Angela’s 60th

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Although it was a few weeks ago, some of ‘the old team’ met up in London today to celebrate Angela’s Birthday.

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We all planned to meet at the Thistle Hotel, Lancaster Gate for a few drinks before heading off for Halepi’s, the Greek restaurant opposite. We used to frequent this restaurant quite often when we were working on the BA project together, way back in 1999.

I set off from home just after 11.30, caught the 12-noon train and arrived at St Pancras on time at just before 1pm. It was a warmer day in London and that was very welcome after all the recent snow. In fact, the journey down to Marylebone Road was very pleasant indeed – it could have been a Summer’s day (an English one though!)

Angela and I agreed to meet-up at 3pm, have a few drinks and then wait for everyone else to arrive. I grabbed a taxi from St Pancras at around 1.30 and headed for the hotel – only to learn that it had closed down in 2006 and was now a building site! (but destined to become luxury apartments). Time for a quick rethink and I headed instead to the sister hotel just round the corner Thistle Hotel Hyde Park and waited for Angela.

(It’s just coming up to 3pm – Ann will be having her second official ‘one-to-one’ with her bossabout now. This is when she’ll be officially told that she’s being made redundant. The three-month countdown clock therefore starts from today…)

As soon as Angela arrived, we sampled the Bar! We chatted for ages and before we knew it, it was 5 o’clock. We had a quick walk back along Marylebone Road up to Queensway tube and then back again. Not long after, Philip arrived followed by Rick who called to say he was nearby and was heading for the Restaurant.

We headed for the restaurant ourselves, arriving there by about 6.45pm (which was slightly earlier than planned, but we were hungry!!). Antoinette and June, who had driven from work at BA, arrived not long after.

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We enjoyed a great meal and the service was spot-on even though they were packed (they were literally turning them away at the door!)

Once again, the time flew and after starters, mains and just coffee & tea it was 9pm. Rick offered to drop me at St Pancras but I narrowly missed the 9.30 train for Kettering by a whisker! I jumped on the 10pm and was indoors by 11.15pm.

It’s been a great day catching-up with everyone. Can it be almost 10 years since we all began work on the BA project and first sampled the delights of Halepi’s?

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