London Calling

Hello from Victoria Station. Just a quick note before I hunt up the train to Brighton. Except for not having a seat assignment until after everyone else had boarded, the flight was uneventful. I lucked out with an aisle seat, but in the center directly over the wing, so I didn't get to see a thing. Got the first express train from the airport to downtown, and was able to maneuver to the tube and a quick trip to where I am now. Should be in Hove in an hour or two. No rush, I don't think I can check in until 2 pm.

Friday in England Continued

Before I fall asleep at the keyboard...

Had a wonderful afternoon & evening surrounded by family and extended family. The train from London to Brighton is fast, clean, roomy and free with my railpass. Got to Brighton in an hour, walked across the platform and 20 minutes later was bound for Hove, a 10-minute ride.

Thanks to having the address and a map at the train station, I found my hotel in about 20 minutes of walking, amazingly making all the correct turns. My room was ready even though I was way early. Nice single room with loo & shower.

Phoned cousin Viv, who was at the reception hall helping decorate. She said to find her mom and sister Hazel, at their hotel about a 10-minute walk from me.Which I did. It was a dressmaking party, with Brian & Viv's son Mike and his wife Sally.

The reader's digest version:
after a room service sandwiches lunch, met Hazel's daughter Carla, her mom Heidi, Carla's husband Taz, their baby, and Carla's sister(?). Mike & Sally drove us out to the reception hall, a gorgeous theater in the shape of a Tudor barn. Met bride to be cousin Shana, groom-to-be Spike, his brother Neil, Neil's daughter Gabby, and patriarch Harold, whose late wife was my mother's cousin.

After decorating and watching the superb light crew  of the theater at work, we went out to the beach for a picnic. We got there ab out 7:30, by 9 (when I left) all kinds of Spike's relatives and the family's friends had joined in. I hated leaving, but by this time I had been awake almost non-stop for the past 30 hours.

Took some pix, but not enough.

Tomorrow: the cavalcade of Howards. The plan is at 10 am to hop in a cab with Harold's sister Joyce, her son Howard and his wife, and ride to Town Hall for the wedding, where, hopefully, cousin Howard (uncle of the bride) will join us.