Great Day Out

My mum and I had a fabulous day today. One of my best days out for ages!
I applied for tickets ages ago to Simon Mayo and Mark Kermode's film review which was being broadcast live from the Empire Leicester Square. I listen to the show every week and I love it!
So I was giddy to get the email saying I'd got tickets. Woohoo!!
The Little Misses went to Papa's and mum and I got the train to London!
The day nearly got off to a disastrous start when my dad dropped us off at the station in my car. We narrowly missed getting onto a train before my dad rushed into the ticket office to say I still had my car key in my pocket!!
We headed straight to Leicester Square and joined the end of a queue. We assumed it was the right queue!!
Two hours later - after a Pret lunch and many enquiries from passers by as to why there were six hundred people queuing to get into the cinema at noon - we headed in. Exciting!!!!
We had fabulous seats. Much closer to the stage than this photo makes it look. Comfy leather seats just five rows back, with a great view!
And the biggest cinema screen I've ever seen in my life - 87' x 51'!! I saw myself on it a few times which was a bit disconcerting!
It was so exciting to see Simon Mayo and Mark Kermode in real life. They make it look so effortless.
We all said "Hello" to Jason Isaacs in unison - as is traditional on the show - and were thrilled to get a "Hello Empire Leicester Square" in return and see the man himself come out onto the stage. He was ace!
He was followed by Sam Mendes who was engaging, articulate, interesting, funny and generally wonderful!
After him - rather randomly it was Flora from The Great British Bake Off. She'd bought an amazing cake with her and was quite a film buff.
Next it was Andrew Scott - the wonderful Moriarty in Sherlock and I suspect a wrong 'un in Spectre but he didn't say too much about his character.
Next they showed an interview that Simon Mayo did with Daniel Craig yesterday. I had got it into my head that Daniel Craig was going to be there in person and I may have got a little over excited about that but it didn't matter that he wasn't. And it was a treat to see him on a fifty foot screen!!
Jason Isaacs came back out to introduce the shortlist for the short  film competition they've been running. Three young men came onto the stage, ate some cake and when the winner was announced he got a BBFC certificate for his film - Soundtrack - and then it was shown on the big screen. It was brilliant. Two minutes long and so clever.
What a thrill for the director - a live audience at a West End cinema and we all loved it!!
And then it was over. The time just flew! 
If you're so inclined I can recommend watching the show on iPlayer. Thoroughly entertaining. And you might even spot me and my mum!
Then we walked down to Trafalgar Square and decided to get a bus to Harrods. We had to laugh at our luck - we went to the nearest bus stop to look at the map. 
We needed bus number 9 from bus stop H. 
It turned out we were at Bus stop H and there was a number 9 just pulling in!
Harrods was amazing!  I haven't been for years and it was fabulous looking at all the goodies in the food halls, the decor, the ridiculous fashion, the beautiful homeware, the ludicrously tacky and ugly homeware.
I bought the Little Misses a couple of fabulous Christmas sacks in the Cath Kidston department. They put out pillowcases out for Father Christmas to fill every year and these will always remind me of my fab day with my mum!
We had a right saga with a £10 note which my mum dropped in the toilets. She discovered it was lost after half an hour and we set off on what I thought was a fool's errand to see if we could find it. 
Long story short -  after chatting to cleaners and finding lost property in the bowels of the building it had only been handed in!!!!
Apparently it's company policy for staff to hand in any money they find!!
We walked back up to Hyde park admiring the lights and the fast cars and then jumped on a bus to Baker Street.
We looked round for somewhere to eat and - continuing the luck we've been having all day - we stumbled across a Bill's which we both love and had a delicious meal of salmon with salad and potato rosti. Scrumptious!!!
Five minutes after we got there - and were seated straight away - people were queuing out of the door. We've been blessed today!!
Stopping only for emergency chocolate in Tescos we headed for the train and home. My lovely dad came to pick us up to save my aching feet!
Then I drove home, tired but very happy!!
What a brilliant day!