Fine parking
Sunday planned and executed. The plan is to travel on a day trip to London by coach to meet up with A to sort out her smart phone and see the stereoscopic exhibition at the Wellcome Collection on Euston Road.
I drive the car down town and park by Trinity church risking a parking ticket, walk to the ferry via the newsagent’s to buy the Observer, stuffed into my red backpack. Getting an early crossing gives me time to wander round Portsea to check on the theatre (former school, now the Groundlings), inspect brickwork on the Dockyard wall, notice huge iron chain links dated 1943 and wait for the bus in the interchange.
The coach is full up but I get a seat on the aisle halfway down next to a young man who stares silently through the tinted glass as the A3 landscape whizzes past at 60 mph. The traffic slows in London and the coach rolls into Victoria on time. There’s a long way to the tube but I’m pushing A’s No 22 doorbell before the promised time of arrival.
A hug and chat and we’re off to the Wellcome where we get on their Wi-Fi and start activating A’s phone and organise to keep her old number – GiffGaff makes it easy. She treats me to lunch in the restaurant and we find the show of stereo photographs excellent; even the large photos of the old storage premises seem 3D.
We get back to the flat for tea and petit gateaux, to charge the phone and discuss a potential sale of No 22 – whether to accept an offer, on what terms, or not?
A tells me about her meeting with old Parade friend Claire with whom she had holidayed years ago; she finds her still peculiar and reticent about her life since the separation with her former partner. Talk of Claire highlights East Grinstead where she now lives. This gives me an opportunity to boast of great-aunt Norah Stevenson’s war work with McIndoe doing physiotherapy with wounded pilots. Then we watch the 1914 newsreel footage of the women’s lacrosse game (England v Wales 15-0) in which Norah played, available free on the BFI Player.
When I finally return to Gosport, I find the car has been ticketed, £25 fine.
Brodnax at home and at sea 