The Knitters Are Coming, The Knitters Are Coming

Well, the Knitters are actually here. Barbara B and Mary Ann W have arrived in London for their ten-day holiday with BlogMama.

Last night I picked them up at Paddington Station, which they had reached on the Heathrow Express from Terminal 5. We visited the Bureau de Change and the Cash Machine, then went downstairs to the Underground station and purchased "Oyster Cards", on which is stored several days' worth of travel money.

We took the Underground to the Russell Square station (Piccadilly Line) and they checked into their hotel. The lobby, bar and reception area was teeming with teens. It seemed like every single school trip was staying at the same hotel as our knitters. There were also adult chaperones with clipboards going from room to room on the fifth floor making sure that they had accounted for their charges.

We visited a bit and they disbursed the surprise presents, inlcluding a beautiful Kumihimo and bead necklace by Marilyn and Barbara, and Linda's fabulous date/nut loaf. Thank you thank you, and also to all those who are with us in Spirit. This will be the maiden yarn mill tour, but it certainly won't be the last!

Today B and MA took the underground up to St. John's Wood, where they received the Official Tour. Our first stop was chatting with one Alan, one of my fellow hospice volunteers, on the street corner. Alan used to live on Brattle Street in Cambridge when he lived in the US, so he certainly knows the Fresh Pond and Belmont areas.

Our next stop was the hospital lobby. From the street, we could see that Fabian was in charge at the front reception desk, so we sauntered in and asked for his autograph. Mary Ann snapped his photo and it was then that he realized that his fame spans the Atlantic. We are sorry to report that there was no "Dr. D" sighting, but I'm sure he's not sorry at all.

Next we crossed Abbey Road at the famous pedestrian crossing, stopped for the obligatory pictures, and made our way up to the flat in the creaky Edwardian-era gated "lift" (elevator).
The ladies were given the two-cent (tuppence) tour of the flat, and Mary Ann was able to reach her daughter by phone to let her know that they had arrived safely the night before.

We went back out into the mist and toddled over to the "Hi Street", admiring the many blooms already peeking out in the gardens and window boxes. Crocus, snowdrops, viburnum shrubs, quince, a flowering plum trees are already in bloom. It was about 50 degrees F, although Mary Ann insisted it was colder, but I think she just wanted to wear her ear muffs.

We had lunch at the Duke of York, a pub in the center of the High Street area. After that, I went home for a rest and to sleep off the headache that had plagued me since I woke up. B. and MA went to the British Museum. We then met up in Sloane Square to have a drink with Barbara's friend Marjolein and her colleague Bev. The three knitters then went across the Square to a nice Brasserie-type restaurant for a yummy dinner.

Tomorrow we leave for Wales on a 12:15 train from Marylebone Station. I'm not sure that I will be able to get a wireless signal while we're on the road, so I haven't yet decided if the computer is coming with us.... Watch this space.