Old haunts, new friends

Into London today. As the train drew into Victoria Mum phoned to talk about an operation she is going to have shortly. Difficult to talk in the station with loudspeakers barking information about trains.

Soon after, I met up with Lakshmi who was clutching a book of London walks, and after tubing it, we vaguely followed its directions into Chiswick, which of course is an old haunt of mine. We went to Hogarth House and the Italianate Chiswick House, enjoyed the Hogarth prints. And although I'd been in Chiswick House grounds many times, I'd never actually been inside Chiswick House. I took some photos of weathered statues that had been in the garden and were now inside as Lakshmi and I wandered about with the audio guides pressed to our ears. The statues creeped Lakshmi out a bit, and I thought their corroded faces were rather magnificent and best not encountered in a dark Twitten.

We then walked off to Strand on the Green and met up with Matty, Kate, Graeme and others in Annies, where we drank wine and I ate a shepherds pie and there was quite a bit of conversation. Then home via Clapham. The trains were doomed beyond Haywards Heath but Lorraine picked me up from HH and drove me home, which was uncommonly nice of her.

Below time-maimed faces in Chiswick House.