Trains, tubes and buses...the highs and lows in and around London

Waterloo Station

Is it Murphy's Law that says when anything could go wrong it will? Or something like that. It was a bit like that yesterday. I was on a bit of tight schedule - choir in the morning, meet-up with someone in London at 3pm.

There was road works on the main road into Kingston where I sing, but I managed to get there in time. Coming home I waited by the bus station and there were four or five of the same buses waiting there. Surely one of them would move soon? One came only to have 'not in service' on it. Drat! Finally another bus, which follows a different route but drops me near enough, came out of the bus station so I got on it. Every traffic light was red. The main street where I live was nose to tail. I was watching the minutes tick away. Finally it arrived at my stop and I dashed home, offloaded my choir folder and bottle of water, shoved some leftovers in the microwave, ate and then I was out again.

I needed a bus to take me to Wimbledon station where I would catch a tube to South Kensington for my meet-up outside the Natural History Museum. I didn't have to wait too long but at the first stop there was an incident. A guy ran round the corner to get on the bus. Nothing usual about that except that several other people came charging round too and one stood in the road and held the bus up. That's when I realised one of the guys was a security guard from the DIY store. He was ordering the guy off the bus! He came off and started running, the security guard taking photos of him on his mobile. I was reminded of my son and his efforts to stop shoplifters and which last year ended up in him falling and breaking his knee. What a wipe out year that was for him. Anyway, I didn't see what happened because the bus moved off. Last I saw was the guy banging on a van as it exited the DIY car park.

The bus stopped at every stop (I don't think there could have been a bus in while but may have also been because another bus in front had broken down!). At Wimbledon I headed down to the tube and was just about to go onto the platform when there was announcement that District Line trains had been suspended due to signal failure. Ahhhh!

Now this friend is a penpal of mine. We'd not met before and she was in England with her family for only a few days. We'd only just discovered that her phone didn't work here so we made all the final arrangements via Facebook. I had no way to contact her. I didn't panic. Oh come on, I did! But I took out my trusty map to see if I could get there another way. I decided to go on the main line to Vauxhall, pick up the Victoria Line tube to Victoria and see if the Circle Line was running (this tube line and the District share some of the same track so it was a chance, but one I was willing to take).

Everywhere was packed when I arrived at Victoria and the platform was crazy. People where being advised to use other routes but I hung in there. The next tube purported to be going to Ealing Broadway would have to go through South Kensington. It seemed only eastbound trains where totally stopped. There was an announcement that the next train which was going to Ealing Broadway was now going as far as South Kensington and would then be held. The final destination was unknown! That would do me though.

Talk about crush as we all pushed on (no messing around in London - push or be pushed!). The next stop was Sloane Square but as the tube slowly came into the station there was announcement which went something like this, 'We are not stopping at Sloane Square because the station is closed and no one told me.' You have to admire the British. I just love it!

I arrived at South Kensington and believe it or not I was there on time! There is a God after all. And I actually found my friend and her family walking in front of me down the tunnel towards the museums. They too had trouble getting there made worse by the fact that her son wanted to use the bus. Bus in central London? Forget it. Walk! I walk everywhere in London or use the tube (despite days like yesterday). Nowhere is that far in London if you have a good map. Still, the little guy wanted the experience of a London bus, bless!

Anyway, we had about three good hours together chatting while her family went off to the museum. We sat in the Energy Cafe of the Science Museum and talked about almost nothing but writing and books! She self publishes crime fiction in Switzerland so we had masses to talk about.

We had no idea how we would get back home, or her to the B&B but we didn't care. All together we set off for the tube at South Ken to find the District and Circle lines suspended. I also overheard that there was trouble on the Bakerloo line and Euston station was shut due to a fire on the line! We laughed our way through it and descended to the Piccadilly line where we split as we were going in opposite directions, but we would get home. As I say there is always a way in London. I ended up going out to come in - in to Green Park, a change to the Jubilee line to Waterloo main line station which I opted for rather than Vauxhall as the train would be so full I might not get on. Waterloo is the start and finish of my suburban line so I was hopeful of a seat. And yes, I got one. I walked right up to the front the train and got a window seat. I'd made it!

Travelling in London is wonderful but you do get days like this. It's frustrating but in the end you just smile and accept it as part of the British way of life. I've been through many of them. What amazed me was that I still got to my destination on time. The bits that work, work well!