House of wax...

Hello readers, and welcome to another spiffing update.

During the middle of last week it was suggested by Adam that we take a trip to London at the weekend. We managed to sort out the details (with thanks to Jenny for getting the train prices worked out!) and decided to do it.

Me and Jenny met Adam, Carl, and Marcus at Solihull station on Saturday morning. We hopped on the train bound for Marylebone at 9:05 and started working out what we would like to do when we got there. We decided that we would go round Madamme Tussauds, visit Buckingham palace, and go round the Tate Modern.

We got in to Marylebone at 11:00 and set straight off down the roads for Tussauds. As we walked past one of the many cafes I heard a voice shout "Good Grief! It's Gareth Evans!" I turned ound to find Alison from Solihull College sitting at a table. She was my textiles and printmaking tutor when I was doing the GNVQ... Unbelievable! After a brief chat we continued on our way...

Unfortunately everyone in London had the same idea, that day, so we joined the rather long queue to get in. After an hour of waiting we were at the front and used two vouchers that we had aquired before the trip, to get in.

We spent ages looking round the film stars, the historical figures, the sports stars, and the chamber of horrors, which now includes a "live" section featuring dummies and live actors, just to scare the shit out of you. I have quite a few photos but I will post them as a seperate entry. This will also give me time to get hold of Adams pictures, since he has a few good ones as well. (watch this space!)

After we left Madamme Tussauds, we started the trek across London. We hiked down Carnaby Street, and Oxford Street, went passed the Embassies (to which Adam asks "Where's the British Embassy?") and down to Trafalgar Square. Jenny had never seen Nelsons Column before and still hasn't... Because when we got there we discovered that it was having structural work done to it and was clad in scaffolding and canvas!

Typical!

After sitting by the fountain for a while we headed off towards Buckingham Palace. We watched the guards ponce about for a while and then set about walking down towards the Tate, taking time to have a look at Parliament, Westminster, and St. Pauls. It was a damn good thing Marcus was with us because we would have probably ended up hiking for twice as long. (He knows London like the back of his hand.)

We spent hours looking at all the famous, and not so famous, art works in the Tate. Adam only wanted to go to take the piss out of the more conceptual pieces! I tried explaining to him about the concept of modern art but he was as blind as he could be... Honestly, He'll never make it as a critic!

We decided that, after the Tate, we should start making our way back. Being that no one wanted to hike all the way back, we got the Tube from outside St. Pauls, switching at Oxford Streed to take us back up to Marylebone. Or at least thats how we planned it...

we could hear the train we needed pulling in to the platform as we came down the stairs... So we started running... Marcus followed by Jenny, then me, Adam, and Carl... As i dashed round the corner a few seconds behind, I could see Marcus and Jen' already on the next train, with the doors just starting to close.....

So I performed what will probably be the closest thing to an Indiana Jones stunt that I will ever perform...

I jumped.

I will say it again for you, readers, I jumped... Nay "Flew" on to that train.

As I was running towards it the doors were just starting to move so I just leapt forwards. The result was me just fitting in between the gap in the doors, in mid-air may I add, a split second before they came together. As I landed I created a rather loud thud, which made a lady who was quietly reading a newspaper just to the right of the doors, jump out of her skin. Marcus and Jen' were doubled up with laughter, and it took a few seconds to realise that what I had just done could, if I had timed it wrong, left me with either a sore nose, or being pinned in the doors of a moving tube train! In any case it felt strangely exhilirating, made even more so by the fact that as I turned round I could see Adams and Carls astonished faces just outside the train! They couldn't believe that they would have to wait for the next one... Then Marcus asked "Do they know where to get off at?"

Oh Bollocks!

Well as it turned out, yes they did. We waited on the platform at Oxford Street for their arrival. We got the conncecting train up to Marylebone, but got off at Baker Street for something to eat. We dived in to Pizza Hut for a... well... Pizza and a drink.

We headed up to Marylebone at about 9:00pm and said Goodbye to Marcus, who was staying over at a mate's house. We got on the train and sped back to Solihull for just gone midnight.

We discussed going back next month to do the London Dungeons and the London Eye.

When I got home I went straight to bed!

On Sunday I got up late and phoned Kate and Jenny to see what they were doing for the Football. Kate picked me and Jenny up and we had a drink at the Lifford Curve in Kings Heath. It got a bit rowdy, though so at half time we headed back to Jenny's house for the second half.

In the evening I went to my Aunty Jans for tea. She had done Chilli which rounded off my weekend quite nicely!

That's it for now. Check back for the London pictures. I will see you all soon!

TTFN readers.