London: the unlockening/relockening

[oryx]

We went to Oxford Street the week before last for an afternoon's shopping and it was absolutely hopping! We walked back to the station via Soho and that was packed. The train and tube were a bit quieter than usual, and so was the pub we went in.

I felt there was fairly good compliance with mask-wearing on the tube.

 

[Puddy_Tat]

I may have to take the tube then. It may be normal for Londoners now due to taking it every day but it fills me with apprehension. I assumed I could have the windows open on bus and it wouldn’t be crowded but perhaps I’m being naive

fairly sure that london buses all have open-able windows

tube tends to have windows at the end of each carriage that let air through

this suggests about 90 minutes from waterloo to wood green on the 243 at peak times

If you'd feel more comfortable above ground you could get a train from Blackfriars to Finsbury park I think then it's a shorter tube or bus up.

yes, was going to suggest that.

blackfriars station has an entrance on the south bank now so not that far from waterloo (although may be further than you're comfortable walking at the moment - alternative might be waterloo east - london bridge and pick up the thameslink there, although to be honest it's a fair trek from waterloo main to waterloo east.)

or stay on the thameslink to alexandra palace station (think you would have to change at finsbury park, but still on the thameslink / great northern bit) then either walk or W3 bus for a few stops down the road?

aware you're outside london, take it you know that buses in london don't accept cash payments - you need either oyster card or contactless payment card now? (some people still get caught out by this)

 

[Sue]

fairly sure that london buses all have open-able windows

tube tends to have windows at the end of each carriage that let air through

this suggests about 90 minutes from waterloo to wood green on the 243 at peak times



yes, was going to suggest that.

blackfriars station has an entrance on the south bank now so not that far from waterloo (although may be further than you're comfortable walking at the moment - alternative might be waterloo east - london bridge and pick up the thameslink there, although to be honest it's a fair trek from waterloo main to waterloo east.)

or stay on the thameslink to alexandra palace station (think you would have to change at finsbury park, but still on the thameslink / great northern bit) then either walk or W3 bus for a few stops down the road?

aware you're outside london, take it you know that buses in london don't accept cash payments - you need either oyster card or contactless payment card now? (some people still get caught out by this)

Yeah, they do. But it was absolutely chucking it down with rain so the windows were closed. (Also why I was getting the bus. Normally I'd have walked but it was really, really wet.)

 

[Elpenor]

fairly sure that london buses all have open-able windows

tube tends to have windows at the end of each carriage that let air through

this suggests about 90 minutes from waterloo to wood green on the 243 at peak times



yes, was going to suggest that.

blackfriars station has an entrance on the south bank now so not that far from waterloo (although may be further than you're comfortable walking at the moment - alternative might be waterloo east - london bridge and pick up the thameslink there, although to be honest it's a fair trek from waterloo main to waterloo east.)

or stay on the thameslink to alexandra palace station (think you would have to change at finsbury park, but still on the thameslink / great northern bit) then either walk or W3 bus for a few stops down the road?

aware you're outside london, take it you know that buses in london don't accept cash payments - you need either oyster card or contactless payment card now? (some people still get caught out by this)

Thanks very informative. Beaucoup options!

Living in Reading for 20 years I never had an Oyster card or understood what it was properly for many years as I had to buy a paper ticket to get into London. By the time I actually knew what it was I had a contactless card anyway.

 

[hash tag]

I have not been on the tube for a couple of years; I dislike it at the nest of times as I find it hot, stuffy and poorly ventilated.
Bus or train every time for me (or walking). On my travels around town yesterday it was not bad at all, not even on the bus,
in the sheeting rain from Oxford Street to Victoria at peak times.

 

[hash tag]

I am guessing, but reckon our direct train from Clapham Junction to Bletchley is a little more crowded than usual because a lot of people have been diverted on to this as there are problems with the overground today. Our train stops at a few of the overground stations.
NB I have just heard announcements to say there is also tube disruption and closures caused by yesterday's flooding.

 

[Pickman's model]

I have not been on the tube for a couple of years; I dislike it at the nest of times as I find it hot, stuffy and poorly ventilated.
Bus or train every time for me (or walking). On my travels around town yesterday it was not bad at all, not even on the bus,
in the sheeting rain from Oxford Street to Victoria at peak times.

it's always nice to be on the bus in the sheeting rain

beats being out in the sheeting rain

 

[Pickman's model]

fairly sure that london buses all have open-able windows

tube tends to have windows at the end of each carriage that let air through

there are of course upsides and downsides to air circulating on public transport in the middle of a pandemic in which airborne particles can spread the virus: tho the velocity at which the air moves in moving tube trains is probably on that front safer than the more sedate pace at which it would move on buses.

 

[Ms Ordinary]

If you'd feel more comfortable above ground you could get a train from Blackfriars to Finsbury park I think then it's a shorter tube or bus

Depending which bit of Wood Green, you could even get the train all the way up to Alexandra Palace or Bowes Park (possibly change train at Finsbury Park but it's the same platform)

 

[hash tag]

Oh dear
BBC News - Covid: London's Metropolitan Line closed after staff pinged by NHS app

Covid: London's Metropolitan Line closed after staff pinged by NHS app

Control room staff on the Metropolitan Line are isolating after being sent alerts by the NHS app.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[pbsmooth]

travelled in from south london to central and then on the tube, pleased and mildly surprised to see most people still wearing masks. I'd still reckon around 50% capacity compared to normal, maybe a little higher. people standing but also not using all seats so a bit tricky to tell. police at london bridge, wonder if they're there to enforce masks? were spread out around turnstiles but may have been coincidence.

 

[pbsmooth]

I'd say there is a higher percentage of punters than staff wearing masks on the tube

 

[Me76]

Went into the office today and the 8.38 train was 9 mins late, not completely full and almost all wearing masks and trying to give distance where they could.

 

[Pickman's model]

Went into the office today and the 8.38 train was 9 mins late, not completely full and almost all wearing masks and trying to give distance where they could.

Reginald Perrin leapt to mind with your late train

 

[davesgcr]

Reginald Perrin leapt to mind with your late train

It should have been 11 mins late to paraphrase the book.

"Badgers chewed signal cables , fog Clapham Junction etc.."

 

[Pickman's model]

It should have been 11 mins late to paraphrase the book.

"Badgers chewed signal cables , fog Clapham Junction etc.."

Badgers is always chewing signal cables

 

[marty21]

It was lovely ordering a pint at the bar yesterday (Jolly Butchers, Stoke Newington)

 

[Pickman's model]

It was lovely ordering a pint at the bar yesterday (Jolly Butchers, Stoke Newington)

Just the one?

 

[Sue]

Just the one?

marty21 is an abstemious type.

 

[marty21]

Just the one?

Followed up with another one for dessert

 

[marty21]

marty21 is an abstemious type.

 

[marty21]

Train was busy from Clapton to Liverpool St at 9.15 this morning , tube to Kings Cross was also busy .

 

[hash tag]

Still very few overseas tourists and being busy is a sign that things might be getting back to normal.
Both come with mixed blessings.

 

[teuchter]

Today I have spied, for the first time "this wave" a patch of green reappearing in London. Chelsea.

https://coronavirus.data.gov.uk/details/interactive-map/cases

 

[hash tag]

Oh what can it mean? (no context)

 

[clicker]

The flower show.

 

[teuchter]

https://ra.co/features/3871?

I remember naively thinking at the start of all this, that the first weekend out after everything was over, it was all safe again and clubs reopened, would be fun times.

 

[teuchter]

A few more specks of green appearing, and things looking less purple in general.

 

[marty21]

I'm in Kings Cross again, the number of people having their lunch or lounging around Pancras Square is at pre lockdown numbers.

 

[zora]

I'm in Kings Cross again, the number of people having their lunch or lounging around Pancras Square is at pre lockdown numbers.

Sadface. That's sad face not so much as in "oh god, I worry what this will do to covid numbers", but sad face as in "I have so been enjoying empty London and don't want it to go back to normal"