It’s strange how quickly people adapt to new situations. Despite my apprehension about working in London I had got used to it quickly and the first fortnight had flown by. I spent a few moments of Sunday evening wondering where I was going to explore the next day, until I realised that I would be back in my previous Peterborough office for a 3-day training course.
Back in London on Thursday I was determined to make up for my break away from the city, so when I was asked by workmates where to go for lunch I purposely led them on a whistle-stop tour of as many of London’s landmarks it was possible to see in an hour. Walking along Victoria Embankment past the London Eye and the old City Hall, we journeyed up to the Houses of Parliament and then turned right past the Cabinet War Rooms, the Cenotaph, Downing Street and Horseguards before negotiating the traffic to sit by one of the fountains in Trafalgar Square.
Spending your lunch in the heart of London, in one of the most famous landmarks in the world is an interesting experience. As I ate my lunch I watched the hundreds of tourists as they posed for photos, climbed on the lions and negotiated their way past what is left of the famous pigeons. Doing something everyday like eating your lunch in a location that's a once in a lifetime destination to many international tourists is slightly surreal.
The first time I was in Trafalgar Square would have been about 20 years ago when I enjoyed a fun day out in London with my mum and brother. There were a lot more pigeons then – mainly because bird food was sold to tourists and feeding them was a popular activity. Indeed, one of the highlights of any family’s day out in London was to take handfuls of birdseed and to get as many of the birds to perch on your arms as possible. They don’t sell birdseed in Trafalgar Square anymore as pigeons are now considered vermin rather than tourist attractions. I think I prefer how it used to be.
If the sight of flocks of pigeons used to tell you that you’re in Trafalgar Square, then the sight of joggers today tells you that you’re on the Embankment. I don’t understand why anyone would want to spend their lunchtime getting hot and sweaty in front of tourists by jogging along the riverside streets of London. But many people do it; hundreds pound the streets every day as they use their precious lunchtime to cram in 40 minutes or so of exercise. Embankment joggers come in all shapes and sizes and wear the same face of determination as they weave in and out of sightseers and other workers like myself who have chosen a more leisurely way to spend their lunch hour.
Friday’s lunch hour was as leisurely as you can get, with a beer and a burger in a nearby pub. It’s easy to see why there’s a drinking culture amongst many people who work in London. There’s a lot of temptation and of course you don’t have to worry about driving, so I sympathise with any alcoholics who work in an office in the centre of London. Thankfully I can enjoy my Friday lunchtime pint without feeling the need to spend every lunchtime drinking – after all, there’s a lot more of London for me to see yet.
Friday 20 August 2010
Friday 13 August 2010
2-13 August: From the Houses of Parliament to St Paul’s Cathedral
A fortnight ago I found out that with immediate notice I was going to be working full-time in London. I was naturally both excited and nervous about the move – excited by working in an international city and meeting new people, yet nervous about how I would get on in this new world and how I would manage spending 20 hours a week travelling to and from my Norfolk home.
To make the most of my time in London and to make sure that I got some sort of a break, I promised myself that I would take a full lunch hour every day where I would explore the many streets and sights of our capital city and maybe even bump into a few celebrities. I am fortunate that my new office is very central, just off The Strand and within walking distance of many of London’s major landmarks; so I’m spoilt for choice for places to go to at lunch. Which certainly makes a change from my previous location on an industrial estate on the edge of an unattractive regional city.
So far I’ve trekked south to the South Bank and the Millennium Wheel, west to Downing Street and the Houses of Parliament and east to St Paul’s Cathedral. Between that I’ve sat in the small parks of the Embankment, walked to the OXO Tower, and eaten sandwiches outside the church behind the back of the Savoy Hotel. These lunch hours have been spent in the company of workmates, who like me have found London an inspiring place to work. Admiring world-famous scenery as you eat your sandwiches really does make up for having to endure daily long commutes.
Anything is possible in London. Perhaps that’s why the English branch of the Church of Scientology is located in the City of London, a short walk from St Paul’s and a few steps away from a traditional Church of England church. I had to take a double take as I walked past this ‘church’ which looked more like an office, with its plasma TV screens in the windows displaying messages that attempted to encourage passers by with ‘free refreshments and free presentations’. The juxtaposition of this office-like building, a few steps away from the Church of England church almost didn’t seem out of place, this being London.
London’s not all great of course. It is obviously very dirty, overcrowded and expensive. Just steps away from multi-million pound office buildings are filthy underpasses that stink of urine and are homes to some of the city’s homeless. It is quite incredible that with all the money in the capital, nobody is prepared to pay to clean up the many parts of the city that clearly haven’t been touched for over 30 years.
I celebrated the end of my first fortnight working in London with a pub lunch with workmates. If you’ve got some money and have no ties, London is like a massive playground. There’s so much to do, so many places to go – for someone like me who’s used to provincial towns and small cities, it really all is quite amazing.
I’m determined to make the most of my time in the capital, so will continue touring the many free sights of London Monday to Thursday, before celebrating the end of the working week with a pub lunch on Fridays. I still haven’t seen anyone famous though – not yet anyway.
To make the most of my time in London and to make sure that I got some sort of a break, I promised myself that I would take a full lunch hour every day where I would explore the many streets and sights of our capital city and maybe even bump into a few celebrities. I am fortunate that my new office is very central, just off The Strand and within walking distance of many of London’s major landmarks; so I’m spoilt for choice for places to go to at lunch. Which certainly makes a change from my previous location on an industrial estate on the edge of an unattractive regional city.
So far I’ve trekked south to the South Bank and the Millennium Wheel, west to Downing Street and the Houses of Parliament and east to St Paul’s Cathedral. Between that I’ve sat in the small parks of the Embankment, walked to the OXO Tower, and eaten sandwiches outside the church behind the back of the Savoy Hotel. These lunch hours have been spent in the company of workmates, who like me have found London an inspiring place to work. Admiring world-famous scenery as you eat your sandwiches really does make up for having to endure daily long commutes.
Anything is possible in London. Perhaps that’s why the English branch of the Church of Scientology is located in the City of London, a short walk from St Paul’s and a few steps away from a traditional Church of England church. I had to take a double take as I walked past this ‘church’ which looked more like an office, with its plasma TV screens in the windows displaying messages that attempted to encourage passers by with ‘free refreshments and free presentations’. The juxtaposition of this office-like building, a few steps away from the Church of England church almost didn’t seem out of place, this being London.
London’s not all great of course. It is obviously very dirty, overcrowded and expensive. Just steps away from multi-million pound office buildings are filthy underpasses that stink of urine and are homes to some of the city’s homeless. It is quite incredible that with all the money in the capital, nobody is prepared to pay to clean up the many parts of the city that clearly haven’t been touched for over 30 years.
I celebrated the end of my first fortnight working in London with a pub lunch with workmates. If you’ve got some money and have no ties, London is like a massive playground. There’s so much to do, so many places to go – for someone like me who’s used to provincial towns and small cities, it really all is quite amazing.
I’m determined to make the most of my time in the capital, so will continue touring the many free sights of London Monday to Thursday, before celebrating the end of the working week with a pub lunch on Fridays. I still haven’t seen anyone famous though – not yet anyway.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)