“Trump, Sunak and Farage all raised a BIG smile for once. Farage in particular”
A bit more Buzzed: Photo Feature: Brixton Cycles Super Madison event at Herne Hill Velodrome
Even more Buzzing: Huge crowds descend on Brockwell Park once again as the new Lambeth Country Show continues to evolve
“The commercial events are a success, and there’s no doubting that the Country Show is still loved – whatever format it takes”
Some Late Junction to start the new working week. Reducer’s Sleng Teng Masters woke me up. THAT bass line. Twelve hours previously and Rodigan dropped the original at the Country Show.
Morning work was completed. Out went the shout of: Back to the bloody Estuary Wilds!
Oh dear.
I had a little time to spare. I planned what I could do around LS whilst waiting for the Estuary Wilds Express.
Oooh - how about trying to snaffle up a cheeky ticket for the free viewing platform at 8 Bishopsgate?
Job’s a good ‘un.
I stressed slightly about the size of my bag as I approached the entrance. The T&C’s said no big bags. I was carrying a FUCK OFF Brompton bag, packed with half my life inside.
I was waved through by the most friendly security team I’ve experienced in a while.
BALLS to the Colchester City Council Goon who wanted to open up my MacBook Air. Extra BALLS to the Country Show fella who claimed no cameras were allowed on site.
Thank you 8 Bishopsgate. Your staff were ACE.
As was the view.
For some reason I had it in my mind that the viewing platform was on the 15th floor. I entered the lift. It carried on past floor 15. Soon we were at floor 50.
Blimey.
The door to the lift opened and WOH! Half of Greater London was staring back at me. It was a most spectacular sight.
Where to start?
You need to find something as your central starting point, and then work outwards to take it all in. The Thames is as good as place to begin.
I worked my way along the bridges, from Hungerford along to Tower Bridge. I veered off slightly at Waterloo, and tried to trace a route back to my flat.
I think I clocked the roof of Stockwell Bus Garage which is opposite the flat. But I can’t be sure.
Thankfully it was a clear afternoon. The horizon offered up a view beyond Crystal Palace to the south, and further north than Ally Pally in the opposite direction. The London basin was clearly visible.
I moved around and took in some of the angles of the 180 degrees view stretching out in front of me. The Wembley Arch was glistening in the June sun. I had a rare shifty of the corporate roof gardens across the City.
Oh hang on. There’s bloody St Paul’s right in front of me. How did I miss that at first? It looks like a little Lego model when viewed from up above.
I wasn’t expecting the recent new towers around Elephant to rival the Nu Vauxhall skyline. But yep, they’re almost a S Ldn brother and sister site of tall towers.
Further around the panoramic and I homed in on the Tower of London. It looked like a toy castle.
There was no guidance about how long you were expected to stay at 8 Bishopsgate. There was nothing thrust at you to buy, not even an over-priced coffee.
It was absolutely perfect.
In the end I stayed for over half an hour. My vertigo finally got the better of me. I’m OK in an enclosed, static space like this. The Dangleway can bloody do one.
I took the lift back down to the first floor. Now is not a good time to get trapped in a lift. I thanked the lovely security team. That was one of the best hours or so I’ve had in London for a while.
I still had a little time to spare. I wandered over to the Bishopsgate Institute. Another half hour was filled looking around the photo exhibition broadly themed around outsiders.
An hour later and I was back in the bloody Estuary Wilds. There was high water along the Muddy Banks of the Colne as the train pulled in.
An impressive homegrown strawberry haul was waiting for me in the kitchen.