So after spending that time in London, I should probably relate that tale to the great, uncaring internet. So there I was, staggering out of bed a few hours later than I'd like, skipping down to the train station and being caught by someone taking a survey for Newbury College. Now I went to Newbury College in my youth, so I spared them a few minutes, then went on to catch my train. The train was already at the station when I got there and there was a queue at the ticket office, so I used the self-serve machine instead and accidently pressed the wrong button, buying a single instead of a return ticket. Foolish Al.
I get to London, grab the tube to Bank and then emerge into... vast emptiness. Bank is right in the centre of the city and that's where all the big financial companies. But on a Saturday afternoon they're all closed, so the entire city felt like it was utterly deserted. I eventually find Macina, Will and Nathan outside a closed restaurant (I mean, the restaurants and pubs were shut! On a Saturday afternoon!) and we got some of the establishing photos that Macina wanted. We then found somewhere that was open and waited for Sophie and Laura to arrive (naturally, they were fashionably late). We then divvied up jobs.
I'm a Gaffer now, whatever that means!
So then Laura (in her infinite wisdom) says that we're going 'Out-Out tonight. That's like going out but much more serious. Now, myself, Will, Nathan and Macina didn't really plan for this, I was under the impression that we'd go around a few locations, take some photos, have dinner together and I'd be back on a train by about half sixish. But no, this is not the plan of the Laura. Oh no, she has other plans indeed. She'd booked a hotel room for her and Sophie and so the rest of us made our arrangements. Nathan had only a day return so he had to head back that night, but I had only bought a single... so I could stay...
Which is why I found myself at 2am, in a nightclub beneath a construction site that was playing ear-ringingly loud music and was full of teenagers wearing formal wear and just enough extremely sexy Portuguese ladies. I do now wonder exactly how old I have to be to be 'too old for this shit'.
Now, even the clubs weren't all that busy and we didn't even see many tourists around Tower Hill. Do you know where all the people were? All the people were in Trafalgar Square McDonalds, that's where they were, hundreds of folk crammed into one 24-hour McDonalds, it was crazy.
After that, I got to experience my very first Night Bus, which included some random dude who'd been punched in the face asking which of us had chlamydia. We managed to get to where we were staying at about 4:30 in the morning. Macina's Dad was kind enough to put us up for a few hours, since we were up at 10 and setting off again. Fortunately we'd done all the photography the day before, so I said my goodbyes to everyone and managed to get back to Paddington (which involved sprinting up a flight of stairs in the underground) and back to Newbury. Tragically, on the train I realised that this was also a swim day.
So after trudging back to my flat, I dropped one bag and picked up another to go down to Northcroft. It should be noted that I didn't have the chance to shower after dancing for several hours, so I was not pleasant to be around. Nor had I brought a change of shirt with me (since I wasn't planning on staying overnight). I then completed my swim, wearily went back home and was in bed by 4:30 in the afternoon, a full 12 hours after I'd gotten to Macina's Dad's house. I felt it would be best to get an early night (or afternoon in that case) since I was shattered. But my neighbourhood had other plans for me, oh indeed.
So about half 6ish, I was woken by sounds of banging and I rushed to get some clothes on and through to the kitchen, where it turns out some chav twat was trying to break into the main building door downstairs. My flatmate had already shouted at him to stop doing it, which seemed to help.
There was about twenty people outside and many of them were intent on breaking in and either beating the crap out of (or worse) to my downstairs neighbour. Now, I find her difficult, but she doesn't deserve that, for certain. There were some scary people down there, but they left soon after.
Police arrived.
Both myself and Luke spoke to them and there was an official statement made about what happened. Turns out that while I was in London, the flat across the road had been raided by the police and these aggravating folks trying to break in through that my downstairs neighbour was responsible for 'grassing' on them. Turns out that she was just babysitting for them, so the police spoke to her to check that the kids were alright. So because of that, we almost had a break in and murder go on. Because these people are beyond stupid. After that, I was a bit too wired and nervous to go back to sleep. So I stayed up.
Until about 4:30.
Figures, really.
