We arrived at the house later than we had anticipated. However our host welcomed us and kept in contact with me during the trip. In a totally unexpected move, she cooked eggs and toast for us when we arrived. We are very grateful to her for her many kindnesses.
The room is spacious and clean. There is a kettle for hot coffee or tea, a fridge, and a microwave. There is a Sainsbury's to walk or take the bus to for food, spare clothes, or whatever you might need and it is next to a small complex of stores. Highly recommend The Railway Tavern, a block or so before the Sainsbury's, its selection of beers on tap is also a few blocks away. There is a fish and chips take-away close by as well as a Lidl grocery store.
II was initially somewhat disappointed because the house is a distance from the London tourist destinations such as Westminster Abbey, Parliament and the museums and Tower. I have visited London before so it wasn't such a big deal for me but my 20 year old son wanted to see more. Fare on the Southeast train from Victoria Station is £5.30 so it's kind of pricey too.
HOWEVER--we changed the orientation of what we wanted to see and had a great time. Joyce took us to one of the open markets that was a lot like the ones we have here in Mexico. The neighborhood of the market was largely African/Caribbean/Chinese /Muslim and artsy--we fit right in and it was a high point of our trip. Our focus became enjoying the people we were around and having fun rather than madly dashing from one sight to the next. Loved it.
The room is spacious, clean, and comfortable as is the rest of the house. Beds are comfortable and I have no complaints with anything. In fact I feel as if I made a good friend and would love to visit in the future.
Thank you, Joyce! We had a great time!