Portobello Belle

I went on my nightly midnight stroll around Paddington station with the dogs to farewell the Cornish Riviera sleeper to Penzance last night.  It was being headed by 57604, repainted in Great Western Railways Brunswick Green. These old girls originate from the 1960s although they were rebuilt and re-powered about 13 years ago.

Riveting stuff eh?


Today we decided we would walk to Portobello Road and check out the shops.

It was a slow walk as it was yet another hot sunny day...please let it continue to at least mid September.  We knew Sam would get hot so Elaine brought along a wet t-shirt for him to wear when it all got too much for him!
(Thanks Diane that T-shirt has come in very handy! El x)

First stop was a pet friendly cafe and pet boutique in Notting Hill.

It even sold doggy beer!

It was a pretty trendy little cafe ...

They also sold dog and cat treats and apparel, plus had a doggie creche and groomer/walker.

Quite a few well-heeled locals popped in with their little darlings ... unfortunately Sammie let us down and wanted to shag them all!  Our two dogs looked so rough compared to the pampered pooches that came in ... especially Sam with his wet-and-now grimy T-shirt on!

The owner was an interesting chap as well, that's him hanging out of the door ... Andre (he was just like a character straight out of a movie!)

Some very exy shops in Notting Hill ...

Always liked The Clash - London Calling etc ...

So there we were on the great Portobello Road ... what an amazingly diverse range of shops and cafes/pubs etc.

London just gets better and better.

Vintage shop with cafe on top ...

Reggae cafe - great looking characters sitting in there ...

Clothes shop with hundreds of sewing machines on the wall ...

Colourful shop ...

 

It was a visual feast !

Our shopping today consisted of two little fob watches (they were 2 for a tenner), a top for Elaine (yes, she was groped by another Indian chappie - think she is getting used to it now!), a bamboo steamer basket and a mortar and pestle that apparently we needed!  Oh - and we had the best Felafel wrap we have ever tasted along the way!

The pub looked good but, for once, we didn't go in for a sample!

The name of the pub pretty well sums up today!

How much is that (real) cat in the window ?

Fast asleep in the sunny window!

We got a bus back to base as once again the dogs wilted in the heat ... oh how much I enjoy that 'heat' word!

Had a look to see if Kate had arrived yet....no being the answer but there were a few reporters around doing their 'warm ups'!

As I was writing this the fuel boat came past but, alas, he had no fuel 'til tomorrow!  I did, however, buy a large gas bottle but when I went to fit it I realised it has a higher lifting handle and won't fit in the gas locker!  So I rang him up and he said he will swap it tomorrow when he comes past with diesel. You see some of the big problems we have as a boater ... it ain't all beer and skittles I tell ya. :-)

The Diesel man cometh !