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Posted on August 20 2005 by Jag @ 1:55 pm
Thursday was hot. I mean really hot. And humid. Almost opressively so. I was working in Central London that day. With the office a stones throw from Trafalgar Square I took a leisurely stroll in the late afternoon. Picture if you will, a scene where tourists are sitting around, enjoying ice-creams, dipping there feet in the fountains in the square – and generally just enjoying the great weather in the heart of the London. Even the pigeons seem to be going about their business in a laid-back fashion.
Idyllic in Trafalgar Square
Great weather, laid-back atmosphere, everyone feeling good. Now – advance forward by 24 hours. I had to attend a wedding reception in Essex Friday evening. Not Essex as in that desert-like land that suddenly appears as you drive past the the “Welcome to Essex” sign on the A13 heading East out of London – but a beautiful part of Essex – near a cute little town called Saffron Walden on the northern side of the county. Only getting there was no fun at all. In fact it was DREADFUL. I left my office in Slough (by car) at 4pm – thinking that the best way to get to the venue was to drive the M25 clockwise round to the M11 – and then go North from there. I had to be there for 6.30pm – so although I was expecting some stop-start traffic on the M25 – I figured that 2.5 hours was plenty time and, if anything, I should actually get there earlier. How wrong I was. How very wrong.
I joined the M25 at the Heathrow junction (not far from Slough) – and two and a half hours of miserable grey sky, heavy rain, foot-ache, shoulder-ache, neck-ache, and severe driving-nowhere-stress later – I was still on the M25. I got to the venue at around 7.15 – so I missed some of the wedding-recption action – but by that time I was absolutely shattered – and frankly wasn’t feeling too well as a result. I stayed for just 20 minutes and then went back home. This time I took the M11 right into London and took the North Circular to get home instead. Got home after 9pm – and went to bed soon after.
NEVER AGAIN
(A painful reminder of why I hate the M25)
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Route 79 Reflections on a bus journey home |
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| From London: By a British, European, 2nd-Generation Indian. Probably confused - but proud to be them all! Half of my journey to and from work is a 20-30 minute bus ride: London Bus Route 79 - between Alperton in West London and Kingsbury in North West London. I very frequently get pissed-off and frustrated waiting around in the DARK, WET and COLD - waiting for the 79 to turn up. But I have to be eternally grateful for the quality thinking time I get to myself. | ||
M25 is the closest motorway from my place.. no wonder ppl here refer that as one of the most congested roads “in the world”.
Comment kindly left by Chakra Sampath — August 20, 2005 @ 10:11 pm
aaaw, me missing home now. Incl the M25
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Comment kindly left by Uma — August 23, 2005 @ 2:18 pm
Hi Jag! I did go to Southall and thanks to you it was a great visit. Have posted pictures on my blog.
Comment kindly left by Sunrayz — August 24, 2005 @ 11:19 am
Hey Jag, long time no comment
I totally sympathise with you. We used to live in North East London and decided just to be on the safe side we should leave three and a half hours before our flight to NZ (to attend my sister’s wedding) and ended up having to sprint all the way to our departure gate!
Mind you there were great days when it was twenty minutes from where we lived to Bluewater Shopping Centre…
Bloody M25. Don’t miss it.
Comment kindly left by Fi — August 25, 2005 @ 8:37 am
I thought of you and your m25 post as i crawled to Amersham last night.
Comment kindly left by stroppycow — August 25, 2005 @ 2:29 pm
Jag – Its me Renga (remember bloggers meet?) . Just wanted to say a thankyou for the mix you gave. It was superb and just curious where I can get that in London. It was a hit back at home.
And thanks for pointing on the right direction for Ravenscourt park station. We finally found the station exactly opposite to the way you showed us
It was nice catching up with you in the bloggers meet !
Comment kindly left by Renga — August 29, 2005 @ 4:40 pm
I beg to differ. M25 is not the most congested interstate.
US 101 is the most congested. Weekdays during rush hour – it is a parking lot. Literally.
Cars standing for miles on a 5 lane (on each side) highway greests your eyes. It is the worst. Surface streets are much faster than that freeway.
Comment kindly left by sat — August 29, 2005 @ 5:34 pm
Uma: I can’t believe that you are missing the M25! But I guess I can believe it I suppose!
Sunrayz: Yes – I checked them out – well done!
Hello Fi: yes – long time! Glad you don’t miss the M25 – it’s still the same as it ever was! I have been in exactly the same situation before re last minute dashes to gate! And all due to the traffic on the M25!
Hi Renga: Yes I remember you very well! Glad you found your way to the station in the end – I have to admit that it was a bit of an “intelligence” test – and you passed with flying colours!
Regarding the chevda mix: this is a special “Route79″ blend – which I will happily share with you: it is a mix of 3 different types of freshly prepared Bombay mix, Deluxe “chevdo” and “farari” – with some spicy cashews thrown in – and all mixed up! Many people I know have loved this special mix after they have tasted it. Will be glad to get some more for you – just let me know!
Sat: I can believe that the 101 is bad – but the M25 is just as bad in my opinion – I have experienced both – and there’s no point in debating it – both are bad – but I have also heard that the 401 in Toronto is the worst in the world! We shoudl consider ourselves lucky I suppose!
Comment kindly left by Jag — August 31, 2005 @ 10:01 pm
I found a great website where you can subscribe and whinge about the M25 (www.ihatetheM25.co.uk)! It’s a new site I think, it’s got message boards, chat room and a rant room (and more) which is great to just curse and swear and stuff!! And I LOVE having the email address, although I think you can choose a different motorway. I hate getting stuck on the M25 but unfortunately my job means I drive on it almost daily. ‘Drives’ me insane but this gives me somewhere to vent my frustration.
Comment kindly left by queenbitch — April 15, 2006 @ 5:20 pm
I’m pretty familiar with that bit of the M25 in your picture – great fun isn’t it?!!
Comment kindly left by Michelle — April 29, 2006 @ 7:28 pm
Michelle: not! Glad to know I’m not the only one to think that! By the way: I used to know this junction very well as I used to work in Hemel Hempstead several years ago – which is not far from there.
Comment kindly left by Jag — April 30, 2006 @ 9:05 pm