And Some Think London’s Got Traffic Problems!
I just read this piece on the BBC web site about a legal challenge to a new bus lane in Delhi.
I think it is interesting to look at how well London survived the Olympics. A lot of the road network was closed down and people found better ways to work or get to work. I started referring to buses as Big Red Taxis.
Since the end of the Olympics, you’d think road traffic would have got back to previous levels. I’m not sure, but when I walk up the Balls Pond Road at rush hour, it may be busy, but not as bad as I remember before the Olympics. The only really bad times are when Arsenal are at home, as a large number of people still drive to one of the easiest stadia in the country to get to by public transport.
I would love to see some properly collected figures on traffic in Central London. Do they publish the amount of money raised by the Congestion Charge? I can’t seem to find any recent results. They should publish the takings on a regular basis. Probably daily!
Walking From Leamouth To Canning Town Station
This morning in what could be the last of the summer sun, I took a 277 bus to Leamouth and then walked to Canning Town station along Bow Creek.
The area is one of the more interesting in London, with the River Lea of which Bow Creek is part, gradually silting up and reverting to reed beds. The inside of the bend used to be the the home of the Thames Ironworks and Shipbuilding Company and now it is one of the tunnelling sites for CrossRail. The successor of the works football team of the Thames Ironwork still exists as West Ham United, but the company is long gone, deespite building many ships for the Navy and companies like P & O.
From Canning Town station, I got the DLR, the Emirates Air-Line cable-car and the Jubilee line to Canary Wharf for lunch. I suppose, I could have taken the Jubilee line from Canning Town station, but the cable-car has better views.
Thinking about the route, you could take the 277 bus from any number of places like Highbury and Islington and then go back to Central London on the Jubilee line. but on a sunny day, don’t cut out the cable-car as it gives some spectacular views.
A Boring Day
There is not much sport to see today. Live, I’ve the choice of Barnet, Gillingham or Wimbledon close to London, but I’ve more important things to do now, as the e-mail has got corrupted on my computer. Scanpst may work well, but it’s rather slow.
Hopefully it’ll get better. Even Andy Murray didn’t help, by disposing of Roger Federer rather quickly.
Play Interrupted By A Cockroach
I’m just watching the Murray-Federer tennis on the television.
the play was momentarily halted because of a cockroach or another large insect.
One commentator said it had escaped from their hotel or something like that!
An Interesting Take On American Sports
I just found this article entitled US Sports Going The Way Of The Gladiator, on CNN’s web site.
These are the first two paragraphs.
Are American sports fans turning into the citizens of ancient Rome, turning up to sports events to see mayhem akin to gladiators fighting for their very lives?
Stars in two of the country’s most prominent sports were asking those kinds of questions Sunday.
Here in the UK, we’ve made our sports a lot safer. Cricketers now wear helmets and even our footballers wear protection on their lower legs.
But after reading the article on CNN, it might appear that the United States is going the other way. Read the article and the comments and draw your own conclusions.
History Repeats Itself
One of the classic tales about Ted Kid Lewis, is that late one night, he was walking home through the East End, after a function and he was set upon by four thugs. As he despatched the last into the gutter, he produced his visiting card and dropped it on the attacker.
And now a group of thugs have tried to nick Amir Khan‘s Range Rover in Birmingham! It’s reported here in the Telegraph.
In this attack, the report says that there were about six thugs, but then Amir had his brother, Haroon, who is another boxer with him.
Apparently, the thugs didn’t make a complaint to the Police.
Sorting Out Highbury Corner
Highbury Corner is one of London’s busiest interchanges, which is being restructured to make it easier for all users. The picture shows the terminus of the 277 bus.
277 Buses At Highbury Corner
I regularly get a bus from here to my house and the stop is badly placed for the Underground. It is also a very busy stop, just off the roundabout towards Dalston and not the nicest place to wait for a bus.
I think that whatever you do, you’re not going to make a great improvement, unless the 277 route was extended a bit towards Holloway. But then there probably isn’t another suitable terminus.
Traffic was particularly bad last night, as Arsenal were playing at home and people will insist on driving to the Emirates.
To Brighton via Cable Car And A Lot More
And a few other things too!
I had plenty of time yesterday to get to the Ipswich match at Brighton, so I thought, I’d see how many different forms of transport I could use.
1. A 21 Bus to Bank
I started the simple way by getting on this 21 bus to take me to Bank station for the DLR.
A 21 Bus To Bank
It didn’t actually go to Bank, as southbound buses have to take a detour at Moorgate because of Crossrail.
2. Docklands Light Railway to Royal Victoria Docks
I then took the DLR to Royal Victoria Dock station for the cable-car.
DLR Train At Bank
I did take a pause at Limehouse station to take pictures of the Hydraulic Accumulator Tower.
3. Emirates Air-Line To North Greenwich
I’d actually come this way to give me a good title to the post. But, as I had a gondola to myself, I was able to take good pictures of the Crossrail site at Limmo.
The Crossrail Site On The Limmo Peninsular
Work seems to be proceeding at speed and hopefully Elizabeth and Victoria will be dropped in the big hole soon.
4. Jubilee Line To Canada Water
This was the point, I realised I hadn’t got an SD card in the camera, so I purchased one by the O2.
Jubilee Line At Canada Water
At least the Jubilee line was working properly.
5.Lift To The Overground
This might seem like blatant cheating to get my count up. It is!
Lift To The Overground
Although it was a nice clean lift!
6. Overground To West Croydon
Those who know London’s transport system can argue that I should have taken the Jubilee line to London Bridge station and got a train from there. But hey! That would not be fun.
Arriving At West Croydon
But even the Overground takes you to wrong station at Croydon for Brighton. But at least, West Croydon station now has a quick exit to the tram.
7. Tram To East Croydon
At least when you’re going West to East in Croydon, the Tramlink is simple.
Tram at East Croydon
In fact, if say I’m coming from Brighton to my home, I will probably go direct to the London terminus. But going south, I tend to take the Overground from close by my house and then the tram to East Croydon station, as I did here.
8. Train To Brighton
I bought my first ticket of the day. a senior return to Brighton for £11.70.
My Train To Brighton Arrives
I arrived in Brighton on time.
I then walked down the hill to Carluccio’s for an early supper.
The Comeback To End All Comebacks
Europe’s win in the Ryder Cup is being celebrated as one of the great comebacks.
It is a great comeback, but in many ways it pales into insignificance compared to that amazing, cold and wet Saturday afternoon on the 21st December 1957, when Charlton Athletic beat Huddersfield Town seven-six at the Valley after being five-one down, with only ten men. It must be one of the few Second Division matches of the era to have its own Wikipedia page.
Reading that Wikipedia page, you find that Huddersfield were managed by Bill Shankly and he had rested a young Denis Law. Shankly later said about the match.
one of the most amazing games I have ever seen
And he’d seen a few matches!
The Anonymous Widower 