Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Brief Encounters

God, it's hard to studiously avoid current affairs in a blog, when they're all around screaming at you to notice.

Last Thursday, on the 20.03 out of Kings Cross, there were just the twelve of us sharing the three First Class coaches. Twelve. Normally it's packed - including a good smattering of MPs heading north, weighed down with trouser presses, toilet seats, surround-sound TVs and grocery. Only a couple of weeks ago I followed Tory Turncoat, Quentin Davies, as he got into the lift at Grantham Station with a yellow paper-clip stuck to the back of his head. It seemed mildly eccentric and amusing at the time, but now it seems more probable he was actually smuggling stationery out of the Commons piece by piece.

Little wonder the National Express franchise is losing money. No point in having a business model of cheaper fares and more trains if nobody wants to go anywhere for fear of catching deadly Swine Flu.

Then there's the obesity pandemic you can't avoid either. Standard Class is at the front of the train.. so that when you get off, you're struck by the sight of the tide of enormous girths heading towards you as everyone rushes for the bridge in the middle of the platform. Weight, the gross excess of it, is evidently tied in with lower incomes and, therefore, reflected even in the relative affordability of train tickets. Does being poor make them eat too much, or does eating too much make them poor?

I'd been to see the fabulous Hairspray at the Shaftesbury. The plot concerns a fat white bird finding success, love and happiness through associating with hip black kids. Plenty of the former in the audience, as usual, but none of the latter - also as usual. Speculating on the reason why is probably another thought crime though, so.....

It wasn't one of my better days, either... Lord, it made me feel sour. Even the girl at Burger King took pity on me and gave me a discount. Heaven help me. How low can it go?

5 comments:

Selena Dreamy said...

I'll be catchig the 11:30 out of St. Pancras, next week, bound for Paris. Any advice?

All Shook Up said...

Yes... always boil the water first, be careful not to get your bum pinched, speak loudly and clearly (wave your arms if necessary), remember they drive on the wrong side, take your own teabags, avoid public conveniences. Have a nice time and send me a postcard!

Selena Dreamy said...

"Yes... always boil the water first, be careful not to get your bum pinched, speak loudly and clearly (wave your arms if necessary), remember they drive on the wrong side, take your own teabags, avoid public conveniences. Have a nice time and send me a postcard!What is this? Where have I read this before? Ah yes, travel advice from the Colonial Office for nineteenth-century Sudan. Gosh, you made me laugh. Feel much safer now....

Anonymous said...

Hi,

I hope it’s OK to write. I’m in the cast of a UK tour of Dracula that’s coming to London (Here’s out Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=150157621672003&ref=ts & the Website www.selladoor.com)
We’d love for you to come and review it. I used to write a blog (Actress in the City) and love reading your site!!!
Our official Press night is Thursday 7th October at the Palace Theatre Kilamarnock and London Press Night takes place on Thursday 11th November at the Greenwich Playhouse. We’d be happy to sort you out with Comps and any photo’s, images, interviews (we’re even working on a trailer) you should like.
My e-mail address is sophielholland@yahoo.co.uk or you can contact our producer/ director direct on d.hutchinson@live.co.uk or 07754 71 36 82.

Thanks

Sophie :-)

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