a london diary

2000 03 17 friday

first weekend night in London. thought about going to the event mentioned in NTK but decided instead to go for Neil at work's birthday do at a place near Liverpool Street called Home. took a while to read and compose email so I was there later than I wanted to be but still arrived before the rest of the people from work.

took a while to settle in, but eventually talked to a few people in the incestuous numeeja scene, enjoyed myself and stayed past the last train back, so enjoyed the night bus experience (going past the new Lloyds building on the way, which looks good at night with no-one around). got home ok- even got a seat on the bus- despite falling asleep; I woke up just as the bus reached the zone 3/4 boundary which is lucky as that's where my travelcard expires. coincidence, or is my body learning the bus route?

2000 03 18 saturday

woke up with a bit of a hangover, had breakfast (good thing I went to Tescos on Friday) and tried to sort out stuff, but didn't really manage. went on the first expedition of the weekend, East Ham to St James' Park. It's dead quiet there at weekends, but the walk through the park to the ICA was good; picked up some flyers for stuff (will have to miss William Gibson talking there- shame that) and looked at books they had that no-one else does.

then up to Piccadilly Circus, leapt on a bus (travelcards rock) to Hamleys (amazingly they did have some cheap lego, even more amazingly I didn't buy it), then wandered via Muji to Berwick Street where I was looking for records. Got the new Mira Calix (it's OK, not great- might grow on me though) and Death in Vegas' Contino Sessions, which is pretty good at first listen, although often more mellow than Aisha, which isn't a completely bad thing.

Ambient Soho also had good stuff, but I held off buying; might go back later. Thence to Charing Cross Road, for bookshops; went into a specialist sci-fi shop which was OK, and a great comic shop (had Watchmen, Crying Freeman (collected 2 volume edition) and V for Vendetta, but no Signal to Noise- dunno where to get that).

home via Stratford Safeways and had food, vegged out after Friday. tried to find my (void) archive on CD and failed- where is it?