Sunday Morning First Thing,

we were out,

so glad rags on, I should say I am only making one post today, you guessed it! I took way to many photographs,

we were into a slightly a overcast day, which soon warmed up, we caught the train from Beckenham Junction, Steve and Kai joined us at Kent house, and on to Victoria, where our problems began, the District line was closed! so everyone for a day out in West London was herded onto the Piccadilly line, the problem being today there was a huge football match at Chelsea against Crystal Palace, 40,000 spectators that the TFL (Transport for London) forgot about, total chaos! the trains were so packed Diana and Kai manged to squeeze on the first train, but there was defiantly no room for Steve and myself, we manged to squeeze onto the next train, you can only imagine the problems families with prams and push chairs faced, and as for the groups going to Heathrow with their families with hand luggage and suitcases a total disaster! a triumph for public transport, not,

we eventually we all met up at Ealing Common, 

and started following the crowds, 

to the ticket office, 

and this is where we were going,

to the Magic of Thailand on the common, entrance fee £5.00 each and we were in,

lots of souvenirs on sale,

a quick look around to my right, 

straight ahead, 

and to my left, 

as you might imagine, lots of ladies clothes shops,

that's more like it the beer tent,

the girls were off, shopping for our breakfast/lunch,

dried squid anyone?

a selection of these, 

that was me sorted, burger and chips with a pint, 

the girls started unwrapping their goodies, 

Steve and Kai strike the pose,

as the food is unwrapped, 

lots of it!

I had to get my chips in!

everyone tucked in,

before taking a break,

I then decided to take a walk around, 

the stage in the distance,

looking back to the beer tent,

a panorama of the field, 

I started walking around the outside of the field where the stalls were, 

fortune telling is a big business in Thailand, 

also lots of arts and crafts were here, vegan balms here, 

 

and home made jewellery, 

these reminded me of our trip to the London Butterfly Gardens at Hall Place just last month, 

ladies clothes aplenty, 

as well as formal national costumes, 

more jewellery,

a very colourful store here, 

in fact there were colours in every shade everywhere, as it happens I was looking for a hat, by now my head was getting a tad burnt, 

but here like all of the other stalls they were too small, 

a riot of colour here, 

and here, 

I did think of buying a umbrella, but these would have made me look a bit of a tart, 

as I neared the stage where a group of Ladyboys were dancing I bumped into Diana,

Ladyboys and Thailand seem to be joined at the hip, 

if these shows are anything to go by, 

and they were certainly popular with the crowd, that grew all afternoon,

in Thailand in the bigger cities you can not fail to see one of these, a tuk-tuk, so called because of the noise they make, but I have never seen a pink one before, until now!

I left the stage behind me and carried on walking, 

I was tempted, but as we are already going to Thailand in 9 weeks or so I walked past, 

here is a bit of fun, 

a Chinese dragon show, 

here are the organisers, 

I hope it is all a bit safer than one of the dragon shows we watched in Thailand, 

this is in the car park of Friendship, a supermarket we often used when we lived in Thailand, the youngster at the top of the pole has the ball that the dragon chases, 

but as he was being lowered, tragedy struck, 

the bamboo pole broke, luckily the lad was not seriously injured, if you would like to see the whole post it is here, 

on to happier things, this is my type of stall, 

everyone a winner!

great news ahead for anyone with a sweet tooth, 

candy cables, 

and ice cold slushies, 

looking across the field really starting to fill up now,

coffee here as well,

the queues at the food stalls, 

starting to lengthen,

but still not too many, 

I loved some of the names, Crazy Wendy, reminded me of someone I once knew!

I carried on walking, 

around the perimeter, 

some of the queues getting really long, 

the stalls reaching to the corner of the field, 

this is the one where Diana bought my burger and chips,

I arrived back at the entrance/exit, 

I then came across these cute garden ornaments, the sign multi coloured, 

these a blue background, 

they all looked so happy and reminded me of the ones we would see every time we visited the plant market opposite the Bangkok Pattaya Hospital when we lived near there, 

and here they are when we visited the market in September 2017, if you would like to see more of our visits to the market have a look here, when you get to the bottom of the page just hit the 'Older Posts' button to see more, 

when I arrived back Steve was catching a few ZZZZZ's, the girls were on walkabout, 

I watched a little of the Thai boxing in the distance, 

when Diana arrived back, 

with a iced caramel coffee, Steve and Kai then went for a stroll,

and here they are coming back,

and finding me taking a few ZZZZ's, 

I was awoken by the sound of drums and cymbals, 

the dragon was going his rounds,

entertaining the crowds, 

great fun for all,

one last circle and he was off to continue the circuit, 

the girls were thirsty so Steve and myself went for some water, sold out here unfortunately, 

but some at this stall,

the aroma from the pig knuckles just so appealing, 

we made our way back water in hand, 

as we passed the beer tent was could see why they had not run out of beer!

we were then joined by some of Steve and Kai's friends, 

from the left, Linda, Noi and another Noi, we chatted the rest of the afternoon away, 

a last look at the stage, 

and a photograph of Diana, Kai and Linda, 

we walked to the entrance/exit, 

and through the gate, 

as we made our way to Ealing Common station,

we were as happy as Larry, it does not look it here but my head was so burnt, I tied to buy a hat or a umbrella, but both were not quite right, we changed tubes at Green Park, where more chaos was in place, now the Circle line was not working as well as the District line, worse still the place was packed, by even more people with pram and push chairs as well as disabled in mobility scooters, the lifts were also not working, everybody had to be manhandled on the stairs and escalators, shameful of TFL to leave its customers so badly served, 

thankfully despite TFL we made it to Victoria, 

where we had a walk from the tube station,

to Victoria train station,

Kai and Diana on the train, we said our goodbyes to Steve and Kai at Kent House, 

arriving home it was time for our evening meal, Diana had bought some sushi at Victoria, 

and nice it was too, by now it was late so Diana was off to bed as tomorrow she is on early shift, for myself a It Ain't Half Hot Mum, before I too was off to bed.