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We had to go to London today so we could be at the ITV studios for tomorrow morning We left home at 4.30pm for the central train station.
Imelda usually stays in his own little world, he walks the dog every day and he goes to the BBC where he used to work, for lunch occasionally. He has a bus pass and he uses it a lot. He is fairly independent - that is a good thing.
We got to the train station and I had to collect our tickets from the ticket machine. Imelda was fascinated by this process and watched me transfixed. We went to the ticket control and I gave him his ticket and showed him where to put the ticket to get through the barrier. He refused to listen to me and instead he showed his ticket to the guard, proudly announcing 'I have not been on a train in at least twenty years.'
The guard looked at him and smiled. 'There are no steam trains up there.' he said with an amused grin. I noticed Imelda looked somewhat out of place among the busy commuters. It was somewhat of a Harry Potter moment - but it was just Imelda who was still in the wrong century and at the wrong train station. He looked very 'Old School'.
We took our seats on the 17:15 Cardiff to Paddington. I sat by the window and Imelda took the aisle seat. After a few minutes Imelda started shuffling uncomfortably. There were a group of about six very camp, very loud, very OTT young men sitting at the table in front of our seat. They were being a bit too 'in your face' in my opinion. They got louder and louder. At Newport station a few of them got up to leave the train. As soon as they had walked past us, while they were still standing waiting to get off (in full earshot), Imelda said loudly 'I am glad they have gone, they were giving me funny looks!' (He does not mean to be loud but as he is deaf as a post and has still not got round to using his new hearing aid).
I cringed, knowing they were standing just behind us. Naturally I asked what kind of looks.
Imelda paused a moment and then, just as loudly said "Come Hither' looks".
Priceless!
The rest of them stayed on the train to Swindon and they started blowing Imelda kisses whenever he looked at them. It was difficult for him not to look at them as his seat faced theirs.
Imelda told the ticket inspector he had not been on a train for twenty years. He told everyone else on the train as well.
All things technological fox Imelda. He was fascinated by how I knew where to go for the car to the hotel and how I knew which car it was (all texted to me just as we got to Paddington). He followed me like a sheep in awe at everything.
After dinner, Imelda decided he would like to go for a walk as he is a London boy at heart. By this time it was about 11pm. I was not sure this was a good idea but letting him out on his own was not a good plan either, especially late at night in London. I decided I would go with him as long as he was not planning on walking far, whether I was protecting him or he was protecting me is not clear. We walked from the hotel towards Waterloo bridge. We walked over the bridge and saw all the landmarks from there. Imelda then decided we should go for a walk up the side of the Thames. It was midnight by this time. I was not going to leave him there on his own nor was I going to walk back to the hotel alone. There were a fair few dodgy looking geezers down by the river. I had visions of us being mugged, murdered and all sorts. I put my handbag under my coat and tried to look streetwise. Not easy under the circumstances.
We finally made it safely back to the hotel by about 12.30.
From Waterloo Bridge at midnight
Imelda under a full moon on Waterloo Bridge looking thoughtful.
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