London

We spent the weekend in London, however the only evidence we were there is this photo of Scarlett and Florence looking deranged aboard a double decker bus. That's what travelling by bus in London does to you - sends you potty with frustration as you sit in traffic watching lights turn from green to red and back again without  moving an inch.
We began the weekend in Peckham Rye with the top and international Ed and Cass, she - NZ quilt maker and interior decorator extraordinaire, he - muso, brainy, advertising god. No pics due to excessive eating of tremendous sausage and lentil casserole, washed down with a lot of very nice Pinot, followed by a huge cheeseboard. Lots of talking, late into the night. On Saturday after pancakes and tea, we rolled our lardy bods onto the 345, which took us from Peckham through south London and over the bridge to South Kensington - our destination, the V&A for the Hollywood Costume exhibition that opened that morning. We arrived at 11am, keen to see Dorothy's red shoes, Catwoman's PVC catsuit, Audrey Hepburn's gowns and more. However, due to high demand, the next available entry time was 4pm! We tried to make the best of it by first visiting the shop, and then finding another permanent fashion exhibit where the girls marvelled at dresses from the 1930s, 40s and 50s. Time for lunch, but as South Ken would never be at the list of  my top dining spots in London, we grabbed some rolls and got back on the bus to Peckham.
Back in the car then and on to Crystal Palace to see old Hastings neighbours Janice and Roger in their new abode. Quite different from the Victorian 4 storey townhouse they enjoyed here, they have moved to a much smaller, 1960s 3-storey townhouse in need of total renovation. It had tonnes of potential and with a huge garden, leafy surrounds, views to the north downs and a walk to very cools cafes, bars and shops, we totally got why they made the move. They will both have a lot more work opportunities there, Mathilde has a choice of brilliant schools when she starts secondary school next year and they feel much more as if they have found their tribe.

We dined on spectacular Moroccan chicken, with their friends Jools and Vlas,  and drank lots of fizz, while the girls played happily upstairs and watched X Factor. Yesterday we had brunch at fantastic Crystal Palace cafe Joanna's before heading back to Hastings in the drizzle, to light the fire and curl up in front of Downton Abbey. Autumn has us firmly in its grip, and it's rather nice.