Trip Day 23 - London Baby...AllyPally

We've enjoyed a few leisurely days, taking it easy as we returned the motorhome and picked up a rental car, catching up on sleep, and not venturing too far. But today, today was the day for an early start as we embarked on a journey to London, baby!

Around six months ago, Mum and I had booked tickets to the Knitting and Stitching Show at Alexandra Palace, complete with reservations for two exciting classes. We hit the road at 6:30 am, with our first class scheduled for 10 am and a journey of just over two hours ahead of us. Little did we know that London had its own timetable in mind. We found ourselves stuck on the M11 in Essex for a good hour and a half, and though we were fortunate enough to secure parking at Ally Pally, we had missed our first class by a good 40 minutes. It seemed like there were a few others who had faced delays, as the first hour at the show was delightfully uncrowded, but the crowds soon swelled, and navigating the venue became quite the challenge!

One of the highlights of the show was the kaleidoscope of colours everywhere you looked. I couldn't help but be mesmerised by a wall adorned with hand-dyed wool, a true feast for the eyes. Another stall offered fabric stamps and dye kits, a unique way to add creativity to fabrics. Mum was thrilled to discover the bead show she frequents online and eagerly explored the offerings, even having the chance to meet the owners in person.

One stall had fabric stamps, where you could buy a kit with dye to use on fabrics, the stamps themselves where really intriguing.

Mum found her bead show she purchases from online, and had a good look around and purchase, and was excited to finally meet the owners in person.

By 1:30 pm, it was time for our afternoon class, during which we learned to create a No-Sew Liberty Print Bauble. 

To be honest, Mum encountered a few challenges, and there was a moment when she humorously declared that she had "lost the will to live" while working on her bauble, as you can probably tell from her expression!

Eventually, it was time to bid farewell to the show. 

We had family to visit before heading back home to Norwich, and our journey involved a bit of traffic but nothing too unbearable. 

We made a successful stop in Brentwood to see the Talbot side of the family, where we spent a delightful hour and a half with some cousins on my Dad's side whom I hadn't seen in years. It was great to learn that they would be visiting New Zealand at Christmas for a holiday, and we're hoping they'll find their way to Wellington for a visit.

Mum and I arrived back in Norwich around 7:30 pm, just in time to heat up some dinner in the Air Fryer. I then dedicated some time playing with Sophie, who needed to burn off some energy before we all headed off to bed.