Friday 19 October 2012
Highlights: Hilton Room upgrade, West End Show – ‘Yes Prime Minister’
Early start to the day getting up at 4 am for my 4.30 am transfer to the airport. The hotel opened up their dining room for a light breakfast which I thought was cool of them to do. The flight back to London was enjoyable, I watched “This Means War”. Icelandair provides good inflight entertainment options.
Border Control was interesting once again was the officers wanted to know my travel plans and obviously had concerns I wasn’t returning to Australia until February 2013. You’d think no one in England went on 4 month holidays.
On checkin at Canary Wharf Hilton I was informed I’d been upgraded from basic room to King Executive. This was based on my free Hilton Honours Gold status match I got earlier in the year from Virgin Australia. Very cool as you get free breakfast ad entry to the Executive Lounge (which has free drink and some snacks after 3 pm) plus earlier checkin.
Emma Williams then contacted my after seeing my Facebook checkin and we quickly organised a catch up. I hadn’t seen her or Gareth since the 2009 South America trip and they now had two wonderful little boys Henry and George. I loved playing with both the boys, they are starting to work how things operate. Emma and Gareth provided a English dinner – Fish n Chips and Gareth drove me to my show that night, what an awesome couple.
That night I went and watched the “Yes Prime Minister” production at Trafalgar Studios. Always loved this show growing up and this new production was hilarious. I scored a seat second row in this intimate venue, actors obviously were only 2 metres away. Great night.
Returning to the Hilton I found a welcome letter and a couple of little food gifts. If only they realised this was my first stay since joining, although I did stay last year in Sydney during the trial I testified in.