Sunday scribblings - hotel stories

I've always loved to travel, its part of my astrological make up being a typical sagitarrian. The first time I stayed in a hotel I was 16 or 17, on a college art trip to London. The hotel wasn't swanky it was a typical student hotel... cheap. The hotel was called "The Regent Palace Hotel" and I remember it sounded so regal and luxurious. A far cry from the truth! The BEST thing about it was it was situated right in the centre of piccadily circus! Just an awesome location. I remember we had to share a room, but for the life of me I can't remember the name of the girl I shared with! I think her name was Alison? (remember my previous Sunday scribbling about me being called Dory from finding Nemo? now you see why!). As I remember the rooms didn't even have private bathrooms! There were communial bathrooms on each floor. The whole thing was organised by college, we'd taken the train down, and had a full itinerary of art galleries and museums. It was my first time in London. A huge city compared to Derby where I'd grown up, and I loved it. I just loved the hustle and bustle of a big city, the galleries, the museums, the shops, the people.

When I returned home I knew I had to come again. And I did, many times with Jen. We started a tradition of going every spring for the sales. We stayed at the same hotel (did I mention it was cheap?). We did the whole tourist thing, the shops, the nightlife. We'd even seen some celebrities!

In the mid 1990's Jen went to London with Mik, and told me the sad news. The Regent palace hotel was no more! It was now an insurance company or something. I was actually quite sad to hear this. It was like that whole chapter of my life was closed. The two of us never went back to London.

In 2001 Bob and I had to go to the US embassy in London to apply for our visa's. We passed through Piccadily and I caught sight of what used to be the hotel. Same building but now it was some insurance company. Just seeing the hotel brought back lots of memories of Jen and I having our girls week each spring. The buffet breakfast; Jen and her migraines and her being violently sick on the back staircase; the IRA terrorist attacks, that seemed to thwart our plans at some point each year; seeing our first musical. I just dug out some photo's from those trips, something I really should scrapbook soon! Looking back at the photo's I think my love of nature photography started here. I realise I have more photo's from the zoo and parks than I do of the buildings! I even have the electronic room keys still. I'm sure somewhere I have brochures from places we went whilst staying in London. I'm glad I have photo's and memorabilia from this trip, its a part of my life I don't want to forget.

And here I am trying to add a photo to this but blogger is not co-operating! Grrrr blogger!