You would never know there was a tube strike...

...on today, would you? ;)

Pudding Lane Commute

Noticed the other day that (when I decide to walk over London Bridge to get to Wapping, instead of getting shuttle bus or tube) I tend to walk up Pudding Lane - quite by accident (!)...

...which is, of course, the site of the start of the Great Fire of London (way back in 1666), just shows, you really can't take more than about 50 steps in any direction in London without hitting some bit of interesting history... ;)

Of course, I *should* have been clued into this possibility by the enormous Monument...

- complete with *huge* signs telling the terrible tale (all over the base) that I pass -

- shortly before my swerve up Pudding Lane (which, I imagine, looks rather different today than when it was the home of Thomas Faryner's (slightly too combustible) Bakery...

I turn right up the little alley you can see about half way up the lane to continue my rush...now sniffing for signs of smoke as I go... ;)

Destroy the Head Vampire

...sticker spotted at Tower Hill today.... ;)

Earlswood Station Open!

Wow, after all my moaning (mostly on Twitter) about Earlswood station ticket office being basically closed, we do actually have a new member of staff now - Hurrah...!  However, when I passed the door yesterday (quite late at night on my way home) I was surprised to see that it was *still* open hours after it should have been locked up...Just in case this was in error I pushed the query button on the platform and reported it (wouldn't want the coffee guy to turn up in the morning to a missing coffee tuk-tuk-thing)... ;)

Strange delivery in Wapping...

...spotted this morning on the way into the office...

Amazing sunrise in Earlswood...

...this morning, on my walk to the station...think it's going to be a sunny day today! :)

Not a cloud in the sky over London...

...absolutely beautiful... ;)

New Sennheiser Headphones...

...okay, so ditched Sony after 3 dead (but *largely* trusty - considering twice daily commute) pairs and decided, on the helpful recommendation of the guy selling me my new Sorcerer's Apprentice Mickey Disney Infinity character in Game on Saturday, to try a pair of entry level Sennheisers...not quite sure how he talked me into it...but I'm pleased he did... ;)

Most important new feature - almost total external noise elimination...(yes, now I never need fear actually *hearing* that speeding truck bearing down upon me when nipping across a busy London road before I am strawberry jam, will sit around blissfully unaware of the dismal announcements of delays on the railway cheerfully watching my movie, any commuters frantically alerting me in raised voices that my bag is caught in the train door will be mere whispers...) they also seem to have lots more BOOMING BASS...oh and most important of all, I don't need to turn the volume up quite so high - so I'm actually able to follow manufacturers instructions for a change! ;)

No turning back now! ;)

Flickr - Spots of paint...

...spotted on the pavement in Wapping this morning... ;)

Preparation under way - London Marathon

Crowd barriers up all along the Highway in Wapping already...! ;)

Damn...

...so there we all were yesterday (us commuters) moaning and groaning, finding (packed out) alternative services etc. - turns out the delays were (at least partially) caused by some poor 15 year old kid falling (completely accidentally) onto the track at Horley station and receiving a fatal electric shock...may have waited a bit more patiently if I'd known the circumstances...my thoughts are with the family... :(

London Bridge Platform 11

...was our final destination today (thanks to the ongoing improvement works at the station)...and oh boy is it narrow...I timed it, it took me seven minutes to get from my seat all the way to the ticket barrier (and this includes tutting, giving up waiting, getting back on the train at the next door and walking down the aisle in the middle instead - which surprisingly few other people did)...*very* annoying...hope this isn't our new normal platform! :(