The Tube, at one of its furthest points, reaches Epping, a small town on the edge of Epping Forest, The Forest is historically quite famous as the place where Dick Turpin used to hang out after repeatedly robbing the London stage coach and a lovely place to walk, amongst the huge trees with the dappled light filtering down through the branches A beautiful setting to walk and contemplate that many of these giants trees were growing before I was born and will be around after I am gone !!
The travel card £8.50 and the Parking £1.50. Ten quid to get to London and back with the last train just after midnight, late enough for an old toppie like me. The opportunity to visit one of the top visitor destinations in the world and return to the security of ones own bed afterwards has to be a plus ?
Sticking my parking ticket onto the car windscreen I hurried onto the tube train as it pulled off on the 50 minutes trip to Liverpool Street Station where I had arranged to meet my friend.
Its always a revelation to sit on the tube. One is forced to eyeball the passengers, we stare at each other and begin to deduce who we "they" are what "they" do.
They seem a rum lot (me included) and stretch the imagination as they stare into the distance preoccupied with some drama or reflecting on another opportunity missed. Dressed from rags to riches, one wonders where they are going and why. That pair seem to be wedding guests (what a funny hat) another chap is obviously off to a building site and the group over there are on a family day out. A long legged girl is talking animatedly into her mobile, announcing to the world "she" has a friend who needs to know that "she" also "had" a boyfriend last night !!
Diving into the tunnel, we leave Stratford, the train lurching and swaying around as the line carves through the blackness to points west. I get out at Liverpool Station, ascending to the surface like a mole on a day out (an oxymoron).
The concourse is as always full of people rushing in and rushing out for the train or standing around expectantly waiting for a friend hoping to recognise or be recognised in the crowd. It represents our society, always on the move and waiting for recognition.
My friend was there, I hadn't seen him for a couple of years but it was a warm comfortable meeting and we were soon outside stepping out West towards St Paul's before cutting down towards the Tate Gallery and along the Embankment towards Parliament.
The weather was perfect, the river busy with boats, and history was all around. What's that building, what's that statue. That Government Buildings, once the centre of the "directives", for good and bad, which played out across the world with famous statesmen plotting their design for mankind.
gold brilliant in the evening sun.
Watered and fed we retuned to Regent St and on to Piccadilly Circus.
We've all had our photo taken with Eros as background. I was there on the spot in 1952 with my Dad, a slightly rebellious twelve year old. Also had had the mandatory photo taken outside number ten Downing street in those "innocent years" when you could stand on the doorstep of number 10 !!
Anyway it was a great day and the legs were tired but for £10, very good value for money.
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