<html><head></head><body><div style="color:#000; background-color:#fff; font-family:Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, Lucida Grande, sans-serif;font-size:16px"><div style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1493649486829_68985"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1493649486829_68986">I was
woken in the morning by someone knocking very loudly on the door. As most of
the others were still asleep, or pretending to be, I went to find out what was
going on. I opened the door to see a handsome red and black hound with a cute
white spot on his chest. <o:p id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1493649486829_68987"></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1493649486829_68988"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1493649486829_68989">“Hi
there, are you miss Clara?,” he asked. “I’m Jed. I missed my connection, but
managed to get a later flight. I hope I haven’t missed much . . . especially
breakfast.”<o:p id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1493649486829_68990"></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1493649486829_68991"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1493649486829_68992"> </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1493649486829_68993"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1493649486829_68994">I looked
at the clock. “Breakfast isn’t served for another hour. Let’s see if there’s
anything in the mini bar to keep you going until then.” But the bar was empty. “That’s
odd,” I said. “I’m sure there were extra treats and snacks in there last night…”
Then I caught the half-open eye of Mollie Grace. “Ah,” she said sheepishly, “Olivia
and I were a bit peckish after all that dancing and, er, well you see….”<o:p id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1493649486829_68995"></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1493649486829_68996"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1493649486829_68997"> </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1493649486829_68998"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1493649486829_68999">Emma, the
Aussie basset saved the day. Her colonial relatives had dropped off a Fortnum
and Mason Belgravia hamper the day before, so she went and collected it from
reception and shared it out. It’s funny how many “sleeping” hounds were
suddenly wide awake!<o:p id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1493649486829_69000"></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1493649486829_69001"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1493649486829_69002"> </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1493649486829_69003"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1493649486829_69004">“Right,”
said Chunky, after every, last scrap was eaten, “last one down to the
restaurant is a cat!”<o:p id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1493649486829_69005"></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1493649486829_69006"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1493649486829_69007"> </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1493649486829_69008"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1493649486829_69009">The
waiter was trying to bar the door, saying breakfast wasn’t quite ready, but we
really didn’t mind going straight into the kitchen and helping ourselves. Bacon,
eggs, sausages, black pudding, fried bread, toast and jam, marmalade, croissants,
cereals, fruit…. There was something for everyhound. <o:p id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1493649486829_69010"></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1493649486829_69011"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1493649486829_69012"> </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1493649486829_69013"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1493649486829_69014">The chef
seemed quite upset we had to go into the kitchen for our food and kept trying
to usher us back to the tables, but really we were saving his staff more
washing up. Although I did hear him send off the junior kitchen helper to get
more supplies for the rest of the hotel’s guests. Bit off that, a posh hotel in
London not having enough food for everyone. Still, never mind.<o:p id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1493649486829_69015"></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1493649486829_69016"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1493649486829_69017"> </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1493649486829_69018"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1493649486829_69019">As we
were getting ready to out for the day, the receptionist called Mariah over and
passed her a gilt-edged envelope. She turned her back to us as she ripped it
open and gasped. “Oh my!” She turned back to us exclaiming, “Mr Leidenschaft</span>, the conductor from last night,
has booked us all a private pod on the London Eye tomorrow!”<o:p id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1493649486829_69020"></o:p></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1493649486829_69021"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1493649486829_69022"> </span></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1493649486829_69023"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1493649486829_69024">“Oooh, “said
Daffodil. “I’ve read about that in one of mom’s books. It’s a giant wheel with
glass boxes and when it turns around you get a birds-eye view all across
London.”<o:p id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1493649486829_69025"></o:p></span></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1493649486829_69026"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1493649486829_69027">“Does it go
very fast?,” asked Heidi. “I’m not sure I’d like to go flying round on a
fairground wheel.”<o:p id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1493649486829_69028"></o:p></span></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1493649486829_69029"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1493649486829_69030">“Oh no. It goes
so slowly you hardly know you’re turning. And if we have a private pod we can
take a picnic with us and hold a party in the sky.”<o:p id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1493649486829_69031"></o:p></span></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1493649486829_69032"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1493649486829_69033">“Wonderful, “ I
told them. “But I think you’re going to enjoy this afternoon’s trip just as
much. We are off to see London from its very best angle – the river.”<o:p id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1493649486829_69034"></o:p></span></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1493649486829_69035"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><br></span></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1493649486829_69035"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1493649486829_69036">Clara, with
Rolph, London.<o:p id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1493649486829_69037"></o:p></span></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1493649486829_69035"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><br></span></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1493649486829_69038"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1493649486829_69039">Please
remember, if your hounds are on this adventure, do offer a little cookie money
to BRNGB who save basset hounds in the UK. Visit brngb.org.uk <o:p id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1493649486829_69040"></o:p></span></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1493649486829_68800">
</div><div dir="ltr" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1493649486829_69041">What we ate: <u id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1493649486829_69042"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:blue;mso-fareast-language:EN-GB" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1493649486829_69043"><a href="http://www.fortnumandmason.com/" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1493649486829_69044" class="">http://www.fortnumandmason.com/</a>
</span></u><o:p id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1493649486829_69045"></o:p></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1493649486829_73594"><br></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1493649486829_73681"><br></div></div></body></html>