I had to visit a client in London this morning to rescue them - their web database server had gone down, and I was chosen to don the cape and fly in - well, trundle in on the train.
The day started for me at 5am this morning. I woke with a start as W clambered across the bed. My body clock must have shouted “you’ll miss the train” - and my face must have said it too… W’s voice said “It’s okay - go back to sleep”, and I did.
I then woke up again at 5 to 6.
Up, out of bed, downstairs, shower, brush teeth, get dressed, pack bag, and at 6:50 I was on my way to the train station. We live about 10 minutes walk from the local station, which once upon a time was probably a proper station - it now exists as “the end of the line”, and not a proper line either. A rickety old two carriage train goes back and forth between Marlow and Bourne End, where the line from Paddington in London comes to an end. I think the only reason Marlow still has a train station is because there are too many people with too much money living there.
After buying a ticket I switched off and just listened to music to while away the journey. This route follows the river Thames for quite a distance, and it’s usually very picturesque in the early hours - with rabbits hopping about on the bank, ducks with their young families, and lunatics out running. This morning there were two white birds flying figure-eights over the river, catching flies in a display of balletic aeronautics.
As the train stopped at station after station it slowly filled up with passengers; by the time we arrived at Paddington all the seats were taken. Something that always surprises me on the train is how many people try to use their laptop computers. Not only does it annoy the crap out of the people around them, but how much can they really get done in their few minutes on the train?
Paddington was it’s usual self - thousands of people flowing around the platforms like a sea of bobbing heads. I became as annoyed as usual with the general ignorance displayed by some people. I got walked into about 4 times while trying to walk across the station floor… I wouldn’t mind, but I’m not small!
I had now arrived in London, but the aim of the trip was to visit a building at Westminster - just across the road from the houses of parliament. This meant buying an underground train ticket, and descending into London’s ancient underground railway tunnels. If you’ve seen the movie “American Werewolf in London” you know exactly what it looks like down there - and I’m reminded of that movie every time I visit.
Strangely there was room on the trains this morning (well… there was at 8:30 when I went through the system). Usually the underground in London is a f*cking nightmare. You typically have to wait for two or three trains to go through before you cram onto one, leaving an inch behind you for the door to close. I’m reminded of the last time I did this run through London, and a very pretty girl was crammed in front of me on the train… she knew I was there, and knew I was carrying a case… I’m sure she backed her ass into my hand on purpose. What defence does a guy have in that kind of situation? I can’t back away, and she didn’t react at all - she just stood there pushing her ass into my hand… I probably went a wonderful shade of crimson.
Arriving at Westminster tube station is always a bit different - because it’s right next to the houses of parliament, it’s built very different than any of the other stations - you get the idea (looking at the architecture) that it’s probably nuclear proof. There seem to be huge locked passages leading off towards the government buildings too. No doubt there are escape tunnels built in.
Coming up out onto the street at about 8:55 I walked past the statues of Winston Churchill and Oliver Cromwell, and the place where a protester was removed on the news the other night… then of course I arrived at the destination and my mind filled with technical geekery. Funny how it does that.
45 Minutes later I exited said building, and repeated the exact same journey, only in reverse. I didn’t actually walk backwards, but I may well have done for the difference it would have made. Actually, it wasn’t exactly the same - I bought food on the way home…