Ruby Goes to Goldbourne Road

At bathtime last night, Ruby measured 52cm in length and the remaining piece of Ruby's umbilical cord fell off. Of course, I've kept it and put it in an empty jar of Tescos Finest Hollandaise sauce.
It felt very symbolic that she's now shed the last vestige of life in the womb as she now embarks along life's long and adventurous road, however corny that sounds.

And one of the very first roads I needed to walk down with Ruby was my favourite road, the mighty, Goldbourne Road.

We took the 18 bus to the top of Ladbroke Grove, Ruby's second journey on public transport and my first with her. We then stopped on the bridge over the canal, waved to the barges below and fed the ducks, geese and these little fellas who lined up to mop up fallen crumbs.

We then carried on along Kensal Road, past the Cobden Club, where I had my stag do, and paused at the top of Goldbourne and showed Ruby one of my absolute favourite buildings, in the world, the Trelik Tower

At the bottom of Goldbourne, on the corner with Portobello, Ruby and I stood and admired the wonderful vista, looking back up Goldbourne, with the Trelik looming above us. Ibolya took our photo, as close as we could to the position of the photograph on the back of (one of my top 5 favourite albums, ever) 'This is Big Audio Dynamite' by Big Audio Dynamite.

After Goldbourne, we carried on down Portobello, had coffee at Ibolya's favourite coffee place and checked out some of the brilliant Children's shops. In Cheeky Monkey's I couldn't resist buying Ruby the same Fisher Price, musical clock I had as a child, which plays 'Old King Cole'.

It was very special taking Ruby on this trip as it's a place of huge significance for us. We courted, dated and romanced there. We've done more shopping, socialising and having fun there than anywhere else in London and it's where Ibolya now works.

I felt so happy that Ruby is now part of the things we normally do on a Saturday morning and very proud too that, by escorting her around in her pushchair, she's now part of this very special place.