Friday 4th April: Queensway Area Lunch. The Mousetrap and Dinner

Today we've decided to take it easy.  Evie wanted to visit several friends, all way in the south of the city, but she felt as though she might be coming down with a cold an with regret had to cancel those plans.  After resting, we did take a bus over to Queensway, near our first hotel in order to take care of some business there but, yet again, not much help was a given!  We stopped in a pharmacy for some medicinal supplies; mailed postcards and then we rested at a little cafe called the Art Cafe, which we had overlooked during our first week in the area and had a nice lunch.  I had what would be called a chicken fried steak sandwich at home which went by another name here, chicken "escalope"!


We returned to the hotel for awhile, and when Evie felt better, we decided we'd venture out to see if we could attend "The Mousetrap", the Agatha Christie short story adapted to the theater over 60 years ago and STILL playing, so it's kind of a "must see" type of experience.

Paddington Station tube platform,
on the Circle Line andone of the
few at ground level.

Paddington Bear!

One of the newer tube trains; no doors between cars.

We took the tube from Paddington directly to Leicester Square; after a short walk we found the theater and were able to buy two tickets for the evening performance just moments before curtain time!  The play was a typical parlour mystery with one very good set, the living room of a run-down mansion being turned into a bed and breakfast by a young couple in about 1951. Rationing was still in effect and the economy was only beginning to recover after the War.  It was well acted with the required murder after a brief power failure, and the vetting of suspects.  Of course it has a surprise ending and no, it wasn't the butler since there was no butler but at the curtain call, the audience was sworn to secrecy as to the outcomel

When we got out of the theater it was already 10 PM and we were both pretty hungry.  The crowds in the area were amazing, swarming in the streets and hanging out OUTSIDE some of the pubs and clubs, drinks and ciggies in hand though being a quiet brisk outside; it didn't seem to affect anyone.

The Pubs were incredibly crowded and the one we did try had already stopped serving food, so we wandered a bit and eventually discovered a neat little cafe called "The Stock Pot" that didn't look too crowded, so we stepped in and had a seat.  They had a great menu with very reasonable prices: I selected a sirloin steak and Evie chose chicken escalope; breaded and fried and covered with a lush tomato sauce.  My steak was thin, but very tasty, and both dishes had roast potatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots, all done very nicely.  It was one of the best meals of the trip!

Great Meal after the Mousetrap!

The Stock Pot just a few blocks off Leicester Square

We walked back to Trafalgar Square and took the trusty 23 bus right back to the front door of the hotel! Can't beat that service!