14-15 Aug 2025
Shetland Islands → Lerwick → Aberdeen → Glasgow → Manchester/Liverpool → Birmingham → London

› The instructions were pretty clear. We had to go to London. From where we are it’s almost a whole day’s travelling. And we did. Father planned it pretty long time ago, because in all the intricate business of fishing you had to plan months before you could afford not to fish at least for a single day, not talking about two.

› As we reached Lerwick, we jumped on the ferry right away. There was a comfortable wing, but we couldn’t afford it, so we slept in the sitting wing — and slept vertically. Well, my parents did, while I had the luxury, of sleeping on my father’s legs. Luxury, considering that Archibald slept in his own room since 5 or something.

› The ferry took around 12 hours, so as we’ve sailed off at 6 in the evening, at straight 6 o’clock in the morning, the ferry loudly parked itself in the port of Aberdeen. Scottish Mainland. We haven’t been here for ages. Actually, if trying to remember, Archibald was here only once, on his 9th birthday — his parents wanted something big for him, and it was wonderful really. But that was it.

› Father already arranged car rental, and a new Isuzu D-Max appeared in front of us, and we loaded ourselves in. Honestly, it was the most comfortable car Archibald ever sat in. He could continue to sleep, but they left the city pretty quickly, and he sat there, kissing the fresh air coming through the open window, and adored the surrounding landscape. It was not like the sea. It was different, bright, vivid, different.

› The went around Glasgow, passed between Liverpool and Manchester, circled around Birmingham and finally, they felt they were nearing London. It was a funny feeling — sensing a whole city coming at you.

› He’s never been to London. Okay, it was even worse — neither his father nor mother have been to London. The Capital of UK was huge. By their standards — there was ocean, infinite horizon, royal waters. But this was different. There was so much of… of everything. The smells, the noise, the cars, the cabs, the buses, the people — it seemed like too much. The buildings were modern, but then on the next street the ancient history jumped from the corner. Big Ben is something easily recognizable, but nothing else much. As they were cutting through the city with their pickup, sceneries changed and changed, the cobbled streets made funny noises as we drove, and the head was becoming dizzy with every other metre.

› The weather was unexpectedly good. The whole way from Aberdeen, it was sunny. No rain, not even a single cloud, which is mostly a miracle. And based on the instructions, they had to find some pub, for some God’s reason. We were also specifically instructed that my parents will not be able to see it. It was not invisible, it was just really difficult to spot. But I could. Because I am a wizard. I will never believe it.

› We parked and went outside. The city looked like… city. We started to look around — even my parents, despite the fact that they were instructed not to, because it was in vain. But I could sense it. I did not know where to look yet, but then I suddenly spotted it. Parents still did not see it, they asked to show, but still failed to see it. I took their hands, and we crossed the road straight into the direction of the door. Father was nervous, and it seemed like we were coming at a huge, solid brick wall. But there was only one way for them to see — and that was when Archibald led them straight into a huge black door.