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That was a mighty plate of meat!
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...7d9c77300.jpeg https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...b9f884e28.jpeg https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...aa4550f8d.jpeg https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...c2f28ace9.jpeg And it is all gone! Fabulous flavours, tender, juicy, great smoke and char, thoroughly enjoyable and all completely devoured! The sauces were there to enhance the meat, not to provide all the flavour and they did this well, none were overpowering. For me the Carolina mustard worked well with the pork and a mix of the cherry bbq and jalapeño for everything else. Didn’t find myself reaching for the bourbon and bbq sauce again after the first trial. I’m sure it will come as no surprise to hear that the slaw and pickles remained untouched. The one slight flat note was the potatoes. I’d seen in reviews online that they had been luke warm and I found them the same, would have preferred them to be warmer but then again I didn’t come here for potatoes :) It is closing in on 4pm so I think I will linger over another of these very pleasant beers before I waddle back to the hotel like an overfed hippo and get the packing done before chilling out in the lounge and then an early night. Expect a ‘where’s the starch’ update in a couple of hours, even if the thought of food horrifies me right now :D |
No Starch! :D one day I may work out the logic behind the lounge menu planning although honestly I’m not sure there is any. Not an issue for me this evening, having spent the last two hours in a meat coma the last thing on my mind is more food.
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...ef4821465.jpeg https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...7005a4ab4.jpeg February dental checkup trip booked as a simple BA holiday and that takes my total bookings and flights for this current status year to a little over 5,000 BA tier points. The coveted Gold Guest List status will be mine, eventually :) I’m going to loiter in the lounge for a while and enjoy an Ursus beer or two and then an early retire for the night. Next up: Otopani airport at silly o’clock tomorrow morning. |
And we’re off on these last 2 of 16 legs to complete this extended trip report. Driver was on time, traffic was light, and the airport security was straight through, the quietest I have ever seen it. There were some keen prices in duty free so I added this to the ever growing collection.
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...8e593c2a5.jpeg A three litre bottle of Jack Daniels caught my eye at 66 euro but I rarely drink it and it was going to be a nuisance to lug around so I resisted temptation. I can see G-EUUH across the airport so it looks like we have a bus gate this morning, let the locker battles commence :D https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...c55fd8b72.jpeg Looks like it’ll be my first time on this one according to my ba97 diary. This part of the trip also fell foul of the BA cancellations and so I have quite a long transit in T5, nearly six hours. I feel a trip to the Spa stand near the first class lounge may be in order later. With half an hour to kill before heading off to the gate it is time to enjoy a coffee or two and watch the world go by. |
Gate was called very early, fourty minutes before departure. The gate was an absolute shambles with no attempt to call by group so a total free for all. I was pretty much last man on the bus so reasonably early onto the plane behind all the short distance sprinters :D
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...92799c82f.jpeg Seat 1D this morning avoiding the worst of the boarding battering. I can hear the ovens running, definitely ready for some breakfast and a decent coffee! Boarding complete at 07:25 so fully 15 minutes before scheduled departure. I’ll be very happy when the door is closed, there’s an incredibly cold wind blowing into the cabin! Next stop, Heathrow T3 |
Originally Posted by JapesUK
(Post 35735148)
Landed 23:40 and it’s a remote stand so waiting for the sardines to be packed onto the bus. An absolutely amazing, engaging, amusing crew this evening and much chatter and laughter.
I’d ordered the Hindu special which was the same as before and went well with a glass of shiraz. https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...adcd6db47.jpeg The standard menu was also really good and I would happily have had any one of the dishes from it https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...ad4a1ed4d.jpeg https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...03078c057.jpeg Towards the end I started talking to the couple in 1D and 1F and we had a lovely 30 minute chinwag! It turned out that they are fellow flyer talk members and were happy to be pictured here, so please say hi to gingerlucy and her partner. https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...d43299442.jpeg |
That was one of my favourite, if not my absolute favourite trips. I commented in the BA forum that the in flight lead had done a very gracious gold member welcome for myself and the gent in 1A whist we waited for the second bus load, and said gent responded in the thread thread a short time later to say Hi :) I’ve had the pleasure of chatting away a large proportion of the trip with Radiation Station whom I will see again later as we are on the same flight to Newcastle in exactly the same seats as we occupied to Heathrow.
When we first started chatting I said I’d wondered if he was neilyork as I’d seen on ba97 that he was also on the flight. No sooner had I said it than the gent immediately behind me in 2D identified himself! I don’t see flyertalk members from one week to the next and two on the same flight is amazing, great to meet you both! The crew were amazing, Sabine and Alison kept us well fed and watered and were engaging and chatty and I have already submitted a golden ticket for them. For those that don’t already know, Golden tickets are the method by which gold members of the BA exec club can recognise exceptional staff and service. Special meal was the Kosher breakfast again which was as good as always and accompanied by the standard breakfast drinks trio. The champagne on todays flight was the 2007 vintage rather than the usual NV and I can see why people prefer this, it is very palatable and the ladies did their best to keep our glasses filled for the duration of the flight! https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...b082b7cbc.jpeg https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...cd0a6f582.jpeg https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...9fca6d6ed.jpeg The one downside of the kosher meal is that it is delivered still sealed and generates an impressive amount of litter! https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...6dafed8df.jpeg |
We arrived in Heathrow pretty much on time, transit and security were relatively painless, only a short wait for the bus and for security screening. I wasn’t on top form, forgot to take the liquids out of my bag so was held up a tiny bit for secondary screening, I blame the champagne :)
A short stroll into the first class lounge where I’ve been updating this whilst enjoying a champagne and coffee. Now I am all up to date and with around three and a half hours to spare before the Newcastle departure I think I’ll drop my bags at the lounge luggage store and take a stroll down to the Spa area in departures, I feel a manicure in my immediate future :D. |
Claws all trimmed and tidied I’ve arrived back at the lounge at noon and the staff are currently switching from breakfast to lunch
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...47a77781b.jpeg https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...a32795290.jpeg before and after It will come as no surprise that the lunch layout is the standard pie/fishcake/curry/pasta menu https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...b7f713018.jpeg |
Wandered around the terminal to see what other food options there might be and took a look at Gordon Ramsey. A quick glance at the menu prices made the lounge food feel suddenly far more appealing :D
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...76f76dc0e.jpeg Next stop was duty free to see what they were promoting this week and it’s the top end Courvoisier. Unfortunately no tasting of the premium offerings :( https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...831458602.jpeg Back to the lounge with the idea of cognac in my head, only to find there is none on the free pour section or behind the bar. A little stroll to the galleries lounge on the floor above had the same result, nothing! The galleries lounge itself is huge and is the business class and BA silver lounge. There are three of these in T5. Food and drink offering is very similar to the first lounge. Champagne is not available to free pour but is available on request. https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...3ccc1d8a2.jpeg https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...87a2cebd3.jpeg https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...1a42b8031.jpeg https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...5879d99dc.jpeg https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...7e10ce178.jpeg https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...87cf5b9d2.jpeg Back down to the first lounge and a final roll of the dice, a table order in the hope there’s some XO hiding back of house but, alas, it was not to be. |
Plan B, a little cheese and port to keep the wolf from the door until we board. Time has passed pretty quickly and it is now maybe 50 minutes to boarding.
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...f042eff23.jpeg |
Down to the gates nice and early, the plane is already here and at the moment it is looking good for an on time departure. Next stop: Newcastle
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...54d4024dc.jpeg |
And FINISHED!
A surprisingly efficient crew had everyone fed within 15 minutes and were running top ups thereafter. I went for the Muslim special afternoon tea which was nothing particularly exciting this afternoon and a couple of little cans of Heineken to keep it company. https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...59d10ba3c.jpeg In an Uber now and heading for home, not that I will get to see much of it, the next fortnight looks like this:- Tomorrow - trains to Birmingham Tuesday - meeting in Birmingham and then trains to Godalming Wed/Thurs - meetings Friday - Trains to Newcastle Saturday - fly to Gdansk Sunday - fly back to Newcastle Monday - trains to Godalming Tues/Wed - meetings Thursday - trains to Newcastle Friday - fly to Wroclaw Sunday - fly to Newcastle Ouch! I hope you enjoyed the report as much as I enjoyed doing it and I welcome any and all feedback. Until later. |
Thanks for the peek into pleb lounge. I think it will do when the time comes :)
Not sure how you are flying back from Poland Sunday, wonder if our paths might cross, however it's unlikely. I'll be popping into London, but on the Gatwick service out of AMS, not Heathrow. Ride back is from Heathrow, but you are in Wroclaw (lovely city, I think I did recommend the Radisson there, didn't I?) that day. |
Welcome home JapesUK , nice work documenting it all as I know it takes a lot of time.
For me, I arrived into OTP at 0030 on Thursday, to a mess at passport control due to 6 flights landing around the same time. Fortunately I got to the HGI around 0100. Alarm set for 0800 and in an UBER by 0830. Spent most of the day in town bouncing between meetings and calls. Lovely day and walked around in only shirt and blazer much to the surprise of nearly everyone. Back in the hotel by 1600, one call and had a lunch/dinner burger and then in bed by 1900 due to the 0330 alarm. Two similarities I noticed, BA were on the remote stand again and fortunately security as only back to the gates so I was through in 20 mins and into the lounge. Back in NCL by 1000. After all that, I’ve spent 2 days recovering and catching up on your report. If you are travelling on the trains tomorrow be aware of the landslide between Newcastle and Darlington. It appears most is back on track (so to speak) now. LNER for me at 0800. |
Originally Posted by Fabo.sk
(Post 35739077)
Thanks for the peek into pleb lounge. I think it will do when the time comes :)
Not sure how you are flying back from Poland Sunday, wonder if our paths might cross, however it's unlikely. I'll be popping into London, but on the Gatwick service out of AMS, not Heathrow. Ride back is from Heathrow, but you are in Wroclaw (lovely city, I think I did recommend the Radisson there, didn't I?) that day. Next Sunday back from Gdansk I’m into AMS at 20:20 and out at 22:40 |
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