Ten Small Things That Would Improve London
As I travel around London, there are various things that would improve things, not just for me, but for everyone.
1. More Rail Ticket Collection Points
Yesterday, I went to Paddington to go to Reading by train. I needed to pick up a ticket that I’d bought on-line. The process isn’t difficult, although it could be improved, but it would certainly help if you could pick up rail tickets in the machines at important Underground and Overground stations. This is particularly annoying, when say I go to Gatwick and need to pick up a ticket for the last leg at Clapham Junction, as I detailed here.
2. There Needs To Be More Clocks
London doesn’t have a large number of clocks and needs more. I would like to see one ion the various displays like those you see at bus stops and on the platforms at Underground stations. After all, most displays on rail stations have the time.
3. There Needs To Be More Litter Bins
London is not a city with plenty of litter bins, although clear plastic ones have started to appear in stations.
4. Chuggers Need To Be Discouraged
At the moment, the numbers of chuggers seems to have decreased. Perhaps, they’ve all gone on their holidays for the summer. It is so much better on the streets. Or have they all gone to fleece tourists by selling timeshares in Spain?
So perhaps a permanent ban on chugging, would improve life for both Londoners and visitors!
5. Persecute Drivers, Who Don’t Obey Rule 170
I wrote about it here, where drivers don’t obey Rule 170 of the Highway Code, which relates to giving way to pedestrians at junctions.
6. Make Buses Easier To Identify At A Distance
Sometimes at places like the Angel, you can see several buses approaching, but except for the New Buses for London, they all look the same, especially, when the route numbers are obscured by a large truck or van.
As I said here, years ago, some London buses had the number at the front of the roof. Alternatively, the various companies might put flashes of colour higher up.
7. Train Direction Arrows On The Underground
This is one I’d really like to see and I talked about it here. It would mean that if you needed to get in the front or back of the train for your destination station, you could do it with ease.
8. Better Indication Of Walking And Bus Short Cuts Between Stations
Often people take the obvious route between two points and to many that is often the Underground, when it might be better to use a bus or walk. A classic is to get from Waterloo to Liverpool Street station. In my opinion, the best way is to use a 26 bus and it is much quicker than going on a more roundabout route by Underground.
9. More Works Of Art In Stations
There is actually a budget for this, but why don’t they use the inherently secure environment of a station to display large bronze sculptures, that are at risk of being stolen in places like parks?
10. Stop Pavement Blocking by Smokers And Drinkers Outside Pubs, Office Blocks And Stations
There are several places I know, where smokers in particular, block the pavement and make walking past difficult. I don’t know how you’d frame a law, but perhaps councils would lay down a line, which customers must stand inside.
Obviously, with office blocks and stations, it’s up to the owners or tenants.
You Don’t Have To Be Big
I went to Reading today to see Ipswich play. We did lose 2-1, but Jay Tabb scored our goal.
He is not one of the tallest players being only 1.70 m., but judging by the reception he got from the fans at his old club; Reading, he was popular with the fans.
In some ways he reminded me very much of Terry Dyson, who I saw play for Spurs many times in their famous double-winning side of 1960-61. Dyson was very much an irritant and got a lot of his success by being persistent and in the right place at the right time. Tabb seems to play in a similar vein. According to Wikipedia, the much more successful, Kevin Phillips is the same height, and he’s just signed to play in the Premier League at 40. Having met Kevin Keegan, I can attest that he’s not much taller than my 1.71 m.
Given the fact that the next batsman in line to play cricket for England; James Taylor, is only 1.68 m., do we sometimes put overdue emphasis on size?
Another Reason To Go Peer-To-Peer
The Times is reporting today that the Prudential Regulation Authority is going to compel banks to raise another £120 billion in equity over the next few years. Most of this will probably be raised from a whole collection of unsavoury characters ranging from Russian oligarchs to Arab sheikhs, whose biggest things in common other than the money, are being lucky in the first place and a general disregard for human rights and the real people of this world.
In five or so years tine, I wouldn’t bet on any major bank being UK-owned.
So peer-to-peer lending is starting to look even more attractive, as those behind their money, are the general populace of the Internet. My only worry is that the Prudential Regulation Authority, tries to impose its excessive rules on peer-to-peer lenders.
What we also need now, is a company or organisation, that handles all of the payment functions of a bank.
You Can Go And Do It Yourself
There is an article in the comic of the Times today about Jamal Edwards and he uses this phrase and they say it could be his motto.
I like it! And it could have been my motto!
My father always used to say that we’re all the same, sitting on the toilet and to never be afraid of approaching anyone.
I’m Going To Follow David Cameron
On Wednesday, I seemed to get a bruise on my left wrist.
My Bruised Left Wrist
So I think, I’m going to follow David Cameron’s example and not where a watch. but then Sam Cameron doesn’t either and neither did my late wife.
What A Wunch Of Bankers
According to various reports, of which this article in the Mail is typical, the total cost of the PPI scandal is over £18 billion. That works out at four hundred pounds for every adult in the UK.
I got caught, in that when C died, I needed to get a new John Lewis credit card, as previously my card was a second one on her account. But Waitrose didn’t advise me to uncheck the box, if I didn’t want PPI.
I have since got all my money back, by just filling in a form and posting it to their credit card services.
Depression Or Just Fed-Up?
They are talking about depression on BBC Breakfast this morning, saying that more anti-depressants are being prescribed.
Over the years, I used to suffer from mild depression, but generally my mother or later my wife, used to pull me out of it.
Since being diagnosed as a coeliac, fifteen years ago, I haven’t seemed to have suffered much, if at all. And it’s not that I haven’t had something to get depressed about, what with the death of my wife and son to cancer and my stroke!
But then due to my gluten-free diet, I’m getting all the vitamins I need, as my gut now works properly.
But I’ve been rather fed up in the last few weeks, as I don’t like the hot weather, the lack of an intelligent lady to take to art galleries, the theatre or the cinema, the non-progress on my building works and no football to watch live or on the television.
It all gets better this weekend with the football season starting for Ipswich at Reading and Stevenage!
All I really need now, is someone, preferably female and intelligent, to share meals and experiences.
I do wonder how many of those prescribed anti-depressants, just need a decent experience or two to give them a lift!
Hydrogen – The New Green Superfuel
I found this article from one of my Internet trawls. It describes how in remote areas, excess energy from a local wind farm or solar panels can be used to create hydrogen, which is then stored and used as a fuel.
This is very much experimental at the moment, but it is a simple solution to the problem of providing continuous power in remote locations.
We will be seeing lots of sensible solutions like this in the future.
Sri Lanka To Free Elderly Prisoners
I found this report on the Internet. here’s the story.
Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa has ordered elderly prisoners over 60 years of age serving term for minor offences to be pardoned and released.
According to Prisons Rehabilitation and Reforms Minster Chandrasiri Gajadeera, the decision comes amidst a need to reduce the number of prisoners in over-crowded prisons around the country.
Prison sources said that older prisoners who have served more than 10 years of jail term will be released after the necessary papers have been drawn up.
The new legislation, when passed, is expected to reduce the congestion in prisons to an extent.
Sadly, the country has re-introduced the death penalty.
But the first idea should be introduced in this country.
What is actually needed is an on-line database of prisoners, which obviously has anonymised. Then we could see how many prisoners say had had severe strokes or had got dementia and perhaps move them into a more caring regime.
My Devonian Ancestry
I was watching Who Do You Think You Are? last night and it got me thinking about my family tree.
Of the four surnames of my grandparents; three are fairly common, but my maternal grandmother, who incidentally was born in the Balls Pond Road, close to where I live now, had a surname of Upcott. So I typed “surname origin upcott” into the Internet and found this page, which says this.
This name is of English locational origin from one of the four villages so named, all in the county of Devonshire. These “Upcott’s” are to be found in the parishes of Culmstock, Dowland, North Mol;ton and Rockbeare, and all have the same meaning. This is literally “the cottage up (the hill)”
So if she didn’t come from Devon, the name certainly did.
The Anonymous Widower 