Woke up around 06:30, watched tv for a while and then checked out. Breakfast wasn’t included and I’d passed a Paul’s bakery in my meanderings last night so headed there. Paul’s is a French chain we discovered in Paris a few years ago and it’s become our go-to place for breakfast or a snack if we find one. Similar to Laurent in Australia.
Got to the station to find there was a strike on the Piccadilly line and no trains were running – ah, this is the England I remember. It wasn’t a big deal because I could get another line that was close. As I walked along the road I noticed it was very quiet – it was 8 o’clock but there were remarkably few people around, and the buses were practically empty. I don’t know why.
Sat down with my coffee and croque Monsieur which is basically a toasted cheese and ham sandwich but with the cheese on the outside – oh, those cheeky French.
Left the cafe at about 09:00 and discovered that the English are just lazy and don’t start work till late because now there were lots of people around and the tube was packed. I’d decided to go to the science museum because I haven’t been since a school trip about 40 years ago and I think there have been some advances since then so they should have some new stuff. It’s also next to the natural history museum so I can pop in there as well. Free admission!
The first thing I see is the James Watt engine – which was still in the same place it was 40 years ago and will probably still be there 40 years from now. I was surprised how many of the exhibits were the same – a mock up of the lunar lander, the Apollo 10 capsule and various aircraft, but I suppose it’s hard to replace this stuff.
There were some new things, including a history of communication including the internet. They had the computer that Sir Tim Berners-Lee wrote html on and developed the web. The actual computer, an Apple Next.
I spent a couple of hours walking around till the hordes of kids made me decide to leave. Popped to a cafe – decided to skip lunch because I had breakfast and was meeting up with some ex work colleagues for dinner so just had a coffee.
Got on the tube back to Tottenham Court Road and walked around marvelling at how much had changed – mind you, it has been 20 years. It started to rain so I did what any sensible person would and went into a pub for a beer. I had a pint of bitter, and you can’t get more English than that. Headed out again and it was still raining, but had a look around Covent Garden – into Neal’s Yard, along Neal’s Road and Long Acre where all the trendy shops are. I had a few hours to kill so decided to go to the movies and saw High Rise. It was weird and strange and the worst film I have ever seen. I read a review that said it was good but I think the critic was on drugs because it was appallingly bad. I was glad to step outside into the cold and rain, it was much more cheery than the film.
I headed over to the pizza place where I was meeting my friends.
I used to work with them about 20 years ago; there was drinking and talk of the good old days and we all politely didn’t mention how we were all much older and fatter.
Got the train back to Ipswich.
