In London I met up with David.... and.... Jon & Roy...


Last night I came back from my little 2 day Holiday-Trip to London. Today I feel I have been away for more than a week....that always happens when you have been away for a short holiday..

So I flew on Thursdaymorning early from Eindhoven to Stanstead Airport. Not that Ryanair is my favourite..but it was cheap and..well it is just less than an hour, so the limited leg-space is not that bad if you sit on the inside. Perfectly in time..but what a horrible coloured interior and clothes the stewardesses have to wear in those planes. I guess they have thought that the yellow brightens up the customers. Well...anyway..with closed eyes and music in my ears that hour was rather pleasant. At that time I didn't know that I would be surrounded by beautiful colours the rest of the days..
After landing The Stanstead Express brought me in 45 minutes to Liverpool Street Station. A real comfortable trainride with nice country vieuws too (I remember seeing Longboats in a small canal).
It was sunny that day and it felt that Spring is round the corner. Didn't need my Wintercoat and woolen scarf.
First Stop: Covent Garden for Muji (Why isn't there a Muji Shop in Holland??) and the Tabio shop (unfortunately no bright polkadot socks for my Sweetie).
Next Stop: Piccadilly to go to THE Exhibition from David Hockney in the Royal Academy of Arts.

It was busy with a long queue waiting to get in. Luckily I had booked tickets in advance so I could go inside to collect my ticket for 13.30 hrs.
Can't write more than that it was:
AMAZING,
MINDBLOWING,
EMOTIONAL,
BEAUTFUL,
THE WORK OF A GENIUS,
EXITING,
And that I am Really Happy that I was able to GO!!
And that, if you can go.. GO!!
Ofcourse I bought the catalogue, so Bram could see the works too at home (when at the exhibition I knew he would have loved to see this all)
We have been in Yorkshire a few times and the way he paints them is so close to all senses. There is Saltaire painted. Original it was a woolen Mill, but now it is the Hockney Museum we visited a few years ago.
It tells the story of the same places in all seasons. For me it was also about the seasons in life and..yes the more you look the more you see. It is the scale and the energy in the paintings that brings you inside the landscape.
Winter Days...

The Arrival of Spring drawn on an I-pad..

Still from Beautiful films made with 9 camera's..it was as you were almost into the film..and into the landscape..

After more than 2 hours I left the exhibition. Mint tea and a scrumptious lemon tart went down well to get my energy back.
A little shopping at Fortnum & Mason, a visit to Hatchards the oldest bookstore in London where I bought the next day for Bram the Hudson's with all Grand houses from England in it.
and..Now I regret a little that I didn't buy the signed book by Celia Birthwell about her life and work as textile designer and friend from David Hockney....

After a beautiful afternoon I took the Underground to go to Jon and Roy where I would stay the night. I know Jon for years because of the yarns he dyes for his own Brand Easyknits and who are a joy to look at and to work with.
I had met Jon a few times (and we always have contact usually by a chat session). Hadn't met his husband Roy but after meeting up with the 2 I felt really at home with them. There was wine, a lovely meal cooked by Roy, plenty subjects to talk about and we had a really nice evening together. Felt really pampered. After a good sleep there was coffee and a nice breakfast. Casa Easyknits is much better than a Hotel!!!
And there were talks about the yarns ofcourse. Jon has a real good feeling for colours, which is not for everyone. I found out the best way to choose the right colour according to Jon..
The colours he dyes with a new proces named Deeply Wicked (really DEEP colours!!) are a FEAST for the EYE. Here are the 2 I got from him. The blue one for Socks for Bram and the other one for me.
Jon took me to the Train and after saying goodbye with hugs and kisses and sweet memories in mind I went back to the City for a few hours shopping and walking around. I went off at Angel...
to go to one of my favourite area's in London. Islington is really a nice and quiet place to go, with the knittingshop Loop in Camden Passage
The shop from Toast
with my kind of garments..

Round 2 o'clock I took the train back to Stanstead Airport. Bought a book at the Bookshop..
Will be a fascinating read I guess...
Suddenly I heared my name and I looked into the face from Jessica who we know from the first time we went to Ireland and with her and husband Michael we usually meet up in Clifden. So the flight back we kept on talking...so much to tell..A lovely way to end this holiday.

Now it is more or less back to reality. Saturday is Laundry and Shopping day. Coffee with friends in the morning in the Cafe.
Work will start on Monday.
Bram is not very well at the moment. Thanks to neighbours Ineke and Janneke I could do this trip. They took good care of him. It has given me back some energy. It was really nice to be away for those 2 days without feeling guilty and knowint that he was in good hands.
Sometimes it is hard for me to see him in this state. This energetic man is now reduced to a man who want to do things but can't do them anymore. Sometimes it is heartbreaking for me as I watched him last Tuesday doing his physiotherapy. It took so much energy from him. Difficult to see him struggle. On the way back to the car I suddenly bursted out in tears.
This Wednesday we will have a talk with a woman who might help us with the practical things which need to be organized in the future. Hopefully it will work out they way we hope it will go.
Tomorrow it is Sunday..Time to relax a little...

P.S. Usually when I am in the Tube I take pictures from the fabrics of the seatings. Have a good collection already..But on my way to somewhere I took this shot of incorparated signs for the elderly, persons with little children or pregnant women. Such a good idea and it looks really good I think...

Reacties

  1. Bedankt Jan, voor weer een geweldig verslag van je 2daagse trip. Wat geniet je dan zeg en wat kun je je observaties en ervaringen goed op schrift zetten. Als ik het lees is het haast alsof ik er bij ben en met je mee was op deze trip. Dank voor het delen, want je verhalen geven mij altijd energie!

    Zo verdrietig en fustrerend dat Bram zo achteruit gaat. Zo intens verdrietig en zwaar voor jullie beiden. Ik hoop heel erg dat de hulp enige verlichting kan geven voor jullie beiden en dat er een stabiele fase komt die 'lucht' geeft voor jullie beide.

    Succes morgen met weer een nieuwe werkdag en lekker nagenieten van alles wat je tijdens je trip hebt beleefd!

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  2. Dag lieve Jan, wat een fijn verslag weer. Wij gaan volgende week naar Hockney. We hadden er zoveel zin in toen we boekten, maar ondertussen is schoonmama met gebroken been in een verpleeghuis beland en dan voelt het toch heel anders om weg te gaan. Die gevoelens kan ik nu nog beter begrijpen. We vinden het al moeilijk om haar zo achteruit te zien gaan dus, wat moet het niet zijn om degene om wie je het meeste geeft die weg te zien gaan. We blijven duimen voor en hopen op betere tijden. Voor jullie (en voor ons).

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  3. Jeannette(breit op ravelry)6 maart 2012 om 11:49

    Heerlijk verslag Jan, dank je wel (ik was op deze manier, nu gezeten in een zonnetje, ook weer even in London...)
    En herkenbare privé-gebeurtenissen; ook voor jullie heel veel sterkte en alle goeds.

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