[Forgot to do this at the time, so relying on the itinerary and my faulty memory]
Stayed up late the night before, playing durak and finally paying to use the wireless internet access they offered (£3/30 min! but £5 for 2 hours, which is almost decent) and doing a video chat with my folks (using the Canon DV camera was great, but the 4-pin adapter on the reeled FireWire cable wasn’t very sure, and kept causing dropouts…will have to bring a proper 4-to-6 cable next time). Got up late the next morning, and in the rush managed to leave my camera battery charger behind. On the coach to London, we work up a couple of Byrd motets. Get to the hotel (Copthorne Tara Hotel), where I try to call BA to get my flight changed (the number we had before wasn’t right). Get the right number, but they tell me that they can’t change it, and that the group bookings office is closed, but that I can go to their office in Harrod’s and they can change it there. Have lunch with the twins at a nice Thai place, then hook back up with Jeffrey to check out the Museum of Instruments at the Royal College of Music, only to find out it is only open when classes are in session. Over to Harrod’s, where the BA people there tell me they can’t change it, but if I go to the airport early the next day they can change it there. Next is over to Westminster Abbey, which we don’t get to visit, but run into Brady (and suite) and realize we are just in time for the evensong service, which was nice, but the choir (All the Kings Men from Winnipeg) was a disappointment, with several people consistently singing flat. Up to Trafalagar Square, where where we people watch for a bit, then head east to Brick Lane for dinner. It has gotten a bit more polished since I last was there, with most of the places having hawkers out front offering various discounts to get diners in…we settle on Chilies, which gave us 30% off, no service charge, and first round of drinks free. Afterwards, we wander over to London Bridge, then back to the hotel, since I have to get up at a quarter to 5 so I can get my ticket situation straightened out.