London

On Monday I took buses to Aberdeen in glorious sunny weather. The hills looked inviting and I was sad to be leaving them, and new friends, so soon. I felt like I'd just got settled in and was finding my way when I had to upsticks and return home. Still, a good few hours of gallery going in London beckoned before I finally made it back to Cornwall. I bought a Time Out at the airport and used the flight back to plan the next day.

I met my brother Dan in Camden, then we visited the Turner Prize Exhibition (utter crap) and the Holbein (gob-smacking!) at Tate Britain. Then it was on to Timothy Taylor near Oxford Street to see Kiki Smith (whimsical). On the way to our next gallery, Tate Modern, we took a detour to Hamleys for you know who! I insisted on taking this cheesy photo for Kim; Dan was impressed that 'pirate ted's' coat matched his jumper!!

When we finally got to Tate I realised that I had less than an hour there if I was going to make it back across London to get the flight down to Newquay. We decided that a journey down the biggest slide would be the icing on the cake at the end of a great day. Major disappointment. The slides were fully booked... It was now decision time: art, bookshop or coffee and cakes. We were starving, so the cakes won and we had a 'Cornish' cream tea!!!

I'm still in shock that I didn't make it down the slides or more importantly into the bookshop - I feel withdrawal sypmtoms coming on and must find one soon. Dan was disappointed that he didn't get a go down the slides and is planning to go back with his son nearer Christmas. I think he's just using his son as an excuse not to look like a big kid, and should just go over in his lunchbreak!! I know I would...



I got to Newquay at five past nine, spot on time, and then had a 45 minute wait for Paul and Kim to arrive - I knew I was home!