Teen in Fork Rage

So it's not all about "knife crime" then... ;)

Spotted in Redhill earlier in the week...

Redhill Town Centre

Got stranded for a while (in-between buses) the other night in Redhill town -

- it being a Monday it was actually rather quiet (only about 20 drunk teenage chavs making a nuisance of themselves) so I decided to pass the time looking around the place (normally it's just a quick dash in to grab this or that in one of the shops), and it actually (if that were possible) seems to be going downhill (despite the obviously totally ineffectual threat of "Big Brother" watching from above) -

- for example, this signpost, situated on Station Road right by the Harlequin theatre -

- has been subtly modified so that not a single arm is actually pointing in the right direction any longer, and the Pedestrian Zone signs have seen better days, this one being modified by spray can to resemble a bowling ball (for some reason) -

- and the other one used as a notice board/poster site, and lettering picked at -

- even the new take-away in town could have used a little in the way of help with their sign painting -

- that sort of level of attention to detail doesn't exactly fill one with hope as to the quality of the advertised food...Still there are signs of regeneration, the new bus station is coming along nicely (can't wait for that to be finally finished) -

- but I can't quite get my head around how it is going to work, it looks like they have got rid of the three lanes they used to have in favour of a sort of bumpy roundabout type affair, with bays arranged around the edge and only a very narrow entrance...Still, I'm sure they have it all worked out perfectly *raises eyes to heaven in silent prayer* and it has to be better than the current facilities -

- still, maybe that's me being spoilt by the glittering wonders of Canary Wharf, Redhill didn't seem that bad compared with Kings Cross... ;)

More pictures of Redhill here...

Don't judge a book by it's cover...

A number of weeks ago, I was getting on the bus (on my way home), and was a little...well, let me explain - it was the end of a long day, my knee was throbbing from the repeated strain of all the stairs on the commute (combined with my recent injury) it had been a busy, stressful time in the office, the train had been packed out, it was hot, I'd had to run to actually get on the bus before it pulled away (had to wildly wave to the driver, who had kindly stopped), had managed to drop my change fumbling in my bag as I bounded up the step...anyway, you get the idea (just a bit of a crappy day)...so when I peered, hopefully, up to the emergency exit seat (where the good leg room is) and there was a hoodie sat in it, my heart didn't exactly sink, I just sort of thought "Well that's about right"...he was also playing shit rave music loudly from the crackly speakerphone he was clutching (again, "about right") his face was a mask of indifference.

So anyway, peering around, I noted (with *some* dismay now) that the rest of the bus (leg room seats) were also occupied, so (not wishing to stand) I walked up to the back of the bus and crammed myself sideways into a no legroom seat, stuck in my headphones (so I didn't have to listen to the painful, tinny, indistinguishable racket coming from just behind me), grabbed on for dear life (as the drivers on my route seem to all think they are Lewis Hamilton), and off we went...(for 20 minutes of roller-coaster action)...

No more than one stop later, I felt a tap on my shoulder, I looked round - it was the hoodie - I probably frowned, and removed one of my ear buds - "'scuse me, do you wanna swap seats mate? Bit more leg room here"...

Faith in Human Nature +1

Redhill town centre in pictures

Oh well...so much for the little summer we have been enjoying, freezing temperatures today, snow overnight (enough to settle on cars and rooftops at least) and seeing as I singularly failed to get out to St Johns Road over the weekend I thought I would (as on the bus today, Flyingpops has another meeting) take a few shots around Redhill (which might interest Andy, as it's changed so much even in the short time I have been living in the area) -

- so (standing on the spot and turning clockwise) starting at Redhill railway station -

- the "Liquid and Envy" nightclub (formerly "Millionaires" nightclub, and prior to that I am guessing it was a cinema or a theatre (judging by the shape of the building), comparison shot would have been taken towards the station standing next to that silver car on the roundabout, looks like they had a bit of a flood in 1951 then! -

- the entrance to Station Road (with the McDonalds and the new Abbott pub, which looks convincingly old but was scratch built on a sliver of grass by the new market car park a couple of years ago (hence the odd shape) -

- then right back on myself looking towards the new bus station (all the buses used to stop down the high street (right next to Argos)) -

- now looking up Station road towards the crossroads in the centre of town (which has been pedestrianised), sorry about the shadow ;) -

- stopping to note the new council initiative to get people to stop dropping chewing gum on the pavement (most of which have already been smashed to smithereens by the local chavs) -

- reaching the crossroads in the centre of town, looking up station road towards St Matthews church (in the very distance), comparison pic is from 1923, then peering right at what used to be the start of London Road -

- which is now the site of the new library, Redhill theatre/cinema and giant Sainsbury's supermarket (where I worked stacking bananas as a teen) -

- and then looking left down the old high street (noting the new shopping centre, the Belfry, on the right), as I said, all the buses used to drive right down here, stopping on the left, heading eventually on into the Brighton road...lovely first thing in the morning in Redhill, but stand right here after the hours of darkness and you fear for your life due to the rampaging gangs of drunken teenagers, and ne'er an officer of the law in sight...

Update - Just spotted that BigBlue was in St Johns Road on the weekend and found the house (with pic)! I'll try and get up there (when the red van isn't there) and shoot some more... ;) I don't feel quite so guilty now... ;)

Update update - Have added in a couple of historic shots from roughly the same locations for comparisons sake... ;)

430 bus from Redhill

I honestly couldn't believe my ears, got on the bus home from Redhill tonight and sat right at the back were two naughty chav girls who (looked about 10, and) were screaming into a mobile phone which was set on hands free (so thus, all the other passengers could hear the person on the other end talking, it being a noisy MP3 playing model) -

I took minutes of the meeting for your convenience -

Girl 1 - *swearwords*
Girl 2 - *more swearwords*
Girl 1 - "Yeh, but 'ave you gone to the clinic?"
Ollie (I clocked his name after the phone call finished as you will see) - "Yeh, 'course I 'ave" (gruff voice, but obviously just out of puberty and putting it on)
Girl 1 - "Yeh, so you've got some medicine then?"
Ollie - "No, they said I didn't need none!"
Girl 2 - "Yeh, right, she ain't f**king stupid!"
Girl 1 - "Look, ring me back, right! I ain't got no credit for this!"
Ollie - "No, I can't, I've got football"
Girl 1 - "NO, ring me back, that's well out of order!"
Ollie - "I've got to go to FOOTBALL (exasperated) well bad..."
Girl 1 - "Alrigh' so ring me after that! I'm pregnant remember!"
*eyes stand out on stalks*
Girl 2 - *swears*
Ollie - "Can't, going over Paulines"
Girl 1 - "Wot? You gonna give her genital warts too then?"
*stunned/shocked expression crosses Fink's face*
Ollie - "Yeh, wotEVER"
Girl 1 - "So, you gonna call me l8er?"
Ollie - "Wotever" (deadpan)
*hangs up*
(Girl 1 and Girl 2 now spend the next 3 stops of the journey discussing how lame/gay Ollie is, how she has been itching in a private place and isn't sure if it's genital warts as *she* hasn't checked it out, and *most importantly* ISN'T PREGNANT! Then...)

Girl 1 - "Ya know wot...? I really fancy Ollie..."

FinkAngel - (in his mind) *swears loudly*

Jesus... >;(

King Charles Hotel, Gillingham - Review

So, clutching our wedding invite we set course for Kent early on Saturday evening...we had booked a cabin at the King Charles Hotel (the pictures on their website are hilarious fantasy), Chatham (about 2 minutes from Fort Amhurst, where the reception was to be held), pictured above (in reality), it turned out to be a charming, sympathetic conversion of an old naval military facility, lovingly decorated by local artists and set in a stunning location (as you can see)...the room came complete with authentic capstan full strength aroma (despite booking non-smoking), and the shower was equipped with a handy auto-on feature when running the bath, to really capure that feeling of adventure on the high seas as you wade across the bathroom floor trying to shield your wedding outfit from the forceful spray...

The reception, in contrast, was in the lovely grounds of Fort Amhurst (here is a view of the town from the ramparts)...

...and a view of the festivities from the same location...

- the food was really good, a selection of BBQ'd burgers, kebabs and wraps, veggies well catered for also, then drinks until the sun was well below the horizon and disco action late into the night, a very pleasant affair spent in the company of some genuinely interesting and friendly folk -

In the morning we were woken early by the noisy natives setting up a massive car boot sale right outside our cabin window, so we gave up trying to sleep, got up and went down for breakfast (which was included in the price) -

We asked for one Full English and one vegetarian breakfast, and I think the chef must have been having an off day...the vegetarian breakfast had an enormous block of cheese on the side...how I kept a straight face when the waitress brought it to the table I really cannot say-

So, we took a quick walk around the boot sale (got a DVD), then hopped in the car and Tomtom brought us home...wedding good, hotel bad... ;)

Two views of Whitebushes...

Just had an email from the BBC thanking me for this picture of a muddy path, they've put it up on their action network page (I noticed that our local area's representation was a bit poor, to say the least), what do you think, shall I submit this one too? ;)

(Last week I spotted a load of fire engines in the less posh end of the estate, this was obviously the reason for their attendance...suprised nobody has made an attempt to clear it up...(or am I?))...

I spotted this strange thing...

...in Redhill the other day (offering free email and local news and events) just after I had had my haircut and was walking to meet "Flyingpops". The first thought that popped into my head was "Heh, bet that doesn't last long", so I resolved that I ought to go and check it out before the louts poured concrete in it or something to spoil everyone's fun, and guess what? It was already broken... *shrug* ;)