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London: the unlockening/relockening

FridgeMagnet said:
BLM protests at Tottenham police station - it's (pretty much) the anniversary of Mark Duggan being shot. Cops are starting early. (Colindale is not in Tottenham of course but the people being raided are connected, I'm led to believe.)



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Ta - good luck to all out tomorrow and bad cess to the cops
 
Today's the first day I've noticed an overground train go past with nearly all the seats occupied in a couple of the carriages.
 
Went to the office today. Journey in off peak. V quite, but as I would expect at that time. Went to pub at 4.15 (to have a meeting) and as busy as I would expect at that time. Left pub at 5.15 and queue was busy, but lots of tables booked from what I heard from bar staff so I don't think you would have got in after 6 if you hadn't booked in advance.

17.31 train home slightly quieter than it would have been in Jan. No fucker works in the office on a Friday anyway
 
RubyToogood said:
Somerset House this afternoon. To be fair it was raining slightly but still.
View attachment 226651

Covent Garden not quite so dead but also quiet, and lots of restaurants and shops still closed, only a handful of stalls going. It was the first time I've noticed the old wooden barrows the stalls in the main bit are on. They're rather nice.
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Is the covered market open in Covent Garden? I need to meet a friend in town, in the rain.
 
nagapie said:
Is the covered market open in Covent Garden? I need to meet a friend in town, in the rain.
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Yes. Well. If you mean the jubilee market the space is open but there weren't really any stalls behind the first row. But plenty of room to shelter. The main market has all the usual buskers.
 
Getting on for the quiet side of normal by now, people tend to leave empty seats next to you if they can, but it's not always possible.

But it's a really quick trip, less than 10 minutes actual journey (ends of the platform are quieter than middle, but prob don't bother waiting for the next train as they're still less frequent than usual so the platform will just fill up again).

Euston station concourse these days is emptier than I've ever seen it!
Victoria more like quiet/normal but still ok.
And the loos are still open (& free) at Victoria, with managed queuing etc...
 
A Friday night in Central London (the first for me since lockdown):

  • easy to get into pub near Oxford Circus for pre-dinner pint
  • ate in restaurant off Regent St only half full
  • got into Ivy club and Grouchos (not a member of either but had deal to get in) - both pretty empty
  • finished in Freedom bar which was quite full with Weimar Republic feel to it
  • only busy part of town was around Old Compton St
  • LOTS of guys touting for business (offering drugs/girls/parties/rides)
  • lots of black cabs with light on at 3am

OK it’s August but was surprised how quiet it was.
 
Hmmm, intriguing: Just treating myself to the bus to go to work (for the first time, yesterday and today, since mid-June). Been walking the 45 mins there and back, and whilst that doesn't sound long, I have found it absolutely knackering (I'm on my feet all day at work as well). Now making the most of this last week before, I imagine, public transport use will increase massively from next week.
I'm one of four people on the top deck, all with mask, but now the intriguing thing: The bus, one of the new routemaster types, has got slidey open windows. I could have sworn that it didn't used to have openable windows. Have these actually been just fitted for covid?
 
zora said:
Hmmm, intriguing: Just treating myself to the bus to go to work (for the first time, yesterday and today, since mid-June). Been walking the 45 mins there and back, and whilst that doesn't sound long, I have found it absolutely knackering (I'm on my feet all day at work as well). Now making the most of this last week before, I imagine, public transport use will increase massively from next week.
I'm one of four people on the top deck, all with mask, but now the intriguing thing: The bus, one of the new routemaster types, has got slidey open windows. I could have sworn that it didn't used to have openable windows. Have these actually been just fitted for covid?
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They didn't to begin with but they've been there a couple of years now
 
Ah, it seemed like a quick turnaround. Shows how much attention I pay to my surroundings :oops: but either way I am glad that they are there.

On a related note, just went past Trafalgar Square and saw the new sculpture on the plinth, whipped cream with cherry. It really spoke to me, given that covid and the attendant fuck-ups are literally the icing on the shitcake of Tory rule.
 
zora said:
Hmmm, intriguing: Just treating myself to the bus to go to work (for the first time, yesterday and today, since mid-June). Been walking the 45 mins there and back, and whilst that doesn't sound long, I have found it absolutely knackering (I'm on my feet all day at work as well). Now making the most of this last week before, I imagine, public transport use will increase massively from next week.
I'm one of four people on the top deck, all with mask, but now the intriguing thing: The bus, one of the new routemaster types, has got slidey open windows. I could have sworn that it didn't used to have openable windows. Have these actually been just fitted for covid?
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They got added because so many people complained the buses became oven hot, it cost a fortune and was another legacy of good old funny Boris being mayor.
 
I need to take a test. Are the post boxes just the normal red ones? I can see where mine are marked on the map and that's where I think a normal one is.
 
nagapie said:
I need to take a test. Are the post boxes just the normal red ones? I can see where mine are marked on the map and that's where I think a normal one is.
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Yes, it is the normal ones, it will just have a sticker on it under the slot to post the letters saying "NHS priority post box"; I have noticed some of them around.
All the best for your test!
 
Went into Soho early last night (6:30ish) it was unbelievably busy, really long queues outside restaurants and all the street tables taken with cafes/pubs etc bringing out more and more tables

soho aug 2020.jpg
 
Yeah noticeably busier in central... Still a long way to go from the usual throng but creeping. Bracing for September and partial office return
Went on a tube yesterday after trains broke down - thankfully that was very empty still
 
what said:
Went into Soho early last night (6:30ish) it was unbelievably busy, really long queues outside restaurants and all the street tables taken with cafes/pubs etc bringing out more and more tables
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Yesterday was the last day of the Government's 'Eat Out to Help Out' £10 discount scheme.
Grosvenor Estates have said they will continue the subsidy for their restaurant tenants through September.
www.standard.co.uk

Landlord Grosvenor offers Eat Out to Help Out extension for tenants

Landlord Grosvenor has moved to help restaurants across its Mayfair and Belgravia estate by funding an extension of the government’s Eat Out to Help Out scheme.
www.standard.co.uk www.standard.co.uk
 
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