Debs Daily Deliberations 153 - Thames Festival Edition (WARNING: It's a long one)

Saturday morning and I was awake by 7.30am.........closely followed by all the kids before 8.30am, truly weird but they put it down to being back at school and getting up early every day. Tony was working (yaaaaaay overtime) so I got on with trying to get all the school uniform washed and hung out as the sun was shining and the sky was blue. A good day to visit London. Now we would be arriving in London around 1pm and not leaving until it was dark, so comfortable shoes a necessity, its pretty warm out so short sleeved top, but also a covering for when the sun went down, camera charged and ready to go but decided against my backpack camera bag with different lenses etc, and just slapped the bigger lense on and dropped it into a larger than usual handbag.......my long cardigan also could be rolled up and popped inside.......cap on I was ready to go! Tony drove to Epping station and we parked up - £1 all day parking (cheaper than going to the hospital), 2 x one day travel cards £15 - Lara goes free - and we are on the train and ready to go. We change at Tottenham Court Road and alight at Embankment. Just start walking over the Hungerford Bridge and my sister calls asking where we are, tell her and she is just leaving Embankment Station and will meet us on the other side. I was hit by the amount of people, I don't really do crowds too well since surgery, it disorientates me but it seems to be improving. Now all I am concerned about is people sneezing and coughing - which the guy sitting next to me from Epping to Liverpool Street did (grrrr). There are stalls lining both sides of the embankment walkway, selling eco and exotic gifts to food. The sights and smells were delicious and I was immediately hungry!!! Having realised in my rush to get all the houseworky things done, I hadn't eaten breakfast. Anyway we came across an italian stall offering Pasta in Pesto which we got immediately for Lara knowing what a fussy eater she is. Around this time a group of Hari Krishna's come along, I realise how much I miss seeing them not working in London for a long time. They are so cheerful and happy and smiley.....the clinging of their bells and singing makes me want to join in - but I resisted LOL We walked and walked towards the area that the Music of The Spheres a giant inflatable bubble with a flautist suspended in the middle, playing an original piece for the festival. It was linked to a sound system on the banks so everyone could hear. We watched for a while but as he was just kinda bobbing around and not travelling along.....Lara and Ella got bored......time to move on. We caught the end of La Roue de la Mort: La Trilogie du Temps a two man "wheel of death" circus act from France. Next we reached the Thames Beach there was a sandcastle competition going on and also a prize for the most unusual piece of flotsam found!!!!! We walked on further and further being tantalised by the smells of the food, getting hungrier by the minute but trying to wait it out till the Feast On The Bridge, we wandered into a eco-interactive area where Lara and my niece Ella made some bunting to promote "save our bees" and we watched some really really old dudes dressed in 70's gear busting some moves by a "disco shed" ?!? made us laugh and sing and dance along for a few minutes. While the bunting was being made, I sat on a park bench and was closely followed by a lady of older years with her can of strongbow uncleverly hidden in a carrier bag! She started talking to two event stewards and these poor young men were looking at me like I was going to rescue them...sorry fella's, think I can hear my daughter calling........outta here LOL We walked past the New Globe Theatre, its truly beautiful.......we were beginning to tire as it was now well past 3pm and had been pretty much walking for 2 hours solid.....I was HUNGRY and we eventually make it to Southwark Bridge, for which there was no direct access onto but a longer diversion.......but so worth it. The food stalls were set up along the entrance to the bridge, we settled for something from the East European Street Food stall, I had chargrilled Paprika Chicken, tomato and sweet pepper relish with sour cream in a flat bread, it was DE-LIC-IOUS!!! and the biggest achievement I make, is I don't drop any down my front LOL Tony had lamb and onions and garlic sauce in a flat bread. Lara kindly snaps a photo of us stuffing our faces. We sat behind the stalls on a raised kerb, which was a shame as when we walked on, we came across two huge rows of tables right across the bridge, with tables clothes and teapots filled with summer flowers and gold chairs.......it was like a scene from our street Silver Jubilee celebrations. There were groups of people sitting around enjoying the food they bought, along with glasses/jugs of Pimms in the afternoon sun on Southwark Bridge......it was fabulous. We found some seats right at the end of the table and sat with our coffee's.....I had a Latte and Tony had a cuppuccino, I would normally have tea but felt a good old coffee kick might not be a bad idea to keep me going and Tony talked me into a piece of Boston Fudge Brownie. I am not a cake person but it was bloody gorgeous and crammed with cranberries, so not all bad right LOL My sister and niece caught up with us as we had split up to find what food we wanted. They sat down with their Jamaican Jerk Chicken and salad in a cone wrap. We sat and talked and watched the boats going under the bridge and Lara and Ella decided to have a go at grape treading which was set up right next to us. Their faces said everything LOL......Lara said it felt disgusting and even though there buckets of water to wash off in, their legs and feet were sticky. I knew there was a reason I bought the anti-bac wipes with me ;) We go back across the bridge to the side we entered on and continued our walk, refreshed and refuelled. We meandered through Borough Market which was another assault on our senses and totally charming and then onwards where Lara was nearly scared out of her mind by a very tall guy dressed up and promoting the London Dungeons who came upto her in an underpass!! A couple of shots of the Golden Hind as we go past and finally to the area with The Scoop of Korea, we stopped and watched some dancers and then another lot with drums....colourful! Onwards past Hays Galleria and into a wide opening with lots going on for kids and adults alike. The Big Swing was in full swing, music playing people dancing......Lara and Ella stopped to make a plaster of paris wrapped fish dipped in glitter and then a candle with a little bee stuck on it.....cute. It was here I got my first (and last) experience of festival toilets.....OMG, OK I admit it, I am a snob.....they were disgusting and smelly but free LOL Lotsa anti-bac wipes later and we were ready to go on. I must tell you about this little tiny converted caravan that was decorated madly and inside sat 4 musicians playing all kinds of pop/hip hop songs with a folk feel....I can't describe MC Hammer's "You Can't Touch This" being played on banjo's and folksy stuff with guys in bandana's.....it was the tiniest little caravan and I could hardly see it, but it had pulled the biggest crowd and we boogied along for a few numbers before moving on. Finally we cross Tower Bridge and past the Tower of London and decide to take the train back to be in time for the Fire Garden installation in front of the Tate Modern. We must have got side-tracked because we went all the way back to Embankment and had to make the long walk along to Tate Modern. Lara was getting really tired now but it was worth it. The French company that had designed the artwork here had done a great job. Different pieces of art all lit with burning oil. Some pieces moved but it was a big risk, you could walk right up to each piece, under it and around it. The warmth was very welcome as the sun had gone down but none of us were feeling cold. More walking.......upto St. Pauls and say goodbye to my sister and niece, they need the mainline train back to Shoeburyness while we took the underground at St. Paul's back to Epping. Wish I had remembered there were no down escalators at St. Paul's but about a 1001 steps (slight exaggeration but you get my drift)....I got halfway and I could feel my legs shaking and becoming very disorientated staring at the steps.........but with a steady flow of commuters behind me I couldn't stop!!!! We made it unscathed, the underground was very warm and we decided to wait for a direct train to Epping which took 3mins. Lara just about made it onto the train and nodded off straight away, a lot of walking for an 11 year old. I was totally and utterly exhausted but so very happy, it was a fabulous day with people I love. The worst bit, allowing myself to be photographed, I told Tony on the train that I was shocked and upset at how I looked in the photos. For once he said the right thing.."You've had a massive seizure, a craniotomy, radiotherapy and now chemotherapy, I think you look bloody fantastic considering" and he kissed me.........yes this was a good day indeed. Back to Epping and in the car and on our way home.......Lara pipes up, "Dad can we stop at McDonald's, I am hungry"..not our first choice for vittels but.......why not. Got her a Happy Meal and Tony had two little cheeseburgers and I had two Hamburgers and I got a couple of McFlurry's for the boys at home. Tony was in bed by 10.10pm while I sat and uploaded my photos to facebook. For once, I didn't need much rocking when I climbed the stairs to bed by 11pm. Thought for yesterday: Call it a clan, call it a network, call it a tribe, call it a family. Whatever you call it, whoever you are, you need one. Jane Howard