a london diary

2000 03 19 sunday

read void gap, the stuff from my move to London, as well as the night's messages (not too many of those though). Some good stuff but I didn't really get round to replying. (it still feels weird using the net from this laptop at home; I'm acutely aware it's dialup and not free, so there's a lot of URLs in there I've not looked at, which is not me. I need to sort that one out.)

finally decided where to head out, then changed my mind (but Woodgrange station's closed on Sundays) go got the bus to Bow Church and the DLR via Poplar to Tower Gateway. Poplar's odd; four platforms parallel to a dual carriageway obviously dating from the 80s right at the foot of Canary Wharf tower, which you couldn't look at because the sun was right next to it. I wasn't sure whether to wander around a bit but decided it wasn't walker friendly.

at Tower Hill I wandered slowly down to the Thames past another film crew and followed the path to Temple. Just as I got by the Thames a short-bodied four engine jet came over, presumably on final approach to City Airport; it looked cool. Watched that for a while. Funnily enough you can't see Canary Wharf from there. The river (and riverside walk) were quite busy.

passed one sign saying "City of London Fuse Box"- thoughts of destroying the entire economy by pulling out one bit of 5 amp wire- and the new 'Millennium' bridge from St Pauls to Bankside, which looks as if it will be quite nice, although I'm not sure I like the idea of spindly bridges over a river like the Thames.

when I got to Temple I realised I had twenty minutes to get to Piccadilly Circus to see Being John Malkovich- the Plaza there is only four quid before 5. managed sort of in time- got the ads, but I had to find my seat in the dark. the film's good, lots of invention in the plot and the direction, all the actors work well, and it's got loads of humour and pathos. recommended.

from there I went west along Piccadilly to Green Park, picked up food and drink, consumed in the park (which is quite nice), made a small incursion into Hyde Park, which is huger than I'd thought, and then into Mayfair, past the US embassy (big, had a policeman outside) before going onto Oxford Street. amazing how busy it is even then (and all the shops are shut).

home via Bond Street tube (there are rats down there, I saw for the first time) and Liverpool Street. on the way back to the flat the moon was high and bright and the planes flashed brightly on their way wherever, but tonight you couldn't see their 'headlights' like you could on Saturday. an ambulance came down my road and I saw a Fire Investigation unit outside the health centre down the road, and a hose spraying water over the road.

another quiet night in tonight- more films tomorrow.

2000 03 19 thoughts

obviously it's all still new, and I still feel it; but I'm not ashamed to pull out the A-Z and explore, and I want to retain a sense of wonder, not become jaded or bored. I imagine it's difficult not to feel an outsider in some parts of the West End anyway, so I'm not too worried about that. London's beauty comes in unexpected places already. I think I like it already.