March 01, 2004
Do you remember your first time?
One slightly surprising consequence of all the sightseeing I've done this past weekend is that I've come to appreciate just how utterly familiar London is to me now. Not all of it, true - it's a vast sprawl of a city and even in all the years I've been here I've only covered a fraction of it's area. But the parts I know I know well and that still encompasses a considerable chunk of the place.
Whilst I was showing the city off, I suddenly realised that I was with someone who was seeing all of this for the first time and it was something of a revelation, especially since there's much I simply don't remember encountering for the first time. That's not to say all my memories have turned plasticene-like into a brown sludgy goo - certain memories are emblazoned boldly, but a lot of them seem to have blurred around the edges and are no longer as distinct and vivid as I have the vague feeling they should be. Does this mean I've been here too long? Does this mean I'll miss it when it's gone? Or should that be when I'm gone? I don't know. Despite my usual protestations, I think that over the course of the weekend I've demonstrated quite conclusively that there is a lot to like about London. And perhaps even that I like it.
Maybe I will miss not being here...
Thought iMark at March 1, 2004 10:02 PM | TrackBackOh I remember my first time... in London at least.
Martin and I decided to pop down to London to visit friend Magnus who was living in Wimbledon at the time. The bus arrived at Victoria station at stupid o'clock in the morning, and it being a pleasant sort of stupid o'clock in the morning weather-wise, we decided to walk to Magnus' abode. The fact that the tube didn't open for a few hours may have been a factor of sorts.
So, we consulted the trusty London A-Z, ran our fingers down the index until we came to the entry for Effra Road, consulted the corresponding map, discovered our target location was almost due south, and headed out...
...through quiet streets and the awakening homelesss...
...and arrived in a somewhat run down and decidedly dodgy area. We arrived at the address and noted with surprise the boarded up window, and noted with suspicion the dog. Magnus hated dogs. I braved the driveway, rang the bell, and noted with concern that the occupant wouldn't open the door.
So we called Magnus from the phone box across the street. "Hang on, I'll run outside and wave..." We stare at the boarded up house with the dog and the reclusive occupant. Exactly nothing happens. "...Did you see me?" "Um, no"
So, we consulted the trusty London A-Z, ran our fingers down the index until we came to the entry for Effra Road, then moved our finger down to the other entry for Effra Road. Ah. So, where were we? Brixton. And we were starting to draw looks.
Then, the fairly tube mother arrived and the gates unlocked. And the rest is safety.
Posted by: Kevin at March 3, 2004 04:53 AM