The Anonymous Widower

How I Was Imprisoned In A Pizza Restaurant And Driven Home By The Metropolitan Police

At lunchtime today, I received a phone call, saying that my GP’s surgery could see me at 16:30 this afternoon, to discuss my lack of sleep, arthritis and various strains and pains.

My middle son; Henry had expressed a desire to be at such an appointment, so I said, that if he could chauffeur me to the GP, he could come along.

His diary co-operated and he duly arrived outside my house at 16:00.By the time of the GP’s appointment, we had parked conveniently outside the surgery and we had been ushered into the GP’s consulting room.

We had a good meeting and by just after five, we had broken up and agreed a comprehensive plan for the diagnosis of my problems.

Henry had three problems of his own.

  • He had legal work to do for the morning.
  • He needed to do some bits of shopping.
  • He also said, that he was feeling rather hungry.
  • I too was hungry and needed to do some  shopping.

So I suggested we drive to Southgate Road and see if we could get a pizza in Sweet Thursday.

  • They do gluten-free pizzas, so I would have no dietary worries.
  • In previous meals, I have found the quality excellent.
  • There are shops nearby, where we could shop, if we needed.

As I approached the restaurant, I decided we had made the right decision, as there was a parking space about twenty metres from the restaurant.

We both had similar meals.

  • Ham and mushroom pizzas, although mine was gluten-free.
  • I drunk a zero-alcohol Lucky Saint, whilst Henry had a Diet-Coke.
  • We both finished off, with two scoops of appropriate ice cream.

It was only, when we had paid and tried to leave that we got a very big surprise.

Parked in front of the restaurant with its disabled ramp extended, like some beached airliner was a 141 bus, that was empty of passengers.

  • There was broken glass at the front of the bus.
  • Was this evidence, that the bus had hit something or somebody?
  • The police had strung white tape everywhere.
  • There were half-a-dozen police cars and ambulances blocking Southgate Road.

Henry’s car wouldn’t be going anywhere for some time, as it was blocked in by two ambulances and a police car with flashing blue lights.

  • So, Henry and I each had a coffee, to pass the time.
  • We also made friends with others trapped in the restaurant.
  • Henry also obtained information from the police, that no-one would be moving, until it was known that no-one would be moving until the full state of the injuries of the person hit by the bus was known.

So Henry and I just sat there with several others on the hard chairs in front of the restaurant.

In the end, for me, it was over very quickly.

  • I live about a kilometre North of the incident.
  • Some were walking from the incident to the Balls Pond Road to get a bus.
  • I am fairly sure, Henry had told the police, that it was far too far for me to walk with my arthritic hip.

I was put in the back of a police car and ferried home, at about 21:45.

Thanks to the Metropolitan Police.

I have some further thoughts.

Do I Drink Enough?

Since lunchtime, I have drunk the following.

  • 4 x 330 ml – Adnams Ghost Ship 0.5 % Beer
  • 1 x 330 ml – Lucky Saint 0.5 % Beer
  • 300 ml – Assorted water and juices.
  • 1 cup – coffee.

Is that enough?

I certainly slept better last night!

 

 

July 30, 2024 Posted by | Food, Health, Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

A Diversion To Severn Beach

After my trip to Cardiff yesterday was curtailed by a signalling problem, I ended up at Bristol Temple Meads station.

After checking the timetable, it occurred to me, that it would be easy to take a diversion to Severn Beach station before I took a train back to London.

I took these pictures on the journey.

Note.

  1. Stapleton Road station has massive ramps.
  2. Stations like Redland and Avonmouth have interesting art works.
  3. The Avon, several wind turbines and the Secon Severn Crossing can all be seen.

This Google Map shows the location of Severn Beach station.

Note.

  1. The M4 and the Second Severn Crossing are at the top of the map.
  2. The rail station icon marking Severn Beach station at the bottom of the map.

This second Google Map shows the area of the station.

Note.

  1. Shirley’s Cafe, where I bought my ice cream.
  2. The cafe does gluten-free breakfasts.
  3. The promenade, where I took the pictures of the Second Severn Crossing.
  4. The long platform in the station.
  5. The fare from Bristol Temple Meads was only £1.95 for a return with my Senior Railcard.

Severn Beach looks to be a good place to go for a walk.

These are pictures I took at and around the station.

We need more ice  cream sellers in or near stations.

Portway Park & Ride Station

Portway Park & Ride station is a new station currently under construction.

I took these pictures as the train passed.

This Google Map shows the location of the station.

Note.

  1. The parking is to the South of where the M5 and A4 cross.
  2. The blue dot at the South of the site marks the single-platform station.
  3. The buses from the Park & Ride run every twelve minutes.
  4. The trains are only an hourly service.

From the pictures, it looks like the station will be opening soon.

I would hope that the access to the parking from the major roads is good.

Improving The Line

I was a bit worried that I’d miss the train back, so I only had an ice cream, but if the trains were more frequent, I might have had a drink in the cafe as well.

Under Future in the Wikipedia entry for the Severn Beach Line, the following is said about train frequency.

Improved services along the line are called for as part of the Greater Bristol Metro scheme, a rail transport plan which aims to enhance transport capacity in the Bristol area. There is an aspiration for half-hourly services, however due to the large sections of single-track and the congested main line from Temple Meads, such frequency is not currently feasible. However, it is expected that with the four-tracking of Filton Bank, including the Severn Beach line between Temple Meads and Narroways Hill Junction, that there will be sufficient capacity to allow half-hourly services.

Two trains per hour (tph) would be a good improvement.

This is also said.

Plans also call for the reopening of the Henbury Loop Line, which could allow a service from Temple Meads to Bristol Parkway via the Severn Beach line.

After my experiences yesterday, a more frequent route between the two major Bristol stations must be a good idea.

Zero-Carbon Trains

Given the route and its length and location, the Severn Beach Line must be a candidate for battery or hydrogen power.

May 20, 2023 Posted by | Food, Transport/Travel | , , , , , | Leave a comment

I Can’t Wait Until The Sixth Of November

This morning, I wanted to go between Moorgate and Romford stations.

Because the Elizabeth Line is not fully joined up, I wanted to avoid a long walk.

So I had decided, that the best way to go would be.

  • Hammersmith and City Line from Moorgate to Mile End.
  • Central Line from Mile End to Stratford.
  • Elizabeth Line from Stratford to Romford.

Note that both interchanges are cross-platform ones, so it is certainly a route with the minimum of walking.

When I got to Moorgate station, it appeared that there were problems with the Hammersmith and City Line, so assuming that things would be OK from Whitechapel, I took the Lizzie Line one stop to try my luck from there.

But my luck was out and after waiting for about twenty minutes in a stationary District Line train for a lift to Mile End station, I gave up and returned to the Lizzie Line, where I took a train to Canary Wharf station.

I’d changed between the Lizzie and Jubilee Lines before and wrote about it in Changing Trains At Canary Wharf Station – 13th June 2022.

I had not been impressed, as I’d found it a long walk.

But this time, I followed a route between the Eastern ends of both stations, which goes past Waitrose in the shopping centre. Opposite Waitrose was this stall.

That looks good for a pit stop. Badiani 1932 appear to have realised that London has a chronic shortage of ice cream and have opened a number of shops.

Once on the Jubilee Line, I finally got to Stratford and walked to the Lizzie Line for Romford Station.

What Had Caused All The Delays?

It appeared there had been a power supply problem on the Hammersmith and City Line.

Conclusion

Once Crossrail is fully open, it will be a bypass around problems like today.

 

August 31, 2022 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

To Abbey Wood For An Ice Cream

Yesterday, I went to Abbey Wood station to see what was there.

If you continue along the Elizabeth Line platforms, you come to a ground level step-free entrance to the platforms. So I used this route and found a rather nice shop, where I had a proper ice cream.

We need more proper ice cream outlets in London.

Crossness

Abbey Wood station is probably the best access point for one of London’s best tourist attractions; Crossness. I visited Crossness during Open House and wrote about it in Open House – Crossness.

These are some pictures I took in 2012.

Crossness should be on everyone’s bucket list. The site is now managed by the Crossness Engines Trust.

But getting there by public transport is not easy.

In my view what is needed is either a shuttle bus from Abbey Wood station or perhaps modification to an existing route, so that it calls at Crossness.

The Joining Up Of The Elizabeth Line

I asked a station guy, when the three sections of the Elizabeth Line would be joined up.

He gave me a straight answer – The 6th of November.

This is twelve Sundays from today.

 

 

August 16, 2022 Posted by | Food, Transport/Travel | , , , , | 2 Comments

Has Marine Ices Closed?

We used to live on the other side of Primrose Hill from Chalk Farm and several times went to the famous Marine Ices ice cream parlour on Chalk Farm Road.

I was shocked to see the parlour all shut up and derelict.

Has Marine Ices Closed?

Has Marine Ices Closed?

But everything had an explanation and because of the retirement of the Mansi family, the building has been sold and the parlour moved to new premises closer to Camden Town.

Long may the business continue under the ownership of a new family.

January 1, 2015 Posted by | Food | | Leave a comment