A Vintage Nerd in London: Part III

Now that you have seen Part I and Part II of my excursion to London, I get to share with you the rest of adventures I went on. And there were many. My friend and I not only explored London by foot and took a day trip to other areas of England, we also attended a few very special events. 

We experienced the Mad Hatter Afternoon Tea at the Sanderson Hotel where we dined on a variety of herbal teas, Alice in Wonderland themed treats, and sugar cubes inside a music box. Needless to say, we both felt very spoiled. We also made a huge dream come true for me when we ventured off to The Who Shop, which by the way was off the beaten path, but very much worth the effort to getting there. The staff was friendly and helpful and I was in Doctor Who heaven. I scored a bevy of things for my children and we even when into the Doctor Who Museum. As Doctor Who #9 would often say, Fantastic!

We went to two hair salons in London, one I shared already in my London Part I post and the other is called La Belle Jolie. I cannot say enough about the owner and staff of this establishment. They took such good care of us and made us feel like queens for the day. The owner, Renee is one of the kindest people we met in London. I mean everyone was so great to us but Renee pulled all the stops. I'll share why at the end of the post.

We also explored Brick Lane and Shoreditch because of all of the vintage shops. Sadly we both found the area very overwhelming and many of the shops sold items that were for smaller women. I did find a shop where you are guaranteed to meet with friendly staff called Porcelain & Red Vintage. If you visit this shop, tell them I sent you. They were just wonderful. Brick Lane and Shoreditch weren't the only areas we went shopping around. We visited the beautiful Vivian of Holloway shop where I collaborated with them in this post HERE. I can confirm that their dresses will make every woman, with every possible body type feel like a glamorous old Hollywood movie star. And early on in the week we actually accidentally ended up in Shepherds Bush and figured since we were there we might as well go to the mall. So off to the Westfield Mall we went where we feasted on Lebanese food and went into some of my favorite English shops like Cath Kidston. 

We managed to fit in a evening at Cahoots where we were in 1940's bliss. The atmosphere, drinks, and appetizers were delicious. I should tell you that it is very hidden in what looks like an outside mall, so keep a look out for an area that looks like it was set back into the 1940's. 

Two of my favorite museums that we visited were Churchill's War Rooms and The Victoria & Albert Museum. The war rooms were exquisite and it really is a special place to visit. We went first thing in the morning and that is when I recommend you go if you get to visit because then you avoid the massive crowds. Churchill was one fascinating man and it is also a very kid friendly museum which I like a lot. We visited the V & A Museum during its late hours on Friday nights and viewed the fashion exhibit they had on display. I also had a To Sir, With Love moment with all the statues so you can imagine how fun that was. 

All of these great experiences were spread out throughout the days we spent together. Our last evening together we attended the West End Theater and saw Wicked. I knew a little about the show and as I watched it it took my breath away. I won't say much about it other than I cried my eyes out at one part and Rachel Tucker was magnificence personified. Wow, what a show. 

Remember when I said Renee from La Belle Jolie was an extraordinary person? Well, she put in a call and hooked us both up to go backstage after the show to get a tour! You may not know this but it was one of my dreams to be on broadway but I knew because of finances and my challenges that I would never be able to make that one come true. I did get a taste of it when we were given a tour backstage, saw all the costumes, held the Elphaba baby doll, touched the iconic Elphaba hat, and best of all I went on stage and looked out at the audience seats. I literally balled my eyes out some more. What an emotional and magical night. All thanks to Renee, thank you again Renee!!! 

I unexpectedly learned a few things on this visit. I learned I am capable of doing great things but we get to these great things because of the love and support of others. I learned I am perfectly capable of getting around a large city other than New York on my own. I learned that my disability is definitely changing and that I cannot do as much as I want in one day that I would like to do. Now I know when traveling I have to pace myself very carefully. And I learned that it is worth dreaming big and thinking of the impossible. As long as you work hard, plan ahead, be kind to yourself, and be patient, you can achieve those dreams.

Here's to more travel stories here on A Vintage Nerd!