on the town

Just back from a brilliant weekend in London - greeted by this amazing Christmas tree at St Pancras with real snow falling around it!!

SUCH a tasty lunch at the fabulous Ruby's cafe on Charlotte Road

checked in at our favourite - the Hoxton Hotel - loving the new loo doors!

then took to the streets with this little guide book we've been meaning to try out and off on the 'Eastern Walk' - which we only managed half of cos it got dark and cold!

but it was a fascinating half walk and here's what we found - St Botolph Bishopsgate

very grand and imposing inside

with it's former charity school in the grounds and, unbelievably (but true!) a netball court!  And bear in mind we are right in the heart of the city just a stone's throw from Liverpool Street Station!

then rounding the corner to the next church we pass this amazing little building! Formerly a Turkish bath!!

And very soon we happen on All Hallows on the Wall, almost built into the old London Wall and designed by the 24 year old George Dance the younger back in 1765 and very simple and elegant inside.

Then, after negotiating the tiny alleyway Austin Friars Passage, we reach the Nederlandse Kerk 

which was beautiful inside - but they were busy preparing for a wedding so we didn't want to intrude and take photos.

Our final port of call, not far from the Gherkin, was St Ethelburga's - the smallest church in the City with a lovely little courtyard garden to the side.  We were too late for this to be open so this is where we postponed the rest of the walk for another weekend.

and headed off to Morley College for the Morley Chamber Orchestra Christmas concert with friends and family from near and afar.  Great programme with Part 1 of the Messiah, and Vaughan Williams rather lovely Fantasia on Christmas Carols followed by Vivaldi's Concerto in C and Bach's Magnificat.

After a lovely concert we headed for post concert drinks at the Horse and Stables then back to the Hox for a good night's sleep.

Saturday morning found us all banging on the doors of Caravan when it opened for brunch at 10 and enjoying a veritable feast.

Loved this Christmas Tree of 365 sledges, outside there, at the back of King's Cross.

Then some of us peeled off and the remainder went Christmas shopping and meandering.
Happened upon the Illustrator's Christmas Fair, then enjoyed a welcome cuppa and delicious banana cake at the lovely Sonos studio cafe - hidden away from the milling crowds of Shoreditch.

 Loved this street art - the best of messages

enjoyed a potter in this great hardware shop - perfect for gadget geeks like me

then it was up West for the serious shopping - and a beautiful blast of Hallelujah on the steel drums that just stopped us in our tracks.

This is an old clip I found on YouTube from 2012 so not the same line up we saw, but great to listen to

So it was finally goodbye to a festive Oxford Street

hopped on a bus to Tottenham Court Road, a quick tasty pizza at Franco Manca, fond farewells and hugs and a slow train back North . . .  How quickly these precious moments fly!