Thursday 7th

Had a great day last Thursday in London meeting up with Sue & Charlotte (& Paul eventually), neighbours from home. I'm really glad I've been going more to London since summer, but wish I'd done it from the start of the year!

I met Sue and then Charlotte outside Topshop at Oxford Circus, which I realised I'd never actually been to! Sue went to a shop I can't remember the name of and Charlotte & I spent half an hour wandering through the 3 floors of Topshop. It is seriously huge and amazing; if only I had lots of money to spare (I have decided I'll get myself something there for my birthday though). Charlotte ended up getting a really nice skirt after we met Sue again, and even got a student discount with my international student card. I may have encouraged the purchase and mentioned that I would be borrowing it when I get home. Also, I'm glad I wore my heeled boots today, since Charlotte would definitely now be taller than me without them. Unfair.

We wandered a bit along Oxford St/Circus until we got to Rathbone St and a little cafe/lunch place that had been recommended to them for coffee. I had butternut & coconut soup and a delicious rich, deep (I can't think of the right word but it was damn good!) hot chocolate, then we shared a piece of what we thought was sponge cake but was actually kinda boring non-sponge.

We found a nearby tube station and went to Liverpool St for Spitalfields Market. I'd gone there (well, the 'old' market) back in June or so and hadn't found it particularly interesting - basically just stalls of unknown designers, most of which didn't interest me. But I discovered today there was a whole part I hadn't been to, and even the part I had been to was totally different today! Within a couple of stalls I got orange shaggy denim high-waisted shorts - £7 as the zip is totally busted, but they're still fantastic - and these 70s-inspired sunglass frames with 6 different-coloured lenses for £20. So good! Charlotte found a dress for her friend, Sue got a scarf & they also found a bamboo t-shirt of the 'up-and-coming band' Sex Pandas Against The Masheen (their producer/stall keeper told us to look them up on facebook) for Tim. Overall, we all loved it, even though a lot of the stalls were just full of junk. There was an old camera stall as well that Charlotte & I hung around for a while, wishing film & development weren't so expensive.

We took the train to meet Paul & Charlotte's friend Claire at Marble Arch, then got back on the train and had a very brief goodbye as they went on to Abbey Rd and I headed back to Marylebone to catch the train back to High Wycombe to work.