Bears back from the Smoke ...
We had a good trip to the Capital. We stayed at a hotel in Ilford, where we could park the car, and intended to catch the Central Line into London as required. This was a very successful idea - at least for Saturday evening, when we went to Covent Garden to see the stalls and enjoy all the street theatre. Ancient Rome must have been a bit like this, heaving with people, with performers of all kinds hoping to make a living from donations - although I suspect that the Ancient Romans were also adept at vanishing when the hat came around! Sunday we needed to get to Picadilly to meet our US-based son, which was the real object of the journey. He is in Europe to speak at a series of conferences. But sadly the Central Line was shut down for repairs, so we had to trundle along in the No 25 horrid bouncy-bendy-bus. This talking bus told us it was going to Oxford Circus as advertised, but it changed its mind en route and went to Holborn instead. We didn't know buses could DO this! Incredibly crowded and hot, this bus! And because of the dress code in our club I had to be in suit and tie, so sweltered. The bus was full of folk of obviously foreign extraction, the most noticeable group being the Muslims because of their fancy dress. Half the passengers spent the entire interminable journey shouting in tongues into mobile phones. One chap - who looked like an Easter Islander - had two, one for each hand. I half expected him to ring himself up if no one else did! We wondered where all the English people had got to. Were they perhaps in cars? But no ... The cars were also full of obvious foreigners. We could see what Nicky meant about the Capital having been "ethnically cleansed" - an extravagant way of posing the same question we asked: Where are all the Londoners? Maybe Dog can tell us. But it did seem as if we have surrendered the Capital to an invading horde. We must be collectively insane to have allowed this to happen ..... Mind you, people in general were courteous, pleasant and helpful, which is not how we remember the English people who once lived in London! The Poles and other immigrants who operated our hotel gave excellent and unobtrusive service, where their native predecessors used to be famous the world over for their "attitude". Their first priority was to make it clear that while they might be forced to serve, they were more than the equal of any damned customer! On Monday we drove over the river to visit the wonderful Eltham Palace and admire the Courtauld's Art Deco interiors. That made it worth taking the car. And so back to the uncrowded, pleasant North, where England still seems to be England - at least for the time being.
We had a good trip to the Capital. We stayed at a hotel in Ilford, where we could park the car, and intended to catch the Central Line into London as required. This was a very successful idea - at least for Saturday evening, when we went to Covent Garden to see the stalls and enjoy all the street theatre. Ancient Rome must have been a bit like this, heaving with people, with performers of all kinds hoping to make a living from donations - although I suspect that the Ancient Romans were also adept at vanishing when the hat came around! Sunday we needed to get to Picadilly to meet our US-based son, which was the real object of the journey. He is in Europe to speak at a series of conferences. But sadly the Central Line was shut down for repairs, so we had to trundle along in the No 25 horrid bouncy-bendy-bus. This talking bus told us it was going to Oxford Circus as advertised, but it changed its mind en route and went to Holborn instead. We didn't know buses could DO this! Incredibly crowded and hot, this bus! And because of the dress code in our club I had to be in suit and tie, so sweltered. The bus was full of folk of obviously foreign extraction, the most noticeable group being the Muslims because of their fancy dress. Half the passengers spent the entire interminable journey shouting in tongues into mobile phones. One chap - who looked like an Easter Islander - had two, one for each hand. I half expected him to ring himself up if no one else did! We wondered where all the English people had got to. Were they perhaps in cars? But no ... The cars were also full of obvious foreigners. We could see what Nicky meant about the Capital having been "ethnically cleansed" - an extravagant way of posing the same question we asked: Where are all the Londoners? Maybe Dog can tell us. But it did seem as if we have surrendered the Capital to an invading horde. We must be collectively insane to have allowed this to happen ..... Mind you, people in general were courteous, pleasant and helpful, which is not how we remember the English people who once lived in London! The Poles and other immigrants who operated our hotel gave excellent and unobtrusive service, where their native predecessors used to be famous the world over for their "attitude". Their first priority was to make it clear that while they might be forced to serve, they were more than the equal of any damned customer! On Monday we drove over the river to visit the wonderful Eltham Palace and admire the Courtauld's Art Deco interiors. That made it worth taking the car. And so back to the uncrowded, pleasant North, where England still seems to be England - at least for the time being.