Over six months ago I failed to find inexpensive accommodation on the South East Coast for Durham’s visit to Sussex and took a punt on the possibility of the County Cricket Club reaching the final of the latest version of the one day competition final at Lords. I was able to book three nights at the Croydon Central Travel Lodge which is located about 100 meters from the East Croydon Railway station. The cost of the accommodation was £19 for 2 night and £9 for the Sunday (£47 in total) exceptional value as it covered the weekend Friday and Saturday nights which are usually the premium rates of the week.
On arrival on Friday afternoon the allocated room was on the second floor, one level above the reception counter, the bar and restaurant and as with wheelchair room previously occupied it was ginormous with three double windows instead of the usual one. The space between the end of the double bed and the desk at the wall was longer than the length of the double bed. It was a great room and I slept well.
Durham did not make the Final on the Saturday losing to Somerset but Surrey, the cricket club from my childhood which had won the County Championship for six years in succession with the likes of the PBH May, The Bedser Twins and Tony Lock, were crowning what was becoming the best year in a long while with their appearance in the Lord’s Final.
I was tempted to attend but hesitated about getting myself a ticket because holding the game in mid September was speculative in terms of the weather conditions and Somerset having narrowly missed out on the County Championship last year and losing the two one day final competitions, and losing out again this year’s 20.20 finals day appeared destined to prove the team with the greater need to win.
When I returned from a family visit on the Saturday I watched the highlights on TV and learned that Somerset failed again. I noticed the large unoccupied areas and that the match had been interrupted on three occasions by rain. There had been heavy rain at least once where I had been so I had made the right decision and although I was pleased that Surrey had won my loyalty is now firmly with Durham although this is not say I might transfer that loyalty should my domestic circumstances change.
Somerset won the toss in the sunshine of the morning but none of their star batsmen, including captain Marcus Trescothick, could make an innings of substance after getting off to a good start. He was out for 15 from 17, Kieswetter 16 from 23, Trego 16 from 14 and Compton 26 from 41. It was left to young England batsman wicket keeper Josh Taylor to make a spirited 86 from 72 including two sixes and seven fours to enable Somerset to achieve an unremarkable 214.
Surrey still celebrating from their promotion to the first division as runners up to Middlesex was not going to be denied from getting their first silverware for eight years. Captain Hamilton Brown opened the innings and was only defeated by a brilliant throw from none other than young Taylor, out in the field, as Kieswetter is the sides number one wicket keeper, when 78 from 62 with seven fours and one six
Because of the rain instead of batting the full 40 overs Surrey were allocated a run chase in 30 overs under the Duckworth Lewis scoring system. Although Somerset took five wickets in all, Surrey reached their target as De Bruyn, previously of Somerset, hit 17 of 20 and Spriegel 24 from 16 with fifteen balls to spare. After watching the highlights I read little before going off to sleep.
The weekend had commenced well as I had managed to get the journey from Newcastle to London for £15 (plus postage £1 (£64) Moreover the train commenced from Newcastle so taking the first eligible Metro train at 9,30 and arriving at 10 am the train arrived soon after I reached the platform and after waiting ten minutes for the reservation tickets to be inserted in the appropriate seats I was able to get one of two free tables in the adjacent carriage close to the entrance and the luggage compartment. Although I could have used the lap top to write I decided on the notebook preparing for my next published piece on the concluding episodes of the fourth series Torchwood, Miracle Day which was finished over the weekend and published immediately on return to South Shields.
I also decided to read the two unread George Gently novels, among the first five of the 46 in the series which ended in 1999, and which had commenced in 1944.I had been given three for Christmas and it had taken time to overcome my disappointment as understandably the author, Ian Hunter who came from Norfolk and spent his life in East Anglia had set the majority of his novels there. Part of the attraction for me was the setting of the first three series in Tyneside and Northumbria and the two episodes of the 2011 series in County Durham and North Yorkshire. The TV series features Martin Shaw a man of considerable individuality although after reading the two novels, Gently Down Stream and Gently on the Shore I can see the links with the original character except I am not sure if Martin Shaw ever sucked the Peppermint Creams which the book man buys by the one pound weight with great regularity. I will write a separate piece on the TV series and the two books later in the week.
The journey to Kings Cross was uneventful with the table only shared by a mother and daughter going out for the day in York from Northalerton. I enjoyed a purchased chicken, bacon and pasta salad together with a belated delivered to the table coffee from the Trolley £1.50 and £1.99 illustrating the mark up for coffee (£67.49).
However the chaotic situation at Kings Cross station is a different story with barriers now installed for platforms 1-8 and everywhere the showing signs of the rebuilding and modernization. I will detail the developments in relation to the return journey. I made the mistake of going to lift on the new entrance to the Underground train system which meant taking the moving stairs with the luggage to reach the main concourse for St Pancras at the read of the restored station which is the desirable route only if it is raining. The best way is to go along the platform of the National Trains and out at the side where here are also the platforms to the Regional services and then cross the new and main concourse.
I just missed the next train to London Bridge, East Croydon and onto Brighton but found a platform seat until the next train arrived and then enjoyed the sight of the latest sky scrapper in the City, reflecting on the business man earlier on the journey south had taken a seat across the aisle at York and was constantly on the phone or using his Tablet and mentioned two and half million at five percent on one call, such is the life others lead.
The walk from my house to the station at South Shields, then between to the London terminals and then down the hill from East Croydon station to the Travel Lodge all brought to the fore my increase in weight and that I get out of breadth quickly pulling the case on wheels with the rucksack on top. The weight problem would hamper what I was to do over the weekend. I have to meet this challenge now more difficult because of the additional year since the last effort.
After unpacking and setting up the computer to confirm the times of the three films I hoped to experience over the weekend I enjoyed the first of two lots of oriental style chicken wings £2.50 (69.99) before setting off back to the East Croydon station and Victoria. The previous evening I had added £15 (84.99) to my Oyster card which registered only 50 pence and where I received an email reminding that the addition would only be activated when I used the card at one of the Yellow card readers and ensure that the light turned green as well as remembering to touch down the card at the end of the journey. Back at East Croydon Station I was unsure if I had correctly used the card and checked with an assistant who reassured that I was OK. It was only when the train set off that I realized I had left my Cineworld Vouchers in the hotel which meant I had to return which would add to the costs of the travel and be rush for the start of the performance. I opted to pay and to go to the Cineworld at Wandsworth getting off at Clap ham Junction and taking one of several bus routes immediately outside the station.
Opting for the stop after Wandsworth Town Hall where I once played Chess on behalf of Croydon Borough Council I went to buy a can of Pepsi at store I have used before on the way from the next stop back to the shopping centre in which is located the Cineworld. Unfortunate I selected a cherry flavoured diet can by mistake and which tasted gross 65p (£85.64) so after a few large mouthfuls I binned the can in the nearest street container for trash. The film I saw was Tinker Tailor, Soldier Spy £6.60 (£91.24) about which I shall write a piece together with my reactions to the first episode of the last series of Spooks.
On the way back to Clapham Junction I noted two pairs of the Police men and women at the main entrance of the station although it is possible that one pair was replacing the other as they moved down the street. It was on Saturday evening that I saw the boarded area that was once Reeves Corner and then on Sunday morning went for look on foot. There was no sign of the rioting at Clapham apart from the police presence. On that first evening in Croydon a helicopter flew over the town centre for several minutes and appeared to make several circuits while the sirens of police/emergency vehicles was heard over a period of over half an hour. I did not go out to observe.
At the M and S at Clapham Junction station I purchased two packs of 4 Pain-aux-raisins £3 (94.24) enjoying two on return with one possibly two cups of coffee during the rest of the evening and also thirsty went to reception where the machine selling cold cans of Pepsi £19 was out of order so I had to purchase a bottle which I drank in the seating area £1.60 (£95.84).
On Saturday I woke early and decided write the piece on Torchwood and became so engrossed that after dressing and sorting out the room I was late for the planned visit to the house and its family with whom I had been raised as a child. I could have caught one of the three buses from a stop close to the Travel Lodge but decided I need some cash as I was paying for the lunch out and was weary about relying just on a Credit card. There was a TSB branch across the road at the Whitgift centre where I withdrew £50.
I then made my way to the bus station from all three buses departed and he first to arrive took the circle route around the once infamous London overspill Roundshaw Estate, passing the large St Elphege Primary school which had been created because of the estate from its site, now a private child nursery centre where it had been a Preparatory school a short walk across one then quiet road from where I lived. My closest cousin in age had been taught to write and simple arithmetic by mother as was the youngest in the family who was born several years after us. The circular route has been changed with the inclusion of one way passing points to slow down movement.
The other thing I noticed is that quite young children appeared to be getting on and of the bus just for one stop unaccompanied. Because I also had a query about the deductions made on the Oyster card I have just sent over half an hour checking the present fares and concessions operating in Greater London and discovered that children under 11 can now travel on buses for free unaccompanied and without having to have a card although they are asked to have age verification if at the borderline. They can also travel free on the Underground and train if accompanied by an adult.
The Oyster card on line system is excellent as one can get a list of all journeys made and the prices charged. I could not understand that it had only cost £2.60 with the card to St Pancras but £2.90 about half the distance to Clapham Junction. This is because the time of travel was during the evening rush hour 16-19 and is charged at the higher rate. I also had not had a confirmed check out at East Croydon so was charged £4.40 instead of £2. Having digested all the latest information I will forget by the time I next visit.
For lunch we went to the Toby Carvery at Park place where I enjoyed a large helping of roast beef with roast potatoes cauliflower and broccoli, braised onions and mushrooms followed by a lemon ice cream and accompanied by unlimited diet Pepsi. There were surprisingly fewer people present than anticipated. The final tally for 3 adults was £28.71 plus tip £3 (£127.55)
In the evening I watch an episode of Dr Who, then the X Factor and then the cricket. I also eat the second carton of oriental style chicken wings £2.50 (£130.05) two cups of coffee and one of the pains-aux raisins having eaten another also with two cups of coffee for breakfast. I nearly went for a cold drink but went without.
Tired I went early to bed and to sleep but woke alert in he middle of the night, did some writing and went back to bed and to sleep. I remained uncertain what I would do on the Sunday. It was London Open House that weekend with hundreds of places to visit not usually open to public inspection. I was tempted to visit the new shopping centre at Stratford and see if one could get close to the Olympic Park. However my main interest remained the latest Almodovar film and I was aware that prolonged walking might prove too great a challenge, I would sleep on it!
Having gone back to bed after waking and writing it was after seven when I roused myself to discover a bright but cloudy Sunday morning in Croydon. I enjoyed a coffee with a pain-au-raisin twice, immediately on waking and then before going out for the day. I made three decisions. I would go and see the latest Almodovar film showing in the Haymarket at 15.20 and I would travel by bus stopping in Brixton for lunch.
On my way back from the visit to relatives in Wallington the previous evening the bus had passed by the site of the former Reeves Corner main furniture store, now demolished following the fire and surrounded by boarded up so my third decision on leaving the Travel Lodge was to walk straight down the road which passed the Wetherspoons’ (open and full of early Sunday drinkers), the side entrance to Alders and the entrance to the now pedestrianised High Street, along passed the entrance to Surrey Street continuing down the hill passing the closed indoor market, Argos and directly onto Reeves Corner looking for signs of the rioting.
In fact as I been advised by the relatives the damaged centred on Reeves Corner, an adjacent pub which was externally damaged to one of its two fronts although evidently closed and a short row of properties the other side of the Reeves main building from which the dramatic shot of the woman jumping for her life from one of the flats above had been taken. This is at one edge of the Corydon shopping area. And while I did not go along to South Croydon where the restaurants are located I did travel along the continuation of the High Street through to Streatham and Brixton and apart from closed shops through lack of trade there was no immediate indication of fire damaged premises. Apart from Reeves corner the only change noticed was that the main street entrance to the Travel Lodge was closed with the entrance tucked away at the back.
At Reeves Corner I took a bus to the station and from there found the queue for the 109 which goes along the main highway to Brixton. I have travelled on this bus before noting the mixture of races and the absence of English Language among those who are of white skin. Sunday mid morning was a very different situation although almost from the first stop at West Croydon the bus was full and during the journey it remained full but emptied and refilled at least half a dozen times and while on a previous journey during a weekday I counted just over 100 arrivals and departures of adults, there must have several hundred between 300 to 400 at a rough guess. There were people well dressed in their Sunday best for church or clutching several bags of supermarket shopping or on a visit or meet up with someone. There were families with prams and on the way back one mother with a pram and one child struggle to get her buggy along another where a father with pram and child were already sitting.
Oh to be a parent again! I do not believe that children were so uncontrolled in my day and until recent decades. There were two examples which come to mind. In the morning of the previous day after I had moved back from seat close to the entrance to enable a grandmother to sit with her daughter alongside the pram. The child was awake and enjoyed the contact with her relatives without express any desire to be taken up and sit with them.
A second mother with pram joined the bus towards the end of he Roundshaw circle and she also had a toddler who ignoring her strictures rushed upstairs and could be heard running to a seat at back. The mother had to locate the pram securely and then go upstairs and drag her protesting infant down. The child refused to stand with the mother and then when the grand mother who had taken my seat also moved back the child refused to sit on the lap of her mother demanding a seat of her own. It seemed to me that the mother had lost control of her child if she had ever gained it.
A large West Indian Lady arrived on the bus so that standing in the passage way in the bus it was difficult for anyone else to pass by, The mother was determined to find herself a seat and seemed to have no regard for her two children one of whom the girl was full of beans as they say and talkative and the situation provoked a conversation between the two strangers in front and other raised eyebrows near by. Then there was the father alighting from the bus with his pram and another child also looking full of weekend out of school life but completely in control and clearly enjoying having the children with him on his own.
However the overriding impact of the experience was to be impressed because despite the crush which I suspect was normal for the time of day everyone appeared of good humour and chatting to those who were friends or family. The languages were various, African, Spanish and central European as well as English, The age range was also wide but the distance travelled were short with myself the only individual downstairs to make the full journey. The journey took at least 45 minutes because of stopping at every stop, and the time taken for passengers to leave and to arrive. Almost no one paid cash for their journey
It is decades since I visited the Brixton markets. Unfortunately the three covered arcades are closed on Sundays:- Reliance Arcade, Market Row and Granville arcade now called Brixton Village Fortunately the vast open fronted shops of the Victorian Terraces of Electric Avenue were open (Eddie Grant song). Electric Avenue was the first street market lit by electricity previously Popes Lane (?).And the depths of some of stores resemble mini markets and the circular road way commences a block from the railway bridge and just before Cold Harbour Lane and then continues back to the overhead railway. While the area is dominated by West Indian and African foods and goods West Indian groceries outnumbered the African here with their huge piles of sweet potatoes and yams and various colourful fruits and vegetables. I noted packs of half dozen large red sweet peppers for £1. There are also meat and fish stores with barrels of recently caught ungutted fish and pots and pans and everything one needs for the household. A farmers market was also open on the other side of the overhead railway line. Brixton is also the end of Northern Line Underground system and a bus transit centre.
I had intended to eat light but could find no where selling sandwiches and Boots had run out. I therefore settled for monster K.F.C meal at £4.99 comprising the established Tower Burger with a spicy Italian sauce (layered bun with chicken burger, slice of cheese, hash brown, lettuce, mayonnaise and the spicy sauce) plus a piece of chicken breast, a buttered piece of corn, small fries and Pepsi You could max up for 40p. The deserves respect Godfather is the latest launch from KFC and aroused much controversy because it is a Tower bun with a different sauce and the sauce lacks zing tang bite which named Godfather could expect. My investment brought the cost of the weekend to £132.54
It was then time to take the bus to Piccadilly Circus closest stop to the Haymarket. Unfortunately there was works on at least one of the bridges over the Thames river which meant a change route and traffic chaos so the half hour journey took the best part of an hour. However instead of going over the Westminster Bridge it continued to Waterloo and along to Charing Cross station where the driver announced he was turning around.
For about half an hour I engaged in conversation with a visiting Australian who I would say is in his sixties and who enquired if the bus was going Leicester Square. I said it did not directly and then advised that the bus was on diversion had come on the screen and that we would hear further announcements. He asked about my home so I mentioned about the North East and the changes hat hd occurred since living there and this led to an argument more than a discussion about the position of the UK around the world. He seemed angered with my defence of British policy and actions over recent decades in order to protect British living standards and interests regardless of disagreements between political parties about the best way of doing this.
The early exit from the bus meant that I walked through Leicester Square noting that the central area is still boarded and long way from completion and the surrounded area is having pavement replacements. Checked out the films on view at the Trocadero before doing the same at the Haymarket and then continuing to Carlton House Terrace to have a look at the statues and resting against the plinth of the Duke York above the steps to the Mall and St James Park watching the new phenomenon of the hired bicycles from the automatic held and charged stands.
I was still in plenty of time for the film so went in search of Pepsi but was not in the area for public houses or cheap cafes and I could not see the price of bottle at a mini supermarket. Back in the Circus there was the splendid party shop where you can buy splendiferous large cakes for £29 or sit down slices with tea for the price of a gold bar. I then stood by the fountain to the side of Circus observing the range of visitors passing by some taking pictures against the fountain.
Before reaching the cinema I noticed a corner store which boasts of being open 24 hours. Here I purchased a large bottle of cold still water for 65 pence which I enjoyed while waiting in the cinema bar the ten minutes for the theatre was ready. I will leave the film until write about the last episodes of Who do you think you are as the combination seems appropriate,
It had rained hard while experiencing the film but it was possible to get to the all night store without getting wet. There I purchased bacon and lettuce sandwich for £1.90 freshly made in store where it was possible to have a sandwich made up, so that with the water the total reached £135.09. It was while at a high stool window seat that I noticed a bus to Brixton pass by. As there was a stop across the road I decided to venture no further despite the prospect of another long journey as the traffic inched its way out of inner London. Had the weather been better and I more in the mood I would have got a bus to Victoria station and hoped here was a quicker route across the river Thames from there. The journey seemed to take less time but it was dark by the time I was back in Croydon in time for the X Factor and the first episode of the new series of Downton Abbey. I would watch the first episode of Spooks on return home. I enjoyed one pain-au-raisin with coffee saving the remaining two for the morning with the intention of keeping one for the train journey.
In the event I eat both with separate cups of coffee on waking and then before departing. I left just after 9.40 and struggled with the luggage up the hill to the station where there was a train arriving as I reached the platform at the end of the long walkway. There was a later apology for only a four carriage train with luggage everywhere and no place to sit but I did not mind getting a seat only after reaching London Bridge. At St Pancras I decided to wait close to the side entrance to enjoy some of the cold bottle water I had purchased with a sandwich and crisp offer from Boots for £3.79 together with a pint of semi skimmed milk £4.38 (£139 47).
From where I sat I had a good view of the completed new dome roof as part of the proposed new ticket office and waiting area, shops and other facilities to the new look Kings Cross station. This part should be open later this year with the whole station refurbishments by the summer of 2012 in time for the Olympics; The station development is part of a high 67 acre development of residential, commercial sporting and cultural development which includes the New University of the Arts with 4500 places. There will be a large screen view of all Olympic events and ten new areas of parks, open spaces and cinemas and theatres. At the height of the Olympics the transport net work will involve 450000 passenger movements each day. There will be a seven minute duration fast rail link to the Olympic Park.
Having digested some of this information I was more amenable to the crush and chaos of the present station although the situation has improved with many more seating and an attempt to organise throughways more effectively. They still only managed to let the horde onto the train to Edinburgh 10 minutes before scheduled departure time with the consequential rush especially as I had located myself at the wrong side of the concourse for the train which went from the furtherest platform away from where I was standing. Fortunately I had been allocated a table seat close to the carriage entrance and was able to place my case in the allotted area at floor level.
The second bonus was that no one came for the two window seats so that the young woman opposite and was able to stretch our legs after the train got going and moved to the window placing my shoulder bag on the vacant seat. The first part of the journey involved helping an elderly couple, that is older and more frail than me, to work out where they should be sitting as their ticket was badly printed and looked to read seat 8 and 50 at the aisle which did not make sense. The buffet car attendant worked out the numbers were 48 and 50 aisle seats. They moved to the correct seats which were also at a table just past midway in the carriage and I rescued their seats from a family without tickets who had gone in seat of seats. They proved an odd trio alighting at Newcastle comparising a woman in her early thirties and a boy who I presumed to be her son ten to twelve years of age who remained silent throughout the journey when they managed to gets seats behind me and then shared the vacant table to my left, albeit for a short while as the vacated seats had been reallocated from Durham to Edinburgh. The young man drank beer and was evidently not the father and appeared several years to the junior of the woman. I finished the police detective novel soon after reaching home and unpacking. I enjoyed a Mex Tex platter and coffee and fell asleep watching the recording of Spooks which I then watched again before going to bed. I decided to leave the return to the Leisure for the early morning swim until Wednesday. My need was writing and writing and writing catching up.
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