gollygoshgumgoonz: A final day in London city, a year early for a play, and a big family catchup

My last day with Lynnie was on Friday - Harry Potter day. I was so excited. We checked out of our wonky, broken, squeaky, and leaking room and went to Soho for a coffee and a feed in a trendy cafe, surreptitiously checking the neighbouring diners in case they turned out to be famous actors. One of them was definitely learning his lines for a script.

Any actors?

BBC

Posh house

And corner

Regent park

Regent park cafe

Regent Park pond

And black swans in pond

221b Baker Street - home of Sherlock Holmes

Theatres everywhere

When I got to the Palace theatre early (11am) in order to get my golden tickets (I only had an email printed confirmation), he informed me I was early.
Yip, I explained I was keen to avoid the crowds at 2pm.
"No" he said, "you're a year early!"
Whut!?!?!?!?!
I failed to read the fine print...

Doh!

It turns out this happens on a weekly basis. As I was pretty sure I chose 2017 at the time, I think there must be a really small fine print on the site at time of booking...
But, maybe it was Lynnie's reaction of comfort, my own devastated face or God above looking kindly upon me, because a man had just handed in a ticket his wife couldn't use for part 2 and I was able to purchase it on the spot and get a refund for my tickets. Luckily I knew the story intimately and when I met the nice husband whom I sat next to, he filled me in on the theatrics of Part 1 and was obviously happy the ticket went to such a grateful fan.
Needless to say, I LOVED the play and experience of going to the Palace theatre. It was magic. Literally.
And there's a tip if you wanna see the play without booking a year in advance, turn up before the show to see if anyone couldn't make it and had a ticket or more to sell.

I got there in the end

A better seat too!

We stayed in a teeny tiny hotel room that night with the bonus that it was just across the road to the theatre. Lynnie left once Barry had turned up with her case and has since gone to Morocco with her friend Sal.

Byebye Lynnie (in the teeny tiny hotel room, waiting for Barry to turn up)

Meanwhile we headed to Clapham to meet up with my nephew Phil and Catie, and also my cousin Sally and her daughters Hannah and Elly.

Loving London

Elly, Hannah, Toni, Barry, Phil, Catie, and Sally

We said goodbye to these lovely people and then scooted across town to Gravesend to surprise my Aunt Doreen and Uncle Pat and catch up with my cousins Karen, Gail, and Alison and their families. It all felt so familiar and was such a lovely time for a couple of kiwis far too far away from our family back home!