Nico

Estate roads of South Oxhey currently looking for all the world like a loyalist area of Belfast with all the union flags hanging off streetlamps.

Six weeks since last in Central London. Haven't begun to miss it all yet. Some day?

Really enjoyed the 25 minutes this morning when I wasn't hot.

Needs added:

(He/him)

Due to my flexible working arrangements I may post outside of regular office hours. There is no expecation this will be read or responded to before the net working day.

The White House - an Investors in People employer.

Sitting in an air conditioned coffee shop watching all life on Broad Street pass by. Coming to the end of the first really hot spell I've experienced on SSRI medication (now 100mg Sertraline! Stepping up!). Takeaway: Whatever fluids I've been bringing out and about with me, double that amount.

Current weather in central Reading: hot, but overcast with a few spots of rain. The air is thick. No sun since lunchtime. Feels like a storm might develop, though forecast/radar suggests otherwise.

Also obliged to note that nowhere on the 379 route is - even by the loosest Borough definition - in Enfield. Understand that Thamesway had Enfield routes it operationally slotted in to, but a botched piece of LT localism.

Unhappy memories of these on such backwater rural routes as the 28 and 31 through Notting Hill and Chelsea. Tended to bunch into 3+ and were chronically overcrowded. Miserable user experience.

Three weeks of training ✔️

All theory and CPC exams passed. PCV practical next week. All being well, I'll be signed off back to High Wycombe by the end of the week.

After two weeks of living on my nerves, everything started to 'click'. Absolutely loving it now. Oxford in the summer is a delight.

The French cartoon character Asterix and his companion, a very thin, Obelix #speirgorm

Astérix and Ozempix

‘Nobody knows what’s down there’: The endless fire poisoning a community It used to be an underground drug bunker. Now a field on the edge of London is so dangerous the fire service refuses to enter it and local children are choking on its fumes

www.the-londoner.co.uk/the-endless-...

New whip

"We searched his name on companies house to try and find his home address"

For the first time in my life I booked a hotel to stay in town rather than schlep it out on the last Met. Surreal waking up and stepping out into an empty Fleet St. 4x4 Panda got an overnight stay in zone 1. Then breakfast at Andrews, the cafe that launched a thousand working days at our WC1 office.

Now an ex-employee of the courier industry, ending a 15 year run of involvement. Surprisingly emotional (and very noisy) leaving drinks, but nursing a relatively gentle hangover (Pinot Noir, thanks Bill).

I refuse to believe that the owner of that house wasn’t sleeping with the captain’s wife.

Great examination of a difficult issue, this.

All three of these big parks used to be run for the benefit of London as a whole, but were transferred to the boroughs in the Eighties. They're all on borough borders too, which isn't ideal. It's a neat example of how poorly London is run.

It is the 1 between Wycombe and Chesham (hourly on to Hemel, as during the week). Wasn't aware the X20 had been upped!

The Sunday service on our local commercial route (linking a string of commuter towns in Bucks) recently got upped from hourly to half hourly. Ridership seems to have responded well. Can't think of many routes in the home counties with a Sunday service more frequent than hourly.

So pleased we’ve identified foreign carehome workers who do the toughest jobs for fuck all money as the big problem with the country. Was worried it might be someone else.

Yes! Very common on side roads of Tottenham until the mid 90s, but a few lingered on longer.

London's Busiest Bus Stops Find out where London's busiest bus stops are, and see the busiest stops by route.

found a TfL FOI response about buses, made a thing to play with: edjefferson.com/busiestbusst...

Met shenanigans have driven me to Hayes and into the arms of the Elizabeth Line, which is working as intended. Very pleasant journey when it all works (it doesn't always work).

The 2000s revival is starting!

REPLICATE the experience of taking ketamine in a work environment by wearing out a brand new glasses prescription on a weekday.

Morning peak shoulder train used to pick up at least 3-4 food delivery cyclists from Wembley/Harrow area, all seem to have been banished by the ban. None going home either. Wonder if they ride in now or if the Euston line has picked them up.

Final commute form for my last month of working in London: drive to Little Chalfont, Brompton ¾ mile from bountiful parking to station, train to.. depending on which train turns up really, unfold Brompton at other end and ride last 1-2 miles.

Nice to be back in the saddle!

Does the new 60+ pass include teleportation?

Gloriously outdated counties of Britain jigsaw map at the big Oxfam in Cowley.

Popes only do this when they’re threatened. There’s probably a busload of nuns out of shot.