Yesterday I travelled to London to go to the Houses Of Parliament. Its not the first time I have been but it is the first time I have been to London and had a few hours to spare to have a look round. The tourist bit you could say.
So I set off early in the car with a plan to get inside the M25, find a parking spot then take a tube to Westminster. The journey down went well and I hit the M25 by about 10.30 am.
So now plan A ...find a parking spot...about an hour later I had driven past the Brent Cross Shopping Centre three times with no sign of anywhere I could safely park the car with any expectation i would a find it again later that evening and also could expect it still to actually be there on my return. So on seeing a sign (that is most comforting to a northerner) saying M1 North, I went onto plan B. Drive out of town and find a smaller town, park up and take the train in.
I might add that I had originally intended to take the train in the first place but could not face several hours of smoke free travel.
So I got to Watford and pulled off the motorway and hit the central ring road looking for the station and a carpark. The ring road is one way and when I missed the station turn off it took another 15 Mins to go round again and find the carpark. Payed the extortionate parking charge and a few minutes later I am heading for Euston station with a return ticket that actually cost less than it did for me to park the car.
The train went non stop to Euston and arrived about 15 mins later. Down to the tube station and this is where it started going wrong. The tube ticket system is probably very simple if you use it every day, but I hadn't a clue how to use the ticket machines and the ticket booths had queues a mile long full of other similarly baffled tourists. So here comes plan C. I will walk.
Its a nice day, I have a tube train map and Westminster is just south of Euston. That can't be too hard can it? By now its midday so no clue as to where is south can be got from the sun. The buildings are so high there must be people living in london who have never seen a horizon, but with the help of a bus station map I decided which road I needed to take and headed out into the masses.
Having walked about 300 hundred yards and admiring the amazing architechture I was glad I had opted for shanks pony as was finally enjoying the walk ...untill I came across a plaque on some railings surrounded by flowers. Reading the plaque it turned out I was in Tavistock Place and it was a memorial to those who died in the bus bombing. The journey suddenly took on a whole new light.
Living here in the NE I see news footage of things that happen down south but never give a second thought. Suddenly I am made aware of things around me.
The number of CCTV cameras...about every 25 yards.
The number of people carrying backpacks...
The number of police all carrying guns...
It turns out that I was on the right road which took me past some amazing buildings including Whitehall which I think I have read is the largest building in the uk. Past Nelsons Column, the Savoy and along the embankment where I stopped to watch guys fishing for eels.
I saw all the sights I have never seen before but always at the back of my mind was that plaque on the railings and I for one amglad I made that journey...the results of which you have probably read elsewhere... but I am glad I am a northerner as I could not face that type of lifestyle on a daily basis for ten times what I earn now.
Cheers
Dave
So I set off early in the car with a plan to get inside the M25, find a parking spot then take a tube to Westminster. The journey down went well and I hit the M25 by about 10.30 am.
So now plan A ...find a parking spot...about an hour later I had driven past the Brent Cross Shopping Centre three times with no sign of anywhere I could safely park the car with any expectation i would a find it again later that evening and also could expect it still to actually be there on my return. So on seeing a sign (that is most comforting to a northerner) saying M1 North, I went onto plan B. Drive out of town and find a smaller town, park up and take the train in.
I might add that I had originally intended to take the train in the first place but could not face several hours of smoke free travel.
So I got to Watford and pulled off the motorway and hit the central ring road looking for the station and a carpark. The ring road is one way and when I missed the station turn off it took another 15 Mins to go round again and find the carpark. Payed the extortionate parking charge and a few minutes later I am heading for Euston station with a return ticket that actually cost less than it did for me to park the car.
The train went non stop to Euston and arrived about 15 mins later. Down to the tube station and this is where it started going wrong. The tube ticket system is probably very simple if you use it every day, but I hadn't a clue how to use the ticket machines and the ticket booths had queues a mile long full of other similarly baffled tourists. So here comes plan C. I will walk.
Its a nice day, I have a tube train map and Westminster is just south of Euston. That can't be too hard can it? By now its midday so no clue as to where is south can be got from the sun. The buildings are so high there must be people living in london who have never seen a horizon, but with the help of a bus station map I decided which road I needed to take and headed out into the masses.
Having walked about 300 hundred yards and admiring the amazing architechture I was glad I had opted for shanks pony as was finally enjoying the walk ...untill I came across a plaque on some railings surrounded by flowers. Reading the plaque it turned out I was in Tavistock Place and it was a memorial to those who died in the bus bombing. The journey suddenly took on a whole new light.
Living here in the NE I see news footage of things that happen down south but never give a second thought. Suddenly I am made aware of things around me.
The number of CCTV cameras...about every 25 yards.
The number of people carrying backpacks...
The number of police all carrying guns...
It turns out that I was on the right road which took me past some amazing buildings including Whitehall which I think I have read is the largest building in the uk. Past Nelsons Column, the Savoy and along the embankment where I stopped to watch guys fishing for eels.
I saw all the sights I have never seen before but always at the back of my mind was that plaque on the railings and I for one amglad I made that journey...the results of which you have probably read elsewhere... but I am glad I am a northerner as I could not face that type of lifestyle on a daily basis for ten times what I earn now.
Cheers
Dave
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