It's been a while since we have gotten into London due to the train tickets that I get online from the company website developed a problem whereby it wouldn't send the email that contained the tickets which resulted in us losing £18 a few weeks ago, that really pissed me off, but now that has been resolved we can start going again although I will buy them further in advance so they have time to post them to me if necessary.
Another reason to use as many as possible is that the company is up for sale and its too expensive to go most of the time at full price, anyhow I digress so on with the day.
Travel
The train journey into London was pretty much the same as normal, not too busy and with only one crying kid half of the way. Also, this was one of the trains that have plug sockets so I can charge my phone before getting off.After topping up the Oyster with £5 we caught the 176 bus the outside the station, unfortunately, today this should have only been one journey, but due to Waterloo Bridge being closed, we ended up having to go to Parliament Square then change to the 24 bus, all this added about an extra 30 minutes to what should have been a 10 minute trip.
Covent Garden
Covent Garden is like most places in London, packed, but it was ok to have a look at the overpriced restaurants not that we had any intention of eating here. From there we walk round to a place called Neal's Yard, which as the name suggests, is a small courtyard filled with more fancy dining places, it was at the point that the wheelchair hit a small crack in the pavement and cracked the front wheel, luckily it was still useable but only on smooth flat surfaces after that.South Bank walk
So now it was a walk of about a quarter of a mile to the Shakespeare's Head pub, unfortunately, the sandwich shop I had planned on going in wasn't open, I think it might be better if these places put the opening hours online but you at least this was the last of the walking would do.
After spending about an hour in there, we headed around the side streets to another pub where we spent about an hour and a half, then caught the 8 bus a few stops and changed to the 63 to Blackfriars Bridge where we could drop down onto the South Bank of the Thames.
It was nice to stroll along here for an hour plus the surface was nice and flat so we could still use the wheelchair. After passing the Oxo building and the This Morning TV studio that you really couldn't see very well because of the trees we then passed the London Eye, it was busy along this part but it was a warm afternoon. When we got to Westminster Bridge we climbed the set of steps up and then caught the 148 bus 4 stops and went in Tesco to get something to drink on the train before heading into the Crown and Cushion pub where we spent about an hour. By now it was 6.30 so took the short walk back to Waterloo Station for the 7.08 train back to Fareham.
Everything was going to plan until we just got just outside Fareham in the train which came to an abrupt stop, although we weren't stuck there too long it made us just late enough to miss the bus home so we had 30 minutes to kill, this was all the excuse I needed to go to spoonz for a swift drink before getting the bus home. I think it was about 9.40 by the time we got home, but it had been good to get out for the day.
