Thursday 27 December 2012

BOXING CLEVER

I see that the Boxing Day sales in London were a big hit, literally - given the fight you needed to engage in to get to the sales counter.  You could (provided you queued from 6am and fought off several thousand other shoppers) pick up a Prada handbag for only £1,750!  Or some Dior perfume for only £99 a bottle!  I went to Kingston and bought an M&S merino wool sweater for £20. 

Indeed, so relaxed was I about the sales that we spent the morning walking around Richmond Park, somewhere I hadn't been for some years. Richmond Park is famous for:

its size (it is 2,360 acres of public parkland),

Richmond Park 

its vistas (this is the view from the coffee terrace at  Pembroke Lodge),

Richmond Park vista 

its deer (while I stood there, a whole herd passed by, but I quite liked this well-camouflaged young male),
Richmond Park deer 

and more recently its parakeets - large numbers now live in the trees, after a pair was released there some years ago (they are notoriously hard to photograph; can you see this one?).
Richmond Park parakeet 

We had lunch in the rather splendid Albert pub at Richmond.

The Albert, Richmond 

 And then deigned to wander into Kingston to bargain shop.  Kingston is famous for its shops and its quirky street art.


Kingston

Actually, I had planned to attend my first football match, since resolving (unsuccessfully) to attend an AFC Wimbledon game three years ago (Wimbledon play at the Kingstonian Ground), but the match was postponed (unsurprisingly I suppose) through a waterlogged pitch.  But I still picked up my bargain sweater.  And I didn't have to karate kick anyone to get it.


10 comments:

  1. Just as with Christmas, any 'Sales' shopping I do (and it isn't much), I do online. I hate crowds of shoppers at any time, but at 'sales' time they just go mental. I've never been to Richmond Park, although I plan to if I'm ever in the area.

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    1. I did some shopping online and found it very convenient and easy. But looking through bargains can be fun. It can also be very irritating when the sizes are all wrong.

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  2. Neil! Happy, happy Christmas! I have been ferociously busy this term but it paid off with a 4.0 average and scholarships that will allow me to pay my rent and eat for the coming term. Much appreciated as I am sure you can imagine. I'm off for the next 2.5 weeks and so will come back with a coffee and a plate of homemade biscuits and catch up on all of your wonderful blogs. xoxo, Gael.

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    1. Looking forward to seeing you again, Gael. It must be spectacular coffee, if it takes 2.5 weeks to get it! Or does it take 2.5 weeks to make biscuits?

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  3. Hey Neil, what brings you to this part of London. Surely you didn't drive up just for the football? If you did then Richmond Park would be better value even if the match had been on!

    We often stay with friends who live in New Malden, and regularly walk in the Park. In fact, Hot Chocolate and cake at Pembroke Lodge is a common diversion for us at this time of year. However, this year they've called up to see us instead.

    Hope you enjoyed your visit.

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    1. It's my old stamping ground, Ian. Lived in New Malden, Surbiton and Long Ditton, shopped in New Malden, in the days before they were all Korean, and Tolworth. Took the kids to Richmond Park regularly. But haven't been back there for 15 years maybe (son now lives in Morden, where we spent Christmas).

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  4. Mmm... should probably have said 'hot chocolate' instead of 'Hot Chocolate'... wouldn't want you thinking we eat cake while being serenaded by Error Brown!

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    1. And what's wrong with being serenaded by Error Brown? I've never really got into hot chocolate (lower case); but occasionally enjoy mocacchino or whatever its called.

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  5. Damn, so keen to correct one errol that I inadvertently created another!

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  6. Wandering seems like a lot more fun than shopping.

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