London: Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese

The heatwave has come and gone. London’s right back to its usual behaviour according to the locals. Still, it hasn’t rained much and it’s not quite coat weather yet, so I’m still fairly impressed with outdoor conditions so far. Haven’t invested in a snuggie or onesie yet but I’m tempted.

The first highlight of the week came when I met up with Lauren MacDonald for a movie in Kensington. It was great – Jane Eyre started about half an hour after the advertised time, so we didn’t miss anything despite getting there late.

Lauren gave me heaps of advice about where to travel, leading directly to my booking a trip to Ireland at the start of November! Fiddle-dee-dee!

I enjoyed one final picnic before the heatwave ended – a five-hour affair in Russell Square, with lovely people and masses of food and lots of conversation. Russell Square is one of my favourite London squares. It has these beautiful flowers and arch-covered pathways, and it’s really close to the ominously towering library that Orwell based his Ministry of Truth on. Apparently as a King’s student I could join that library. Tempting.

Russell Square is also very near the British Museum, which I still haven’t got around to visiting. I’ve also neglected the National Gallery, the Tower of London, the Museum of London and the entirety of East London. There’s just too much to do! I’ll have to clear out a few weekends.

Friday night was heaps of fun. A bunch of us – including Christina, fresh from France – went out to Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese, the best-named pub on Fleet Street. It was rebuilt in 1667 post-Great Fire.

Christina and I struggled to find the others when we first got there. We went upstairs, downstairs, and downstairs again, in and out of little rabbit-warren-type spaces, until I finally got my phone out and called. It was a fabulous night of Steves and Scottish-Scotts, of dead dogs and mojitos on the kitchen floor.

Saturday was great, what with a free tour of St Paul’s Cathedral and meeting up with Christina and Leila in Soho. It was fantastic spending time and eating pudding with those two.

Mmm… pudding.

Note to self: learn how to make summer pudding.