The Ally Pally Ritual

Date: 18th - 19th April 2009

Purpose of trip: The Big Stamp Show, Alexandra Palace

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

Travelling companions: None

I seem to be a creature of habit, nay ritual. I seek out experiences that have given me pleasure before and try to recreate them. This one never fails to hit the spot, although I have tried to vary a few of the details.

Breakfast at Muswell Hill is not negotiable. It really sets me up well for the day. Costa Coffee of course. A hot savoury panini type thing and then pudding! I normally have a meal at the Palace but after this, liquids were sufficient.

Alexandra Park is always a delight. Only that one foggy day last year has it not been blazing sunshine when I've been. The trees were magnificent and the rhododendrons were promising great things.

A great show as usual. I didn't want to have to check all Saturday's purchases into the cloakroom with my backpack on Sunday so I left most of the buying until the final day.

Overnight was at Borehamwood as usual, but the Innkeeper's Lodge seems forever beyond my budget for this trip now. I'm familiar with the bus journeys I need to get there now and although it takes a while at the end of a long and tiring day, I don't mind being a little way out of town.

I left the show before the bitter end on Sunday but had 3 hours to kill before my train. So I decide to take a minor detour to Covent Garden to eat. I had in mind some of that delicious paella. Big mistake. They were cleaning the pan when I got there and the hot dogs on offer...well...it's just not the same is it? So I discovered Creme de la Crepe just a few steps away. Delicious pancakes (yup, I had the savoury Billy Goats Gruff and the Strawberry cheesecake dessert pancake too) and of course the wonderful ambience of Covent Garden, with it's string quintet(?) easily audible from the next courtyard.

I was still in lantern mode from Venice so had to take a picture of these.

There was still some time to spare and I didn't want to spend any more of it at St Pancras than I really had to so I went walkabout around Covent Garden and had a good look at Freemasons' Hall.

It took a while to work out what this imposing building was because there is no large sign or plaque to identify it. But when I did work it out I was very interested, partly because my great grandfather Ephraim Streatfield was a freemason and partly because of the rather severe looking lanterns.


There was still time for a browse in Foyle's at St Pancras and coffee and chocolate twist in Costa before the train. The journey was good until we were delayed just outside my home station, when we were told there were trespassers on the railway. I'm assuming we didn't hit them.

Extra points for:

1. Costa Coffee. Not only was I served by a gorgeous Sardinian barista (at Muswell Hill) who made very pleasant conversation and flashed his lovely teeth at me, they seem to have got their act together with the food. Chocolate twists not only at 8.45 in the morning but (at St Pancras) at 6.45 in the evening too.


2. The catering van in the hall who had perfectly chilled fruit juices when the venue's own catering could only offer hot or fizzy drinks.


3. The security man who said good morning and goodbye each day with the biggest beaming smile. Was he being nice or was my dress tucked into my pants?


4. Meeting Elaine from the Graphicus Guild. My teenage son warned me in advance that I should never arrange to meet up with people I've got to know on the internet. But Elaine was lovely and we seemed to have a lot in common.


5. Travelodge. This was one of their newer lodges. The room was a bit minimalist and the dining room basic but they served a good breakfast and I got a very passable three course dinner for around £10. It was football semi finals day so, being cheap and close to the A1, the lodge had a few fans staying over. But on the whole it was quiet and convenient. I'll probably book again for September.
   

Points deducted for:

1. The ventilation at Alexandra Palace. 30 mins to open the roof vents, they said. So they didn't bother.


2. East Midlands trains. Not enough seats for everyone at St Pancras. Apparently this is a regular problem on a Sunday evening.
   
3. Whoever was on the train line when we were returning home. Does life not throw enough curved balls for these people as it is?