Tuesday, October 2, 2012

Tuesday October 2 - Hastings

Sign seen in the Underground this morning

"If at first you don't succeed, don't take up skydiving."

Heard frequently on the trains and buses "Juno wo(t)"  "Blimey" seems to be making a comeback.
Embankment Gardens
I caught a train from Charing Cross to Ashford which gave me plenty of time to make the connection to Hastings.  Romney Marsh was pleasant with many old lambs in the fields.

Hastings was much worse than I remember it, just like Margate a couple of years ago.  Eminently forgettable, full up with nasty, low end stores, trinket stands and inhabited by nasty people.  However, it was possible to get jellied eels, cockles and mussels.  I didn't stay long.  The tide was in and the waves were quite heavy, a squall had just gone through and another one was on the horizon.  I walked back to the station eating a boxful of cod and chips and caught the first train back to London.
Net Drying Tower - probably a listed building now
The East Cliff funicular was not operating.
Fishing boats pulled up on the stones - pretty small to go out in a heavy sea.

Monday, October 1, 2012

Monday 1 October - Kings Cross and Sawyers Arms

I went to Kings Cross to take a look at the new concourse.  It is magnificent but the ticket barriers still cause problems both for people leaving and joining trains.
The new Departures area is vast
There is a platform 9 3/4 for Harry Potter fans,
I met a group from my school year at the Sawyers Arms.  Great fun and lots of talk.
John Bingham, John Palmer. Dai Bamford, Dai Rhys-Tyler, Clive Grenyer, Peter Gregory and Colin Bishop.  I hadn't seen either of the Johns since I left school 52 years ago.
Rob, Clive and Dai Rhys-Tyler
Colin, John Bingham, John Palmer
Dai Rhys-Tyler and Dai Bamford
Peter, Colin, John Bingham, Rob

Fish and Chips and Steak and Ale pie were popular meals to help down the bitter.