Monday 17 November 2008

A FIRST CLASS weekend!

I don't know where to start with this post as there is so much to tell you about!

The weekend started off on a high with access to the First Class Lounge at Newcastle station


I've never travelled First Class before but I'm sure I could easily become accustomed to it - with the regular supply of free tea/coffee and biscuits throughout the journey. Although my friends did question whether it was normal to knit in First Class!

We arrived at The Country Living Christmas Show and met up with Gina, Lesley, Trashy, Maria and my very lovely, very BIG, sister Ally!

Gina and Lesley were just as lovely as I remembered but I hadn't met Maria or Trashy before - Maria was lovely and Trashy, well, Trashy was completely bonkers!

So please don't believe any of her nonsense about it being me and Lesley that were up to no good because I have photographic evidence to the contrary


I've chopped off her head (well someone had to) so she can't complain at me for putting too many photos of her on my blog, but you can clearly see from the jumper who was actually standing on tables in the canteen showing off the tablecloths! (the ladies on the next table seem rather bemused)

Gina sensibly ran away as soon as she could (not sure if she will be wanting to meet us again??!!!) and after terrorising the stall holders and visitors for a while longer we also departed into the Islington dusk in search of Loop.

I had to grab a photo of this beautiful flower shop on the way


before running with my suitcase bumping along the pavement to catch up with Trashy who was leading the way!

Loop was the most beautiful shop, full of gorgeous yarns,


incredible crochet and knitting


and, once we arrived, a bunch of very strange individuals


just click on the photo for a better view!

Having said good-bye to Trashy and Maria, Ally, Lesley and I gathered our picnic from Fortnum and Masons Sainsbury's and went back to the Ritz where we proceeded to laugh and chat and eat and drink and laugh some more until we told Ally it was time to stop messing about and go to sleep.

After eating the MOST ENORMOUS ALMOND CROISSANTS that you are ever likely to see for breakfast we set off to Covent Garden to this lovely restaurant where we met Michaela, Domesticali, Val, Emma and Baby Pebble and Vicious Chicken and the NBM! Everyone was really lovely and we had a fabulous time laughing and chatting and discussing knitting


and stopping half of London from getting a seat in a very popular restaurant (oops!)

There was also a lot of gift-exchanging but I am going to make you wait until my next post before I show you all my lovely presents!

The only bad thing about the weekend was that it all went so quickly and I didn't have enough time to talk to everyone - but I'm already trying to work out when I can come down again!

Finally, Domesticali has tagged me with a "6 Things" meme so I am going to follow her example and tell you the 6 best things about the weekend:

  1. Two very comfortable and fun train journeys with my good friends from home
  2. Meeting up with my BIG sister and getting to have a mini-holiday with her - even if she did whack me repeatedly with the TV remote control for no good reason at all! (surely she wanted me to push her off the bed, poke her in the ribs and generally be annoying? Isn't that what little sisters are meant to do???)
  3. Spending lots of time with my very lovely mad Leslerley friend - we may talk to each other half a dozen times a day but nothing beats being able to laugh and chat face to face
  4. Meeting all my wonderful bloggy friends - some for the very first time
  5. Finding out that Trashy really is as mad in real life as I had hoped
  6. Having a long cuddle with the adorable Baby Pebble
I'm not going to pass the tag on to anyone but instead could you all go and visit this very special new "almost blogger" - she just needs the encouragement to get going!

31 comments:

Mrs Moog said...

It was fab wasn't it?!!

I'm rather envious of that First Class lounge Missus! Beats the drafty platform at Southampton station any day!!

I just love smiley Mr Loop man in that photo :-)

xxx

trash said...

While I am most grateful you chopped off my head to save me further embarrassment, don't you think you could have done the same with myarse?!?!?!

Plus there was no mention of the hat of fabulousness I was wearing. Oh how quickly they forget!

Doda said...

Hi, this is my first time to your blog. I've really enjoyed reading all your posts! I'll be back!

Unknown said...

sounds like a fab trip...please can i come next time?

Suzie Sews At DOTTY RED said...

What a great time you all had, sadly I could not go this year as I had the sick babes to nurture, great to see it all from your visit though, looks like the best fun

JuliaB said...

ah, what a lovely weekend it sounds like. x

wonderwoman said...

it was a really brilliant day and absolutely great to meet you all face to face! i love the pics, especially trashy!!!

look forward to the next one!
xxxx

Gina said...

What a wonderful account of your w/e - I'm definitely hanging around longer NEXT time (see you can't get rid of me that easily)I had a wonderful day and it was so good to meet you again. What fab pics of Trashy... love the one of her on the table!

The fabric of my life said...

Sounds like a wonderful weekend, first class from start to finish :-)

dottycookie said...

Lovely lovely photos - guess which muppet forget to get her camera out and so has nothing to show?

I especially like the one of the lovely Loop man being Loopy in the background. I mean really - does he have the best job in the world or what?!

Anonymous said...

looks like a great time was had by all and that gorgeous flower shop looks very My Fair Lady- ish
Lisa x

Thimbleanna said...

Aaaaaccckkkk! I'm SO excited!!! It's THE POST I've been waiting for.

Ok. I'm calm now. Now I'll go read it and come back.

(Hey, my word verification is "unless". Unless what???)

Thimbleanna said...

Oh. My. Gosh.

I'm SOOOO jealous! It sounds like you guys had a fantastic time! Now...no fair...you didn't say who's who in the picture (obviously I know you, and now, thanks to the tablecloth picture, I know Trashy -- so...dish on the rest!!!)

I'm SO glad you had a great time -- I expected no less!!!

BIG sister Ally said...

I've got twelve comments He he he!! How many have you got? only 8, i'll send you an origami hanky - made of paper of course.

;o)

Ally

Kaz said...

That photo of everyone in loop is hilarious! Including the owner!!!

It's lovely to see photos of bloggy meets, it proves that there are some normal weirdos on the net!!!

Kitty said...

It's lovely to read all your blogs about having such a lovely time. Fabulous photos too! x

rachelmp said...

What a great weekend! Love the pics Lucy!

Anonymous said...

I've said it before and I'll say it again (then just a couple more people to say it to!) : It looks like you all had a brilliant time in the smoke, and having clicked on that photo to enlarge it, I love Mr Loops face in the background, but Ms T.Can's eyes are worrying me enormously!

I went to say "Hi" to your sister. Judging by her comment to you I see some competition in the offing ....

:)

Annie said...

Great post Lucy and a lovely exciting weekend. Loved meeting Trash in the pics - we are looking forward to meeting her in the flesh really soon in Ballarat.

Yummers! said...

Oh, Lucy... it all looks so fun! Especially a Christmas Fair. I've been taking down Fall decor and putting up Christmas today.

We went to London for Christmas a number of years ago. We actually shopped for 10 days. We had Christmas Eve dinner at Claridges and a Sunday dinner at the Savoy. How lucky you are to live so close to the wonderful city.
Joni

Ali said...

Ah yes, a good weekend indeed.

And I adore your 'gift' to Ally!

Lenna Green of Stitching Cow said...

What a wonderful time you all had. I am so envious, I have not had a girly trip away for a long time...must plan one to recharge the batteries soon!
Thanks for sharing.
Warmly Lenna

the vicious chicken said...

Hi Lucy,

It looks like you had such a great weekend! Thank you so much for inviting me to join in on such short notice - I had a brilliant time on Saturday with you all, and it was so nice to finally meet you :o) I'm just sorry I didn't get a chance to speak to you more... maybe next time, eh?

Thank you also for the *brilliant* gift (I still can't look at it without giggling like a loon!) which is far too special to use for its intended purpose: I'll probably bedeck my little flat with garlands of it instead, come December :o)
VCxx

Greedy Nan said...

It looked as though you had a really great time - glad there was no audio on this entry somehow! Nice to meet up with special friends.

silverpebble said...

Yoo hoo - only just got my google reader business going again. Wasn't it lovely on Saturday. That first class lounge though - swanky or what? Was there gilded loo paper and everything?Thanks so so much for the beautiful festive miniquilt stitchery whatsis. So lovely. It will be highly prized. Hmm, is it me or has your comment page thingy gone a bit strange?

Locket Pocket said...

Just popping in to see if my comment page is a bit weird coz according to Emma it is. Hmmmm, not sure - but maybe that's because it's me.

Anonymous said...

Lucy you are an inspiration!!!!
it was lovely to see you on weds night at Alisons. I have blogged for the first time on my own today and thats your inspiration......
Much Love
H xxx

Anonymous said...

hiya

she is busy @ the moment and she could make a new blog if she knew how 2

sounded like you had fun away in london. like getting hit by a tele zapper. lol [=

em xx

Leanne said...

Looks and sounds like a great weekend was had by all.

est said...

a first class full of fun!!! :)

Lindsay Jean said...

The weekend sounds like a blast, and I am just drooling over that yarn shop photo. I nominated you for an award over on my blog.