BROMLEY

Talk about spoilt!  Yesterday Caroline, Derek and I took the train into Victoria Station (a hop skip and a jump from Buckingham Palace) and I re-lived my previous visit there with them when we popped in for a cuppa with Liz and Phil, but they weren't in.

Yesterday, however we went to a matinee performance of "Billy Elliott" - a matinee on a Thursday afternoon!!!  AND it was pretty full, too!  I remember seeing the lead actor performing in the series Graham Norton and Andrew Lloyd-Webber had when they were searching for "Olliver".  My word, he was good - couldn't have been any older than 14/15 and was on the stage for the majority of the 3 hour performance - dancing, singing and acting at a frenetic pace.  The supporting cast were great too, and despite it being a musical I still managed to cry in a couple of places, of course.

We emerged from the Theatre to rather heavy rain, but for the first time since I bought it 3 or 4 years ago, I had my umbrella with me and actually used it!  It was dark as we came out ... just after 5.00 pm.  So we walked back towards the station and dined at the Grosvenor.   For the second time while I've been here, I was served my appetiser on a slab of slate ... seems the posh way of doing things and looks great!

Today we went for an expedition around old family haunts.  Our Uncle Donald was priest at Headcorn in Kent, and I'd been having a long standing debate about which house in the village used to be the Vicarage.  I visited often when they lived there. So today we went to have a look and eventually checked with the Post Office, who assured us that our memories had served us correctly and it was right next door to said Post Office... now the residence of the local Councillor, no less.

We also visited a great aunt's grave, just outside the Church.  I knew where it was, because I'd attended her funeral in 1969/70, shortly after arriving in the UK that first time - and I was pleased to see that she  had a plaque now but quite when that arrived, we are not sure.

And again we ate - in a lovely pub on the Headcorn High Street.  Derek had whitebait ... and I now understand why English visitors look at me sideways when they have the New Zealand brand of that delicacy.  These ones were individually crumbed AND fried.

We'd arrived at Headcorn via Little Chart ... where our mutual great grandfather's family had run a pub called "The Swan Inn".  From family tales we both recollect that it was a grand life - not like pubs of these days - so were disappointed to find it closed (so we couldn't have our planned coffee stop) and looking a bit derelict.

And no, that's not me, slimmed down - it's Caroline.  As can be seen we are of a similar age and are told that the familial similarity is noticeable.  She IS of course, a stunner!!

And there's more eating on the agenda for tomorrow - with the extended Hunter family.  I had such good plans of returning to New Zealand a svelte shadow of my former self.  The only way that is going to happen is if Father Christmas can sort something out post haste.  I'm a believer!!