Posts Tagged ‘London’



Noticeable Increase in London Police Presence

Wednesday, June 4th, 2008

A quick one, and not the best title I know.  But there’s been a noticeable increase of late in police numbers onthe streets around the office, and in tube/train stations on the way home.  Over the last fortnight, I’ve noticed at various times during the week there being at least 20 or 30 (and possibly many more on platforms and other lines) police officers putting in a presence at both Green Park station, Waterloo and Twickenham stations.

One of the guys at work was stopped randomly was searched (padded down, emptied bags, etc) under the terrorist act (can’t say No, basically), in Green Park station on the way home the other night, nothing came of it, of course.  And completely unrelated, but the police have closed off a lane outside the office and are searching cars too.  Though that’s probably licensing, more than anything.

Police! Slow

A completely unrelated sign I spotted whilst on my way to the rugby on the weekend

It really makes me wonder though, since I’ve been here (especially since attempted car bombings in June* last year) there’s been an on/off police presence, which in a weird way I find oddly reassuring.  But it begs the question, “Why the sudden spikes in activity, and then nothing for a few days?”. Are these really just random, routine acts in a way that could make the public feel safer and feel like the government/metro police are doing something?  Or is there something more sinister going on?

I’m no conspiracy theorist, but suspicious one inside me notices an alarming difference between one police/security officer whom you may see at a stationi entrance or patrolling the street, and literally an army of officers stopping/searching/charging people as they go about they’re daily commute.

I still can’t help but think these stop and searches could be better conducted in the problem areas, not the terrorism problem, but the problem that is still gripping London, and thats youth gang stabbings and warfare.  I’d have to guess and say you’d be far more likely to find a butterfly knife on a dodgy looking youth in Brixton, than anything of Terrorist nature in the bag of an otherwise innocent Software developer in Mayfair.  Priorities!

But, in the end, we’ve just got to forget about it and get on with the task of getting home, god knows I’m not going to walk the whole distance.

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Wedding

Thursday, May 22nd, 2008

Damn, it’s been the better part of 3 weeks since I made that nutty 2am post about feelings and love and stuff, which sets a new standard in the life of HD911.  Yes, its the longest time between posts yet, and I’ll have to make sure it doesn’t happen again.

We’ll pick up where I left off last time.  The day of the wedding turned out to be a complete success, which could be caused by the fact it was planned rather quickly.  It’s weird, that I’d guess the more thought and planning that was actually put into the event, the more things that can possibly go wrong.  A win-win situation for us really.  And the room the ceremony was held in, The Rosetti Room (Kensington & Chelsea Registry Office), was really pretty, though probably not as nice as it seems, on the website. Damn those photographers and your snazzy cameras.

Most of the weddings I’d been to previously were the church ceremony type affair, with the waiting, and the preparation, and the priest, and the music, and the crying, and the flower girls.  This was nothing like that at all, simply a nice, quiet room with a few friends and family and a registrant in the corner.  No sooner had I walked in to the room and heard 3 seconds of Have I told you lately by Van Morrison, that I had a ring on my finger and was walking back out the front door again, marching down the stairs with my new viiife (the lovely Catherine).

The Apprentice

The day continued to get better and better as we arrived at the London Apprentice in Isleworth about 11:00am and the sun was out, bright and blaring.  There’s no other way of describing it, apart from, “bloody awesome”. The turn out was really good as well with a few family and friends from each of our places of business.

This was about 2:00pm in the afternoon, I was already a little weary.  Who’s that fella on the right?

But I won’t comment any further, as I really can’t remember much after about early afternoon.

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What is the world coming to?

Tuesday, January 1st, 2008

We went out for what was a good, cheap New Years Eve at a local pub. I have to question, is drug use becoming such a problem you have to check everyone’s nostrils as they enter the pub or each time they leave the toilet. After I made the mistake of breaking the seal, I was forced to tilt my head a total of about ten times as a burley looking bouncer shined a UV light in my nose. Funny at first, annoying as hell after the first few times though!

Note to self. Next year start saving in October/November so I can afford Christmas and New Years and go to a classier establishment. Weatherspoon’s, pretty much the cheapest pub in town and attracts a younger rougher crowd.

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New Years 2007/2008

Monday, December 31st, 2007

Here I sit, broken hearted, tried to….

 

Well actually, I’m not by any means broken hearted and I havent tried to do anything yet, although I might go home a couple of hours and try to get horrendously drunk so I can bring in the new year on a high note.  But for now, here I sit, not broken hearted, but bored and starting to feel slightly insane as the only thing I’ve heard in the last 4 hours has been the drone of the server behind me and the bright downlights of the office are flickering in peripheral vision like stars in the sky.

 

Yes, its New Years Eve, and I’m in the office, and apart from the doorman upstairs I haven’t seen/heard anything all morning.  Looking up into the street outside seems to be the same story… Noones here, they’re all sleeping in, or commencing drinking to bring in the new year.  Or perhaps they’re playing Scrabble with a monkey, at least that’s what I should be doing.

 

But I made a decision this morning, and that was to get out of bed at 6:30AM to venture in to the city as I assumed everyone would be back after the christmas break.  If I hadn’t just paid £11.20 (yes, thats almost $30AUD) for a return ticket to get here and back, I probably would have gone straight home again.  But I did, so I won’t.

 

 

I thought I should take this oppurtunity to say Happy New Year all, as the people on the East Coast of Australia are merely minutes away from the moment, and those in Perth are not (surprisingly) far behind.

I’ve never been one for New Years Resolutions as I know I’ll break them, but due to recent changes in attitude toward a few things maybe I’ll give it a try this year.  So here goes:

  1. In the eternal quest for money, and much more of it, launch ShanCo (or similar, better name) and start working to produce side income
  2. Stop fart arsing around, believing that eating soup for lunch and walking to and from the train station is enough healthy food and exercise to become fit and lose weight, even though I work in a job all day that requires sitting, food and alcohol consumption (although I do occasionally use a computer too)
  3. Get these Christmas presents sent home, somehow Christmas presents in February doesn’t cut the mustard, it’ll have to do anyway though.
  4. Definitely don’t extend this contract as much as you want to, you have to get out and get some more experience elsewhere.
  5. Think about drinking less, then trick yourself by storing beer in Orange Juice bottles in the fridge
  6. Continue the proud Guiness Thursday tradition, but think of ways to improve on the concept
  7. Travel?

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Twickenham – The Move, a distinct possiblity now

Tuesday, October 23rd, 2007

Twickenham

It’s semi official, we’re moving! We found this great little place almost in the center of Twickenham, about 5 minutes walk (if that) from the train station and bus stops, and about 15 minute walk to Richmond. So yes, my only worry about moving to Twickenham, that which I’d be way too far away from the Train station is soon to be err…. quashed. The place is a 3-storey attached town house with about 10 pubs (including one 50m away which sells Cornish Tribute Ale), at least 10 restaurants, a hospital, and supermarket all within the radius of about 150 metres. It has two large double/king size bedrooms, a smaller double guest room, huge bathroom, great kitchen and biggish living & dining rooms. Then a great big outdoor area as well, with decking which should be good for sunny afternoons and the occasional shindig.

A tribute to a fantastic ale

This is great, as I firstly hated the thought of a 20-30 minute walk to the train station in the wet/hail/snow/etc, and didn’t want to be further than a short walking distance away from food, people, ameneties, etc. As I’ve said before, I didn’t move to London to not be 100m away from the nearest pub, and as long as we get the place, this will be a perfect compromise between those who love built up, close to city living (me), and outer, less noise living (them).

We looked at another place on Saturday morning which was cheap as hell (cheaper than the place we’re putting the deposit on), and fantastic inside, huge decked out kitchen, nice rooms upstairs, lovely big back yard, but it was just too damn far away from town. To walk from where we are moving (1min from Twickenham High St) to the place we looked at on Saturday would have been close to 30-40 minutes walk. Not good enough, without horses, cars or a swift segway.

Back on the topic of beer again (I know, I know), the BEST thing about Twickenham is that all the pubs appear to have a wide range of beers on sale, I’ve been into 5 pubs, and so far they’ve all had 10+ tap beers/ciders each all with different beers in each. Compare that to the pubs in Hounslow, as well as the few pubs I’ve been to in Mayfair/Piccadilly Circus where they’ve only got two ales and the usual Guiness, Stella and Carling or similar and its a huge change.

Bring on the new house, new area, new beer, shall we drink to it on many occasion.

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Mayfair… Mayfair

Sunday, October 21st, 2007

I’ve got basically nothing in interesting (or internet worthy, though is any of this?) going on at the moment, so I thought I’d share another story of the suburb I work. Walking down the road whilst getting some food at lunch and smelt the relatively unfamilar smell of ganja wafting down the road in front of me. 11am on a Monday morning, two guys in suits were walking down the street in an apparently upmarket suburb smoking a joint. Enough said?? WTF?

And then on Thursday morning, I was walking the other way to get coffee, and a guy in his suit talking to someone on his phone lent down toward the wall, and threw up all over the ground.. twice. The whole time he was still casually talking on his phone, afterwards, stood up composed himself and walked off. That was gross, his spew was green, I think he was an alien.

 

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The move to Twickenham (Living it up in London)

Wednesday, October 17th, 2007

We’re in the process of finding a place at the moment in Twickenham, to move out with our two American friends. This has advantages for all as, firstly we get to move out of Hounslow, they pay less rent and council tax, and we get to live it up, the London way. Shared living!

Hounslow to Twickenham

But why Twickenham? After all, our new house is going to be at most 4 or 5 miles away from our current house, which seems like a bit of a waste when you consider the need to buy furniture, pay bond, pay 6 weeks rent, get Sky/Interent & Phone line installed, and the list goes on. It’s all about the location though, Twickenham has pubs, restaurants, and upmarket food supermarkets, Hounslow has a discount mall, and a shed load of transport links to London. This is London though, there’s supposed to be a pub (a good pub, that is) on every street corner. Thus the move to Twickenham must happen, ideally though, I’d like to be closer to the city, and somewhere on the tube line, but I’ll go with the flow.

Bring it on!

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