I’ve solved the mystery of the go-any-slower-they’d stop tubes North of Arnos Grove of the P Line, I phoned a friend -

Me = “… whats the deal with the 10 minute wait at southgate and Oakwood anyway - Ive been dying to ask someone that for the last 3 months.. everyday in both directions….”

Picadilly Line Driving Chick Friend =
“oh its the stupid timetable that is in place but the thing is there is no train that is ever on time so there are always gaps between trains happens all the time now down this end of the line at ruislip, piccadilly line is every 20 mins xx”

Faaaabulous!

I’ve been away so long Tony Blair was still PM. I’m sorry. There has been a lot going on in my life and its all taken priority over pretty much anything else.

You see in less than maybe as little as a fortnight I’ll be a Dad. I know! Me too.

On that passing of one age to another today was the last chance you’d be able top eat Gammon, Egg and Chips along with Apple Pie with Custard for as little as maybe £6. Yes, the New Piccadilly Café & Restaurant closed its doors as developers finally killed off originality on Denman Street. The café has been there since my own parents were barely kids and now its gone. With original fixtures & fittings as well cups and glasses it forever seemed to be holding back the passage of time.

Alas, today Lorenzo called it a day and quiet possibly had the busiest day in years. I went there maybe five times in total and of course wish I’d known about it earlier, but that’s life. I’ll miss it, as will all those others who made a pilgrimage through its doors today one last time. Ciao.

Now, to fatherhood….

10.00am Friday 29th June
BAFTA, 195 Piccadilly, London, W1J 9LN
INFO HERE

This is the second anual event. Last year’s event included information stalls, seminars and networking with people in film and TV. The event is free, and so are the seminars.

FREEEEEEEEEEEEEEE. I am so there.

London’s 3rd gift to the world

The Greasy spoon, Caff or Café. Call them what you like they have been the backbone of most Londoners’ experience of food outside the house since at least the 1940s if not earlier.
Built on a backbone of bubble & squeak, bacon, sausage, eggs, chips & beans they have defined food for so many. Even as the Starbucks, Coffee Republics, & Prêts take over more and more space there are a few gems left for us to savour as Londoners.

Image courtesy of Urban75.org

Personal favourites are The New Piccadilly on Denham Street which has stood the test of time since at least the early 1950s. The décor harks back to a time when Formica was a cutting edge material and coffees were simply white, latte or a cappuccino. Skinny milk was unheard of and prices were not borderline criminal as they are today.

So, as # three in our serious of gifts to the world from London, I give you the humble caff. God bless’em.

Do you want sauce with that?

Sean

Tags: Metblogs7Gifts 7Gifts Metroblogging7Gifts 7 gifts to the world

According to the team at Good at Magic - who produce the ‘Sinner/Winner’ t-shirts - Phil’s back after his working holiday around the Far East.

I suspect the amount of overt sinning in the Piccadilly Circus area will soon drop. Shame he wasn’t able to help George Michael…

A London icon has gone a-roving. The ‘Don’t be a sinner - be a winner!’ man-with-a-megaphone in Piccadilly Circus has been photographed in warmer climes (Sydney, apparently).

He’s certainly achieved local celebrity status, and I find it strangely comforting that this photo has been sent around in such quantity.

And, for those that don’t feel like waiting until his return to be inspired, you can buy the t-shirt. The profits go to charity, as well.

The Rainbird Gallery is hosting an exhibition, ending shortly, of oil paintings of our lovely city. Normally this sort of thing comes out looking like the washed-out tourist crap they sell you in Piccadilly Circus, but many of these paintings are actually really lovely evocations of London.

I also like that many of the images are of less, er, celebrated landmarks (e.g. how many oil paintings do you normally see of Farringdon station?).
Read more

Even better, the complicated mind behind ‘The Name of the Rose’ and, now ‘The Mysterious Flame of Queen Loana’, will be doing a signing tonight at Waterstone’s Piccadilly.

It starts at 7.15, following Eco’s (ticketed. sold out) talk in a nearby theatre.

The signing itself is not ticketed, but he’s a rare and oft-idolised figure, so get there a bit early…

An Open Letter To First Great Western published at the London Metroblog website: http://london.metblogs.com/

Dear First Great Western

I use your Link train service each weekday between London Paddington and Hayes & Harlington, paying my fare by way of a monthly Zones 1–5 OysterCard.  Having last commuted by train back in the days of the grey and blue British Rail trains, I recently returned to rail commuting after tiring of using the Piccadilly Line to get to my office near Heathrow.  On the whole, I am pleasantly surprised by the changes I have found - trains mostly on time, fairly clean with minimal litter and good post-Ladbroke Grove emergency equipment and signage.  Where FGW seems to need to focus next is on the platform staff.  For all their co-ordinateduniforms, badges and mobile phones, those I have encountered recently have little idea of how to treat a paying customer.  Leaving aside the gentlemen who repeated blew his whistle and shouted at me at Hayes & Harlington, I would like to raise your awareness as to the levels of customer service at London Paddington.

click to enlarge

Take those pictured in the (admittedly poor) photo above.  This morning, as with most mornings these day, I approached Platform 12 from the concourse to find not only four or five ‘revenue control officers’ (or whatever you are calling ticket inspectors these days) but three ‘security officer’ in black MA-1 style jackets sporting ‘Security’ logos.  These chaps so conformed to the ‘bouncer’ stereotype that, under different circumstances, I would laugh.  Each sported a very short ‘Mitchell Brothers’ haircut, stood in that classic hands-clasped doorman’s pose and sported a mobile telephone earpiece, seemingly in the vague hope of being mistaken for a member of the US Secret Service.  However, it is the attitude, behaviour and demeanour of these security and revenue personnel rather than their sartorial presentation that concerns me.  This being the case, I would like to ask the following questions in the hope that the answers may address and allay those concerns.

1. Why is it that five revenue control officers only ever have one or two digital card readers between them despite the obvious daily volume of passengers through the station?
2. Do First Great Western feel it is acceptable for these officers to physically restrain someone clearly proferring a pass or card for inspection because the said inspector doesn’t have the equipment to do so when it is presented?
3. Can you confirm that it is the policy of First Great Western to presume a passenger is actively engaged in fare avoidance until proven otherwise, as is clearly demonstrated in the behaviour and attitude of the staff?
4. Would these staff not be better deployed actually on the trains where the fare-paying majority are not inconvenienced or manhandled and the fare-dodging minority can be contained and dealt with?
5. Assuming platform ticket inspection is crucial for revenue retention*, why not employ the same methodology as the London Underground by moving to the use of multi-format card readers, supported by inspection staff?

Yours faithfully

bignoseduglyguy

Submitted to First Great Western Link with an automated response of “Your comments have been received successfully, thank you.” No hint of any intention to reply, I note.

* Operating profits up 8% at £84m as of Sept 04 – First Group’s Interim Results for the 6 months to 30 September 2004

The demonstration is gathering at 12 noon, at Speakers Corner. The nearest tube station is Marble Arch. Coaches coming from outside London should drop off demonstrators on Bayswater Rd and pick up from Victoria Embankment.

At 1pm we will set off down Park Lane, left onto Upper Brook Street, to Grosvenor Square where we will pass the US Embassy. We will then go back onto Park Lane until Hyde Park Corner. Then down Piccadilly and into Lower Regent Street. Finally, Cockspur Street and in to Trafalgar Sq for the rally.

http://www.stopwar.org.uk