The Singer and I are off to London for the weekend. She turned 18 last month and this is her birthday treat. I had one at the same age and I still remember it. We are staying at The Savoy (thank you for club deals…..) going to dinner on Friday evening. On Saturday she, like I did, will go to Stephen Glass for a make up lesson and then we join my stepmother for lunch before going on to Les Senteurs for her to choose a perfume, a present from my stepmother. Dirty Dancing (the musical not us) on Saturday evening and then on Sunday afternoon tea at Browns before we head home.
A weekend that I hope will make as much a mark on her memory as my same weekend did on mine. My perfume was Mitsouko and I still wear it.
However, you will notice that there are no great plans for shopping. Well not for me anyway. The Singer has birthday money and has her eye on a snuggly cardigan and a good pair of boots. But other than window shopping and people watching I just want to soak up the Christmas atmosphere and marvel at the conspicuous consumption that I no longer feel any desire to partake in.
I wondered if the Singer would feel differently but as we have talked about what she would like to do she has concentrated most on dinner, the theatre and the astonishing roof top bar at ME that I suggested we went to for pre-theatre supper and drinks. To be fair, she hasn’t waxed lyrical about the possibility of taking in the V&A or the British Museum – but heck she is 18 and it’s her birthday weekend not mine!
one pair of shoes at a time 
I agree. I don’t want to indulge in that mad Christmas shopping. No reason as our family is all overseas. On another point, your reference to London calling … love it. What a great place to immerse yourself in during the Christmas period.
My writing partner and I used the song title in a futuristic peek at the city. Long Doom Calling. I talk about it on my blog today. Hope your day went well with the Singer. 😉
A classy take on what my daughters also seem to want!
My eldest took her middle sister to London for her 18th, too, flying Easyjet and staying in a crummy youth hostel. They still enjoyed themselves! Now my youngest has turned 18 and her big sister has, again, offered to take her little sister to London for a weekend soon… 😉 This time staying in a more salubrious place as the elder girl approaches 30!!
As the birthday girl has never been, things seem to be concentrated on Mme Tussaud (!) and a musical, but hey, as you say, it’s their day not ours!! LOL
This is wonderful. I love the fact that you are creating a memorable experience. For the life of me I can’t remember what I got or what I did for my eighteenth birthday. This sounds like something she will never forget.
Have a wonderful time 🙂
What a wonderful way to celebrate this milestone!! What a time for you both to treasure. I do hope it was wonderful all around (and I realize it was some time ago now, but, well, I got behind in my reading) And I would love to see Dirty Dancing live. How was it?!
It was brilliant and DD is fantastic. Didn’t think it would be my thing, but we have booked tickets for when the show comes up to Durham!