Another Night, Another Dollar

Well, maybe not Dollars but Pounds £ Sterling.....

The last few nights have been cold, last night it was raining like nothing else in the world!! After so many days of sunshine and heat it was a relief to see some rain, even though unfortunately, I ended up having to work in it and ended up soaked.

But it was nice to see it for a change, it made it so much easier to sleep during the day, working nights in Hot weather is not an easy thing. The daytime heat makes it so hard to sleep during the day. Wednesday was the Hardest day, with 2 hours sleep under my belt I eventually managed to Drag myself to the laborious journey ahead of me, Even still, Id much prefer to work the hours I do than to work a 9 - 5 Job, traveling everyday with someones armpit in your face, squeezing like sardines into a already busy train, for what..... to spend a day in an office stressed out looking at a computer screen constantly, stressing about the fact that you will soon have to go through the events of the morning before you even get home!!

"Hell is a City, Much Like London"

One of my Favourite quotes, by an English Poet, Percy Bysshe Shelley, who decided much like myself that London is like hell on Earth. But in this case it was nearly 120 Years ago, what can I say. Rush Hour in London city is the most unreal thing I have ever seen, people everywhere, rushing, for what... to me the Underground is like another circle of Hell... the heat, like an inferno, slowly drawing the energy and enthusiasm that you started a day with. You never see a smile on the underground anymore, people commuting, seem almost, zombie like, as they read their books, deeply engrossed in the Daily newspapers, trying to avoid eye contact with the person who needs a seat more then they do. There is absolutely no Community any more, what happened to conversation between people, there may have been a time many years ago, where someone on a train, or on a platform, or anywhere, would make conversation, even about the smallest of things, the weather, football. I mean, how many people these days know their neighbours??! How many, would invite their neighbours over for a glass of wine. I do know my neighbours, well, some of them, the ones that I choose to know, the others as far as I care can take a walk, due to the fact that they are the most Ignorant people I know, again the only sense of community that they have is their own, they dont think of the consequences of what they are doing, as long as they get what they want.

The Streets are another circle of hell, some of the streets of London are safe, the rest, well its bad enough walking them in the day let alone at night, the groups of prowling teenagers, with nothing better to do than to make others lives a misery. I do understand that not all groups are out for trouble, just the majority. There is the attitude, the complete lack of respect for anyone other than themselves, they just get away with things too easily and when they do get punished, they live the life of luxury in a UK Jail, then come out and they are more respected then before.

Like I said before, people dont talk to each other anymore, today I read in the Paper, a 57 year old man was Murdered in a case of mistaken Identity. A 37 Year old man, attacked without even thinking, punching the 57 Year old in the face, causing him to fall to the ground, and later died of severe head Injuries. Why? Because a thick mindless idiot didnt have the COURAGE to talk to someone, choosing just to lash out without thinking, the issue began when the wife of the 37 year old man was hassled by a youth, whom was standing behind our fallen 57 year old. When The wife had identified the youth with a simple "thats him" comment, the incident occoured, if the time was taken to simply argue with someone, talk, discuss... whatever - someone would still be alive today, a father, a husband. A mindless Idiot is up for murder, if he is charged with the mindless killing, he is going to go to jail, but oh no, its not a punishment, its a hotel, you just cant leave when you like.

Another day, another dollar.... wasted on the city they call London.

P

A Quiet Monday Morning

Working nights is one of the Many things that I am unfortunate enough to have to do, London is another world under the quiet haze of the strangely clear morning air, mixed with the orange glow of the streetlights that are the only life in the city at night.

On this warm Monday morning, at about 4am I decided to go for a walk around Farringdon. The Rising sun is a welcome change to the usual rain and generally bad weather. But there is something else in the Air today, something less like the London we all know and Hate. Its a Smell... The smell of Death. Whilst Walking the Streets of London at 4am to some is a challenge to some, I walk towards the noise of lorries and vans in the Distance, a Homeless man asleep in a Doorway, I think to myself, this is London.

After walking a short distance from our new home in Farringdon Underground Station, I Come across the Smithfield Meat Market. Which to be honest with you, is a Vegetarians worst nightmare!! Personally I am a fan of Meat, but this is just way beyond anything I have ever seen! The Sight of Men in White Coats and Hard-Hats walking the streets is something else. You can tell the Difference between butchers, restaurant owners and people generally looking for a bargain - Believe me there are bargains to be had in this place.

As you walk through the central aisle of the Market building, the sight of entire meat carcasses hanging from fridges is an eerie sight, the smell of blood and raw meat is rife, select cuts of meat in the fridges, readily packaged to take away and cook up a storm. The market has undergone a recent modernization, taking away some of the essence of what it was because in our Health and Safety world, they have ruined something yet again.
Walking Further along the great meat-filled aisle, you start to come to a less modern area, you can catch a glimpse of what it was like for many years before the Health and Safety people got their hands on it. Behind the Shutters you can see great meat hooks on pulleys and rails covering massive areas, no sight of a fridge anywhere! This is what it still should be, cast iron and wood, traditional madness in the Centre of London.

There is Nothing else like this in the City of London, it is a sight to see - Bring some money......... and a Bag!!