Vocal Voices

What a great weekend it was!!

My lovely, patient and understanding husband spent hours and hours sitting on the floor outside of the Emirates Stadium with me on Saturday so that we could get close to the stage. We had standing/unreserved seating tickets - all of the seats in the lower tier were unreserved - and I've been battered and bruised in the standing area at their concerts before so we decided to go for seats close to the stage and got exactly what I'd hoped for I was running down the pitch pretending I was Robin Van Persie

The show itself was outstanding (but the less said about the shambolic organisation at the Emirates the better!!). The best Green Day show I've ever been to, and in fact the best concert I've ever been to. John loved it too. He quite liked them but he came with me, under duress, to see them in Manchester a few years ago and he moaned about it beforehand and came out raving about them. On Saturday they played for over 2½ hours.

Workingman will be pleased to know that Leeds was very well represented by another of my favourite bands, Kaiser Chiefs, they played for an hour. All Time Low were on before them and were also really good.

We stayed overnight and on Sunday we got the tube to Notting Hill. I took John to Portobello Road, I love it down there but he'd never been before. The whole Notting Hill area is lovely and I showed him the house with the blue door (if you've seen the movie you'll know where I mean). We had cakes from the Hummingbird bakery - John had a brownie and I had a slice of cheesecake which was quite possibly the best cheesecake I've ever had and I've tried a lot , it had bits of brownie in it. John did his "How much???" when we came out of there - it was nearly £8 for both - but I told him that he wouldn't flinch about paying that for mass produced defrosted puddings in a restaurant. When he tasted the brownie he understood I use their recipe when I make brownies and mine are nothing - NOTHING - like that From there we went to St James's Park then Buckingham Palace, Trafalgar Sq, Whitehall, Downing St, Parliament, the South Bank and then back over to Westminster tube station and back up to the car at Stanmore.

And when we got back, Tom had washed and dried a load of washing and mopped the kitchen floor! It was his first time home alone as Joe had stayed with my parents for two nights - he asked when we're going away again so I think he enjoyed having the house to himself

That does sound lovely Jo.

Sounds great Jo.

I couldn't believe my eyes reading your post though as Craig and I are going to London on Saturday 22nd June and on our huge list of things are Notting Hill, the 'blue door' and the Hummingbird bakery!!

I also want to see Freddie Mercury's house in south Ken, The Albany at Piccadilly where Terence Stamp lived, we're having tea at the Ritz and ending up in Islington where we lived when Craig was a little boy and I want to go to see Joe Orton's house.

I've left Craig working out the tube route as we'll be parking at Stanmore too.

Glad the concert went well and London sounded great.

I love London.

Ally, we usually park at either Stanmore or Hillingdon depending on which motorway we use - £2 for all day parking on a Saturday!!
You know, I used to go to the Hummingbird Bakery on Portobello Rd years ago when it was the only shop they had and it was so basic inside, with a shelf along the wall for you to stand and drink your coffee and eat your cake

I'm just amazed at the coincidence and the timing.

Only last night Craig and I were chatting about it..I can't wait.

I know!
I'm actually in London again with Tom on July 15th and he wants to go there

That all sounds lovely Jo
We arrive at it from the other side lol, so when we've done it we park in Wimbledon

I'd rather have a really scrumptious cake once in a while than an average one more often

It sounds fab Jo.

I have spent many a hungover morning in the old Hummingbird bakery in my day - my friend had a flat in Notting Hill and that was often our crash pad after a night out.

Maybe we were there at the same time Jo - did you see me - spiky hair and rather drung!

debih wrote: - did you see me - spiky hair and rather drung!

That was you????
Though you did keep everyone entertained with your 'rendition' of the Birdie Song...

Seriously though Deb you wouldn't recognise the place now! John's been telling everyone how stunningly gorgeous the staff were - and not just the women - he thinks it must be part of the job description!
Ally, I hope the fine specimen of a man who served me is working when you go!!!