1 August 2012

Olympics - Day 5

Day Five..... Now I am into my rhythm. Up at 0730, ablute, then make my sandwiches. Kiss SWMBO, tickle Hilly's ears, and head for the door.

I leave home at a fraction before 0830 so I can hear the legend that is Moira Stewart read the news on Radio 2, before Chris Evans continues his breakfast show.

The drive to Westenhanger is relatively easy, although if you get a truck or bus on London Road then the clock seems to speed up... It can get hairy!

A few minutes to calm down then we are into the three train shuffle that gets me, with some walking between each leg, to the Office.

"Silver Medal latté"
Today, we joke I win gold in Pumpkin. The red haired tattooed lady barista gives me a medium instead of small latté, no extra charge. In hindsight, more like silver rather than gold; there's also a large.

Pumpkin does good coffee. It doesn't bother with all that fake "grande" or "venti" crap you get in the Starbuck's empire. Pumpkin is more of a Luke Skywalker outfit rather than the Empires like Starbuck, Caffè Nero and even Costa.

Carriage F
Then it's onto the ready and waiting 0913 Javelin. Although as they are pointed at both ends and "fly" along at about 140mph, they have been simply called High Speed Trains. Maybe it's for the Olympics that the Hitachi name has been brought into general use.

Today until just before take off I have the front carriage to myself. Despite being the very front, it is labelled F on the overhead display. In Carriage F there are four of us at zero hour.

Such a civilised way to travel.
For the other 48 weeks of the year, the trains plough up from the coast from Margate to London carrying commuters and general travellers to work and for pleasure.

No rubbish on Javelin
For the 4 weeks of the Olympics they have blocked the rubbish (garbage for my US buddies) bins. This is to try and remove a possible terrorist source of bomb hiding. Given that the 7/7 bombers simply exploded their rucksacks sans bin it seems an empty gesture. It means that there is nowhere to dump your expended silver medal latté cup!

NB. The words Olympic and silver medal are used as part of the narrative and are in no way intended to infringe the copyright of LOCOG or the IOC. Similarly the names of coffee shop franchises are used to highlight the smallness of Pumpkin and in no way to the detriment of their brands.....



At the second stop at Ebbsfleet International. This one really is international as like Ashford the Eurostars stop and there are proper border controls and customs. No one gets into F to join us. I suspect the rest of the train is similarly lightly filled....

Rainham Marsh
Once through the tunnel under the Thames we are in Essex, passing Rainham Marsh on the left. A small area now, traditionally a home for water fowl.

And then once past Ford at Dagenham we are underground all the way to journey's end at St Pancras.

Here I notice that despite wearing a maroon polo shirt, a silver medal latté spill or dribble has made a mark, front and centre!!! "Oh bugger"

Only one leg of the journey to go. A long walk underground to the Victoria Line, once we work out how to get off the mezz level Javelin platform.


That nice Richard Branson (Virgin bloke not to be confused with the pickle with a similar name) has provided free wifi in key stations on the Tube network. Kings Cross St Pancras is one. My destination at Highbury and Islington isn't, despite it housing both Underground and London Overground lines. The latter with a 15 minute service to Stratford Olympic Land...

And there you have it. Boy do the athletes have it easy.

Just kidding!!

#FB #ontheroadagain #ineedtoreadmykindleratherthanwriteblogstuff #londonympics2012 #londonerbornandbred #hitachijavelin



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