Derelict House?

An excellent day! The Wonderspouse was working in London, so I decided to go along for the trip. I'd also arranged to collect a viola I'm "viola-sitting" for a twitter friend, so it was going to be a busy one!

We arrived at our hotel around the middle of the day, then got the train & tube into central London (this is still a big achievement for me, with my history of panic attacks on public transport). The Wonderspouse went off to work, and I went shopping. First stop was Primark, where I stocked up on some larger clothes (so many of mine are too small since the quetiapine weight gain), then John Lewis for a browse of the haberdashery section, then HMV for cut-price Mozart string quartet CDs, then the tube up to Camden.

Camden was wonderful, as it always is. Late lunch of sweet & sour chicken with rice, eaten on the street, browsing the stalls, soaking up the atmosphere, before heading off to rendez-vous at the appointed pub for viola exchange!

I walked from Camden to the meeting place, and on the way photographed this house. I wondered about its history, about grand events it may once have held, about who had lived there, who (maybe) lives there now - what is hidden behind the wooden boards. I like it. It's a nice house. If I had lots of money I'd try to find out who owns it, buy it, and do it up. In one imagination I turn it into a palace, with music room, drawing room etc, but in my real imagination it would probably become a drop-in centre or youth club or something that I really believe in (my years as a state secondary school teacher, with the "social work" element of the job, in inner London have never really left me)!

Since I don't have anything like that sort of money, the whole thing is fanciful anyway, but I did like the house, sandwiched between a motorcycle dealership and an MOT testing centre!

As I waited at the pub, my phone rang, and the lovely @Tsaksonakis told me he was still at the shop, so I went down to meet him. It's a BRILLIANT shop - full of Latin and Greek books, and tea-towels with the Greek alphabet on - how COOOL - I shall go back and buy one. @Tsaksonakis made me a cuppa and left me to play on his computer and fiddle with the viola & various guitars until @TylerMassey arrived. We then headed pubwards for a couple of pints, during which I "confessed" that I had an MMus in Music Theory (usually greeted with a blank look) to Tyler, who gave the unexpected reaction of being really excited. We then headed to a gig by @eiks, Tyler and I chatting about secondary dominants all the way there in the back of the cab! How COOOL!

The Wonderspouse managed to find us, despite my terrible directions, and we all enjoyed @eiks's lovely playing & singing (and another pint) before heading off in different directions!

A brilliant day, with some FABULOUS new friends! FANTASTIC!