June 14 was my 71st birthday. I set the alarm for 5 a.m., and managed to get myself out of bed and ready to go by 5:30, tiptoing down the hall and out the door without waking my host. She said she never heard me. I got a good place across from Horse Guards, similar to where I stood last year.
The weather was MUCH NICER than last year. Plenty of sunshine and no rain!
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| The early bird gets a good position. |
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| The Duchess of Edinburgh and Sir Tim Laurence |
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| The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester |
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| I chose to spend my birthday with a real King |
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| The Prince of Wales. the Duke of Edinburgh and the Princess Royal |
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| The Security policeman is not my best friend |
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| Seriously, dude! |
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| I see a hat/ |
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| we fill in behind the police |
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| The police opened the gates not always in order — so getting close to the balcony was not easy this year –too many tall people |
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| The Red Arrows |
After the Royal Family went into the Palace, the crowd began to make its way out of the courtyard. After texting a friend, I headed toward Piccadilly and Fortnum and Mason’s for the Cafe, where I had made a reservation for three. My friend Chris and her friend were joining me for lunch. The cafe was packed. The reservation was for 2 hours. We were there for nearly 2.5 hours when one of the waitstaff said we had to leave as people were waiting for a table. I explained that we had asked for the bill, but our waiter was busy.
I flagged down a manager and repeated my request for the bill (which we were splitting). He comes back with a birthday treat for me.
The waitress who had suggested we leave (not because of our behavior) looked at me. I smiled at her and said, ‘We are not going right now.’ After I finished the treat (gratis), the bill finally arrived and we paid it. As we were leaving, the waitress wished me a happy birthday! Thanks.
The three of us bought a few things at Fortnum’s. Me: Royal Blend tea, jam, and honey. Chris and her friend were meeting other friends of theirs for dinner, so they returned to their hotel. I stopped in at Hatchards, where I bought a book, “Jane Seymour, Henry VIII’s True Love” by Elizabeth Norton.
I headed back to Camden Town to bring my packages to my Airbnb, and then went to the ticket booth in Leicester Square. I looked at the choices on the board and decided on A Midsummer Night’s Dream at the Bridge Theatre. The closest Tube stop was London Bridge on the Northern Line, which meant I did not have to change trains.
This was one fantastic production. Highly recommended.
The Bridge Theatre is a few minutes walk from Tower Bridge.
I decided to walk across the bridge to Tower Bridge station and then change at Embankment for the Northern Line back to Camden, where I stopped in one of the pubs for an ale, as a final birthday drink.
Tomorrow – Buckingham Palace and Kensington Palace
