Victoria... A bit of a dump isn't it?

[Bungle73]

For your information, when I was burdened with working in the midden that is Victoria, I bought raw ingredients, such as rolls, meats and fillings and made them myself. However I will not be doing that bollocks at 6 o'clock in the frigging morning, thanks.

Why do you need to do that "bollocks" at 6 o'clock in the morning? Why can't you do it the night before?

 

[Bahnhof Strasse]

The official answer is that I like my food fresh.

The real reason is that the night before I'd most probably be too pissed to be bothered.

 

[_pH_]

Not getting a flipping bus just to eat my lunch you loon!

And that square is too small, too crowded, hardly any seats and what seats there are are filled with homeless Glaswegian alcoholics. Not somewhere conducive to a peaceful luncheon.

There are free deckchairs in Grosvenor Square right now, by the upside down half buried man sculpture thing. I sat in one earlier today while on my break. None of the other deckchairs were occupied by homeless Glaswegian alcoholics.

 

[Bahnhof Strasse]

There are free deckchairs in Grosvenor Square right now, by the upside down half buried man sculpture thing. I sat in one earlier today while on my break. None of the other deckchairs were occupied by homeless Glaswegian alcoholics.

I've moved on. Victoria had its chance, it blew it.

 

[_pH_]

I've moved on. Victoria had its chance, it blew it.

Oh.

To be honest, Grosvenor Square with its homeless Glaswegian alcoholics is still preferable to the train crew mess room upstairs in the Kent side offices, which probably has more pigeons than Grosvenor Square.

 

[_pH_]

Considering how close it is to some of the most historically significant sites in the country, it remains astonishing to me how shit the sight greeting visitors exiting Victoria mainline station is. Oppressing space surrounded on all sides by office blocks, with no clear line of sight out of it, and a messy and confusing bus station preventing a natural pedestrian flow out of it. The local shops, pubs and restaurants are truly lamentable too.

Now there's a major redevelopment afoot and a couple of the fugliest 1960s office blocks have been taken down. Alas, instead of creating a nice open space like you would expect the likes of Paris to have, more buildings will rise in ther place. It does make me laugh whenever I see ads in the press or Tube promoting the area as a destination.

Is Paris really any different though? I've only used Gare du Nord and St Lazare and neither of them are in particularly attractive areas, don't know about the other termini. St Lazare looks nice now it's been done up inside, but the local area around both is probably the same as around Vic or Paddington.

 

[ViolentPanda]

When I was 16, i almost got nonced in Victoria, by a Jarvis-like character in silk pajamas and smoking jacket. The police told me it was not a great area for a youngster like me to be lurking in.

Sorry about that!

 

[Balham]

Only half of it. The is still the iron and glass roof above the SE side, and it's has recently been renovated.

I had seen that, does look not too bad at all. Alas I travel in from the central(ish) south London part or as Earnest said, the Brighton Line, even though Lady Bracknell says the line is immaterial.

 

[Orang Utan]

Both too far. And as the lovely Minnie points out, with 15 minutes farting around in Sainsbury's buying my lunch, sod that.

Anyway, a solution was found; quit the job and move offices to behind Lincoln's Inn

Make your own sandwiches then!

(Is Lincoln's Inn where the Royal College of Surgeons is? If so, make sure you visit the Hunterian Collection)

 

[Bungle73]

Make your own sandwiches then!

We've already been through that.

Is Lincoln's Inn where the Royal College of Surgeons is? If so, make sure you visit the Hunterian Collection)

Yes. Lincoln's Inn Fields.

 

[Greebo]

At 6am I have no idea what I'll be wanting to eat at 1pm.<snip>

Why not buy your sarnies in Boots? The queue's generally shorter.

 

[davesgcr]

Train stations are supposed to be rough-ish environments. Anyway, just wait for the economy to turn a few more Gideonesque corners, in a few decades the word 'grotty' will not come close to describe the state of things.

London railway stations (not "train stations please") - used to be very well known for the insalubrious activities in local areas - there were the Sisters of Mercy esconced at Euston to prevent good Catholic young girls not falling into disreputable company , and the environs at Waterloo (much military traffic) had a sub-note about "all tastes catered for in the surrounding area" ...!!!

 

[Puddy_Tat]

London railway stations (not "train stations please")

*like*

 

[porp]

Considering how close it is to some of the most historically significant sites in the country, it remains astonishing to me how shit the sight greeting visitors exiting Victoria mainline station is. Oppressing space surrounded on all sides by office blocks, with no clear line of sight out of it, and a messy and confusing bus station preventing a natural pedestrian flow out of it. The local shops, pubs and restaurants are truly lamentable too.

Now there's a major redevelopment afoot and a couple of the fugliest 1960s office blocks have been taken down. Alas, instead of creating a nice open space like you would expect the likes of Paris to have, more buildings will rise in ther place. It does make me laugh whenever I see ads in the press or Tube promoting the area as a destination.

Now that the King's Cross area has been succesfully redeveloped, is this the grimmest- or at least dullest- transport hub in central London?

Too true - and the redevelopment [to judge by the greenish glass-steel blocks on Victoria Street] is of the most unimaginative cookie-cutter boring and predictable kind. You may as well be in any town south of the Trent.

And yet - a few steps away from station and things do get a bit more interesting. Strutton Ground is a street with a fair number of proper shops, and the ponce/non-ponce ratio in the market is pretty good. A few steps more and you're into a huge Peabody estate, good quality public housing all the way to the river and a decent place for a wander[agreed not much use if waiting for trains]. Circle back round to the Vauxhall Bridge Road and you can wander into Pimlico - though a litle bit of Pimlico goes a long way. Agree that the BPR and the area around the coach station are pretty awful, but also the site of the weirdest transformation in London. To the back of the Coach Station , the grimness suddenly goes all posh and just keeps getting posher until you find yourself around Sloane Square.

Having said that, it's a hard area to love, but worth a bit of an effort.

 

[Zonc808]

Victoria also has the bonus that if you work in the area there is no where, literally no where at all to go and eat a packed lunch outside. The few green spaces that are there are closed off to the public, being reserved for the folk in the posh houses. A proper shithole of a place.

Grosvenor Gardens (Upper and Lower) are almost immediately opposite the station (depending on which way you exit), and near by there is Ebury Sq Gardens behind the coach station, up Victoria St is Christchurch Gardens near Scotland Yard, and theres also the privately-owned but open/green raised bit off Bressenden Place between/amongst the glassy blocks, all accessable during the day and suitable for lunching in

 

[_pH_]

Too true - and the redevelopment [to judge by the greenish glass-steel blocks on Victoria Street] is of the most unimaginative cookie-cutter boring and predictable kind. You may as well be in any town south of the Trent.

And yet - a few steps away from station and things do get a bit more interesting. Strutton Ground is a street with a fair number of proper shops, and the ponce/non-ponce ratio in the market is pretty good. A few steps more and you're into a huge Peabody estate, good quality public housing all the way to the river and a decent place for a wander[agreed not much use if waiting for trains]. Circle back round to the Vauxhall Bridge Road and you can wander into Pimlico - though a litle bit of Pimlico goes a long way. Agree that the BPR and the area around the coach station are pretty awful, but also the site of the weirdest transformation in London. To the back of the Coach Station , the grimness suddenly goes all posh and just keeps getting posher until you find yourself around Sloane Square.

Having said that, it's a hard area to love, but worth a bit of an effort.

Strutton Ground is quite nice, and there are a few bakers that do cheap filled baguettes and stall that does nice coffee. That Peabody Estate is nice for a wander, but it does feel a bit touristy to wander through there.

('BPR'?)

 

[teuchter]

London's nicest terminus (that isn't a terminus) is now Blackfriars

 

[_pH_]

London's nicest terminus (that isn't a terminus) is now Blackfriars

It has terminating platforms doesn't it? So it counts, you can have that.

 

[teuchter]

It has terminating platforms doesn't it? So it counts, you can have that.

Yes it does. But then so does Clapham Junction. And West Croydon. Not that they are in the running for "London's nicest terminus" though.

 

[Orang Utan]

The best sandwich shop ever is on Horseferry Road: Joe's.
Only lunatics buy refrigerated sandwiches.
These guys make them in front of you and they are very generous with the fillings

 

[teuchter]

I like the sandwiches/rolls you can get in the International Cheese Centre inside Victoria station.

 

[Greebo]

The best sandwich shop ever is on Horseferry Road: Joe's.<snip>
These guys make them in front of you and they are very generous with the fillings

The sandwiches and rolls made to order in the cafe at the side of Victoria bus station are pretty good value for money too.

 

[Greebo]

I like the sandwiches/rolls you can get in the International Cheese Centre inside Victoria station.

Expensive. OTOH the cheese tends to be worth it, once in a while.

 

[teuchter]

Expensive.

Not really, compared to most sandwich places. Cheaper than many in fact.

 

[Greebo]

Not really, compared to most sandwich places. Cheaper than many in fact.

More expensive than the ones I'd be able to afford though - and that's probably the difference. Commuters may just about be able to afford those prices, I have to think about what I'll do without in order to buy that.

 

[_pH_]

Not really, compared to most sandwich places. Cheaper than many in fact.

They are compared to a supermarket, but feel the quality. And they give me staff discount.

I quite like Upper Crust - sausage baguette with ketchup at 5am is a good breakfast.

Although my favourite is the Piazza cafe outside London Bridge, lovely Portuguese family run it, they do a fine scone, and the prices are good. I think they might have to close at some point due to the redevelopment, sadly.

Although: bacon roll and a coffee for £3 at East Grinstead is pretty good too.

 

[equationgirl]

Waverley is shite. Long (no-smoking) descents into a station where you cannot even buy a cup of coffee at 05.00 whilst waiting for the 05.37 for Aberdeen. I switched my ticket to Haymarket on the return... I prefer Haymarket as it is smaller and has an AMT!

Haymarket is gloomy and completely open to the elements. Which is not fun in the middle of winter.

 

[equationgirl]

i work in camden. so fuck you all.

I work in Renfrew, you don't know the meaning of the word 'shite', so fuck you

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

The best sandwich shop ever is on Horseferry Road: Joe's.
Only lunatics buy refrigerated sandwiches.
These guys make them in front of you and they are very generous with the fillings

Is that the one that's sort of undercover set back from the pavement?

 

[Plumdaff]

There's a lovely Italian deli by the coach station that sells chinotto. Mmmmmmm Way too pricey for everyday use but if I worked nearby I'd go it for the chinotto alone.