Work Stuff and Birthday drink in London.

Last Tuesday evening, the 7th, saw a colleague and myself heading down to our nations capital to get comfy in a hotel so that we we're ready to start work at 08:00 Wednesday morning in Hyde Park. The show had finished Sunday night, we were just there for the 'out'. So no glamour & no glory. They were paying us though, so what's the problem?

We arrived in time to have a couple of tasty beverages in The Sussex Arms. An OK-ish proper pub, but with a Juke Box that could do with turning down several notches.

Wednesday, saw us loading trucks all day and being asked if we could do Friday as well, because they'd had to stop work when the torrential rain had fallen Tuesday, so were a bit behind. Fine for me, but colleague had to get back for another gig on Friday. As the Sussex was so noisy we decided to try The Victoria which was in the other direction from the Hotel. You've got to give a pub called The Vic' a try if you're in Lahndahn haven't you. Kind of posh, with expensive food, but a good pub. The Fullers Discovery was lush though, and that's what kept us there.

Thursday was loading more trucks. At the end of the day colleague headed back up North, whilst I went back to the Hotel and a different room that was probably the smallest Hotel room in the whole of London. I only needed it to sleep and shower in though, and it was fine for that. This also left me on my tod for the evening. Not a problem I can amuse myself. I wasn't going to eat at the Vic' again. So after a shower and change of clothes, I went for a bit of a bimble towards Paddington Station. There were plenty of places that looked fine to eat in, but nothing that really grabbed me. The Burger King has closed in Wolves town centre and I do like a Burger King Burger every once in a while. So Burger King it was. I picked up a couple of Postcards and headed back to the Vic' for the Discovery and to write the cards WHilst a bunch of Yuppy style twats made a show of hemselves in the street outside the pub. Back to the Hotel and bed.

Replacement workmate was heading down from Wolves disgustingly early to meet me at the Hotel 07:30 Friday Morning and we were going to the Park from there. Off to the Park to Load yet more trucks, but YIPPEE! Finished by around 12:30 and still paid for the whole day. That meant I'd stop in London and meet up with Em' for a Birthday drink. If we'd been working all day I would've been knackered, smelly and not very good company, so would've headed back to Wolves.

I couldn't face walking across the vast expanse of Hyde Park to get to a Tube station. Hyde Park is Massive, even more so when you've spent the last couple of days on foot in it. So I hopped in the Car with my pal and headed out of town with him to get dropped off by a Tube station. I'd got my Oyster card and the whole afternoon free for a bit of Flânerie. That's a posh way of saying, bimbling about aimlessly, enjoying the sites and soaking up the atmosphere in a leisurely way, because you can, because you've got the free time and inclination.

I'd been dropped on The Edgeware Road by a pub called The Green man. I sat inside for a while, using my phone to access Facebook, to say Yes I was going to Em's Event and checking the location on Google maps. The internet - It's Ace. The Mobile Internet - WOW! How useful is it? I'm still kind of blown away by the whole living in the Future type thing that being able to get the internet on my phone does to me. OK I've not got a Hover Car and silver suit, but mobile Internet kind of makes up for that.

Once I'd sorted the evening out I took another pint and sat outside for a smoke. Edgware road has some interesting people wandering up and down it and the pub was opposite Paddington Green Police Station. I'd heard the name on the News, so it was interesting to be sitting opposite it. It's that sort of thing I love about wandering around London.

Eventually it was time to hit the Tube to Euston to check on train times. I'd looked on the Mobi' web, but wasn't convinced I knew what was going on. The Mobi' web does have it's limitations. So as I like the Tube (it's a novelty to me) I didn't mind travelling on it in nearly the Rush hour.

At Euston I grabbed a Pasty and some information. I couldn't use my Oyster Card to get to Streatham, so I got a day tripper, or whatever they call the card and followed the instructions to get to Streatham. I was now travelling in the rush hour, but I kept my big bag out of the way, stuck to the right on the escalators and generally didn't get in the way of the busy busy Londonites. On the Tube I think I might've freaked a couple of lasses out by staring. Sorry. One had such an outrageously perfect complexion it looked like she'd been dipped in Nivea every night and fed on nothing but Evian. The other by contrast, was kind of Orange, but had the longest eyelashes I'd ever seen. The thing that made me stare was that they had some sort of lardy gunk on them. Not mascara, it looked almost like dried Araldite. Weird and fascinating enough to keep me staring rudely.

London Bridge Station and I was on the Overground (Is that the correct term?) to Streatham. Looking out the window and being amazed how much terrain there is in London. I'd love to have seen the landscape before all the buildings were built. At Streatham station I checked Google maps on my phone again. I'm not going to be wandering around a strange town with an expensive phone in my hand. So get bearings, look at street names on the map. REMEMBER street names and directions, then start walking as it's not far.

To my eye outlying bits of London have their similarities. Streatham high road and the Edgware road have things in common, the Ethnic grocery shops, the internet cafes and News agents, but there is a slightly different vibe. Kind of like seeing Cousins or Uncles. You can see that they're from the same family, but there is a difference.

I got to the The Pub in plenty of time and then the nerves began. If you've met anyone off the internet before, you'll probably have half an idea what I mean. Will you recognise them? Will they recognise you? Are you intruding on their 'real life' by being some weirdy that turns up from their 'virtual life'? What will their RL friends think about a netpal? Will they think it's strange that you're there? OK. You'll have read each others blogs over the course of years, that makes things easier. You do 'know' each other, but you won't know a thing about any of the none net people there.

Then a face you recognise, who's probably just as nervous as you, is smiling and walking up to you and saying.
"Hi. You got here all right then. Sorry I'm a bit late. My friends have got a table out the back, come and join us."
You get introduced to everyone and find that everybody there has met through the internet in some way, and they don't think it's strange you're here, and you have a cracking night out with some lovely people at a great pub, and too soon you've got to leave because of public transport. If you've never met up with someone you know off the net before, do it. You meet some of the best people.

The Locals tell me the best thing to do is get a bus to Brixton, then the tube to Euston, where I arrive to find I've missed the last train home. This wasn't a problem as I was half expecting it to happen.

That adventure is a tale for another time though. I've typed enough, and you're probably bored reading this by now.