A very strange and disjointed week, with my first full day in the office not coming around until Thursday. Yes – Thursday, believe it or not! Wednesday, the first day back after my training course, I was only in the office until noon. Then the real mission began! Yes, another day midweek, another crazy challenge and once again the destination was London but not for automotive reasons. Just like last week, the first destination was the gym for a workout before driving back into Wycombe. Here I parked in Eden and went to get my haircut. I had considered dropping my car off at home and catching the bus, but it would have only delayed matters. Much easier to kill as many birds with one stone as possible. I parked in the new Eden car park, which is just an extension of the old Tesco car park (which has had a lick of paint and some minor reconstruction to the entrance and exit ramps). I found a space on level 2, in the orange zone and then rushed to the door. I headed down to the ground floor in the lift and rushed out of the main door into the shopping centre, then tried to get some bearings. Right it was, I headed in the direction of House Of Fraser and the bus station, on my way to Jerry’s Street Styles. It was quiet, I got my haircut from Jerry and then headed back into Eden. First stop Clinton Cards, then Tesco to grab a quick bite to eat, I opted to eat on the go as I headed back to the car. I was surprised it cost just a £1 to park at that time in the day but perhaps because I had not taken that long on my errands. Part one complete, I was on my way home and the second part of my mission could begin. As soon as I got home, I showered, changed and was out the door way past 3pm, perhaps a bit later than I had hoped. I opted to catch the bus to the train station, driving was an option but finding a parking space and actually paying was a big obstacle. I had everything I needed and took a deep breath as I stepped onto the driveway. What would the evening bring? I did not know at that moment in time, I was only interested in the music on my Zen and that my mobile had enough charge to take some photographs. The bus arrived at 15:17, there was some parents with their children waiting at the stop. Chepping View was letting out (is that the phrase?) So there were children all over the Cressex Link. I got onboard, paid my fare and settled down for the journey into the town centre. I could have got off further up the road but opted to get off at the old library and walk up to the station. The sun was shining, it had been a glorious day. I was looking forward to the evening, even if I was a little bit nervous. I opted to catch the non-stop train from Wycombe to Marylebone at 15:57, it was quite busy for a weekday afternoon service. It got into Marylebone at 16:22 and I rushed down to the tube station. I had a plan for the afternoon before the evening could begin. I took the Bakerloo Line to Embankment here I grabbed a tube map from the display stand and ended onto the Hungerford Bridge crossing the Thames over to the South Bank. From here, I took a long walk down the river. It took me over half an hour but eventually I got to my destination. Tower Bridge, City Hall and most importantly The Telectroscope (which will be gone by Sunday afternoon). Here I took some photographs, then my phone rang.

I was late, very late considering I had at one time thought about walking from this point to Covent Garden which had now become an impossibility. I had to go by tube, but my Oyster Card was low. So the I had to top up before I jumped on the tube. I walked across Tower Bridge (something I was doing for the first time). Actually I think I may have only been driven across once in my childhood, but it was a lovely afternoon as the sun shine over the river. If I had more time I would have taken some more photographs, than the handful that have been uploaded to this set on FlickR.

I did not know exactly where I was going but found myself at Tower Hill tube station. I topped up my Oyster Card (once I found the correct terminal) then headed through down to the Circle and District Lines and waited for the next train. I got off at Embankment and took the stairs and escalator down to the Northern Line, north bound. There I got a tube to Leicester Square and then walked across to the Piccadilly Line, here I caught the tube up one station to Covent Garden. (I know I could have walked from Leicester Square but I did not have the time). When I got off the tube train, I ran up the 124 stairs rather than take the lift but found myself by the entrance barrier and had to ask a member of LU staff how to get out (a passage way between the lifts). I was out and made the phone call, I had a big apology to make. Before that, I had to find my final destination. My natural guiding instinct was gone. I headed first in the right direction but thought I was going the wrong way so turned back, only to realise I should have been where I was before. Eventually I got the phonecall and got on the right track and we made are way around to where we were supposed to be. At a few minutes after 10pm, I said my goodbyes at the concourse of Charing Cross station. I was heading home and on quite a buzz. I raced up the escalator at Marylebone and climbed up to the train station with little trouble (the gym programme is showing it’s benefits). The departure boards are being replaced, so there is good old fashioned pen and paper on this temporary area ahead of the ticket barriers. My train didn’t leave until 22:40 and had not been assigned a platform number yet, so I bought myself a chocolate milkshake, bringing back memories of Friday evenings when I worked in London, almost exactly four years ago. Although there are a long list of events on Facebook for this weekend, I am actually doing none of them. Perhaps in a parallel universe I would be camping out at Le Mans (two years missed now) however I am not. I am spending the weekend at home. I could also have been in Cornwall for the weekend but the group of us that were going, slowly lost enthusiasm as the weekends were changed from early May to mid June. A quiet Saturday in, will wash the car as the weather is good, watch the football, watch Doctor Who, perhaps catch a movie (or three) and then gym on Sunday. Oh and my Mum and sisters are running Race For Life on the Rye on Sunday.