WE GOT UP for breakfast then we were off to the train station for the ride into London - L4.80 was the cheap day return. As soon as we arrived we hopped onto the underground and headed for Oxford Circus.

I couldn't believe how many people were around. What a beautiful shopping area. We went into DH Evans which was an absolutely huge department store. We'd been looking around for a while so we were hungry - fish and chips in the restaurant. I treated us all to lunch. We continued on our crusade by heading into the china section. Straightaway I saw the Wedgwood Jasper collection and there, right in the centre was the collection comemmorating the Queen's 60th birthday. I ended up buying two boxes as I've chosen to give one to Aunt Marjorie and Uncle Frank for allowing me to stay here. They love the collection so I'm sure they'll be very pleased. Just as we were on the way out, I heard a woman asking for one of the boxes - I'd bought the last two!

Now that I'd made the purchase, I decided to find something for myself. No department store had any albums so we went down a ways along Oxford Street where we found a record store. I bought Pet Shop Boys, Peter Gabriel and Bryan Ferry, coming to a total of L17 or CAD$34. Expensive, but the quality is better here, plus, the exact same album may be unavailable in Canada. I'm kind of anxious to hear them along with my other records on my good stereo in my own room at a very loud volume.

We went back to pick up a few things that Kay had asked us to get, then we got back onto the underground for Harrod's. We got onto the street where I knew right away that it was quite posh here. It must be a million times better than the Bay-Bloor area in Toronto. Harrods looks like a huge palace. On the roof is a huge dome somewhat like on St. Paul's Cathedral. On the corner of the building are the coats-of-arms of the Queen, Queen Mother, Prince Phillip, and the Prince of Wales. I was a bit more than impressed.

I'd come here as I didn't think I could miss it. On a table were two silver candelabras and a silver punch bowl. The set of three was a bargain at L15,000 or CAD$30,000!! In the food section were oranges for 50p EACH. It was nice to see the newest styles, the leathers, furs and jewellery. I've never seen such a place. I decided to buy something for Shelley so I got a pair of socks - they didn't seem marked up as high as everything else. I got a plastic bag with 'Harrod's' on it, too [in which is stored the written version of this journal]. Now Shelley has something from THE store on the whole planet. Perhaps she'll be to Macy's in New York this week, but it won't come close to this.

By now, it was 4 pm so we took the underground back to the train station. Their underground is fast and efficient but the floors are dirty, grooved boards and the stations aren't as bright and sparkling clean as in Toronto. They're a bit dreary and black. I did feel quite safe, but, I wouldn't go as close to the edge of the platform as I would in Toronto. I just don't know London enough.

When we arrived at Fenchurch Street station there was a train in the station so we boarded it and were off in a few minutes. It was a slow train but that didn't matter as I just put my head back and slept. The hour ride was over in what seemed like minutes. We came right home for tea then we prepared a nice light dinner of salad and cold meats.

Starting at 7:30 pm was a special presentation of the Queen's coronation in 1953 so we watched it - beautiful. The best thing about it was that I knew a number of places that were shown in the procession and in Westminster Abbey itself. Uncle Frank had shown me where on Oxford Street he'd stood and sat all night waiting for the procession to go past.

Kay and Stuart had to go see a house they'll soon be moving and had asked us to be at the house while they were gone so we drove over to Shoeburyness which is 16 km from here. As soon as they left we watched the end of the coronation which was just beautiful. We talked a while then Kay and Stuart returned so we talked with them for a while.

Kay is a really unique person. She reminded me of S and C in that she wouldn't do a certain thing 'just because'. For instance, Uncle Frank said she wouldn't drink his wine because it's homemade. I have no idea what that has to do with anything. Oh well. I didn't get to meet the kids as they'd been put to bed much earlier.

We left and drove home then we talked for a while and all of a sudden it was past midnight. We all went to bed and I lay in bed listening to Radio Essex in stereo which is such an amazing change from lousy AM, or MW (medium wave) as they cal it here. All of a sudden I was asleep. What a great week!