We Are Robbed In Further Search of Pancakes

Our plan to visit the pancake races in the morning having been foiled, we headed for Covent Garden late in the afternoon to see a pancake flipping competition we had read about. We arrived well before the event began, so we thought we would wander around and enjoy the street performances. The crowds were large, so Laura took Cecily on her shoulders so that she could see. Scott had Meredith on his shoulders standing a short distance away. At some point, Laura felt someone beside her jostle her, and she moved her hand down on to her purse. Alas, it was not until we were in a cafe warming up with a hot chocolate that she discovered that someone had taken a knife and slit the side of her purse in an attempt to grab the valuable therein. Fortunately for Laura, her jostling prevented any access except into the side pocket, and the thief got away with only her cell phone--easily replaceable for five pounds. The thief left the half drunk diet coke resting in the same pocket . Covent Garden is particularly notorious as a place where petty crimininal prey on locals and tourists in particular. These things always happen to other people, however. One never imagine that oneself will be the victim. At this point we had lost interest in pancake races/competitions and in Covent Garden itself. We rectified the situation with a quick shopping trip to the stores in our own neighborhood, where Laura found an adquate replacement purse for just under 6 pounds. And with that, we headed home--where Laura fixed pancakes far better than those we would have found anywhere in the city.