one of the best concerts I’ve attended.
The band were all extremely talented musicians. Some of the harmonies were just sublime. David Crosby is one of my OH’s musical heroes and I can see why. Add to this the fact that he shares my views on President Trump and you may begin to understand why I think Crosby is a pretty decent guy…as well as a great musician.
Pre-concert we discovered a lovely Syrian restaurant on the Uxbridge Road in Shepherds Bush. According to our waitress my starter was actually a breakfast dish – which amused the chef, Because the dish included broad beans I couldn’t resist it.
The next morning we took a quick walk to Westfield shopping centre to buy a couple of birthday gifts. After collecting the car from our hotel (The Dorsett is one I would definitely recommend) we set off for home just about 24 hours after arriving in Shepherds Bush.
Having allowed plenty of time to drive home I managed a quick visit to the Hoover Building – an Art Deco building that I just adore – and one to the Polish War Memorial too. I have driven past both of these (situated just off the A40) many, many, times during my working life but never had time to stop off for a visit.
I guess 24 hours is not really enough time for a visit to London, but if you make the most of the little time you have it’s amazing what you can fit in. Music, food, historical buildings – just three of the things that make the world go round for me!
Hugs,
Leigh x