TRAVEL CALEDONIAN SLEEPER HIGHLY EXCITING:
Caledonian Sleeper
trains travel over the
Forth Bridge.
ALL ABOARD...
S
Philippa Gerrard takes us along for ometimes the journey is as
good as the destination.
a fun-filled weekend in the Big Smoke Such journeys rarely
involve a plane (too much
bookended by a locomotive adventure waiting around), a car (too
many tedious motorways)
or a boat (one word:
seasickness), but travelling
by rail is another story.
As I stood on the platform at Aberdeen just
after 9pm, I was looking forward to getting
into my cabin on the Caledonian Sleeper.
I’d done this journey once before as a
teenager and remembered being gently
rocked to sleep by the shoogling carriage,
magically waking up in London ready to
begin my day.
After a couple of drinks in the Club Car, it
turned out that I’d romanticised the memory
a bit.
Our little Club Room had bunk beds, a sink,
a fold-out table and even an en suite toilet
and shower.
It was well equipped with sockets, and the
Arran Aromatics toiletries were a nice touch,
but I couldn’t get over how tiny it seemed – it
all looked much bigger when I was 14.
I tossed and turned for a while, but must
have slept soundly, as the next thing I knew,
someone was rapping gently on our door.
Breakfast was served.
Perfectly cooked eggs royal arrived
at our table in the Club Car as we sped
Warner Bros Studio Tour London is open to Muggles – aka the public. through Milton Keynes. It felt very civilised.
20 | Saturday, May 7, 2022
At the back of seven, we disembarked at
Euston.
One of the perk s of travelling by sleeper
is that those travelling for business can
make it into the office by nine, but as a
tourist who had already eaten breakfast
and whose accommodation wasn’t available
until 4pm, we weren’t sure how we’d fill these
early hours.
We decided to visit friends who live in West
London for a coffee and a shot at their shower
(we didn’t attempt the one on the train).
As a thank you, we decided to take them out
to lunch and ended up on the other side of the
city at Goose Island Brewpub in Shoreditch.
It’s very cool and very… London, if you get
what I mean.
The on-site brewery supplies a vast
selection of craft taps at the bar, and the menu
has a great selection of vegan options.
We spent the rest of the afternoon ducking
PERFECTLY COOKED EGGS
ARRIVED AT OUR TABLE IN
THE CLUB CAR AS WE SPED
THROUGH MILTON KEYNES
MAGICAL: Fellow Potter-heads, get thee to Watford to experience Gringotts.
Props used in the Harry Potter films. The picture-perfect Notting Hill.
in and out of pubs before meeting up
with another couple of friends for sushi in
Roka in Soho.
This was another very London experience.
The place was packed and is apparently
highly exclusive.
Sadly, it was wasted on me. I love sushi,
but an afternoon of drinks had me a touch
merry.
So, £600 later, we stumbled out full of fish
and sake.
It was a relief then to wake up in relaxing
surroundings the following morning, on
the top floor of 44 Curzon Street – one of
Mayfair’s most famous addresses.
Our apartment had a decent-sized lounge,
a small but sleek kitchen and a large bedroom
with an en suite.
The decor was a little dated, but I felt the
chintzy lamps and drapes were in keeping
with the high ceilings and traditional feel of
the building.
Looking down on the street below and
seeing chauffeurs parked up in black
Mercedes made us feel like little country
bumpkins.
Fresh croissants on the counter and milk
in the fridge were very welcome, because, as
is always the way when you visit London for
a long weekend, we had a busy day ahead.
Green Park Tube station was less than
10 minutes’ walk away, and from there we
made our way north to Watford.
Apart from Hogwarts and maybe
The plush flat at 44 Curzon Street.
Six by Nico did a scrumptious ragu.
Privet Drive, Watford is the closest thing
Harry Potter has to a home. This is where
all the movies were filmed by Warner Bros,
and a studio tour called The Making of Harry
Potter is now open to the public.
We spent four hours with our mouths
hanging open in awe, wandering through
the actual sets and props used in the films.
We boarded the Hogwarts Express, walked
up Diagon Alley, visited the Slytherin common
room and marvelled at the prosthetic
wizardry involved in turning someone into
a goblin.
Afterwards, we headed back into the city
for dinner. On the agenda was a six-course
tasting menu at Six by Nico, the restaurant
chain founded by chef Nico Simeone
in Glasgow – which has recently launched
in Aberdeen.
It’s best known for its affordability – our
tasting menu was just £37, which feels like a
steal for what we got, especially in London.
The next morning we decided to explore
the colourful neighbourhood of Notting Hill.
These streets are usually crowded thanks
to Portobello Market, but as it was a Monday,
the pavements were quiet.
It’s a wonderful area to just walk around
and see all the brightly-painted houses.
Then, blink and you miss it, we were back
on the Caledonian Sleeper again that night
heading home to the Granite City.
This time, after such a busy weekend, sleep
came easily to me.
recommends…
2023 CRUISE FROM ROSYTH
8 days from
£1,099pp
OFFER CODE - APJ
Scenic Isles of Scotland Cruise
Sail from Rosyth on board Balmoral
Departs 15 June 2023
CRUISE ITINERARY: 15 Jun - depart Rosyth ⚓ 16
Jun - Kirkwall, Orkney ⚓ 17 Jun - Portree, Isle of
Skye ⚓ 18 Jun - Loch Hourn ⚓ 19 Jun - Stornoway,
Isle of Lewis ⚓ 20 Jun - Lerwick, Shetland ⚓ 21 Jun -
Spey Bay & Moray Firth ⚓ 22 Jun - arrive at Rosyth
TRAVEL
FACTS
The Caledonian Sleeper
runs Sunday to Friday from
WHAT YOU’LL LOVE
London, Edinburgh, Glasgow, • Experience the beauty of Scottish isles and
Inverness, Aberdeen and Fort waterways to the full
William. See sleeper.scot • See dramatic rock formations, rugged island
44 Curzon Street by Mansley landscapes and native wildlife
offers a range of one, • Ashore, explore seabird havens, craggy
two and three-bedroom coastlines and discover historic sites too
serviced apartments • Comfortable, stylish cabins and suites equipped
with self-catering with a Smart TV, hairdryer, tea and coffee
facilities. See bymansley. making facilities, a fridge and individually
com/44-curzon-street controlled air conditioning
• A tempting choice of cuisine every day
throughout your cruise; and a full programme of
evening entertainment, including cabaret shows,
comedy, dancing and live music
For a brochure or to book call
0330 160 7721 quoting OFFER CODE APJ
Visit www.dcttravel.co.uk
Organised by Newmarket Holidays Ltd. ABTA V7812, ATOL Protected 2325. Single
room supplements apply. Subject to availability. When making an enquiry about the
holidays shown in this advertisement we may pass your details onto our participating
tour operator partner to contact you regarding your enquiry. Prices shown are the
cheapest available cabin and are correct at time of going to print and are based on two
people sharing a twin/double cabin.