A Jubilee
The truly British way to celebrate the Queen's 60 year reign - with rain.
A rooftop BBQ
I"m slowly catching up to the present weekend - but this instalment fills in the 4 day long weekend we had for the Queen's diamond jubilee celebrations.
The weekend before had been gloriously sunny - and all Londoners were outside enjoying it. The jubilee weekend was not. It was 4 days of miserable cold and wet - but really - if it had been sunny it wouldn't have been a truly British celebration.
We had - inspired by the previous weekend's glorious sun - bought a BBQ and invited the few people we know here around for dinner. This included Caitlin who used to work as a journalist at Parliament House with Tony, an ex-housemate of Tony's (Jonno) and his wife Emily. To go with our BBQ we had also bought an outdoor table and chairs. Both came from Argos - a revolution in shopping as far as I am concerned. The way Argos works is you go into their shop and look at their catalogue - they don't have anything really on display in their shops - they are basically a warehouse with a small customer facing bit - and an extremely efficient pick and pack system. You pick the items out of the catalogue, write down the numbers on a little docket, take it to the counter. After about 5 minutes you order is ready for collection. Most things come in plain brown boxes - no real branding or fancy photos on the outside. I think this all means that they can sell things cheaper - and they do. The BBQ (weber style) and outdoor setting totalled about ￡120. We had discovered Argos the week before by actually going down to the shop and struggling home with our purchases on the bus. Then we realised - if all we're going to do is look at a catalogue - we might as well do it online - and given we don't have a car here - get it delivered! So this time I put in an order on the Thursday - and it arrived THE NEXT DAY - in time for us to have our BBQ on the Saturday. Amazing.
So we had gone to our fabulous local shops for all the bits we needed for the BBQ. The butcher - Godferys has the most amazing range of quality meat - we are really spoiled. I particularly love their fresh stock - chicken and beef - which saves me from having to make my own - or carry litres of it home on the bus (I used the chicken to make delicious rustic chicken soup with barley the other day). We are also spoiled by a delightful Italian delicatessen called 'Di Mario' and my favourite of all - La Fromagerie. The cheese room at La Fromagerie is twice the size of any of the ones I had found in Australia - and the staff are lovely. I go in at least once a week and ask them what is eating well. They offer you a taste of the things they suggest before you pick - which really helps in putting together a well balanced cheese plate. They also have a great range of handcrafted breads and 'bits' - duck rillets, caper berries, olives, cornichon, chorizo and smoked salmon. Their cake range also looks delicious - but with the egg allergy all I can do is look and admire. Tony is always very restrained when we go in - he doesn't generally buy anything that I can't eat.
One of the things I have enjoyed the most is getting Tony into the cheese as well. He has long been a cheese eater - but has never really engaged with the process - or the variety available. The cheese here (even the basic ￡1.25 rounds from Sainsburys) is so much better than the cheese available in Australia we have really been opening our eyes (and mouths) and trying some interesting things. At first Tony refused to come into the cheese room - leaving me to do all the tasting and deciding. He now comes in, jokes with the staff, and gets involved in the tasting - and is becoming quite decided about the subtleties of the cheese and what he likes and dislikes. I can't wait til we actually to France! We have a trip planned to Paris in 2 weeks and I can't wait!
Loaded up with fresh produce we walked the block home to prepare it all. The weather had turned pretty nasty - and the christening of our BBQ was not looking like it would happen. The wind got up and it was cold! After all that effort we ended up cooking the BBQ in coats, scarves and gloves (outfitting our guests as they arrived as well) and scurrying inside as soon as it was cooked. However - mission accomplished - our first BBQ in the UK.
The weekend before had been gloriously sunny - and all Londoners were outside enjoying it. The jubilee weekend was not. It was 4 days of miserable cold and wet - but really - if it had been sunny it wouldn't have been a truly British celebration.
We had - inspired by the previous weekend's glorious sun - bought a BBQ and invited the few people we know here around for dinner. This included Caitlin who used to work as a journalist at Parliament House with Tony, an ex-housemate of Tony's (Jonno) and his wife Emily. To go with our BBQ we had also bought an outdoor table and chairs. Both came from Argos - a revolution in shopping as far as I am concerned. The way Argos works is you go into their shop and look at their catalogue - they don't have anything really on display in their shops - they are basically a warehouse with a small customer facing bit - and an extremely efficient pick and pack system. You pick the items out of the catalogue, write down the numbers on a little docket, take it to the counter. After about 5 minutes you order is ready for collection. Most things come in plain brown boxes - no real branding or fancy photos on the outside. I think this all means that they can sell things cheaper - and they do. The BBQ (weber style) and outdoor setting totalled about ￡120. We had discovered Argos the week before by actually going down to the shop and struggling home with our purchases on the bus. Then we realised - if all we're going to do is look at a catalogue - we might as well do it online - and given we don't have a car here - get it delivered! So this time I put in an order on the Thursday - and it arrived THE NEXT DAY - in time for us to have our BBQ on the Saturday. Amazing.
So we had gone to our fabulous local shops for all the bits we needed for the BBQ. The butcher - Godferys has the most amazing range of quality meat - we are really spoiled. I particularly love their fresh stock - chicken and beef - which saves me from having to make my own - or carry litres of it home on the bus (I used the chicken to make delicious rustic chicken soup with barley the other day). We are also spoiled by a delightful Italian delicatessen called 'Di Mario' and my favourite of all - La Fromagerie. The cheese room at La Fromagerie is twice the size of any of the ones I had found in Australia - and the staff are lovely. I go in at least once a week and ask them what is eating well. They offer you a taste of the things they suggest before you pick - which really helps in putting together a well balanced cheese plate. They also have a great range of handcrafted breads and 'bits' - duck rillets, caper berries, olives, cornichon, chorizo and smoked salmon. Their cake range also looks delicious - but with the egg allergy all I can do is look and admire. Tony is always very restrained when we go in - he doesn't generally buy anything that I can't eat.
One of the things I have enjoyed the most is getting Tony into the cheese as well. He has long been a cheese eater - but has never really engaged with the process - or the variety available. The cheese here (even the basic ￡1.25 rounds from Sainsburys) is so much better than the cheese available in Australia we have really been opening our eyes (and mouths) and trying some interesting things. At first Tony refused to come into the cheese room - leaving me to do all the tasting and deciding. He now comes in, jokes with the staff, and gets involved in the tasting - and is becoming quite decided about the subtleties of the cheese and what he likes and dislikes. I can't wait til we actually to France! We have a trip planned to Paris in 2 weeks and I can't wait!
Loaded up with fresh produce we walked the block home to prepare it all. The weather had turned pretty nasty - and the christening of our BBQ was not looking like it would happen. The wind got up and it was cold! After all that effort we ended up cooking the BBQ in coats, scarves and gloves (outfitting our guests as they arrived as well) and scurrying inside as soon as it was cooked. However - mission accomplished - our first BBQ in the UK.
A Garden Party indoors
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| The garden party invitation |
Sarah had really gone all out in preparing the food - there were jellies, ribbon sandwiches, chicken drumsticks, cupcakes, scones, a sponge - you name it. She had also prepared jugs of Pimms and there were buckets of cider and beers. We were set.
It was a small party in the end - about 10 of us - crowded into their little flat (the same one we had stayed in when we first arrived). Not only was the weather pretty awful - but their key to the garden wasn't working!
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| The feast Sarah prepared |
We ended up turning it into a rooftop party - scurrying up every time the sun shone - and then hurrying back inside when the showers re-appeared.
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| The party - on the roof. |
The Jubilee - how the rest of London celebrated
The rest of the London were far more active than us over the 4 days - despite the weather. The Sunday involved the Queen's flotilla down the Thames - with the royal family braving the wind and rain to staunchly stand and wave to the masses the whole way down the river.
The crowds had turn out - their spirits not to be dampened. I have borrowed these photos from Sarah. She and Julian ventured into the city to see the celebration - but didn't last very long. The streets and tube stations were like carparks - no one moving - didn't bode well for the Olympic crowds to come.
I have to admit - I am glad the Jubilee is over - the merchandise produced for the Jubilee - and decorating the front windows of every shop - was a little twee. I was pleased to see the city return (mostly) to normal - with only a little bit of bunting remaining here and there - not surprising given the Euro 2012 and the Olympics to come.
Next instalment - the Tower of London, Mexican Pro-wrestling and Ascot!
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| The crowds |
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| The tube |
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| The merc |
I have to admit - I am glad the Jubilee is over - the merchandise produced for the Jubilee - and decorating the front windows of every shop - was a little twee. I was pleased to see the city return (mostly) to normal - with only a little bit of bunting remaining here and there - not surprising given the Euro 2012 and the Olympics to come.
Next instalment - the Tower of London, Mexican Pro-wrestling and Ascot!
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