Sunday, April 4/2010

Could actually have watched the Malaysian Grand Prix rerun this afternoon and gone to Easter Mass this morning, but my reading of the tiny type in the telly guide proves inadequate, and, thinking there is no rerun, we opt for the race. And it's a good race, followed by brunch.

In the afternoon we take the bus up to Hampstead - not very far actually - and hop off once the shops look interesting. Happens to be opposite a lane that we follow through to the next street and round the corner to a little alcove full of shops, about half of which are open. There's a quilt shop and one with delightful miniatures for dollshouses, including a tiny cat with a paw in a goldfish bowl. And there are jewellery shops - where I fall for a delicate old silver and amethyst ring that J buys for me. It's a lovely little spot with older, if not necessarily antique, jewellery, and the old lady minding it for her friend tells us about suffragette jewellery - if a piece had gems in purple, white and green, such as amethyst, diamond and emerald or jade, then it identified a suffragette.

Then further by bus to Golders Green, where we browse through a Polish food shop - they have pickled herring but not the sort we want. And a bookstore where we find a double cd of Vera Lynn and Gracie Fields songs. The sunny weather has held.

Back by bus for our Easter dinner - trout fillets, baked potatoes and vegetables and sticky toffee pudding.