Greenwich

I had to go to a one day conference this week, which was based in Greenwich.  Central London is a fairly easy day trip from Sheffield or Chesterfield, but it would have been a bit of a push to have got to Greenwich in time for the start of the conference if I had gone down on Tuesday morning. So I went after work on Monday instead and stayed over.

And it was lovely.  The weather was glorious. The hotel I was staying in was a five minute walk from the river.  I pottered down past the Cutty Sark and had a lovely short wander along the Thames Path, and called in to Frankie and Benny's for steak and chips (very nice chips, I must say), before heading back to my room.

Cutty Sark

Sun setting over the Shard

It was a glorious day on Tuesday as well.  I enjoyed my commute to the day's "office"

Morning commute

The conference was in Queen Anne's Court at the University of Greenwich (in buildings formerly used by the Naval College).  A beautiful place for a conference

Morning tea time

Most people stayed inside for morning tea.
Why stay inside when you could come out and look at this?

Lunch time stroll

It was an interesting conference and a lovely day.

The only downer was that someone stole my dog from my backpack at London Bridge Underground station on Monday evening.  Only a toy dog, it's true - but MY toy dog. I was alerted when I heard a clatter behind me and someone ran up with my (brand new!!) water bottle and said it had fallen out of my backpack and did I realise that it was open?  I assumed that Farley was collateral damage and that the thief was after my wallet (not in the backpack - and of no use to anyone, there not being any money in it and only one credit card), or my phone (also not in the backpack but in a pocket that was difficult even for me to get into - also no money but a different credit card in the cover) or my iPad (safe in my suitcase and no resale value, it being an iPad 2).  Lindsey, however, has suggested that the thief probably was actually after Farley, who is extremely cute and obviously well made.  I shall have to keep an eye on eBay and see if he appears on there!  I have to admit that it hadn't ever crossed my mind that Farley might be stolen. Wallets and phones and things yes - and all properly secured - but not my toy dog.  I shall have to buy a new one.

Although that is proving to be more difficult than I had expected.  The shop in Canada where he came from is closed until July for a summer holiday.  And no Farleys seem to be available to buy either through Amazon or eBay (yet!) in the UK, America, Canada or Australia.  Clearly when you get a Farley, you hang onto it.  I'll have to wait patiently until July and order one then.

Farley has gone off on adventures without me

Still.  It could have been worse.  Imagine if I had had these two stolen from my backpack!!!

I wouldn't have dared come home!!!