Wildewire

  The only real problem about my London trip (apart from the expense) was my inability walk far or at a reasonable pace before having to let the blood vessels in my legs recover! There was a minor scare with the place I stayed as I'd got the wrong house number, but the room was clean and I only really wanted somewhere to dump my bags and kip so it suited fine. It took me ages to work out how to buy a ticket and use the underground so I ended up being late to meet my lecturer friend at a pub near Goldsmith's. We had some dinner and then I went to see a couple of friends from 'Basement' days. Ubered back. The day of the wedding i somehow walked all the way down Oxford St on the way to the Actors Centre*/ I met Leon in St Martin's Lane and we had a long chinwag. The Actors Centre is now 'The Seven Dials Playhouse'. I spoke to a (frankly comical) 'Receptionist' when I got to the space. He told me that they had "Rebranded" with such a distinctiv...

So, I'll be wending my way 'dahn sarf' on Friday to be at a friend's wedding on Saturday.  This will be my first visit to London for three (?) years. I've known about this since last autumn but I confess a slight but growing anxiety as the day finally approaches. I was completely shocked by the prices being charged by allegedly "budget" hotels- not far off what i used to pay for a month's rent in Newcastle for just TWO NGHTS in London! The place I found has cost me £179, is not far from Baker St and looks pretty scruffy! I don't really intend to be there much- check in, drop bags, head for Deptford, meet a couple of friends, back to digs, up next day, breakfast en route, wedding (which is on the outer edges north of London), back to digs and train back on Sunday morning. I can't pin down the source of my anxiety apart from the sheer number of things that could go wrong starting with getting to the station- taxi or bus? Its a bank holiday, how w...