Hi, Dianne!

A wee shout-out, there, to a reader I didn’t even know I had. Thanks for stopping by, Dianne, and for your kind comments. Many apologies for the infrequent updates, I’ll try to do better.

So, I’ve had my life of leisure interrupted in the most delightful way. Many of you are acquainted with the famous Poundsters, whose wedding I attended earlier this year. They have embarked upon their world tour and have spent the past few days in London.

You can read about the Poundster World Tour here. Their website address is www.poundster.com. If you have a moment, please stop by poundster dot com. For those of you who know Andrew, you may be aware that he would REALLY LIKE FOR YOU TO VISIT HIS BLOG. And comment. And click on an ad or two, if you fancy it. No pressure, no pressure, but please consider poundster for your web surfing needs.

(And while you’re at it, Veggie Friendly is a helluva read).

We have had ourselves quite a time. Kate and Andy arrived on Monday and after depositing their (very well-packed and minimal) luggage at the Pickle, we proceeded directly to hardcore touristy action. We whirlwinded through the essential sights of central London and proceeded directly to Westminster to visit the Cabinet War Rooms, where the underground offices and meeting rooms that Churchill, the Cabinet and various military commanders used during the war have been preserved just as they were left when the fighting ceased. It was excellent - if you haven’t had an opportunity to go there, I recommend that you do so immediately. There is also a Churchill museum, which was densely packed with fascinating artefacts and interactive exhibits. The particular highlight, for me, was the section devoted to Churchill’s lifestyle choices: red velvet jumpsuits, the importance of pairing good port with good stilton, the cigars. I enjoyed it immensely and will definitely return.

After the War Rooms we toddled along to the Houses of Parliament and by joining exactly the right queue at exactly the right fortuitous moment, we found ourselves in the public galleries of the Commons and Lords with surprising ease. I haven’t been in a parliamentary debating chamber for a while, you know, and it was very pleasing to gaze at the ornate decorations of the Houses and wallow in nostalgia while listening to the speeches. Good times.

Of course, given that visitors from Australia are in town, England has turned on its most stereotypically dreadful weather – it has been cold and wet the whole week thus far. Undaunted, however, yesterday we took a trip out to the countryside to visit the exceptional Mr Mackerras. He lives in a beautiful wee village that was perfectly olde worlde storybook England – hedgerows and meadows, crooked cottages and charming pubs. As well as being spectacularly good company and an excellent tour guide, Mr M also demonstrated his culinary skills by turning out a wonderful three-course meal for our enjoyment. I would be grateful if you would all send me your very best recipes immediately so that I can begin training in the hope that one day I may be able to invite him to the Pickle to return the favour.

On the subject of food, and given that our Kate is a vegetarian food reviewer of some renown, it has been imperative that she be given an opportunity to consider the best (and worst) London has to offer during their stay. Our first pub lunch on Monday was a vegetarian disaster: Kate’s lunch effectively consisted of a baked potato with a can of baked beans upended on top. To make up for this (and because I can’t let New York win), we ate at Manna on Monday night, which was remarkable, and will be visiting Carnevale this evening. You’ll read about both at Veggie Friendly soon. I’m crossing my fingers that London rates well.

It has been utterly wonderful to have the Poundsters here – the three days have flown by and my whole body is sore from all the laughing. The brilliant thing about spending time with good friends is that it feels so natural – the months spent apart dissolve away in an instant. I’ve had to take a moment, a couple of times, to shake my head in wonder at the fact that they’re actually here in LONDON, and we’re not in their flat at Bondi or hanging out in Canberra or Melbourne. It reminds me how much I miss you all.

Bon voyage, you lovely Poundsters. Thank you for coming to stay. I hope your onward journey is packed full of adventure and excitement and I will look forward to reading about it on poundster.com.

Given that I began this post with a shout-out, I'd like to finish with one, too: my most grateful thanks to Rip van Winkle, winner of the Housemate of the Year award for vacating the Pickle over the last few days so that the Poundsters could stay in his room. That was above and beyond, my friend, thank you.

(Hey, Andy, do you think there were enough plugs for your website in there? Let me know, I might be able to find a few more... :)