Mat Bowles

London’s hot…

Weekend in London, for those who’d forgotten Friday before the club
Journey up was cool, I’m beginning to like coach travel, I can sit, read, walk up and down the aisle if need be and I’ve never encountered a random nut. I read the first Sin City collection, and Tom Holt’s Portable Door (which is worth a read if you’re looking for light and amusing, which I was at the time). Got to Victoria, negotiated the tude and got directions from in order to get to the Dev(onshire Arms, Camden), but promptly took a wrong turn outside Camden Town tube. Fortunately, I bumped into Marie, who pointed me int he right direction and we chatted a little; she was flyering for a club that wasn’t S-C, which meant she wouldn’t be joining us. Ah well.

The Dev is cool, I’d never been there before and am glad it didn’t shut. Walked in (brief bag check at the door, to be expected), and Mike shouted hello. He was sat at a table with a rather cute young lady, so I joined them. Mike introduced us, and we slowly gathered more people until eventually we were all gathered and able to leave. Louise (gothic Britney for Exeter types) hasn’t changed much, she just wears less these days) eventually arrived with her bloke, so we were off; the other half agreed to meet us at the club, and we wandered, me with bags on shoulder.

First to Kings X, where I managed to get the last £20 note out of the only working cashpoint (much to Loiuse’s blokes chagrin, and ours as we had to find more cashpoints), but it was rather amusing. We then met/found Logan, who I recognised instantly as another former Bunker regular but beyond that didn’t really know him. Went tot he pub he works in, met up with Christy, Ashley and bloke; didn’t recognise them at first, then remembered them, more Exeter types. Um, why was London full of people from Devon? Still, we stayed in the pub for a bit, then wandered off to the club (this took some badgering, my bags were heavy, and turning up there after 11pm involves the long queue which I didn’t fancy).
Synthetic Culture
Was cool. said hello almost immediately, and was pointed out to me; he’d not only made it, but had an attractive girl draped all over him. Which explained why I didn’t notice him at first. Chatted a lot, to various people, wandered around the club, even danced a little. As usual, too hot to stay inside for too long, and can never decide which floor to stay on. The new(ish?) top floor DJ, ? impressed while I was up there, but I’ve never liked the top floor dance area much, always seems cramped, like an afterthought.

Met who is, um, interesting? Or would completely crackers be a better description? Still, having her point out to the rest of us which direction to look at for the next attractive girl in revealing outfit was useful, she’s better at it than I am; impressive. Good taste though. Fatigue did get the better of me eventually; got a big hug from the cute girl I met in the Dev, she’d by that time hooked up with some bloke, but I was barely coherent by that stage. At the end of the evening, I suggested to and that we go upstairs so we could sit. This we did, but immediately we got there my body rebelled and I pretty much switched off, so apologies for the lack of conversation.

Travelled hom in the early hours, interesting to get back to Mike’s as the sun rose. Slept a lot.
Saturday
We, um, slept. Probably a good point that we never actually arranged to meet up with anyone, Mike woke up before me, but neither of us was int he mood to do much, I think I actually managed coherence at about 2pm, but didn’t manage to move for at least 2 hours after that. Finished Portable Door, Mike played games, I collected the Crusade DVDs (, remind me to bring them up for you?) and we decided to go into Wimbledon to get some food as his flat didn’t have any and I couldn’t be arsed to think. Found a dirt cheap but very good basic cafe, worth remembering if ever in need of something very basi near his place. We then split up, he drove off ti his parents, I went into town.

Checked into a hotel, with the intention of having a quick shower and going into town or possibly going to Slimelight. Um, yeah. Collapsed on the bed, grabbed the next book (King Rat by Miéville) and read/dozed/slept. Ah well, the bed was comfortable and the room was OK.
Sunday
Checked out of hotel, left my heavy bag and the read books in the luggage room, sorted my bus ticket out at Victoria (decided to take the 18.30 back) and then started walking. All before noon; surely some mistake?

Wandered to the river, no particular plan, found Battersea and the dogs home, and eventually took a tube to Camden after getting fed up with building sites blocking the Thames Walk. Nice though; need to buy shoes designed for walking/dancing instead of the office. In Camden, I went to the Greek/whatever cafe north of the Lock; they do a damn fine Frappé. Wondered around the markets and lock area, love the place, then headed back, noticing Virgin had another sale on I wondered in. 3 DVD purchases later (Clockwork ORange, PRincess Bride, Citizen Kane) I left, and went to the station. Um, you aren’t allowed to take a tube from Camden on Sunday afternoons? WTF? Admittedly, it was pretty much impossible to get to the entrance, swarms of people leaving. So, I decided to walk to KEntish Town. The map made it look close. Stopped at a bookstore half way, bought 3 books (Fforde’s TN-3 and 2 real life politics/history related books) and eventually got the tube to Bank.

OK, riddle me this. Bank station is right next to the Old Lady; this makes sense. In the same square as the Bank is also Mansion House, where the Lord Mayor lives. This makes sense. Why is the tube station called Mansion House nowhere near? Still, good to see it all in daylight, architecture and old buildings always appeal. Then walked to the river to see the wobbly/Millenium Bridge. Looked cool, couldn’t be arsed to walk across it, so sat and read for a bit. Then walked along the riverside, grabbed a snack in a cafe and headed towards Victoria by way of Covent Garden and Leicester Square.

Nearly got lost finding the coach station, but got the bus on time and read the rest of King Rat on the way home; for his first novel, it’s damn good, and his later stuff is much better. Looking forward to his next book now.

Have I mentioned I love London? A great weekend, and I’m really considering looking into options to move there now. It occurs I could go up there to do a PGCE, but living in London while completely skint may not be the best plan.

August 23rd, 2005 Posted by MatGB | Uncategorized | 13 comments