My Trip to London

Last Friday I went to London to get my Visa. Before I start telling you about my weird and wonderful day, let's get the important bit out of the way. I WAS APPROVED! In fact, my Visa was delivered to my Mum's house this morning. There is now nothing stopping me going to America. Even if I fail my history exam and get sent back in September, I will still have been to America. So YAY!!

On to the interestingness of my day.

I'd planned to sleep on the overnight coach, but couldn't get comfortable so I sat up alternately reading an admiring the countryside. I saw a tanning shop called "Son of a Beach" which made me laugh. I like funny shop names. Somewhere along the M40 between Oxford and London we went through some white clifftype things that edged the motorway and got hit by a major pang of homesickness for Hampshire. There's a part of the M3 like that between Basingstoke and Southampton. As we were entering London I saw two cars with vanity plates parked in a driveway. One was "2 B" and the other was "Not 2 B". Had me giggling for quite a while. Other interesting sights from the day included traffic cones on top of a bus shelter, papparazzi waiting outside the Royal Courts of Justice (I have no idea who for), Japanese tourists wearing those medical face masks, and Abe Lincoln. Oh, and a cemetary in Chelsea that was advertising an upcoming open day. An open day in a cemetary? Colour me intrigued.

The embassy wasn't as bad as I was expecting. I joined the queue at half seven, seconds before about two hundred people joined up, and was out of there by half nine. There were lots of scary policemen wandering around with guns though, which was a bit intimidating. Kind of the point, I suppose.

I've decided I want to add something to my Bucket List. I'd like to stay, for at least one night, in a ridiculously posh hotel. By "posh" I mean the ones with doormen in funny uniforms, and bellboys pushing about cage shaped luggage trolleys. The sort of place that'd make me feel completely uncomfortable within two minutes. There are a lot of them in London. Lots of silly uniforms.

After coming out of the embassy I had 9 hours to kill before my coach home, so I did my usual and got on a random bus. I picked up the Metro newspaper from the seat in front of me, flicked through a bit, and was confronted with this....



That says: "We Are Coming. Meet the Torchwood Team Today! DVD Signing at HMV, 150 Oxford St, London, Between 12.30 - 2pm* *fans can pick up free wristbands at HMV 150 Oxford St which allow entry to the DVD signing. 250 wristbands will be available only from HMV 150 Oxford St from 9.am on Friday 17th July onwards. One wristband per customer maximum. In person only. While stocks last. Subject to availability, at participating store only."

I may have squealed on a public bus. I wasn't that far from Oxford St, and it was only just gone half nine, but I was heading in the wrong direction, so I hopped off and changed buses and headed to HMV. I was number 272 :-( So no seeing the Torchwood people. I love Captain Jack, but John Barrowman is an idiot. I really wanted to meet Ianto though. I suffocated my disappointment and got on another bus. Continued to flip through the Metro and found this...



That one was an advert for the London Film and Comic Con, on Saturday 18th and Sunday 19th July. Stars including Eve Myles, Scott Bakula, Tom Baker, Jewel Straite, Danny John Jules, James and Oliver Phelps and... get this. Chewbacca! I'm not a big fan of Star Wars, but it was Chewbacca!!!! I looked again at the date and kicked myself. I was so tempted to "accidentally" miss my coach home and go camp out in front of Earls Court. If I hadn't had a Brownie theatre trip on the Saturday I think it's highly likely that I would have gone through with it. I WILL be going next year.

After my second bitter disappointment I put down the Metro and got off the bus. I'd like to recommend to everyone a wonderful little cafe outside Victoria Station. It's called Victoria Cafe and I believe it's run by a little Polish man and his daughter, and they make the best sausage sandwiches I've had in decades. Yummy. Definitely remembering that place.

I filled out the rest of my day watching Ice Age 3 at a cinema in Chelsea (and feeling like a dirty old woman being the only adult there without a small child, until a little old Asian man walked in alone) and walking past a Paperchase six times before convincing myself that I really did need that lovely black scrapbook. It's for my USM experience, so extremely vital. Naturally.

I ended up not sleeping on the coach home either. I had my knee pressed against the netted pocket on the back of the seat in front of me the whole way, and my leg twisted under my seat. I remember wondering if, if the bus crashed and my leg shattered into pieces, would they still let me into America wearing a leg cast? I have my priorities straight, obviously.