I spent a very pleasant morning catching up with 30 Degrees in February before Keith and I went to the local garage to fill up with diesel and get my filthy car washed before our trip down to London this afternoon, for the kids to see an American rapper called Post Malone at Electric Brixton.
We all had lunch and left home at 1.30pm, giving us, I hoped, more than enough time to get to Brixton and find our parking space. The journey on the M1 was fine and although the roads in London were busy, we made good time. We crossed Vauxhall Bridge and saw the imposing edifice of the MI5 and MI6 headquarters - it was a bit like being in a James Bond movie! We also managed a trip around Marble Arch and Hyde Park Corner where the road was very busy!
I had the updated Gladys in the car with me and she proved invaluable when I missed a turning. She directed me through a maze of narrow residential streets until I picked up the correct route again! When we reached the outer fringes of Brixton our good luck ran out as there were roadworks and the street we needed to turn right on had been closed. This meant that when we eventually reached the end of the road, we had to turn left and find somewhere to turn around, not an easy task in the busy rush hour traffic!
I really used to like driving in London but today I found it difficult, mainly due to the amount of restrictions and rules, such as cameras on traffic lights and the amount of cross-hatched no entry areas that have to be left clear, or you could get a fine. I'd already made sure I'd paid the congestion charge of £11.50 even though we were only driving for about an hour within the specified time!
Our car parking space, booked through Just Park, was the best bit of our day and I'm so glad I booked it. It was on the driveway of a residential house about a ten minute walk from Electric Brixton and the main high street and was perfect for us. At just £8.00 for a slot from 3pm until midnight, it couldn't have been any better and I have no idea where I'd have parked otherwise.
We walked back into Brixton and decided to have a drink at a nearby pub, because although the doors to the venue weren't open until 7pm, there were a load of people already queuing and Sophie and Mike didn't fancy standing out for two hours! We found The Beehive pub on the main street which was thronged with people shopping and on their way home from work. I've never seen the streets so busy!
The pub was very different to what we were all used to but there was a good atmosphere and as it was a Wetherspoon's, the drinks and food prices were very reasonable. We managed to find an empty table at the back and enjoyed a couple of drinks before we called in to McDonald's so the kids could have a bite to eat before the gig.
By now the queue had grown enormously so we waved goodbye to our offspring and walked back to the pub to have dinner and wait. It was slightly busier than earlier and the noise level had increased a bit but we still managed to find a table and look at the menu. I fancied crispy chicken strips and these came with some chunky chips and a barbecue dip. I'd have liked a salad with it, but forget to order it as a side dish!
By 8pm Keith and I had finished eating and the rest of the evening stretched out before us... I wished we'd bought our playing cards along! There was a kind of entertainment in people watching and there was a tense moment when an argument erupted between two elderly men who should have known better over a comment one of them made, but on the whole the ambience was very friendly.
At 10pm we took a slow walk up to Electric Brixton but as there was no sign of anyone coming out we decided to take Sophie's coat and my bag back to the car before having a slow walk back. When we returned again, one of the security guards told us that the gig wouldn't finish until 11pm as Post Malone hadn't gone on stage until 10pm! It meant we had nearly an hour to wait and I'm just thankful it wasn't a freezing cold night! We sat in a nearby bush shelter and prayed they would be out quickly so we could go home!
I couldn't get used to the frenetic pace and sheer busyness of this area of London. Even at 11pm the streets were full of cars and people and I just knew there was no way I could live somewhere like that, after being used to living in the quiet of the countryside for so long.
Luckily the kids came out just after 11pm and showed me a sweatshirt they'd bought for £50. It looked like an old dishrag! Ho hum! It was their money! We walked back to the car and set off on our journey home which was pretty straightforward except for when I took a wrong turning off Hyde Park corner and we ended up in a very posh residential area! Gladys set me right though and we were joining the M1 at midnight, much earlier than I had anticipated!
We eventually reached home at 1am and we sat with a drink before going to bed. Bliss to be home!
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