Serendipitous Moments: Shopping at Christmas Time in London with Helen and Phil

On the weekend of 19th-22nd November my cousin Helen and her husband Phil from Gloucester came to stay with us, and we all went shopping and window-browsing in London. We shopped in Greenwich and Covent Garden; and also saw some of the street entertainers in Covent Garden. Helen bought lots of Christmas presents - and some lovely, pretty and unusual presents at that. But for various reaons I have cut my Xmas shopping right down and have decided that cards will usually now suffice!

We also went to see the Christmas lights in Oxford Street. Also, saw and heard the SOAS Rebetiko band on the evening of Friday the 20th November, who were very good. Our friend Les Levidov invited us to it and he plays the violin in the band. There are some 25 people in the band altogether. G2 in SOAS (School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London), where it was held, was packed. A few people also danced. Rebetiko, we learnt, is the rebel music of Greece (the 'urban blues'). It includes "songs of prison, hashish, love, emigration and desperation."

Then, on the Sunday we had a short (albeit a wet) walk on Wanstead Flats and in Wanstead Park. We also went into The Temple in the park, and saw the exhibition about the fascinating history of the park. The park was once the grounds of a great estate, Wanstead House. The heiress of the estate married a no-gooder, who gambled all the money away. The house had to be dismantled brick and brick and all the contents sold. The Corporation of London bought the grounds cheap and still own them, thereby providing much pleasure to the local community.

In addition, Helen, Phil, Glenn and I had lots of very enjoyable conversation together, covering many topics. We discussed the Vickery's, for one thing and how we first got to really know and like each other. Helen's father, Richard Vickery was my mother, Mabel Turney's (nee Vickery) brother (my mother being one of seven). Helen and I first got to know each other when we were still in our teens - I was 16 years old and she was 14 years old. We used to stay with each other in our parents homes then, go for long walks together, listened to lots of music and did lots of chatting etc. We discovered that we liked the same type of music and the same sort of fellas!! We also went youth hostelling in the Yorkshire Dales and Pembrokeshire in Wales whilst still in our teens, did lots of walking and had a great time.

I showed Helen our grandfather, Clement Augustine Vickery's nautical books. She had not seen them before. We also talked about our Auntie Irene a little - it was through her that we got to know each other. She thought that we would get on and how right she proved to be! Irene Littler (nee Vickery) being the sister of Mabel and Richard. They have all passed on now; only one of the seven is still alive - Aunt Jean. Helen has a brother and a sister, so her brother of course is carrying on the Vickery name.

When in our teens, Helen helped me to think about the types of fellas that attracted me. Although she was the younger one, she had quite a big influence on me here! These days, Helen and I have many interests in common - more than ever, in fact. This includes a love of music, books, arts and crafts, walking in the countryside and cycling. Like me, Helen adores Jane Austen's 'Pride and Prejudice' , for example, and Colin Firth's superb acting as Mr Darcy. Who else could possibly come near to it, one wonders? - well, no-one much apart from Richard Armitage, in my view. The part that Richard Armitage played as John Thornton in the BBC production of Elizabeth Gaskell's 'North and South' was breath-taking. Also, the plot has some similarities to 'Pride and Prejudice', but with a clear political dimension as well. Thornton owns a mill in the north of England, and at one point, the workers go on strike, for example. Here is Richard Armitage being interviewed about it all - see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QLAKAkT_9Jg. Helen and I also like the same sort of clothes, jewellery and ornaments etc - which is why we all had such a great time window-shopping together.

Helen and Phil's son designed our 'Flow of Ideas' website for us (http://www.flowideas.co.uk/), which we have been very pleased with of course. Now, he has moved on and his studying for a photography degree at Southampton University.

All in all, we had a really lovely time. Now, we look forward to the next time that we can spend some time together!

Here are some digital photos of our various escapades!