Paranoid Moi? But The Devil, She’s Getting At Me Again!
Today looked like being a good one, after looking at the weather about nine.
But it didn’t start well, as when I went to get the Sunday Times from my usual newsagent, none had been delivered and he said come back around twelve.
I did go around East London and over the cable car, as I often do on a Sunday, to see if there’s anything happening on Crossrail, that I could include in this blog. I didn’t have any problems with the trip and the cable car was unusually quiet. Perhaps it was because I was early.
Carluccio’s in Canary Wharf wasn’t busy either, when I arrived there for a late breakfast or an early lunch. I’d been looking forward to an eggs florentine, but as they didn’t have any gluten-free bread, I skipped it and just had a cup of tea. To even rub it in, the young lady on the next table had a delicious eggs benedict with normal bread and ate it with gusto.
So I then moved on to Waitrose to get the paper. But I was before twelve and so it wasn’t exactly shut, but you couldn’t buy anything. Surely, in this day and age, in summer when you want to encourage tourism and business, shops should be able to open when they want!
I then decided to cut my loses and try a paper shop round the corner from Waitrose. They were open, but they’d sold out of Sunday Times, as not that many had been delivered.
I then decided to come home and took the Jubilee Line towards London Brifge, where I hoped to get an elusive paper. I then remembered that Canada Water had a nice paper shop. But it didn’t have any Sunday Times.
So I took the Overground home and finally got the paper in the Co-op at Dalston Junction station.
However, the Devil was not finished, as the Liverpool Manchester United match wasn’t on Radio 5. They were commentating on motorcycle racing.
The sooner I get some fibre optic broadband the better!
An Open Letter To The Lord Mayor Of Birmingham
My blood was boiling yesterday after struggling to get to the football at Birmingham and feel that this post is the best way to respond.
I am an Ipswich Town supporter who lives in London, so I came up to the match on Saturday, by Virgin Trains to New Street and then took the local train to Bordesley for St. Andrews. I should also say, I’m 66 and had a serious stroke three years ago, but I don’t find walking a kilometre or so, much of a problem.
I know New Street station is in a state of reconstruction at the moment, but the information on how to get to Bordesley was non-existent at the station. It probably took me about twenty minutes to find anybody, who knew how to get there. Some signage and tourist information in the station would have helped.
I was eventually told to walk to Moor Street station and as there was only a few temporary signs outside, I got lost and it took me at least thirty minutes to get to the other station. The signs petered out and I ended up lost in the Bull Ring shopping centre. Judging by the number of people I saw in Ipswich Town football shirts, I wasn’t the only lost soul either. Some were getting a big edgy, but then Ipswich fans are generally a calm bunch.
I know Bordesley station isn’t the most modern, but at least the trains work well to get there. However, the walk from the station to the ground, must be the most dangerous walk to get to any football ground from its local station in the UK. In the end fans have to rush a busy road and then a dual-carriageway, as there is no controlled crossing or any other help.
I wonder how many people will get seriously injured or even killed on that route in the next few years.
If Birmingham is serious in attracting business and tourism, then it should do something to make walking around the city, easier with more information and safe walking routes.
It is probably the worst major city in England for pedestrians.
The Anonymous Widower 