Thames at Richmond

There’s the usual domestic hubbub as Harvey heads to school and Olly goes to work.

Theresa and I take a walk down to the Thames, past Ham House, up to Richmond Park. The weather is lovely, but underfoot it’s wet and muddy. We pass a telescope on the top of the hill (extra) through which you get a clear view of St Paul’s through a passage through the trees (extra).

Back at the flat, we fill in a W-8BEN for Theresa’s YouTube channel. And then she asks for an introductory programming lesson, so I introduce her to blockly.games.

It’s raining when I get to King’s Cross. I can’t find excellent Turkish restaurant that I remember and instead have brinjal bhaji and chana massala at The India Lounge. Where I meet Matt, fresh off the train.

We play a frustrating game of AirBnb check-in. Round one is “find the lock box” - which turns out to be attached to the railings of another building on the other side of the street. Round two is “find the block” - the address says “Block B”, but the block is actually called “Riverfleet”.

Next stop The Duke of Cambridge for our substitute Cukenfest speakers’ dinner. It’s good to see Aslak, Ciaran, Lucy, Liz, and Matt again (extra). And to meet another Fede and Roy. I also have to guide Sath through the Airbnb checkin process over the phone, which is quite challenging despite all the photos that I’d sent him of our earlier trials.

The food is great at the pub. The beer likewise. When Matt and Sath start ordering whiskies I know things are going to get dangerous. This feeling gets stronger when, at closing time, Liz suggests the cocktail bar without a name.

The bar is full, but they say there will be space in ten minutes, so we wait outside. Once in, the cocktails start to arrive (extra). I have a Grand Margarita followed by a Bloody Mary. Both are exceptional. Matt and Sath are having problems controlling their martini glasses - quite a lot of their Steel Martinis ends up on the table or the floor.

Inevitably, closing time arrives and we disperse. Matt takes Sath and I to the street where he and Anna first became parents - which seems quite emotional for him. Then, down to King’s Cross where, after many cashpoint shenanigans, I get a falafel wrap and they get donner kebabs.

We sit on the balcony in the flat eating our early morning, alcohol antidotes. Sath has reached the non verbal stage. Matt and I drink tea. And then we all find our beds.