Happy new year
As I woke yesterday morning and surveyed the wreckage that was my bedroom, the one thing that I couldn't understand was why the clothes I'd been wearing the night before were lying in a soaking heap in the corner. My shoes, also soaked through were perched on top of a radiator that wasn't switched on, and the floor was damp in several places. I didn't remember it raining on my way home, and I'm pretty certain it wasn't raining indoors either. After a quick jaunt to the corner shop for a pick-me-up of Red Bull and a few slightly longer jaunts to the toilet, the haze that was Saturday slowly came back to me. Of course, the biggest worry in these situations is that you've embarassed yourself, or lost something valuable on the way. Luckily, neither of these applied.
The day started rather normally, I took a trip into a rain-soaked London to meet up with Callum, and the plan was to find a pub and watch Tamworth vs. Norwich City in the FA Cup. Callum is a die-hard Norwich fan so he was relishing the prospect of seeing his team thump the non-league opposition. With Callums mate - whose name escapes me now - we happened upon The Sports Cafe near Leicester Square and pulled up our stools. Our first pint was drunk at roughly 12.15pm. After spending a small fortune on the pool tables and watching Norwich coast to a 4-1 victory, Callums mate left us and Callum and I headed to Ben Crouches pub near Oxford Street for some lunch. It was only about 3pm but I was rather tipsy at this stage. Fortunately I was sober enough to do a spot of shopping and head home to get ready for stage two of the day. It was a staff night out, the one back in December was just for the management team but this one was for the whole store, so we made our way to a Country Club in what I believe was Cheshunt, but all these places look familiar when they're damp, dark and alcohol-blurred. It was a good night, but I contiuned the trend started earlier in the day and kept knocking back the pints until about 1am when I decided I'd better go home. After a regrettable phone call to my girlfriend - regrettable in the sense that I'd forgotton it was actually 3am where she was - I made my way to a busy dual carriageway that separated me from my destination: the bus stop. I wasn't entirely sure which direction London was in so I just followed the brightest lights. Unfortunately the only way to get to the bus stop was to go under the road through a subway that to my horror was completely flooded. I was in good spirits at this stage though having just phoned a friend who luckily wasn't sound asleep, and after staring at this watery obstacle for a few moments I decided the best way to negotiate it was to just run through it. It must only be a few inches of water, I thought, and if I was sprightly enough I could get away two damp socks and nothing more. I had to traverse about 20 or 30 feet, and was quietly confident of success. Stepping back a few paces, I inhaled deeply and started my run-up. The first ten or fifteen feet were fine, I skipped through the outsized puddle with the minimum of fuss until I was about two thirds of the way across when I very abruptly sank up to my knees. It was one of those situations where the only thing you can do is laugh to yourself, and swear very loudly. Four-letter words rebounded off the walls and celiling while I dragged myself out of the mire. I found the bus stop and sat soaking wet on an empty night bus until my bedraggled body found its way home. Evidently I got out of my clothes as quickly as possible, dried myself off, and passed out. Still, at least I'd made it in one piece. I was very wet, but I was intact.
My New Year celebrations were less eventful, but just as memorable. I waved goodbye to 2006 and welcomed 2007 with open arms whilst standing on London bridge with two Germans drinking champagne out of a polystyrene cup. I'd met up with my friend Jin in Camden earlier in the evening and she'd brought her mate Olly along and the three of us had a good laugh getting drunk and talking rubbish. It was all very random but it worked out lovely in the end.
So 2007 is now upon us - I hope the trend of alcohol-fuelled adventure continues well into the year, I now only have five weeks of work left and while I can't wait to jet off to Australia and be with Jen again I will be leaving with a heavy heart. I could have done with a few more months in London but it's really difficult without Jen being around so this is the best compromise. Hopefully I'll return one day for another spell as a Londoner but if I don't, at least I'll have plenty of drunken memories about this city and the wonderful people I've met in the last nine months.
Happy New Year folks, have a good one won't you?
The day started rather normally, I took a trip into a rain-soaked London to meet up with Callum, and the plan was to find a pub and watch Tamworth vs. Norwich City in the FA Cup. Callum is a die-hard Norwich fan so he was relishing the prospect of seeing his team thump the non-league opposition. With Callums mate - whose name escapes me now - we happened upon The Sports Cafe near Leicester Square and pulled up our stools. Our first pint was drunk at roughly 12.15pm. After spending a small fortune on the pool tables and watching Norwich coast to a 4-1 victory, Callums mate left us and Callum and I headed to Ben Crouches pub near Oxford Street for some lunch. It was only about 3pm but I was rather tipsy at this stage. Fortunately I was sober enough to do a spot of shopping and head home to get ready for stage two of the day. It was a staff night out, the one back in December was just for the management team but this one was for the whole store, so we made our way to a Country Club in what I believe was Cheshunt, but all these places look familiar when they're damp, dark and alcohol-blurred. It was a good night, but I contiuned the trend started earlier in the day and kept knocking back the pints until about 1am when I decided I'd better go home. After a regrettable phone call to my girlfriend - regrettable in the sense that I'd forgotton it was actually 3am where she was - I made my way to a busy dual carriageway that separated me from my destination: the bus stop. I wasn't entirely sure which direction London was in so I just followed the brightest lights. Unfortunately the only way to get to the bus stop was to go under the road through a subway that to my horror was completely flooded. I was in good spirits at this stage though having just phoned a friend who luckily wasn't sound asleep, and after staring at this watery obstacle for a few moments I decided the best way to negotiate it was to just run through it. It must only be a few inches of water, I thought, and if I was sprightly enough I could get away two damp socks and nothing more. I had to traverse about 20 or 30 feet, and was quietly confident of success. Stepping back a few paces, I inhaled deeply and started my run-up. The first ten or fifteen feet were fine, I skipped through the outsized puddle with the minimum of fuss until I was about two thirds of the way across when I very abruptly sank up to my knees. It was one of those situations where the only thing you can do is laugh to yourself, and swear very loudly. Four-letter words rebounded off the walls and celiling while I dragged myself out of the mire. I found the bus stop and sat soaking wet on an empty night bus until my bedraggled body found its way home. Evidently I got out of my clothes as quickly as possible, dried myself off, and passed out. Still, at least I'd made it in one piece. I was very wet, but I was intact.
My New Year celebrations were less eventful, but just as memorable. I waved goodbye to 2006 and welcomed 2007 with open arms whilst standing on London bridge with two Germans drinking champagne out of a polystyrene cup. I'd met up with my friend Jin in Camden earlier in the evening and she'd brought her mate Olly along and the three of us had a good laugh getting drunk and talking rubbish. It was all very random but it worked out lovely in the end.
So 2007 is now upon us - I hope the trend of alcohol-fuelled adventure continues well into the year, I now only have five weeks of work left and while I can't wait to jet off to Australia and be with Jen again I will be leaving with a heavy heart. I could have done with a few more months in London but it's really difficult without Jen being around so this is the best compromise. Hopefully I'll return one day for another spell as a Londoner but if I don't, at least I'll have plenty of drunken memories about this city and the wonderful people I've met in the last nine months.
Happy New Year folks, have a good one won't you?
Labels: New year 07
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