Day 30 - Lord's and Ladies
Today was surprise day and Nikla and Stephen had organised specific activities for the boys and the girls so we headed off on our separate ways in the morning with a view of catching up again over dinner before heading to the West End for a live show.
As I was with the boys Nikla became host, photographer and guest writer on behalf of the girls, so here is what the girls got up to on their special day out.
Hi, it’s Nikla here. I have volunteered to update the blog for the girls today because, as Steve explained, the girls and boys separated for part of the day.
For the girls our first stop was the shopping mecca that is Oxford Street. We were heading to TopShop which has become ultra fashionable recently (there are stories of the owners opening at midnight to allow stars like Beyonce and Mariah Carey to shop without any hassle). At TopShop I had arranged personal shopper appointments for Talia and Jacqui and they were taken to their own personal changing room with a rack of clothes waiting for each of them. I’d clearly described them well beforehand as there were a lot of positive comments as they flicked through the racks. Now the fun bit: trying them on and creating our own fashion show (aided with coffee, hot chocolate, water and mini cupcakes all provided for our convenience). It was a great experience as the shoppers went off in search of alternative sizes and styles and the girls could simply focus on finding the perfect outfit.
In the end they selected a selection of gorgeous, trendy clothes and we relaxed in the lounge whilst the shoppers bagged them up and processed payment (no waiting in queues for us!).
After that we needed a rest and where better than the world famous The Ritz where we enjoyed afternoon tea in the Palm Court. The Ritz is really beautiful and the sandwiches, cakes and scones were just what we needed. Jacqui likened it to afternoon tea at The Windsor in Melbourne and remarked how much her mum and sister would have enjoyed it.
And then it was time for more shopping! As we wanted to ensure we were checking out places you can’t find elsewhere we focused on the Mayfair area and places like Fortnum and Masons (where we did some celebrity spotting by recognizing Catherine Tate who plays Doctor Who’s assistant on the TV series), Jimmy Choo, Mulberry (handbags to die for!), the Jermyn Street area (famous for men’s shirts, and where Talia bought her dad a lovely present) and Lock and Co (a 17th century millners where the hats average at about AUS$1000). Alas, this leg was simply window shopping but fun none the less, and a great opportunity to do some people watching too.
After all that we were ready for dinner, and to catch up with the boys and find out about their day.
Whilst the girls were out enjoying being pampered and treated like movie stars the boys hopped on the train and made our way to the Lord's Cricket Ground for a tour. This was a great experience as we joined a tour group and guide and made or way through the Lord's Pavilion, museum, stands and media centre. We were also extremely fortunate on the timing as both the Pakistan and England cricket teams were also in attendance preparing for the upcoming test match (which we are attending Day 1). As the teams were in attendance we were unable to walk through the change rooms however this was easily compensated by seeing the teams train. We spent time in the long room looking out over the ground and taking in the history before heading to the museum to view the real Ashes. It was great to see them in person and due to the restriction on photography we did sneak some photo's of the urn and with Zac in the background with the golf ashes. We then spent time in the stands watching the Pakistan team train which was cool as we were at ground level. After walking through the media centre, we started our way to the exit when Stephen D spotted the England captain walking in our direction. He politely asked for a photo and Andrew was accommodating. This was a chance to whip out the golf ashes again and have a photo taken with both Stephen and Zac and Andrew Strauss with the golf Ashes - a perfect way to end the tour.
After the tour we then headed for a traditional cockney style pie shop for pie and mash for lunch. The store was on old pie house with no graces (certainly not the Ritz) however it had everything you would expect right down to the strong cockney accents. We elected to add liquor to the pie which is basically a runny pea style soup that is poured over the pie and mash. It was quite tasty actually. One of the other specialities is jellied eel. This is cooked eel conserved in a gelatine style jelly. We decided to buy some and leave trying it until after our next surprise which was a James Bond style speed boat ride down the Thames.
The James Bond speed boat ride is part historical tour, part James Bond experience and part thrill ride. It was a blast. It was great to see the historical sites from the water level and gives you an appreciation of how close some of the buildings are to the waters edge as well as a good reminder of how reliant London was on the water trades in the early days. You also got to see the first one way street in England - the Traitors boat entrance into the Tower of London. Basically if you went in that entrance you never came out. After exploring the sites it was time to turn up the power and the thrill ride commenced. This was great and at times it felt like you would tip into the water the turns were that tight. Looking at Zac he had a smile from ear to ear and was enjoying it that much he moved past laughter and into a static grin on his face.
Having enjoyed the tour at Lord's, pie and mash and the boat ride we stopped for a drink at one of the oldest pubs in London: The Coal Hole for a drink and some reflection on what had been a superb day. This is where we tried the jellied eel. I found it a bit strong however Zac loved it and kept going back for more.
After a drink and a relax we then met for dinner prior to attending our last surprise which was attending Michael Jackson Thriller: The live show on the West End. This was a musical journey through the life of Michael Jackson from when he started with the Jackson 5 until his last albums. For Michael Jackson fans this is a must see show as it covers all the hits across the years and is vibrant and full of energy. It was the perfect finish to what had been a perfect day. Oh and for those who are interested Talia bought me a beautiful matching tie and cuff link set that cannot wait to put on when we return to Melbourne.
Today is a day of relaxation and recovery and a chance to do some washing (I know that sounds boring however these things still need to be done) and pack the suitcases before we hit Lord's for Day 1 of the England v Pakistan test and then head to France on Friday.
As I was with the boys Nikla became host, photographer and guest writer on behalf of the girls, so here is what the girls got up to on their special day out.
Hi, it’s Nikla here. I have volunteered to update the blog for the girls today because, as Steve explained, the girls and boys separated for part of the day.
For the girls our first stop was the shopping mecca that is Oxford Street. We were heading to TopShop which has become ultra fashionable recently (there are stories of the owners opening at midnight to allow stars like Beyonce and Mariah Carey to shop without any hassle). At TopShop I had arranged personal shopper appointments for Talia and Jacqui and they were taken to their own personal changing room with a rack of clothes waiting for each of them. I’d clearly described them well beforehand as there were a lot of positive comments as they flicked through the racks. Now the fun bit: trying them on and creating our own fashion show (aided with coffee, hot chocolate, water and mini cupcakes all provided for our convenience). It was a great experience as the shoppers went off in search of alternative sizes and styles and the girls could simply focus on finding the perfect outfit.
In the end they selected a selection of gorgeous, trendy clothes and we relaxed in the lounge whilst the shoppers bagged them up and processed payment (no waiting in queues for us!).
After that we needed a rest and where better than the world famous The Ritz where we enjoyed afternoon tea in the Palm Court. The Ritz is really beautiful and the sandwiches, cakes and scones were just what we needed. Jacqui likened it to afternoon tea at The Windsor in Melbourne and remarked how much her mum and sister would have enjoyed it.
And then it was time for more shopping! As we wanted to ensure we were checking out places you can’t find elsewhere we focused on the Mayfair area and places like Fortnum and Masons (where we did some celebrity spotting by recognizing Catherine Tate who plays Doctor Who’s assistant on the TV series), Jimmy Choo, Mulberry (handbags to die for!), the Jermyn Street area (famous for men’s shirts, and where Talia bought her dad a lovely present) and Lock and Co (a 17th century millners where the hats average at about AUS$1000). Alas, this leg was simply window shopping but fun none the less, and a great opportunity to do some people watching too.
After all that we were ready for dinner, and to catch up with the boys and find out about their day.
Whilst the girls were out enjoying being pampered and treated like movie stars the boys hopped on the train and made our way to the Lord's Cricket Ground for a tour. This was a great experience as we joined a tour group and guide and made or way through the Lord's Pavilion, museum, stands and media centre. We were also extremely fortunate on the timing as both the Pakistan and England cricket teams were also in attendance preparing for the upcoming test match (which we are attending Day 1). As the teams were in attendance we were unable to walk through the change rooms however this was easily compensated by seeing the teams train. We spent time in the long room looking out over the ground and taking in the history before heading to the museum to view the real Ashes. It was great to see them in person and due to the restriction on photography we did sneak some photo's of the urn and with Zac in the background with the golf ashes. We then spent time in the stands watching the Pakistan team train which was cool as we were at ground level. After walking through the media centre, we started our way to the exit when Stephen D spotted the England captain walking in our direction. He politely asked for a photo and Andrew was accommodating. This was a chance to whip out the golf ashes again and have a photo taken with both Stephen and Zac and Andrew Strauss with the golf Ashes - a perfect way to end the tour.
After the tour we then headed for a traditional cockney style pie shop for pie and mash for lunch. The store was on old pie house with no graces (certainly not the Ritz) however it had everything you would expect right down to the strong cockney accents. We elected to add liquor to the pie which is basically a runny pea style soup that is poured over the pie and mash. It was quite tasty actually. One of the other specialities is jellied eel. This is cooked eel conserved in a gelatine style jelly. We decided to buy some and leave trying it until after our next surprise which was a James Bond style speed boat ride down the Thames.
The James Bond speed boat ride is part historical tour, part James Bond experience and part thrill ride. It was a blast. It was great to see the historical sites from the water level and gives you an appreciation of how close some of the buildings are to the waters edge as well as a good reminder of how reliant London was on the water trades in the early days. You also got to see the first one way street in England - the Traitors boat entrance into the Tower of London. Basically if you went in that entrance you never came out. After exploring the sites it was time to turn up the power and the thrill ride commenced. This was great and at times it felt like you would tip into the water the turns were that tight. Looking at Zac he had a smile from ear to ear and was enjoying it that much he moved past laughter and into a static grin on his face.
Having enjoyed the tour at Lord's, pie and mash and the boat ride we stopped for a drink at one of the oldest pubs in London: The Coal Hole for a drink and some reflection on what had been a superb day. This is where we tried the jellied eel. I found it a bit strong however Zac loved it and kept going back for more.
After a drink and a relax we then met for dinner prior to attending our last surprise which was attending Michael Jackson Thriller: The live show on the West End. This was a musical journey through the life of Michael Jackson from when he started with the Jackson 5 until his last albums. For Michael Jackson fans this is a must see show as it covers all the hits across the years and is vibrant and full of energy. It was the perfect finish to what had been a perfect day. Oh and for those who are interested Talia bought me a beautiful matching tie and cuff link set that cannot wait to put on when we return to Melbourne.
Today is a day of relaxation and recovery and a chance to do some washing (I know that sounds boring however these things still need to be done) and pack the suitcases before we hit Lord's for Day 1 of the England v Pakistan test and then head to France on Friday.
