In late 2006 I began a five day engagement in London, working in the heart of the city. The journey each day took two hours each way, which I filled with music, podcasts, great books, and writing my thoughts in a moleskine notebook. The brain dump usually happened over coffee at Paddington station before venturing into the London Underground, or while squashed between fellow commuters on the way home.
The original five days turned into three months, then six months, a year, and finally two years.
I thought it might be interesting to dig through the scribbled history, and pull out a few days. Today we have the first week, back in December 2006. Perhaps this should become a series of posts over the coming months.
5th December 2006
While walking through the city streets at lunchtime today, I suddenly felt vulnerable, and have no idea why. A number of people were walking behind me, and the thought entered my head “what if they attack me?”. Nobody knows me. Would anybody stop to help? How would I react to being attacked?
6th December 2006
Too wrapped up in Anna Karenina this morning to notice much about the journey in. The connecting train at Bourne End was late - spent 10 minutes on a cold platform. A pretty dark haired girl sat opposite me on the train - it’s the first time I have seen a girl on the journey without a book in her hands.
7th December 2006
Sitting in the Caf above Paddington Station. I’ve come to the conclusion that a cappuccino and a cinnamon roll should be a way of life.
There is a businessman in his late 50s sat across from me. He appears troubled - staring at his cup, nervously drumming his fingers. To my side is a lovely looking lady - mid 40s perhaps - bohemian clothes. She has messy hair, a content face, and is reading the newspaper. She was ahead of me in the queue.
A pidgeon just walked past me! It’s wandering around underneath the tables in the caf - the customers are all smiling at it’s antics. I wonder how long it will last until a member of staff ends it’s adventure?
8th December 2006
Finally on my way home after the week long adventure. I worked with some great people, learned my way around a new area of the city, saw the streets in darkness, cold, wet, frost, and experienced a few wonderful moments in sun drenched freezing fog.
For the first time this week the trains are connecting perfectly on the way home. It feels like I’m being carried by an unseen force - turning the cogs of the unseen machinations ahead of my arrival.
When this week started I entertained visions of leading some kind of dual life for the week - living in the city each day, meeting friends for lunch, wandering the parks during lunch.
The reality turned out to be quite different - leaving home in the dark, being squashed into trains and unable to move, spending 8 hours each day in a faceless office wrestling with monumentally complicated problems, before returning to the subterranean torture chamber in order to escape.
The thing I will perhaps take from the week is the feeling I received upon arrival home in the dark each evening - a hug and a cup of tea are powerful things.
Of course I had no idea at the time that I wasn’t saying goodbye to the city, or my new colleagues at all