Day 01
– Not much has changed, but I have
– “Mind the gap”
– Weather is wet & freezing cold
– The city is buzzing
– People still drink a lot after work
– There are more cellphone stores than coffee shops
– Still can’t understand their English
– The place still looks the same, one long brick building, I would not know where I am other than the West End
– Docklands is booming with modern buildings at a massive scale
– Food seems really-really expensive
– Way more cyclists on the roads, they don’t have bells, they hoot by swearing loudly
– Black is still everyone’s favorite colour
– There are fighting gyms, almost as commonly as off licenses
– china town is looking more Chinese than ever
– Selfridges is still my favorite department store
– Still large groups of people on skates with loud music on Oxford street
– West end, only seemed to have delivery vans, red busses and black cabs
– Did not spot nearly as many Bobby’s (police) as you’d expect for a major city
– The tube while aged is still the best transport system I’ve travelled on
– The iStore on Regent street is beautiful
– They still have rolo desert
– Maybe it was the rain, but not nearly as many street performers and buskers as I remember
– Lots of people playing games on their phones during their commute
– Mostly foreign accents behind the counter serving you
– skinny-skinny jeans seem really popular
– hardly any rubbish bins, but streets are really clean
– there seems to be an app for everything
Day 02
– Remember to carry a warm top, the weather changes fast
– walking along the Thames is a beautiful way to see the city
– lots of little bendy side streets with a variety of restaurants, bars and clubs everywhere you go
– bombs go off
– the city is really big
– there’s an underground station everywhere, just walk a little further and you’ll find one
– the mix of old ruins, castles and futuristic buildings is fascinating
– roads are not getting any wider
– bangers and mash is a staple on most menus and it’s pretty great
– people really do mind their own business, no one even makes eye contact on the train and people just talk on their phones without caring if you’re listening
– clear skies, don’t mean warm weather
– warm caramelised nuts are a great street snack
Day 03
– People stand on the streets outside pubs drinking … a lot!
– it can get warmer and people soak up the sun
– ICHIBUNS in SOHO is the most original and best restaurant I’ve been to in a long time, Japanese Burger joint
– Tubes are packed going into the West End on a Friday evening
– Tubes going out are filled with drunk people
– Discovered lots of street performers everywhere, the rain must have kept them away before
– All the bars we worked in 20 years ago are closed 😞
– you can just barely get WiFi when you stop at some tube stations, but otherwise no WiFi in the underground (opportunity)
– Have hardly spotted a Burger King
– There’s such a buzz in this city
Day 04
– Walking the city with no real plan is my favourite way to explore
– I finally went to Buckingham Palace
– I’m always amazed at public parks in cities, they instantly remove you from the big buildings and hustle
– Canary Wharfs underground malls under the giant new office buildings is genius
– Rooftop gardens above malls are an incredible treat
– Saloon cars are my new way to travel to and from airports
– The London Eye, is just a big Ferris wheel
– Pop Boutique is still an incredible vintage clothing store
– Slam City is the best skate store
– Apple stores have no queues, staff come to you and you purchase products where you are
– The city is buzzing with tourists
– They have electric black cabs
Nothing quite like a warm summers day in England
– It doesn’t change that much, but perhaps that’s what makes it what it is