
I got excited about my trip right about here. We were on a connecting flight between Frankfurt and Heathrow airports.

After booking into the delighfully contemporary my hotel chelsea, I took to the streets. This pic was taken one block from the hotel, on the way to the South Kensington tube station.

First stop Picadilly Circus. I couldn't understand why there were no birds (maybe the freezing cold?), only to realize that this was not Trafalgar square! Anyway.

After spending 2 hours at Covent Garden (Cath Kidston, Wittard's Tea Shop, David & Goliath, The Tintin Shop, the Apple i-Store!), I focused on what I really wanted to do:
Find Loop! Which I did at No 15 Camden Passage, Islington (near the Angel tube station).

I could easily have spent the next 2 days here. So much to see and feel...

The super-friendly staff didn't mind that I took photographs of everything.

They even stock "Be Sweet" yarns (fancy and mohair) from South Africa. And what is a yarn shop without a "Wave" blanket.
Then I found this treasure in knitted lace patchwork.

I had just enough time to rush back to Chelsea and The Conran Shop.

And to snap the finish on this sofa in B&B Italia's shop, which was closed by then.
There was barely enough time left to have a lovely dinner at Gaucho's, Sloane Street, with my husband and a colleague, who'd spent the whole day working in Manchester. So glad it wasn't me!