PatrickLondon

Fine by me!

PalenQ

Whose bringing the birthday cake -though fire marshals may not allow that many candles burning inside?

Cheers!

janisj

Patrick -- you've got mail

janisj

Talk about a spanner in the works!

Still coming and all my plans for London are still on (including the GTG) . . .

I am supposed to be at this very moment to be in the air 1/3 of the way to DFW and then on to LHR. But yesterday I was attacked by a nasty eggs benedict at one of my fave local restaurants. Not hospital-worthy but definitely more than mild food poisoning. Luckily I didn't eat all of it and am recovering. But in the overnight hours I called AA and tried every permutation of flights that would get me out on Monday. She found a seat - but the fare + change fee would cost an extra $5,000.00 !! . Uh no, hell no

But was able to get the same flight I had today on Tuesday for $780 extra. Then I spent 2 to 3 AM canceling everything in Oxford and booking a car service. The kicker is I am feeling a bit better and probably could get on a plane tonight - oh well . . . .

Looks like we are meeting Thurs @ 3:30 at The Harp in Chandos Place if there are any other takers . . .

janisj

Oh Lordy . . . am I ever glad I decided to book a car service . . . because I now arrive in the middle of a 24 hour tube strike when the Piccadilly line will be completely down. This trip has a little black cloud floating over it.

texasbookworm

Oh, urgh! Times a million! Well, safe travels when you do. Hope this doesn't affect your HP-seeing? We (group of 15 I'm "leading") have tickets for June, so would love to hear your experience. Speedy complete recovery!

thursdaysd

Wow, so sorry about the bad egg! Good travel recovery! Hadn't heard about a tube strike, although I see Southern is still suffering.

janisj

"I am feeling a bit better and probably could get on a plane tonight"

I do feel a LOT better but on second thought I don't think I could/should have been on a plane tonight - still a little woozy.

"Hadn't heard about a tube strike"

I hadn't heard about the strike either - and I usually follow those sorts of things even when I'm not traveling. But for some reason I opened an article about strike action on Southern and up popped a sentence about it coordinating with a tube strike - - yikes (!) that would have been a surprise Tues morning at LHR.

historytraveler

Boy a bad egg benedict? One of my favorites! Well, not a bad egg Benedict Guess eggs can be sketchy and bad timing too. Glad you've recovered and were able to make the flight changes. Still a real hassle. Hope you can enjoy a glass of bubbly on the flight and, as you know, a car service is just the thing after a long flight.Did you have to cancel the entire Oxford portion of your trip ? Regardless, London is wonderful even if one has to face a couple of challenges along the way.

Bon Voyage!

flanneruk

"I now arrive in the middle of a 24 hour tube strike "

At present (0600 GMT: Dec 5):

- Drivers on the Circle, Hammersmith & City and Piccadilly lines are planning to strike from 21:30 on Tuesday 6 December until the end of the day on Wednesday 7 December.

But talks are due with drivers during Dec 5. Traditionally, about half these threatened strikes are called off/postponed in the final 36 hours before they're due.

Updates at https://tfl.gov.uk/campaign/tube-strike?cid=tube-strike

janisj

"Traditionally, about half these threatened strikes are called off/postponed in the final 36 hours before they're due."

Thanks -- I've already booked justairports (before I knew about the strike) so all is well. But if the strike does happen I'm sure the traffic will be a mess in west London in from LHR.

"Did you have to cancel the entire Oxford portion of your trip ? "

Yep Booked non-refundable at the Randolph but even so they are letting me use it as a credit for a future stay if it is relatively soon. Thinking of doing something in March . . . after all I have a place at the Randolph

historytraveler

For several years now, I've spent my last couple of nights at the Randolph before taking the bus to LHR. Great hotel and location. Usually enjoy a drink in the Morse Bar. Hope you have another chance to stay there.

janisj

It's a sort of a bucket list item -- have walked by the Randolph countless times and had drinks there maybe half a dozen times over the years -- but never stayed there.

historytraveler

You'll get there.

mjs

Sorry for your illness. Hope you return to normal soon.Would skip alcohol on your flight. Overheard on my LHR-TXL flight last week, "Is there still a Picadilly line?" If your appetite returns and you like Indian consider Dishoom
For your meal between the two parts of the HP play. It's about a 2 minute walk from the theatre. Reserve if on the weekend.

janisj

Have been running around London like the proverbial chicken sans head dining REALLY high on the hog, receptions and tonight No Mans Land . . . But did want to post a quick report of our lovely GTG yesterday. PatrickLondon, flanner and myself at the Harp near Covent garden. The conversation was stimulating, we all got in our 2 cents/pence worth and then some, solved all the political issues on both sides of the Atlantic, the beer was terrific, supposedly the one I had was a super limited maybe twenty barrel production ( I may go back tomorrow for a bit more )

Just a fun time all around!

PatrickLondon

I see they also do that beer in cans...

http://www.thelondonbeerfactory.com/.../sayers-stout/

kmowatt

Sorry I missed that by just a day...sounds like a great time! We passed the Plough in Kingham and went to the Wild Rabbit instead - lovely place for a drink on a wet grey day in the Cotswolds...but no wetter than London today. Have a safe trip home Janice

northie

Remembering our GTG in 2015 - beautiful lunch with a lovely person

historytraveler

Sounds like a really great GTG. Fine food and and a limited edition beer ( not sure that's how one refers to it ) plus London...what more could one ask for? A bit of envy at this end.