Exhibition time

I had to attend an exhibition at Earls Court. Futurebuild. Take all the stand equipment and set up the stand. Not really looking forward to that, but it gave me the chance of a few days away. James agreed to come with me, so that could be fun.

I got a company car for the journey – a Saab 93 – and I drove down on Sunday 24^th to visit dad & Jacqui. I said we would be there around 4pm. We left home around 11:30 and stopped off for some lunch, and then managed to arrive at 4:03, so I thought we did fairly well! We were indulged with a gorgeous roast duck and all the trimmings, and then stayed over at Debbie’s next door (she doesn’t have cats – better for my allergy).

They next morning, we left to drive to Earls Court. James set up the Tom Tom (men just love gadgets!) and we got there without a hitch. We set up the stand (which always takes longer than you think). We then went back to find the hotel, 10 minutes walk away in South Kensington (luckily paid for on expenses!).

James hasn’t seen much of London, so I thought I’d show him some of the familiar sights. We took the tube to Piccadilly Circus. Can you believe that it was James’ first time on the underground. He was surprised that despite being so many people, none of them spoke to each other or show any friendliness (no surprise to us Southerners!). There was a gentleman wearing a suit and a bowler hat, reading the paper – I’m sure he was planted there to look authentic for the tourists. After all, who would really wear a bowler hat these days? London at night is always vibrant, whatever day of the week or time of year.

We headed for China Town. Gerard Street was full of dangling red Chinese lanterns and looked exciting and foreign. We went into a couple of the Chinese supermarket. It’s such fun to see all the weird stuff that you have no idea what it is, and is highly decorated in unreadable foreign symbols and patterns. We decided to have dinner in one of the self-service Chinese restaurants – certainly much cheaper and more fun than eating in the hotel restaurant. Most of the diners were Chinese – a good sign! Unfortunately, the waiter could only manage the rudiments of English, so asking for a glass of wine proved quite a challenge!

We left the restaurant and decided to head towards Leicester Square. We passed the famous Comedy Store just as it was time for their break. Some people were asking the doorman if it was too late to go in for the 2^nd half, and they were told there was plenty left to see in the 2^nd half and it was just £5 to go in. We thought that sounded like a good idea, so we went inside. It was ‘bong night’ where they have newcomers trying to find their first big break. If they are no good, they can be ‘bonged’ off! There were plenty of good acts who survived the bong, and we laughed a lot. We had nearly 2 hours of comedy show, which I think for £5 in central London is a bargain!

We left central London and headed back to the hotel. A few of my colleagues were staying at the hotel ready for stand duty the next day. It was about 11.45. We decided to see if anyone was in the bar for a nightcap. Yes, several were there, in particular my colleagues from Scotland. One small drink led to another…..all too soon it was past 2am and we had an exhibition to attend tomorrow!

One of the great things about staying in a hotel, is the full English breakfast in the morning. Yum. A great antidote for a late night and eliminates the need for lunch.

We got to a very busy Earls Court and once I had checked all was ok on our exhibition stand, James and I took a stroll around the exhibition to see competitors, ideas for marketing, and ideas for the home. Lots of interesting stuff.

By mid afternoon, I decided it was ok to leave the exhibition in the capable hands of my colleagues, and we took the opportunity to be tourists for a bit longer, before taking the long drive back to Yorkshire.

We headed to Covent Garden and took a look at the market, and sat for a while to watch a street entertainer. All he did was walk on his hands, but the build up and the anticipation was fantastic, and he really knew how to encourage a large and enthusiastic crowd – a great performer. £1 well spent (another bargain!).

We walked down to see the Thames and crossed on the Hungerford Bridge to take a look at the London Eye. It was late afternoon and still light. There was no queue, so we bought a ticket and jumped on. Neither of us had been on it before. I must admit that I do get uncomfortable with heights, so I’d always been a little wary. I felt fine until we were half way up and the view was indeed magnificent! We just had a few Spanish tourists in our pod, including a nun. By the time we reached the top, I was sat on the bench seat in the middle of the pod as my legs had apparently turned to jelly. The view was fantastic, and the sun was starting to set. It was a great experience and I would recommend it to everyone.

After an exciting few days, it was time to head home. Back to reality. Well, earthquake in Lincolnshire. Is that reality?