Highlight. On high at the ‘Duck and Waffle’.

While driving yesterday we heard from Smithy’s daughters in Gloucester and that they would like a meet up at 7pm Thursday. Heather offered to give us lunch and a city tour before then as Hazel would be working. This was gratefully accepted, but we turned down her offer of a bed for the night as we knew she was putting her house on the market and expecting the agent on Friday. We checked the maps this morning and booked a night in Gloucester and a night in a random spot near Peterborough to save a return trip to London before we go to Norfolk. 

We bussed into Piccadilly after a nice Caprese salad lunch and had a wander towards a pub that John had seen advertised, ‘Ye Olde Cock’ Tavern. It originally dates back to 1549 and is well known for the pub with the narrowest frontage of any in London. We then headed for Dr Johnson’s house. which is in the middle of the Temple Courts, and made an interesting wander and gave us a cache.

We caught up with Katherine outside Liverpool St Station at the Kindertransport statue. Kindertransport saw nearly 10,000 Jewish children arrive in Britain between December 1938 and August 1939. Under pressure from various campaigning organisations, the British government passed emergency legislation allowing the admission of up to 10,000 Jewish children, provided that they would not be a burden on the state. Private organisations in Britain, particularly the Refugee Children's Movement, made arrangements for the children's travel and accommodation. Trains carried young refugees from towns and cities across Germany and the surrounding area to the Hook of Holland. From there they crossed the North Sea to Harwich and travelled to London by train, arriving at Liverpool Street Station. The majority were then distributed to hostels, boarding schools and foster families. The last train left Berlin on 31 August 1939, the very eve of war. Most of the children never saw their parents again.

The highlight for today was courtesy of Katherine. She had booked (some time ago) a meal for us at 6.30pm at the ‘Duck and Waffle’. They are named after their signature dish which is, of course, a duck leg on a waffle with maple syrup, topped with an egg. However, the main attraction is that their restaurant is on the 40th floor of tower near Kings Cross Station, so very central. They are open for long hours so are not too badly priced and people can even go up just for a drink. Their breakfast menu is on from 6am and their late night stops at 5am so their claim to be open 24 hours seems almost correct. It is obviously popular as when Katherine booked it was a choice of 6.30pm or 9pm, but she got a plum table in the corner with views in 2 directions, hence we took a lot of photos.

We went for Katherine’s suggestion of a combination of small plates to share and got the number right. Sorry Jennifer, but the combinations were unusual, but this is what we ate - Rosemary and garlic Bread, Foie Gras Crème Brulee with pork crackling and Marmalade brioche, Octopus with lentils and fennel, salmon with cucumber and lime pickle, Asparagus with burrata, garlic and pea sorbet and then duck and waffles (because you should eh?). Dessert was banoffee pie for Katherine which was in a solid chocolate ball that had hot sauce poured over by the waiter so the outer layer melted and oozed, and we shared the Torrejas which were for 2 and a sort of light cake with caramel apples and cinnamon ice-cream. We all felt full but not ‘over-full’. Then wilie I was in the bathroom a couple behind us got engaged. John and Katherine knew this because the waiters had gathered around to sing to them and pop the bubbles.

It was when we all headed for our transport that John found he had dropped his oyster card somewhere. So he got a replacement which was no real bother and not too costly as ours were close to needing a top up anyway.