Today, Sunday 12th November, a 3.15 a.m. wake up (alarm and phone, just to make sure). Why, you ask? A 6.15 a.m. car was coming and, being Sunday, it was face-mask and weigh-in time, shower and extended exercise, breakfast and read yesterday’s Financial Times. Unusually the last did not take long. The main Life & Arts story was Cricket @ La Modi, great title and great reading for lovers of the willow bats but not for Girlahead. ‘Lunch’ guest was Michel Roux Jr, nothing profound, only food and promotion for his daughter Emily’s restaurant.
6.15 car arrived, Chris, sorry Kristof from Poland. Brilliant, he puts on Radio 3, knows the form, no chat, time for read or work, two hours of it.
Through to British Airways’ Concorde Room, better than ever. This time they’ve added help-yourself pastries to the main bar, see image. They’re right next to the Gordons Tree Bell, cast 1917 and rung to announce all movements at the Gordons Tree flying base in Khartoum. Question, who was Gordon? Answer, Gordon of Khartoum, 1833-1885, a Man of Kent who, like Flashman, was everywhere. His military exploits in China led to his honorific title China Gordon and Pasha Gordon. Dispatched to Sudan as Governor-General he held the capital during a year-long siege but just as relief forces were arriving in Khartoum he was killed. Obviously a tree, Gordon’s Tree, was named in his honour.
This lounge gets better with every visit. Note the patterned lampshade, which matches the backs of bar chairs. We like products that continually raise their bar. And so, looked after by the great team here and fortified by a couple of cappuccinos – decaf, with the British Airways’ swipe atop – Girlahead and a couple of puffas await the flight to Copenhagen.
