Day 218 - Brum

Birmingham New Street

A very early start saw me on the train up to London before 07:00 in order to make my connection at Euston for Birmingham: a Board Meeting at Ofwat being the cause.  Fortunately, everything went smoothly and I was on time into the New Street station. I hadn't been aware that all the work that had been going on there was complete and the new New station had just been opened to the public: indeed, from the evidence of the crash barriers and the queues, the John Lewis store was holding its first day of sales hat very morning.

I didn't have time to inspect, but as I walked through the station (after a hurried run back to the train to recoup my coat that I had left on the rack!), I spotted a new HEMA store. This I hadn't seen since we left Holland so wandered quickly in and was delighted to see some familiar things on the shelves, including a packet of Stroopwafels, which I purchased for my daughter - her favourites!

Sir David receiving entry to
the new Radio Times Hall of Fame

The meetings(s) progressed well and I was able to get the 16:50 back to London, which meant that, with a few sprints in the middle, I just caught the train at Vauxhall to get me to Hampton Court by 19:15. This meant that I was in time to meet up with Kathryn and Sally, our Club Lady Vice Captain, and husband in a marquee on Hampton Court Green.  We were visiting the inaugural Radio Times Festival (thanks, Sally!) for an evening's conversation between Kirsty Young and Sir David Attenborough.

At 89, he looked remarkably fit and they entertained us with a 2 hour chat around his life and his work, interspersed with a few well-
 chosen clips from his 60-year association with nature programmes and the BBC.  Very entertaining!