It was a little strange driving through Westminster instead of through Chelsea and Knightsbridge...I definitely prefer the M4/A4 route to the A40. As usual I parked at the club (it is the best feeling in the world having access to free parking in Mayfair), before heading in to meet Chris for a catch up. After our catch-up we headed for some dinner at Caffe Concerto, I had the Lasagne, which was really tasty! Then we headed over to the Lansdowne for the standard TGIF drinks with everyone before jumping in a taxi to 86 Fulham Road to join the birthday celebrations.
It was fantastic to see everyone after missing out the previous week due to my sickness, and I finally got to wish my friend Lotte congratulations on her recent engagement (men everywhere are currently cutting themselves about the fact she is now off the market). And I know she will read this as she is an avid follower, so congratulations again!!
Now, unfortunately, once the excitement of seeing my friends for the first time in two weeks was out of the way, I wasn't feeling great, I realized I still felt sick, and therefore maybe I shouldn't have come out. And because I was driving, I wasn't drinking. A sick Catherine who can't get drunk = a very miserable and sulky Catherine. And it made it even worse when people were asking me what was wrong because I wasn't on 'full form' like usual.
So eventually everyone managed to persuade me to drink...oh dear. I got drunk, I couldn't drive, I ended up crashing on a friend's sofa again and waking up to be faced with Uncle Howard yet again (a super scary old portrait painting that hangs above the fireplace opposite the sofa...his eyes follow you wherever you go!) But my friend's house-mate and I had a bit of excitement on our walk home...we walked past Louise from Made in Chelsea. She was wearing leather skinny trousers, a huge black feather coat, and was talking to a hairy man at the entrance to a dark alley. We liked her coat.
After waking up with a banging headache and being confronted by Uncle Howard, I had to work out how to get to the tube station....cue tomtom! It literally saved my life! I am awful at directions, but luckily I brought out my trusty tomtom, and walked around the streets of Chelsea with it until I found Gloucester Road tube station. Unfortunately I had left my change of clothes and sensible flats in my car (I always have them in my car...you never know when you might need a spare set of clothes and shoes!), so had to walk from Lotte's to the tube station barefoot (a 10 minute walk, but no way was I walking in my 6inch heels with a hangover), with my tomtom, in the clothes I was wearing the night before (thankfully the dress was a reasonably respectable dress, and not something I would only wear in the dark). Cue tourist bus stopping right next to me. Nice. And slightly awkward.
So I eventually got back to Green Park, grabbed my keys from the front desk at ROSL and then headed to the bathroom to get changed and freshened up (that club really is a god-send), before heading to a cafe for some breakfast (cafe's are the only places where it's acceptable to eat by yourself!). After strolling around London for a couple of hours I had to get to Islington for a Social Marketing course. Again, cue tomtom! I really wouldn't have found my way from the Barbican station to Cowcross Street without my tomtom...and I spent the whole walk worried that someone would mug me for my tomtom, Blackberry, Camera and Hermes watch.
After my course I had to get back to Green Park yet again (as you can probably tell by now...I pretty much live there), to meet two friends, Claire and Chris. We then went to Ed's Easy Diner on Old Compton Street in Soho for dinner. I decided to be good and just have the Chicken BLT burger instead of my usual Big Bubba, but then I ruined it by having the Oreo Cookie Malt Shake (HEAVEN). Seriously, if you haven't been to Ed's before, GO. It's amazing, it's a proper 1950's style diner, they do the best food and the staff are incredible, they honestly can't do enough for you. it's basically the UK version of the US's Johnny Rocket's. AND I've just noticed on the website they now have a restaurant in Mayfair! Score! Definitely need to try that one out - it's closer to le club.
So after dinner we headed back to the club for tea (hot chocolate in my case), and then I eventually got home at around 10:30pm. I fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow, and I've had the laziest day ever today (it's 7:45pm on Sunday and I'm still in my PJ's - being a student is the best).
The Ceiling of 86 Fulham Road, how cool is it!!! |
The barmen were AWESOME! |