With less than two weeks to go before the move, Mick and I have been working hard to pack the house, recycle stuff we don’t need or simply don’t have room for, and cleaning after each room is complete. My expectation is that come move day, we will be relaxed and rested enough to make our four to five hour drive to Manchester bearable.
All this to do and what did Mick want to do yesterday? Go into London to take part in the People’s Vote march against Brexit. I wasn’t too keen to spend the day with over 100,000 people, walking slowly, potentially kettled by police, and no place to take a comfort break. But then it occurred to me that if we were going into London for the march anyway we could stop by the sofa store and inspect the sofa I’ve been researching for months! Ah ha, finally getting Mick into the store would be a feat. Funny enough, he agreed, so I blister proofed my feet and off we went before breakfast.
We forgot it was Ascot and the scene at Waterloo Station was lovely. A plethora of men in tails and top hats, ladies in heels, hats and dresses waiting for their train to take them to the races. We watched them from the upper level of the station, and when their train was called they galloped for their platform. ‘They’re off’ I cried. The spectacle over, we made our way to Tottenham Court Road.
Mick was a trooper providing his opinion on sofa stuffing and fabric, after he’d had breakfast and a latte of course. Unfortunately, the cost ended up being £200 more than I anticipated and we took a few minutes to discuss where we could make adjustments when it occurred to me that this was the first piece of furniture I’ve purchased in over 25 years, longer for Mick, and it may be the last. Why should we settle for something that wasn’t exactly what we wanted for the sake of £200! We bought exactly what we want and it should be delivered to the flat the day after we move it.
The People’s Vote march wasn’t difficult to find, almost everyone (but us) were dressed in blue and yellow. These same people also brought packed lunches and water. Why hadn’t we, because we’re often clueless in this respect. We did get a couple of stickers to add to our lapels and spent the next two hours with people from Wales and Yorkshire, walking very, very, slowly. The atmosphere was very positive and it was fantastic to see such a wide age spectrum represented. Eventually we came to a standstill and our need for food, water, toilet and a place to sit down won, so we caught the first bus we could and ended up in Golders Green and the ‘Abbey Road’ which had a bunch of silly tourists standing in the middle of the road obstructing traffic. .
It was a lovely day, we bought our first grown up sofa, and felt proud to be marching for Europe. There is not a lot we can do to help with our grandchildren’s future, but we can protest their options being taken away from them, and we did.
Mick and Liesel's Antics 