Julie and Brenda

Julie and Brenda are mother and daughter from Barrow in Furness - a shipbuilding town in the NW of England. 

Now that lockdown has ended, the pair have said they intend to have some fun and try different things. Julie, a registered childminder, is no stranger to new experiences. She's travelled all over and has recently just learned to swim after 51 years. Brenda, a retired factory worker, was in quarantine last year and had to cancel her holiday to Benidorm. Because of this, the pair decided to treat themselves to a trip to London. 

They certainly managed to squeeze a lot in. They went to the Ivy - 'food and service excellent but no atmosphere and no dress code.' They were in posh frocks, fascinators (a type of hat - I had to Google it), and party shoes. In contrast, everyone else was just dressed really boringly. (The pair had sensibly changed back into flat shoes to walk around London when I took the shot).

They had afternoon tea at Harrods - 'Fabulous.' It was ridiculously expensive, but Julie told the waiter it was her mam's birthday, so they got some free cake and a card. (her birthday is in November). 

They saw the comedian Bill Bailey at the Royal Albert Hall - 'Hilarious.' 

They saw a play at the Noel Coward theatre but missed the Jack the Ripper tour because they got stuck in traffic. 

The couple loved being in London. They loved the busyness, the pomp, the architecture, and the choices of places to eat. They said that the people are not much different from the folk they meet anywhere else - except 'odd-bod strangers' who come up to them and ask to take their photo.

Next, the pair are heading off to Torquay in Devon to follow in the footsteps of their favourite writer, Agatha Christie.