You Don’t Get Behaviour Like This On The Dalston Omnibus!
This tragic tale from Biggleswade, shows what you get when you mix two men of my age, shopping and an argument over parking.
You certainly don’t get any behaviour like this on the Dalston omnibus to or from Waitrose at the Angel. The most outrageous behaviour I saw, was a guy laughing at two ladies sitting beside each other who were probably about fifty years old; one black and one white, who’d both hurt a leg and their hospitals had furnished them each with one crutch. Everybody saw the funny side! Especially the ladies!
I do wonder sometimes, why people bother with driving. I miss it like a hole in the head!
I’ve actually never been to Asda and if you get killed in their car parks, I doubt I will now!
A Busy Last Sunday At The Dalston House
The last Sunday of the Dalston House was busy as the pictures show.
The Dalston House was one of those exhibitions, that if money could have been found, could have gone on longer.
Sadly, they didn’t let Heidi the basset hound climb the wall. Now that would have been a sight!
I Think The Cricket Is Heading For A Draw In The Rain
England have avoided the follow on, and it looks like the weather is going to do what Manchester is famous for; rain.
So what are the odds on a draw? The draw is four to one on, on Betfair.
The bookies are usually right!
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.
The Crossrail Bypass Is Getting There
Over the last few weeks, I’ve travelled quite a few times on the Hammersmith and City branch of the Metropolitan line.
It used to be very much a line, that was past its best, with elderly C-Stock trains and dark and dingy stations.
But it is getting so much better, and I think now half the journeys I do on the line are in the new air-conditioned S Stock trains. In fact in this hot weather, I will use this line to avoid the deep tunnels, just like my father used to do.
We’ve also seen improvements to the stations, especially at Farringdon, Kings Cross and Paddington.
When Crossrail opens, it will link to the Hammersmith and City branch, at Whitechapel, Liverpool Street, Moorgate, Farringdon and Paddington stations, effectively giving Crossrail users, easy one-change access to a lot more stations.
It will truly be a Crossrail by-pass.
Canal Moorings With Their Own Station
When I came back from Reading into Paddington station yesterday, I walked to the back of the Inter City 125 train and took the bridge to the Metropolitan line station. Before catching my train to get home, I ventured outside to look at the new entrance, which has just opened.
As you can see the entrance is by the canal and the Paddington Basin. It’s obviously not finished yet and won’t be until Crossrail opens in a few years.
It is an area, that is crying out for a decent cafe, restaurant or bar.
Getting To The Madejski Stadium At Reading Is Getting Easier
I last went to the Madejski stadium at Reading a couple of years ago and it wasn’t an easy journey!
But today’s trip was a lot easier.
As the new Metropolitan line station at Paddington s now almost complete, I go to Paddington using that line, by getting a bus to either Barbican, Kings Cross or Euston Square stations. It’s then just a matter of walking over the bridge to the requisite platform.
I got a train direct to the new Reading station and then walked a couple of hundred metres to get one of the umpteen buses to the stadium.
The journey will probably get better, as the two stations are completed in a few years time.
Crossrail should also improve the journey, but I’m not sure how at present, as I’ll still have to do part of the journey by bus.
It’ll be interesting to see how I do this journey in a few years.
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?
A Great Victorian Masterpiece Gets Exposed
St. George’s Hall in Liverpool is one of the UK’s greatest buildings. In 1969 the architectural historian Nikolaus Pevsner expressed his opinion that it is one of the finest neo-Grecian buildings in the world.
Until the 18th of August, it is a must-visit building, as they are exposing the magnificent Minton floor. It’s reported here on the BBC.
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.
The Anonymous Widower 