Gone to the Dogs?

Date: 27th - 28th September 2008

Purpose of trip: Visit to the Big Stamp and Scrapbooking Show, Alexandra Palace, London

Getting there: Bus to the station, train to London St Pancras. London transport buses and tubes

Travelling companions: None

This is a bit of a cheat as it is a regular trip of mine and I was sure I'd blogged it before. But I see I haven't so I really must get it 'out there'.

Alexandra Palace is the most wonderful venue. It is imposing on the outside and just as impressive on the inside. My experience of the interior is limited to the Palm Court and the West(?) Hall.

The Great Hall is truly magnificent but I've only managed to see that on tiptoe with my nose against the glass from the West Hall doors. The show is here twice a year and the weather has been great every time, showing the park at its best with great views across the city. I usually have sunshine for my visit but on Saturday morning the whole planet seemed to be inside a cloud. I expected to be disappointed but I wasn't. I just saw another side to the park. And, as you can see from the photos, the sun had broken through by the time I reached the palace.

My usual accommodation at Borehamwood was out for this trip because I didn't book soon enough. Instead I stayed in Chingford/Walthamstow at the Holiday inn Express. I wasn't daunted by the 2 bus journey in each direction. Quite the contrary!

Extra points for:

1. My local bus company who run a service to the station early enough to have saved me from a long foggy walk in the dark. Barton buses celebrated their 100th anniversary just this week.
   
2. All day travel tickets which save the problem of trying to describe your destination to bus drivers. Then, when you find you're on the right bus but going in the wrong direction and have to jump off fast and cross the road, you haven't wasted your bus fare. (Not that it happened to me of course :-) )


3. The Transport for London journey planner. Love it! Especially the 'wizard' which shows little stick man me, walking to the bus stop on my virtual, mapped journey.


4. All those wonderful craft demonstrators who keep going all day, showing us how they achieved their masterpieces. It must get very boring by the 10th time.
   
5. Walthamstow didn't sound too inspiring when I booked my room but when I saw the Stadium across the road I was quite chuffed.
   
   
   
   What an iconic place. The race at £3 was a snip but sadly clashed with Strictly Come Dancing.
   
   
   



6. Art at Kings Cross
   
   



7. History at Kings Cross. I once read an article in the English Heritage magazine about these gas tanks. Not everyone's idea of heritage but another icon nevertheless.
   
   
   

Points deducted for:

1. Having to get up at 4am to get the train as it meant I snoozed away the whole of the train journey.


2. I think the barista at Costa was still training. She took forever. I was there around 9am and thought at last I'd catch sight of the elusive Chocolate Twist. Wrong. I asked the guy in charge how early you have to be to get one. He said he sold the last 2 at 8.30 but they are changing their supplier any time at all. Better quality, he promised, and pain au chocolate too. I first fell in love with Costa many years ago when they were Costa Coffee and serving (no pun intended) at the Guardian Direct tennis tournament in Battersea. The coffee was nicer then and no frills (although I seem to remember that was the first time I'd seen sugar in paper tubes). We hadn't seen them in the provinces. I could go on but suffice to say my last stop before the train home was Starbucks.
   
3. No workshops at the show. The organisers told me there wasn't sufficient interest from the exhibitors.


4. Missing demonstrator! I love to watch Rob demoing at the shows. He is one of my faves. But he wasn't here and my friend says he wasn't at the Harrogate show either. His blog has gone quiet too so hope all is well.