escapades in londinium

Okay, I'm not in such a mood anymore.

And seeing as it's Halloween and I am stuck in hotel room, I think I'll synopsise some things.

So, came back from London, had lots of 'I missed you' sex, slept all weekend, worked all week, and friday Liam's brother came.

He is just like tom if tom wasn't add, ocd or in anyway bothered about anything ever. he is the sweetest nicest funnest most laid back non commital person I have ever met (and if you know my friends and family, that's saying something). We spent the weekend going to the movies, wandering through graveyards and generally bumming around.

Then tuesday at dawn, I got on the train to London. Or rather, at 6:24am I woke up when the taxi company called to say my car was outside my house. My alarm didnt go off as planned and thus ensued a rather raucous scramble for the 7am train and a rather flightly and stressful morning (topped off by forgetting my contacts and having to constantly scrunch up my nose as my glasses slip down all week)

Had a couple of meetings on arrival - and kate you'll never guess who might be coming to my festival - and also made lingered eye contact with a remarkably hansome and quite short guy in soho and then wondered why suddenly, pointedly he looked down as we passed, until I realised he was Joseph Finnes and probably thought I was an oogling fan who was about to make a scene. poor guy.

then wandered about the British Museum as the last crowds filtered out. I couldn't get into the Last Emperor exhibition (that army of terra cotta soldiers and all manner of bad ass things), but the Rosetta Stone is always inspiring and the floor mosaics from roman britain are just fucking ace.

Then an evening of spreadsheets, emails and general maintence from the comfort of my totally lush suite with kitchenette topped off by a phone call to my dad.

Today woke up on time and even managed to get to my meeting in Covent Garden, but with half an hour to kill after, what was there to do but accidentally have an adventure?

So orla kiely (orlakiely.co.uk) is the must have of london. or was 3 years ago, and now is almost barely affordable. so, i popped in to have a look as I noticed it nestled between boutiques. being in a cheerful mood and loving the coin purse in the window, I greet the conspicuous, ridiculously cool 3 staff members standing behind the bar. They ask how I am, and general shop talk I disregard and pleasantly reply, thinking nothing of it.

Then they ask me to sign in, and thinking this is some mailing list perk or bet yet prize draw, i don't hesitate.

My pen hesitates only slightly as I skim the list that all say Mary Corontini, Marie Claire and Sophie Davies, Elle wondering if I need to fill in my job, so I put the book festival and wonder if the girl will say anything and starting to wonder what I am doing.

She doesn't though, and a nice young gentleman appears with a goodybag for me to take home and guides me to the showroom. I go down the stairs and it begins to dawn on me this isn't a store at all, but a premiere show for next summer's colletion for the fashion journalist elite. I see some lovely things, turn down the absolutely towering confectionary on every table, and breathe a sigh of relief when there is an exit out the third show room so I don't have to go back and face them. The girl at the door hopes I have a nice say and I mumble some apology for having to rush through like this and dash away before they take back my brilliant gifts.

And by then, it's time for another meeting so I get on with my day.

Which other than half a dozen meetings, also consits of going to a cool book award ceremony over the thames where it's actually given by teenagers (so I obviously chat to them instead of network and convince myself this is intensive groundwork research into my audience), get slightly tipsy and just barely make it to my last appointment.

Then it's a wander through covent garden market, nab a quiet corner in a pub for a steak pie and a good relishing of my new novel, follwed by a quick nap and off to a brilliant lecture on the future of picture books by the childrens laureate.

And now it's 9 pm, I'm back to the spreadsheets and going to do it all over again tomorrow (except the blatant theivery of designer goods part, though i can't promise i won't do something equally preposterous at the mummy museum book launch tomorrow night).