Red Dwarf X Poster

...(singing) Oh I have *hiiiigh* hopes, I have *hiiiigh* hopes...! ;)

Signs from the Olympics

Big advertising billboards visible from Platforms 5/6 at London Bridge (roadblocked for the occasion)...

...one of the slightly scary rollercoaster--queue style approximate wait signs at Charing Cross (that never got used, as far as I am aware)...Woo Hoo!  In only 30 short minutes I'm going to be ON A TRAIN!

...and the current 'Thank you' sign to commuters for all coming in early or taking a couple of weeks holiday...Paralympics next! ;)

Charing Cross Queues

Well, the journey in this morning was *okay*, the train was about 5 minutes late into Earlswood, it was full and standing by Redhill (just lots of commuters deciding to get the earlier train, I guess)...London Bridge was absolute *chaos*, hundreds of tourists wearing sports clothes, but amazingly they all seemed to know where they were going...Had to wait for the second train to Charing Cross before I could get on and find a seat and Charing Cross itself was pretty empty... The really, really worrying bit? Getting outside and discovering the *huge* queueing system set up outside ready for all the crowds tonight...honestly, it's about twice the size of the Easyjet check-in queue at Gatwick airport...the other really, really worrying bit? Hearing *three* times that absolutely no trains are going to be leaving from London Bridge *at all* after 6pm... What to do tonight? :(

Olympic Commute...

Okay, I'm starting to get slightly concerned about next week now...not only (on BBC Breakfast this morning) did they show the (pretty amazing) Olympic travel control center, which looked a bit like the War Room set in Dr Strangelove, there interviewing an official who was saying something along the lines of "I pity the fools who are going to try and get into London as usual" (I paraphrase slightly, but that was the essence), I then spotted this new sign at Charing Cross when I got there this morning...

I *can't* board my train home at Charing Cross...!  Am I going to be allowed to change at London Bridge platform 5, or will I be forced to exit the station and re-queue to get in?  Taking a Tonbridge train (and rolling the dice) is starting to seem more attractive if that is to be my alternative...

Update - Started to plan bus routes in and out of Central London...reminder to put lots of money on my Oyster card...

Charing Cross Closed

Oo-er...so came into Charing Cross this morning to announcements that due to an 'accident' Charing Cross tube was closed (didn't stop a few people heading down the escalators though)...Outside, four fire engines -
 
- and at least three ambulances (plus numerous police cars)-

- hope everything is okay down there... :(  Nothing in the news as yet...

Update - Twitter is speaking of a 'smell of smoke' - whole station is now closed

Charing Cross Olympic Practice

...was today (spotted some nice new signs at London Bridge on the way)...got to Charing Cross (slightly nervous) and discovered-

...practically nothing had changed!  A barrier to stop you getting to some of the small shops...okay, sort of makes sense, you don't want people queueing up for drinks blocking the concourse...

...and one of the entrances was closed (that not many people use anyway)...oh and there were a handful of people in pink vests looking self conscious...was that really worth leafleting everyone for an entire day telling them to allow additional time for their journey?