Ivy's post - written by Ivy (a day with Judy & Rob)

While we were about to pack up Monopoly we found Mikey in the box. We figured he did not like the noise since we also played Snap and Spoons before Monopoly. Well he really fits the family, because he's lazy in the box.

 

Next we had a bike ride. We went up to Woodford Road and I had a bike ride while Rob and Judy had a walk. I got to ride ahead. I liked riding on the dirt because it gave some texture and my trousers got really wet and we rolled them up. I found lots of ivy leaves so it made me happy and there are lots of roses which made me extra happy but they weren't as good as ours!

After me and Judy went to my room and we made some of my Bubel cards which is like Pokemon cards but my version. We went down stairs to laminate them; I think they turned out pretty good. Here are some photos of me making them.

These are some of the finished ones. The ones that I am holding are my favourite ones but I wish I could choose them all! hopefully you like them and this picture!

Football and lunch - and goodbye

Sundays starts with soccer training for Vincent - at Powerleague Shepherd's Bush. Vincent and Joel ride their bikes there - but we caught the train from Hammersmith to Wood Lane Station and walked the extra distance to the soccer training courts.

Its a very diverse area here with a strong sense of community and it was great to see so many culturally diverse family groups out enjoying their kids getting into football.

We had a fun hour watching Vincent's group of 5 year old boys ripping up the field. They were so enthusiastic and Vincent plays like he was born to it. It's 45 minutes of skill development and the last 15 minutes is played as a game. Today the Dads played (with restrictions) against the kids. The kids won!
 

Playing soccer (sorry, football) makes Vincent happy!

From Shepherd's Bush we caught the train into Kings Cross Station - ready for our (late) lunch date with Rob's niece Bec and her Chris (Brownie). It was an eventful trip for us as the last minute closure of Kings Cross Station (fire alarm) and the painful presence of hundreds of obnoxious and loud Leeds FC fans on the trains and the streets made for uncomfortable travel and a lot of extra walking.

Lunch was booked at the Coal Office Restaurant at the historic Coal Drops Yard near St Pancras Station. Before meeting up with Bec and Brownie we had time to look around this amazing precinct. The original Victorian era coal drop sheds were used to receive coal from Yorkshire and ship it to narrow boats on the Regents Canal (and on to horse drawn carts). The whole precinct was falling into decay until its rebirth in 2018 as an upmarket retail, restaurant and cultural venue, housed in the restored and upgraded coal sheds and office buildings.

And the Regents Canal is still there alongside the old drop sheds - and so are the narrow boats - but they're leisure crafts now, not coal carriers. 

We enjoyed our very long lunch with Bec and Brownie at the Coal Office Restaurant. The wonderful food (a modern take on Middle Eastern), the conversation and shared memories made this a very special reunion. Bec and Brownie have lived in London over 7 years now so its been a long time since we last saw them.

The Coal Drop Yards look very festive on a Sunday afternoon!

We went back to Joel and Kay's apartment afterwards - for one last playtime with these special people.

How can you say goodbye after a week of wonderful times together and getting to know these beautiful kids? It was s-o hard.

And our last view of sunset over the Hammersmith Bridge as we walked home tonight.

A special day

Davey and Cath hosted a very special family get together at their beautiful house in NE London yesterday. It was a long drive for Joel (in the hired people mover) with all the crowded roads around Wembley Stadium, but we finally arrived to this glorious welcoming sight on a glorious London Spring afternoon ............
 

The house opens to this beautiful back garden too - perfect for games and soothing the soul ...............

It's been a long while since we've all been together, so there was a lot to catch up on.

Ivy engages so well with everyone - young and old. She was the life of the party ..........

This conversation went on for a very long time .......

Ivy was in charge of perfume making, with all those rose petals around ..........

And the polaroid camera was a big hit!

Davey was in charge of cooking the salmon (outdoors in the pizza oven).

and Cath did everything else - a perfect meal in a perfect setting!

Even Mikey the cat got in on the action. He's such an unusual cat in that he seems to enjoy hanging out with children and likes water! Mikey was actually encouraging Jazzy to give him this shower!!!

#stumblorpinball is allowed 2 machines in the house - where does he keep the rest of the collection?

Things got wilder as the afternoon wore on.

An historic family shot - thank you Joel!

It was very hard saying goodbye to this beautiful (our) family at the end of the day. Rob and I are lucky to be able to see them (and stay with them) next week - but for the rest it was very hard that our visit had come to an end. Such special times for us!!

The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea

On a much warmer Spring day today we were able to fully appreciate our wander around "Chelsea in Bloom" - an annual competition run alongside the Chelsea Flower Show where local shops, restaurants and hotels adorn themselves with floral displays, competing for prizes and awards. This year's theme for the displays was "Floral Feasts".

We started in Sloane Square where the "Very Hungry Caterpillar" was setting the scene then walked the length of Kings Road admiring all the displays - and the very obvious opulence of the shops, and shoppers, in this very upmarket part of London.
 

The sushi made out of flowers was our favourite installation (outside Sticks n Sushi)!

Amaffi's display was one of the most classy installations (IMO) - "inspired by the gentle notes of Amaffi's Aphrodita fragrance and the Grecian Flower Festival".

This was Jazzy's favourite.

On Joel's urging we stopped for lunch early (everything gets too crowded after 12.00noon in London he says) at Ottolenghi's on Pavillion Road........ and MET THE MAN HIMSELF ....... our hero.... what a thrill!!!

Joel and Yotam caught up like old friends .... having met earlier through an NBC broadcast, set up and filmed by Joel.

The restaurant was full - and a wait time of over an hour to get a table so we got takeaway - any Ottolenghi food is great no matter where/how you have to eat it!

We found a lovely spot in Duke of York Square and enjoyed a leisurely lunch of amazing Ottolenghi food - picnic style.

.... followed by more walking after .........

Entering the northern end of Pavillion Road (no cars, happily) ........

The best icecreams from Parlour by the Ice Cream Union on Pavillion Road.

More scenes from our Chelsea street wandering - how the other half live!

... now on Sloane Street in Knightsbridge ......

And this is where we live - a quick stop off at our airbnb on Colwith Road in Hammersmith.......

.... .....before heading back to Joel and Kay's apartment for another delicious meal - this time Kay cooked us Jeon a Korean kind of pancake - one flavoured with prawns and green onions and one flavoured with kimchee - so delicious.... with Kay insisting it was just a simple meal - no trouble!!

In between playtime with Jazzy and Vincent I took a minute to take this shot from their apartment balcony (11th floor). There is always something happening outside with the Piccadilly lines running past their building and Hammersmith's high street running alongside - a fantastically convenient place to live in London!