Apparently there was a raid in Streatham Hill. I only found this out when looking through my site referral stats. Nothing mentioned in the Crown and Sceptre; the BBC makes passing reference.
We went into London today. The Tube was fairly quiet. I tried to rationalise it - school holidays have begun. We left home at 4.30 and got to South Ken just after five, too early for people to come home for the day or go out for the evening. Only one person got on Stockwell - clearly because there hadn't been a Northern Line train since the previous Victoria Line. District Line was packed - I got the last seat, a young Italian man offered Jimmy his seat on age grounds (I'm asserting anyway). The Prom was 98 or 99% full.
The District Line was packed coming back. Of course, it would be. No Circle Line, no Piccadilly Line into Central London. Only one empty seat, next to an Asian bearded gentleman with a suitcase. I'm trying to rationalise this one - I would have taken the seat if three tourists hadn't been stood in the way, if I wasn't with Jimmy, if I hadn't been sitting all evening, if I was going more than two stops.
Then it hit me on the Victoria Line. Nothing can explain why my carriage at 10.15 pm on a Saturday had less than half its seats taken, and no one standing. Ooh, look activity at Vauxhall. Oh wait, that's obviously the Big Gay Out moving onto the RVT.
Maybe a dozen people got off my Tube at Brixton. I have never ever ever seen Brixton Tube so empty. Brixton is the busiest Tube outside Zone 1. So where the fuck was everybody?
I keep seeing people with rucksacks with wires protruding; then I realise that they're iPods. I reckon we ought to ban iPods. Not because they're a terrorist threat but because people who wear them think they are cool for listening to music compressed to the equivalent of listening to an AM radio placed in the bedroom with almost-run-down-batteries whilst taking a shower at the other end of the house (oh heck I shall get Irate of Trendy Land flaming me now...!)
I don't like my attitude. I didn't go to last night's Prom - couldn't face the transport difficulties. I don't suppose we would have gone into London today if we didn't have tickets. Something feels not right. If this goes on I shall have to end my blogging hiatus and start posting again.
Sigh
Update: They're saying the raid was in Tulse Hill. I don't know the road, it's not on my A-Z, so I looked it up on Streetmap.com and realised where it is - must be among a lot of newbuilds that have gone up since my A-Z was published. It's only about five minutes walk from Gert Cottage, and will explain the umarked (but bues-and-twos'ed) police car that was speeding up and down Brixton Hill when we went out.
There is relentless sirens this morning. Unusual for a Sunday morning.
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