A Pride filled weekend with Matt in London

I couldn't have asked for a better last weekend in London.
My best friend Matt flew into London on Friday and we had the weekend planned together.
Friday night Matt met me at Balans after my last shift and we headed out to enjoy the London night life. We headed up to Vauxhall and enjoyed the sights and sounds that Barcode has to offer.
Even though we were both tired, Matt from flying and myself from working that night, we managed to have a good night. Maybe too good a night... nah..there's no such thing!

The next morning we woke to an overcast London, wet and miserable. It was the Pride weekend and there was an expected crowd of close to 70 thousand people expected to converge on central London. However the night before there had been two car bombs discovered in Central London, just right where we were planning on going that day, around the corner from Trafalgar Square.
The Tube system was a mess, many lines had been closed down and getting around London was looking to be a challenge.


We decided to gather our thoughts and clear our fuzzy heads with the breakfast of champions...a Bloody Mary. Hair of the dog really does work for those of you who doubt the benefits of alcohol first thing in the morning.

So after all the essential vitamins and minerals that Tomato and Vodka have to offer had taken their effect, Matt and I trudged off into the bowels of the tube system to fight our way into central London. It was at times nerve wracking down there, public announcements telling you to be aware and to keep an eye out for any suspicious behaviour and to report any unattended bags. Meanwhile you are being herded with hundreds of people up staircases and along platforms underground, and I was thinking to myself, 'There's no way you could get outta here in a hurry if you needed to'. It was a welcome relief to exit Piccadilly Circus into the gloom of an overcast London day.


London Pride was a washout out. Trafalgar Square was empty. A few stalls were set up and a stage was also erected in the middle of the square but that was it. There were a few revellers running around trying to raise spirits, but the only spirits Matt and I were interested in were the sort that came in a bottle. We decided to cut our losses, and after a photo opportunity with the local police officers, headed up to Soho Square to see if there was any life left in the day.


Soho had more of a pulse going on, but I think the combination of bad weather, the bomb scares, and the Tube closures had pretty much killed it for the Pride celebrations. Squizzy was meant to meet us but couldn't make it uptown, transport was way too difficult.

Matt and I were not going to let a few bomb scares and bad weather rain on our parade so we started at one end of Soho and progressively made it to the other, stopping at nearly every bar on the way. whenever it would rain we would duck into some warm pub, grab a chair and settle down for a few rounds. When it would clear up, we'd head back out onto the streets again.


It was a great way to spend an otherwise overcast day in London, pub crawling with ya best mate. But there was a point near the end there (I think about the 6 or 7 hour mark) that I couldn't face any more beer, and when Matt wasn't looking I was tipping my Pints out when he wasn't looking, just to keep up. Contrary to popular belief, I'm not that strong a drinker. I even had the usual Bacon Double Cheeseburger Meal to soak up some the alcohol on the way home. Nothing tastes as good as a greasy burger after a day on the turps, however the guilt's the next day over consuming something so fattening...well... (think treadmill, sit ups, no carbs, self flagellation)

My last Sunday I woke with surprisingly no hangover, ok, maybe a slight ache behind the eye balls. I spent the day with Beth and Squizzy in Wimbledon Village where we dropped in to see Lara briefly, who had to Work Wimbledon all weekend. She looked so official in her uniform.


We spent the afternoon catching up in a Pub (yes, the pub has become my favourite haunt) and met up with Uncle Vic, Dave and Heather for a final meal together. It was a fun night that involved team Bingo and quizzes ( I was crap at it) so I stuck to drinking (I'm getting good at that!!).

Uncle Vic, Dave and Squizzy

Heather and Aunt Beth

So this will be my last post from London. As I'm typing I'm trying to get the last of my washing to dry (in this weather it's a challenge) and shortly I will start packing.

Tomorrow I'm off to Pamplona for the Festival de San Fermin, otherwise known as the Running of the Bulls. I'm catching a Bus from Paddington station across the Channel, down through France, and into Spain, about 20 hours in all. Should be a good way to meet others on the tour and to enjoy the scenery on the way.

Will post again from Spain in a week or two. As I will be camping in the hills of Navarra I don't think that I will have access to a computer anytime soon.