Meeting A Friend At Kings Cross
On Monday, I met a friend, who was travelling from Edinburgh to her daughter’s in Buckinghamshire. A few years ago, this would have been difficult, but now we met and walked into St. Pancras for supper before taking a taxi to Marylebone.
The pictures show the new ticket hall.
We could have ate in any number of places in King’s Cross, including the excellent Leon, whereas a few years ago, it would have just been sandwiches.
The one problem with meeting someone is that as the arrivals area is not finished yet, there is no obvious place to wait. But that will hopefully be sorted when the 1960s extension has been consigned to the dustbin.
London has two of the finest stations in the world sitting side-by-side on Euston Road. It all makes Euston, which is just up the road even more of a dump.
One of the ironies of all of this rebuilding, is that in ten years time, I suspect I’ll think that King’s Cross will be the better station, as it is growing into a superb fusion of the old and the modern. But then I always have a soft spot for Kings Cross as I can remember the A4 Gresley Pacifics in the station. These must be the most iconic steam engines ever produced in the UK.
A Movember Thought
This was yesterday’s Thought of Angel.
A Movember Thought
They do very well at Angel tube station to get a new thought every day.
Essex Road On The Up!
I took this picture yesterday of the Essex Road in Islington, as it approaches Balls Pond Road
Essex Road On The Up!
I remember when the area was very run-down in the 1970s, but now it’s on the up, with some quality shops and businesses.
What is missing though, is a decent coffee shop!
What Should We Do About The Ludicrous EU Budget?
These are not my words, but those of David Cameron speaking in Dubai, reported here on the BBC.
If you want to see the details of where all the EU’s money goes look at this article.
My conclusions from the graphs there are that too much goes on the Common Agricultural Policy and Administration. It is surely about time that the European Parliament was changed to only meet in Brussels. But that would annoy the French.
France Looks To Cable Cars
This article from the Guardian tells how France and other places are looking for cable-car solutions to urban transport problems.
As with many things, the way to a better future is to innovate and use good design.
While The Big Cats Play The Rodents Strike
Whilst most people in the United States are preoccupied by an election, two British rodents and a few friends have struck.
ARM Holdings and Imagination Technologies are part of a consortium that has bought the rights to the majority of the patent portfolio of rival RISC chip business MIPS Technologies. It’s here on The Register.
This could be a very important deal for the British computer technology industry.
European Union Creates An Awful Smell
Apparently, the EU is proposing to ban certain ingredients used in perfumes. It’s all here in the Mail.
If the allergy police were to ban anything, how about stopping gluten in food?
No wonder the EU is so popular with the citizens of Europe.
An Open Letter From The Leader Of Blackpool Council
This letter written by the leader of Blackpool Council and published in the Blackpool Gazette has been discussed on the BBC.
I couldn’t resist penning a reply.
In 2011, to raise money for Cancer Research after the death of my wife and son from the disease, i visited all 92 Football and Premier League clubs alphabetically by public transport.
Of all the towns and cities I visited Blackpool was the worst and most visitor-unfriendly. Turn up at any station and try to get a bus to Bloomfield Road or even find a map. Compare the town to Bournemouth, where the public transport is easily understandable.
But after my experience of Blackpool, I kept asking people I met, within day trip distance, if they ever went to the town. A plumber from Wigan said that he never went although he had many times until a few years ago. But now if he wants a day by the sea, he’ll go to Liverpool or Southport.
Blackpool needs a real change of attitude and must look at everything it does to make sure that it does the best for everybody and every business in the town.
Incidentally, I’m an Ipswich Town supporter and travel to a lot of away games from London where I live. I’ve done Blackpool twice, but I suspect never again, when I can enjoy the friendly atmosphere in places like Barnsley, Burnley, Derby, Hull and Nottingham.
I’m also a coeliac, which means I must have gluten-free food. Last time in the town, all I found was a banana and a coffee. Compare this to the lovely meal I had in that noted holiday resort called Crewe.
As it is I think I kept it quite mild!
The Anonymous Widower 