Mind the Gap

 I was watching a video on Insta about the largest gap at Bank station (can't find the post as it vanished mid read (you can read about it here though) and then recalled an embarrassing incident in my first month of blogging. No one commented on the original post. 

Mind the Pigeon!"

I had two embarrassing mishaps yesterday!
1.) I was entering City University for my Gamelan rehearsal and think I held the door open too long, as a pigeon seemed to fly through the door with me. I attempted to sneak up on it as it stood in the corridor looking at me, and then it decided to fly down the corridor with myself in hot pursuit. We reached the stairwell before the music office where it perched on the banister, where I knew all was lost if it went downstairs! I approached it from the other side, and it flew into the computer room, followed closely by myself.... And was greeted by a class of students, I looked at them, and looked at the pigeon who had flown up to the pipe at the top of the room (and who was blatantly thinking "ner ner ner ner ner"), and just collapsed into laughter. I just slowly backed out of the room and made my way to my rehearsal. Wonder where it is now...
2.) Wending my weary way from the rehearsal later on, after a lovely chat with Gamelan friends in the pub, I made the dash up the spiral stairway at Bank, to run to catch the Central line eastbound. We London-dwellers, must all have grown used to the Dalek-like voice which orders one to "Mind the Gap". Well, I must have been away with the fairies, and most certainly DIDN'T mind the gap, and found myself falling straight into the gap beside the train. I looked at the ankles of other late-night commuters in silence, and as someone hauled me out of the gap, burst into raucuous laughter. I ask you, How is one supposed to regain one's self-respect whilst reading a Famous Five book, clutching an R2D2 handbag surrounded by witnesses to such an embarrassing mistake?!

Hmmmm....

The comfortable sharing of Macaroons

I find travelling on the Tube in London to be a really rivetting experience if you can subtly people-watch.  I always wonder about people, where they are going, where they have been, how they feel or what they are doing.  And occasionally, you see and wonder.
On Satuday, were returning from Embankment and rode on the Central line from Holborn.  I sat down next to a young guy who was eating a large packet of macaroons (in various colours, FYI). For the sake of detail, he had strawberry blond shortish hair and was wearing a stripy green and black jumper and looked about 18.  He had a black rucksack on his lap. Every so often, in fact quite frequently, he would lean across to another guy opposite and offer him the packet and the guy would take it and rhythmically devour it. It was rather like a machine.  But they didn't talk to each other.  The other guy had black skin, shortish afro hair with tinges of grey, a short beard tinged with grey, probably about 40ish. He wore a navy blue duffel, black trousers and boots. I thus assumed, due to the comfortable sharing of Macaroons, that they knew each other, but they didn't really seem to talk, there was just this constant leaning and offering of macaroons which was keenly taken up.  The macaroons were quickly finished.  After a minute of so's pause, the duffel-clad man, leaned forward, chortled and said, "Got any more of those biscuits?".  Without a word, the green and striped clad boy rummaged in his black rucksack, digging deep, moving items to produce another huge packet of macaroons which he silently passed across to the guy.  The guy opened them and then the steady-decimation of the macaroons continued.  The young guy just starred down at his bag.  I smiled across at the Macaroon-muncher and then it was time to alight at Liverpool Street.  The macaroon-muncher also got up, without a word, clutching the packet of macaroons and got off the train.  It continued on with that young guy bereft of macaroons.  I was curious about the whole affair?  Did they know each other or was it one of those occasions where you eat something on a train and someone jokes, "Can I have a chip?" (which always happens to me late at night when eating chips on a train.  Incidentally, I usually smile and profer the chips -unless a total fruitcake who I think may be a bit crazy and may attack me for saying the wrong thing - and generally, the person smiles, takes a chip and then leaves me alone).  Was it a case that the man was really hungry and asked for food?  I don't know, but it's these little situations, ponderings, small dialogues and observations that make the tube in London a really interesting place to travel.

Over to you, what do you think the situation was?  Have you ever observed little moments on trains and wondered?

Floral festivities

Step aboard the Kezzie-express eastbound to flowers!
As I mentioned in my Sunday post, I went to a local flower festival at a wonderful church.  Where I live is very Surburban, builtup and city-like. It does have some green parts but it is by no stretch of the imagination, is it countryside.  However, there is a really lovely church not to far away that could be in a tiny village from the way it looks!

The theme of the flowerswas this year overground and underground- on

The tube line



Alight at Upton Park for West Ham united

I loved the combination of the blue and claret flowers
Angel

This heavenly vision was really beautiful up close.  I do love white flowers.
Baker Street

I'm never sure what those weird alien looking flowers are with the pointy stalks coming out of the middle are, but they were SOOOO clever for evoking the pipes of Sherlock Holmes for Baker Street! 
In the middle of our visit, my mother and my niece and I went to go and find a cup of tea and strawberries.  The latter had sadly run out but we did find a rather gorgeous mini Barn owl called Bramble!!!!


Each of the pew ends was marked with a cute red and white display to symbolise the Central line (the nearest station to the church is on the Central line)- they all had different tube names attached.


Alight at Charing Cross for Trafalgar Square and Nelson's Column.

This display was, I think put together by two men.   They always do a display every year and it is always most impressive!  This had a water feature and everything! 
Holland Park

Holland Park apparently has a memorial or house where you can see a wonderful mosaic.  This was represented in the floral display here, my personal favourite.  The lady who made this actually goes to my church and her flowers are always astounding!
Kensington Gardens

You can see the Peter Pan statue here and the flowers reflected in the orange flowers!
Oval

Alight at the Oval or a cracking Cricket match!
Physic garden at...??

I've totally forgotten what the station was for this display but I adore the rustic quality of this one!


Regent's park for London zoo

I adore daisies and I loved the animals hidden amongst the display!
Covent Garden

Home of the royal Ballet, represented by the red roses!!! The Gypsophyllia representing Les Sylphides!
St Paul's

A clever representation of the shape of the dome!
Tower Hill

Are these flowers REALLY blue?  What are they?  I am most intrigued!

Charing Cross for Trafalgar square

And here is an extra shot of Trafalgar square. Hands up who's paddled in the fountains on a hot day apart from me!?!?!

Which one is your favourite?

Edited to add:
Oh and it is the lovely Intrinsically Florrie's 4th blogiversary!  Very appropriate that I had this one scheduled givent that the title is how she often celebrated her blogiversary.  Go and visit her and vote for her lovely outfit in the Swapshop competition!!!