We took our eldest grandchild to dinner tonight, through her choice at a Thai place down the back of our old manor, Shepherd's Bush way but not exactly. The place was cold, dark and the service was unbelievably slow. On the other hand it was amiable and very cheap, and my hot fish soup was excellent, as well as small enough to suit me. The girls ate more substantial curries. All for hardly 25 quid. The waiter smilingly declined a second cardswipe for tip, but I had a fiver in shrapnel and left it on the table hoping the guy wouldn't be offended. Four young blokes at the next table scoffed three courses and left while we were still there.
Afterwards we had to take the dear girl back even further west where she's lodging with a very winsome friend of her mother. And from there, in NW 10, we drove in an unbroken line of London main routes, all well known to me, to the little jink and dodge on the peak of the Pentonville Road hill before the road plunges down to the Angel and the City, taking us into this elegant and secluded backwater in which our garish modern flat-block is located.... Like the back of my hand really, but not for the first time I noticed it was quite a long way, ten miles perhaps*, and not even half the breadth of central London, more like a third or a quarter. And then there's all the scattered outskirty stuff.
Damn big place. I'm getting a bit old for it I'm afraid. It was rubbish coming here day before yesterday too, endless nose-to-tail idling. Car doesn't seem to mind at the moment, but I watch the temperature gauge anxiously. It's had its problems in the past.
*I tried to find out the distance but Google Maps defeated me although it must know. It's just that I don't know how to ask.
|
Is a 20% tip normal in London then? Blimey. I start at 10%, having first checked the bill to make sure it's not already included, and might squeeze to 12.5% on a good day if it was very special.
Last edited by: Crankcase on Wed 5 Nov 14 at 08:00
|
|
Ten miles, in this area that would take ten minutes, you could travel to one city, two small towns and a whole load of villages. Another ten minutes and I could be in the centre of Edinburgh but that is not car friendly so the park and ride with a free bus is preferable during the day. At the moment there are no cars parked in my street and never any parking restrictions. And yes every house has at least one car. I do not envy serious urban dwellers.
|
|
I guess I could live with having a London address, provided I had a country one too as an antidote. Like Lud really.
|
|
London would not be my choice for a residence even if I could afford it.
|
|
Incredible when you think that the Dallas / Fort Worth metro area is 70 miles across - although, being America, a motorway runs right through the middle of it so getting about is generally pretty quick.
|
Here in North Somerset we have dim (street) lights and small towns and villages.
Drove from Bristol Airport to Weston super Mare in the early hours of Sunday morning and it was a real wartime driving experience. You see, after midnight all street lights, except those at the most hazardous junctions, in this area are switched off. It was quite a shock, having flown in from Fuerteventura where the roads are well-lit and, incidentally, in excellent condition on the whole.
It gives North Somerset a very third world image which does nothing to encourage the tourism which the local economy here needs.
I'd still rather be living here than London, though!
|
|
Yes, but Fuerteventura is often windy, meaning that the wind turbines can supply the street lights ...
|
|
Street lights are fine here.....dark as a witch's heart though - we all know where everything is though and don't need them. Sat Nav doesn't and baffles the incomers.
|
|
Does anyone have LED street lights ? I have only seen them abroad.
|
Wiki lists a few UK sites where they're in use but I'm not aware of having seen any myself.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LED_street_light
|
>> Does anyone have LED street lights ? I have only seen them abroad.
>>
Dear old Ed Davey is too busy ordering more windy things.
Meanwhile a PFI contract is underway for computer controlled dimming non LED light for Surrey.
At least one ancient continental organisation has again seen the light and the future is bright
www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-29827761
|
|
I was in the Sistine Chapel a couple of months ago, I did not see any work in progress. It must have been completed.
|
I've seen in some in residential estates and villages around Norwich what appear to be LED streetlights.
Not very pleasant (the lights, that is). Very white, but something's missing (just like I perceive with LEDs or xenons compared with really really bright halogens).
I like high-pressure sodiums best.
Last edited by: Enderman on Wed 5 Nov 14 at 13:43
|
No streetlights here. Isolated house, absolute pitch blackness, just a few lights from near-neighbours several miles away, and a full night sky like in the star maps.
Honest folks keeps a-bed, and leaves the night to the owls, foxes and the wild things.
Dead silence in the fields and woods - until the killing starts.
|
>> London would not be my choice for a residence
Its not our choice either. Stay up there please.
|
>> >> London would not be my choice for a residence
>>
>> Its not our choice either. Stay up there please.
>>
Sometimes the grass is greener. You just have to know where to look. Never forget your taxes are funding my lifestyle. :)
|
>> a London address, provided I had a country one too as an antidote. Like Lud really.
Not me guv. There's this London gaff we can borrow quite often, and we have keys to it. Sussex gaff is shared too. None of it's mine. I'm a passenger hoping not to be noticed.
|
They've installed them on the A55 in some places, the street-signs in the village are now lit by LEDs.....
|
|
Street lights here are about to be replaced with LED ones. Apparently they have a 70 year life and can be dimmed so rather than the current arrangement of turning some off to save cash they will just dim them in the wee small hours
|
Dim lights, damn big city - Crankcase
