Tramping The Streets

The Millennium Wheel. Pics:Trevor Craig
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20th October 1997

Slept like the dead last night and woke feeling very weird in this exciting city. Was I really here? I felt like a stranger and so out of place. The incessant noise of traffic was deafening. The sounds of workmen hammering across the road was crazy. We were near the Middlesex hospital and ambulance sirens added to the din. On top of that it was drizzling!! Now that IS expected I suppose. Oh well, now that we're here we may as well get straight out and join 'em. Trevor already had his first job agency interview set up for today so I went along too and managed to get an interview with their sister company. No point in wasting time! We then did Oxford Street afterwards. From one end to the other. Poor feet!! Wonderful stores. Selfridges, Debenhams, expensive designer names, HMV Music store, Virgin Megastore, Borders bookshop to name a few.

No Time To Waste

The Millennium Dome. Pics:Trevor Craig
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21st October 1997

My turn for an interview today. I got all spruced up in London's conservative work uniform. Black clothes! Nervously I found my way to the agency offices. It was walking distance so I haven't yet had to tackle the tubes.

22nd October 1997

We decided to walk around The City of London today to experience it on a real working day. It's amazing how everybody looks exactly the same from behind. The suits drifting around with the obligatory briefcase dangling from the hand, and yes, some really do have the bowler hat too, plus umbrella swinging from the other side. Overall colour scheme: black and grey!!

Millenium Dome at night. Pics:Trevor Craig
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We arrived at Bank tube station which is a maze of tunnels just to get out onto the street, never mind the actual train tunnels further beneath our feet! We walked the Square Mile flat. Up Threadneedle Street, past the London Stock Exchange and the remains of the original London Wall. Went to St Pauls Cathedral. Wow. Impressive is NOT the word. More like overpowering. Will go inside another time. Wandered up Pudding Lane where the Great Fire of London started in 1666 and The Monument where it ended. Then to London Bridge, Tower Bridge and the HMS Belfast, a warship from the 2^nd World War. What a foot weary day. If this wasn't enough, we popped over to Leicester Square to experience it at night. Buskers everywhere, wonderful vibes, interesting people and music. I found myself totally caught up listening to some undiscovered nobody showing us his vocal talents. He was good. I wonder if anyone ever discovered him. It's the city where such a thing is totally possible. Soho saw us next with all its theatres, red light district and restaurants. London never sleeps and the busses and taxis do their best business at night. Then Piccadilly Square and the Eros statue which was looking rather grim and grimy.

Janet with a London Beafeater! Pics:Trevor Craig
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We've only been here 3 days but as a first timer these are all things you just have to do as soon as possible! So we continue...

23rd October 1997

After another interview for Trevor we made our way to Trafalgar Square and the multitudes of pesky pigeons. Down Whitehall past 10 Downing Street and The Queens Guards and onto the Houses of Parliament + Big Ben. The centre of politics in London. We spent hours arbing around Westminster admiring the incredible architecture of everything. Westminster Abbey overpowered as we walked by but will have to wait for another day to do it justice. I did however spare a thought for Princess Diana who had her funeral service here. To think that this entire area we are walking around today must have been a sea of humanity, trying to pay their final respects too.