**18/4/2013**
**19/4/2013**
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A dropped me off at Dublin airport for
my Ryanair plane to London Stanstead.
11:35am pre booked Easybus from Stanstead to Baker St.. Crowded minibus. However, got a seat next to an Irish lady next to driver and had a great view of the city. Rained on way into town. Tube to Victoria and train to Streatham Hill. The Leigham Court Hotel was just a short walk away. Whole facade covered with scaffolding, and the delitrius of power washing. Pleasant Asian lady at reception. Room grand. Took half an hour to walk down to Brixton to meet H for 6ish. Didn't recognise many landmarks. What happened to the Horse and Groom pub in Streatham? You go outside for 40 years and they change everything. Nice curry in Kaosarn, a Thai restaurant in the Market area of Brixton, with a bottle we'd bought nearby. A drink in the The Duke Of Edinburgh. I Walked home to Streatham Hill. My right leg giving me trouble (behind my knee), but felt exhilarated to be back here.
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11:35am pre booked Easybus from Stanstead to Baker St.. Crowded minibus. However, got a seat next to an Irish lady next to driver and had a great view of the city. Rained on way into town. Tube to Victoria and train to Streatham Hill. The Leigham Court Hotel was just a short walk away. Whole facade covered with scaffolding, and the delitrius of power washing. Pleasant Asian lady at reception. Room grand. Took half an hour to walk down to Brixton to meet H for 6ish. Didn't recognise many landmarks. What happened to the Horse and Groom pub in Streatham? You go outside for 40 years and they change everything. Nice curry in Kaosarn, a Thai restaurant in the Market area of Brixton, with a bottle we'd bought nearby. A drink in the The Duke Of Edinburgh. I Walked home to Streatham Hill. My right leg giving me trouble (behind my knee), but felt exhilarated to be back here.
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| Ibex House, The Minories |
B'fast OK. 4 very busy staff. My
booking said full english b'fast, but no one asked me did I want a
fry. Train into London Bridge. Walked across the Bridge. My right leg
causing me to limp. Fabulous view up and down the river Thames.
Walked the walk down to Ibex House in the Minories, where I'd worked as a clerk for H. Clarkson Holdings (Marine Brokers) from 1968-1972. The walk was unfamiliar, but Ibex House stood just as I'd left it on Friday, 31st March 1972. Met H at 11. Coffee in the cafe
attached to Ibex House. Nice local church St. Botolph Without
Aldgate. On to St. Paul's. Magnificent. On to Fleet Street. Lovely
area around Temple Bar. Soup and sandwiches in Pret-a-Manger.
Beginning to feel my age, so excused myself and went back to the
hotel for a kip. Met up with H at Kennington around 7, for a curry, a
la H (delicious!). Took 45 bus back to Streatham. Enjoyed the walk
down to Leigham Road, despite tired legs. Walked a bit past Leigham
Road and found the Horse and Groom pub. Was convinced they had moved
it across and down the road.
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| 20 Athlone Road, Upper Tulse Hill |
**20/4/2013**
Lovely sunny day, but cool. Walked down
towards Brixton, via search (and found) 20 Athlone Road, Upper Tulse
Hill. Disappointed to see that the house was not as it was, in
December 1968, when Mrs. & Mrs. Hennessy (from Cork or Kerry)
rented me the box room over the front door for £3 a week, and where
I stayed until early 1970. Met H at London Bridge and on to Finchley
Artisan's food Market, where R had a stall. Met R's parents and sampled R's Okonomiyaki (every bit as good as H's curry).
R's Dad dropped us off at the tube and back to London Bridge and Charlton to Watch my old team, Charlton, play Wolves at the Valley, with a beer at half-time.
We were among the Charlton fans but I leaned
towards Wolves. The result was irrelevant to Charlton, but critical
for Wolves. Wolves lost 2-1. Nice feeling traipsing along with the
well-behaved, but noisy, Charlton fans, as I'd done many times 40+ years ago.
Back for nice dinner with H & R in La Luna restaurant, Walworth
Rd., SE17. Back to Leigham Court Hotel via walk down to Streatham
Station, discovering Stanthorpe Road, where I probably stayed for 6
mos. in 1970 (Mr. & Mrs. Dubrovsky?). Also found The Odeon
Cinema, where my previous landlord, Mr Hennessy, worked at night (as
well as his day job for London Transport). And where, in 1969, I ran
into Bill Thornton, whom I knew from St. Raphael's, Celbridge. Bill
and I occasionally met up in the Horse and Groom, before he emigrated
to Australia in 1970. I loved being back here, notwithstanding that
it was a lonely place for me at the time.
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| All sold out! |
R's Dad dropped us off at the tube and back to London Bridge and Charlton to Watch my old team, Charlton, play Wolves at the Valley, with a beer at half-time.
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| Charlton 2 - Wolves 1 |
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**21/4/2013**
**21/4/2013**
Up 7:30. B'fast room full of people.
Had orange and cereal, but didn't wait for tea. Paid £195. Bussed to
Elephant & Castle. Tube to Baker St.. Crush at Easy Bus stop. And
crush on the Easy(?)bus minibus. An hour to Stanstead with suitcase
on my lap. FR225 13:40. One of the last to get on plane and got a
great seat up front. Delighted to see A. 3pm.
