Tuesday 2.

 

To continue recounting busy weekend. Left Leicester at eight on Monday morning, motored down to London, wasn't a bad journey but took almost three hours. To Lizzie's, had cheese sandwich and a cuppa (tea, Lori), then Matt and I took tube to Bonham's Auction rooms, and started to view their Arms and Armour auction. At a quarter to two we decided it was coffee and sticky bun time so adjourned to coffee house opposite the auction room, and refreshed ourselves, whilst keeping an eye out for 4Dinners. Had decided to introduce him to anyone of importance in the Armour world, as "My friend Mr. Ford-Innes". Sounds rather distinguished I thought. Matthew had bagged us a table on the pavement outside the coffee house, and as I came out of the shop door 4Ds walked past. Not past actually, as we both recognised each other and stopped. We all had coffee, Matt took the above photo, then we went back into Bonham's and spent a happy couple of hours examining the goodies. I'd contacted 4Ds at very short notice, I'm afraid, but I always think that the best parties aren't the ones that are carefully arranged weeks beforehand, but the ones that occur spontaneously; and so it proved on this occasion. 4Ds has a pretty fair general knowledge of the subject, asked all the right questions, and very sportingly allowed me to waffle on shamelessly with the answers. A captive audience on your own subject is always good. When the view was about to end Matt went and got me a bidding form, and I left eight bids on different lots. Seven of them fairly optimistic, and the bid on the lot I really wanted a realistic one. When we left Bonham's 4Ds told us of a bar he'd spotted nearby (he seems to have an unerring instinct for spotting promising hostelries) so we strolled round to it, had the bar parlour almost to ourselves, relaxed and became better aquainted. Altogether one of the most pleasant afternoons I can remember. Matt and I then walked through to South Kensington, took a tube back to Lizzie's where she and Ann had prepared a light supper. Ann and I then drove home, arriving at ten p.m. Altogether about as hectic a weekend as I can remember (in recent years, anyway). Bit early for it but I've got some catching up to do in the sleep department, so :- Goodnight all.