Well, I thought SHE was off to the hospital but in the underground station SHE saw it was nearly midday and remembered that the walk-in clinic closes at midday.
Change of plan, in old wicker were three pairs of shoes, a poor sad rain coat, three sweaters that norty old moth had nibbled and a small saucepan.
Being, sometimes, of a sensible nature, SHE figured out that it was best to go to the place furthest away from home and work back.
A change of platform and to go in a different direction was all that was needed to implement the new plan for the day.
Whoosh.. underground all the way to Kings Cross / St.Pancras and up into the dull light of day.
SHE was heading for Eversholt Street, which as YOU face Euston Station is on the right. But what was this.. ahhhh.
The British Library. Ooooh, such a wonderful place and somewhere SHE has been been meaning to do research for the longest of long times.
Through the doors to the information counter, two helpful men, who confirmed that all the records for The East India Company are, indeed, held there, they asked HER "did she have a Readers Ticket, no, would she like one".. Yippeeee... is water wet?
Then more excitement.. become a Friend of the Library.. oh, yes please!
Eventually SHE managed to tear away from this most thrilling of places and started the walk, a very long walk, up Eversholt Street to Mister George, shoe mender extraordinaire!
He smiled and remembered the dark green J.Renee shoes, he considers them one of his finest works!
The new repairs.. ready next friday.
Then back down this very long street, until SHE espied a greasy spoon cafe, nothing to do with ME but when YOU are tired and old energy is flagging, a greasy spoon cafe with strong tea is just what SHE wants.. it was full of Coppers from the local Nick, it must be good! It was excellent, in fact.
Back to Euston Station, across Euston Road and another long walk up to Harley Street, down Harley, right on New Cavendish, left on Marylebone High. Along to Thayer Street, into the Invisible Menders, who shook his head and said "go to Perkins, speak to the machinist and say Uncle sent you", out and along and into Perkins, the man smiled and said Uncle had telephoned him, how could he be of help?
Cost £32.50, much cheaper than replacing the coat!
Which is a beautiful full length Bill Blass rain coat with a detachable pure wool liner. And it will be ready next friday.
Onto John Lewis on Oxford Street, up to the haberdashery department, looking for wool to darn three sweaters.. no luck, the reds were no match, neither were the browns or the camel. Sigh. Norty moth.
Down to the kitchen department, a 14cm saucepan with lid please.. gulp.. SHE bought the three saucepans, small, medium, large and the medium and the jumbo stock pots from Peter Jones a very, very long time ago, in fact, probably twenty five years ago.
They, of course, no longer have the same weight in the cheaper range which the originals were, to get the same quality in the size, they want £35.00!
SHE thinks not and is prepared to do a hunt for another at not such a high price.
But all in all.. what a very, very good day. And all because of being late for the hospital, if SHE had gone there, SHE would not have 'found' the British Library, got a Reader's Ticket, become a Friend but the most exciting thing is that they confirmed ALL the East India Company records are there.
Why is this so exciting?
YOU know that HER maternal family's company was in India. The less said about the people who stole it from HER family after Partition the better.. but SHE was thrilled to see that Diageo have recently acquired a 25% holding in the company.
It was called McDowells and was started in 1826 by HER Gt. Gt. Gt. Gt (4 greats) Grandfather, Dr. Angus McDowell. He had been a surgeon with The East India Company and used his retirement money to finance his new venture in Madras.
SHE has never been able to get back further than this, where did he do his surgical training, where was his birthplace?
WE know it was not The Edinburgh School of Surgeons, for bless their hearts, they went back to the beginning of the 1700's but there is no record of an Angus McDowell having trained there.
Now SHE knows all the original documents with answers to all of HER questions, are waiting in The British Library..
Some things are meant to be.
GeeGee Parrot.
January 24th, 2014.
Change of plan, in old wicker were three pairs of shoes, a poor sad rain coat, three sweaters that norty old moth had nibbled and a small saucepan.
Being, sometimes, of a sensible nature, SHE figured out that it was best to go to the place furthest away from home and work back.
A change of platform and to go in a different direction was all that was needed to implement the new plan for the day.
Whoosh.. underground all the way to Kings Cross / St.Pancras and up into the dull light of day.
SHE was heading for Eversholt Street, which as YOU face Euston Station is on the right. But what was this.. ahhhh.
The British Library. Ooooh, such a wonderful place and somewhere SHE has been been meaning to do research for the longest of long times.
Through the doors to the information counter, two helpful men, who confirmed that all the records for The East India Company are, indeed, held there, they asked HER "did she have a Readers Ticket, no, would she like one".. Yippeeee... is water wet?
Then more excitement.. become a Friend of the Library.. oh, yes please!
Eventually SHE managed to tear away from this most thrilling of places and started the walk, a very long walk, up Eversholt Street to Mister George, shoe mender extraordinaire!
He smiled and remembered the dark green J.Renee shoes, he considers them one of his finest works!
The new repairs.. ready next friday.
Then back down this very long street, until SHE espied a greasy spoon cafe, nothing to do with ME but when YOU are tired and old energy is flagging, a greasy spoon cafe with strong tea is just what SHE wants.. it was full of Coppers from the local Nick, it must be good! It was excellent, in fact.
Back to Euston Station, across Euston Road and another long walk up to Harley Street, down Harley, right on New Cavendish, left on Marylebone High. Along to Thayer Street, into the Invisible Menders, who shook his head and said "go to Perkins, speak to the machinist and say Uncle sent you", out and along and into Perkins, the man smiled and said Uncle had telephoned him, how could he be of help?
Cost £32.50, much cheaper than replacing the coat!
Which is a beautiful full length Bill Blass rain coat with a detachable pure wool liner. And it will be ready next friday.
Onto John Lewis on Oxford Street, up to the haberdashery department, looking for wool to darn three sweaters.. no luck, the reds were no match, neither were the browns or the camel. Sigh. Norty moth.
Down to the kitchen department, a 14cm saucepan with lid please.. gulp.. SHE bought the three saucepans, small, medium, large and the medium and the jumbo stock pots from Peter Jones a very, very long time ago, in fact, probably twenty five years ago.
They, of course, no longer have the same weight in the cheaper range which the originals were, to get the same quality in the size, they want £35.00!
SHE thinks not and is prepared to do a hunt for another at not such a high price.
But all in all.. what a very, very good day. And all because of being late for the hospital, if SHE had gone there, SHE would not have 'found' the British Library, got a Reader's Ticket, become a Friend but the most exciting thing is that they confirmed ALL the East India Company records are there.
Why is this so exciting?
YOU know that HER maternal family's company was in India. The less said about the people who stole it from HER family after Partition the better.. but SHE was thrilled to see that Diageo have recently acquired a 25% holding in the company.
It was called McDowells and was started in 1826 by HER Gt. Gt. Gt. Gt (4 greats) Grandfather, Dr. Angus McDowell. He had been a surgeon with The East India Company and used his retirement money to finance his new venture in Madras.
SHE has never been able to get back further than this, where did he do his surgical training, where was his birthplace?
WE know it was not The Edinburgh School of Surgeons, for bless their hearts, they went back to the beginning of the 1700's but there is no record of an Angus McDowell having trained there.
Now SHE knows all the original documents with answers to all of HER questions, are waiting in The British Library..
Some things are meant to be.
GeeGee Parrot.
January 24th, 2014.
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