Writing this a few days after the event, but last weekend finally felt like the end of Winter. We had lunch out in the garden which was Fab, and then a trip to Preston Park for a wall in the woods.
Quiet weekend but very good, helped by live Formula One from China....
Went to the Nisa trade show at the National Agriculture Centre at Stoneleigh near Warwick.
Monday was set up day. Got down there for 12 and found that Ita and Janet our food technologists had already set things up! So lunch and a chat, and done for half one.
Drove across to the hotel to check in, and found that I had a suite with rooms across 2 floors including a spa bath! We then went into Warwick to find shops to look at- thy had a Holland and Barratt and nothing else relevant.
Following day off to the show, with the sales director coming to visit. He left impressed with our stand and the sheer scale of the show, and with the gushing praise from my Nisa trading manager ringing in his ears.
Show was busy at times, and with Phil The Power Taylor doing a darts demo a few stands down it was loud! Watching the man throw 180 after 180 close up was impressive. Lots of familiar faces there too and enjoyed a catch up coffee with Alex Calvert.
That night was the awards dinner. Service was glacial (didn't finish eating until 11pm!) and the comedian was offensive. To cap it all the "entertainment" ran over and our bus left people behind!
On the Wednesday the show descended into swapsies by 2 and downright theft by 3. The PA message imploring whoever had taken a bag containing car keys from the Honey Monster stand was funny! Came away with several bags full of porridge, biscuits, drinks etc
Used up my first batch of East Coast reward points to take Patrick to London. Up bright and early (still icu cold though!) to get the 07:31 from Darlington.
Breakfast was served almost straight away- coffee and pastry, followed by full English (including a cheese omelette which was lovely) followed by Toast and Marmalade and more coffee. Absolutely stuffed!
Arrived 45 down due to OHLE problems at Grantham which created a backlog of trains. Off to North Greenwich and onto the Emirates Airline cable car for a return ride across the river. It had been cold but sunny at home, London was just cold and grey with a blustery wind which made the cars sway quite a lot. Its a steep climb too, especially on the southern side.
After that a short walk to Greenwich pier where we managed to miss one Thames Clipper boat by about 30 seconds - happily there was a nice warm waiting room even if it was bobbing up and down slightly as the floating pier caught the waves.
The usual thrash on the boat was fun - stayed on the open rear deck as far as Tower Bridge, then as they slow down anyway for the inner London bit we came inside for a warm!
Lunch was Little Frankies which always amazes me hoe many tables they can squeeze inside such a small building. No wait though which was handy, before crossing Trafalgar Square for a wander round the National Gallery.
We had an hour and a half left so we went up to Hamleys (including a 2 stop bus ride up part of Regent Street), didn't buy anything and still had a bit of time to kill. So we jumped onto a bus ("just get on any bus!") as far as Great Portland Street then tube to Moorgate, FCC to Finsbury Park and Victoria Line to Kings Cross.
The train home was the 18:00 which had been swapped to an HST. Bag of peanuts on departure (described as an "appetizer") plus more tea and orders taken for dinner. Whilst we waited for mains we had biscuits to snack on plus coke for Patrick and an Old Speckled Hen for me.
Dinner was Roast Chicken with Lemon Risotto and Sugar Snap Peas (which was Fab) plus Chocolate Ovaltine Tart with Cinnamon sauce pudding (which was Fab) plus another Old Speckled Hen. Then later some more tea, more biscuits and some crisps....
Took the boys to York today. Round the railway museum then a walk round the walls to Clifford's Tower then into Costa for a snack. A fun day out!
