A real treat!!!!

Well, this weekend has been a real treat from start to finish. It began on the Saturday morning when our son and granddaughter took us to the rail station to catch the train to London for our wonderful adventure! The plan was to be treated to dinner and a performance of Mama Mia.

The weather was kind for the whole weekend giving us an added bonus.

We stayed in a hotel called the Crowne Plaza ..... very nice! Couldn't resist taking a couple of pictures to give you a flavour. One shows all the amenities available to guests in their room... don't touch unless you expect to pay.

... and, no, I had no intention to work!

Once we were checked in and settled we took a stroll around the area of Black Friars near the hotel. We walked along to St Paul's Cathedral - very impressive, even at 4.30 in the afternoon and so busy!

Further along we crossed the river Thames by walking over the Millenium Bridge. Here you can see a glimpse of the cathedral as well as some of the crowds of tourists. Just to the side we found a lovely peaceful patch of green with the fountains at the far end.



Well, once over the bridge we walked a little further to meet with our son and his wife. We were to have an early pre threatre dinner in a famous London landmark called the Oxo building.

"The building was commissioned for the Liebig Extract of Meat Company - OXO was a subsidiary. At the time of building, the OXO Tower was the second tallest commercial building in London.
The famous OXO lights were conceived as a way to get around planning permission which would not allow illuminated advertisements on buildings. The OXO are formed from windows which the architect claimed were just part of the design. When built, the lights could be seen from as far as Hampstead.
The Tower is now a commercial building, and has several shops including Harvey Nichols and restaurants as well as residential buildings"

Dinner was so yummy! I started with a Thai coconut, shrimp noodle soup followed with pork chops sitting on pak choi and lentils. For desert, time was of the essence due to having to depart for the theatre, we were presented with individual plates which had a ball of vanilla icecream, a lit candle with Happy Birthday scrolled on the plate in chocolate!

After dinner and farewells etc we drove by taxi to the Prince of Wales theatre


This theatre was opened in January 1884 and was renamed The Prince of Wales Theatre after the future Edward VII in 1886. After 50 years the small theatre with a capacity of 800 seats was deemed too small. So, in 1937 the theatre was demolished and a new art deco one was built in its place. Today, it still gives the feeling of an intimate theatre which adds to the overall ambience for the show.


The actual show of Mama Mia is the ultimate feel good show. Listening to Abba songs all evening was a joy. Catherine Johnson who wrote the script for the show certainly produced a sunny, funny tale which unfolded on a Greek island paradise. On the eve of her wedding, a daughter's quest to discover the identity of her father brings 3 men from her mother's past back to the island they last visited 20 years ago. Love, laughter and friendships all ensured that everyone had the time of their lives! The stage settings, cast, script, costumes all made this a wonderful show. The climax came at the end with the encores when we were all standing up, clapping and swaying to many old favourites including Waterloo!


After the show we travelled back to the hotel to find a complimentary bottle of champagne on ice! What a wonderful way to wind down and relax after such a fun evening.


But, that is not all!!!!


Next day on returning home our daughter had a surprise up her sleeve! At her house she had laid on a delightful luncheon buffet with all the family who were present. Flowers and banners galore....What a finale to the most spectacular weekend!

Who says growing old is boring!