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The Tunbridge to Tonbridge Treck

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It was time to pick up T from a boarding school near Tonbridge, where according to him, he had been locked away for a week on a choir camp i.e. there were rules! As we were at a loose end on that day, we decided to make a day trip of it by travelling to Tonbridge via the similarly named but supposedly more up market Tumbridge! I am sure this has caused confusion to many before me. Before setting off early, I was surprised to learn that Tumbridge was a mere 30miles from London (basically in Kent) - perfect! Apparently a popular day trip for people wanting a break from frantic city living. As we arrived, I did the usual attempt to find free parking slightly further out from the town. Unfortunately, this was a no go with double yellows galore - obviously a trick tried by many before.  Decision enforced, in we drove into the standard multi storey town car park. To our surprise the car park only charged £4 for 4 hours - bargain! More than enough time to wonder around and get some lunch....
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Marylebone Music Madness

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It was another crazy Friday. The previous night T came home furious that at his piano accompaniment session for his Oboe exam, he was “rushed by the teacher” and that he may or may not have have dropped it. He complained that after this incident that may or may not have happened, when playing a certain key group, the sound was not coming out correctly.  Panic set in on whether this was possible in one day. T just expected that it would be sorted before the ABRSM exam - typical child! The next morning, without even phoning first, off I set on my trusty bike to Marylebone and the musical hire institution that is Howarth’s of London. After a pleasant ride through Hyde Park, my destination appeared: a posh street full of up-market independent shops. I chained up, took a deep breath and hoped that Howarth’s could work their magic. As I walked in, I explained the issue as best I could according to T’s brief version the night before. The gentleman behind the counter confidently ac...
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Newsies Jnr and the Richmond Ramble

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It was the morning of the show and a hectic one at that. T had to get to Torandot, A had to get to Roehampton and F had to revise. I was allocated with the task of getting A to her rehearsal on time. I was not looking forward to driving through the typically chocca block Wandsworth Town on a Saturday morning. After heavy traffic on route and what seemed like a ridiculously large number of road works and temporary lights, we somehow made the drop at 09:30 on the dot.  The location was a school in the edge of one of the biggest post war council estates in London - the Alton estate (built in the 50s). After some initial struggle finding the entrance, the Stagecoach signs came into to view and off A went with a skip and a jump holding hands with one of her friends as she went in. With a sign of relief at not having stuffed up the drop, I had some time on my hands before the show.  As we had been here many times before, I knew what I wanted to do - a ramble into Richmond via t...
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Location: London, UK
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