jmtd → log → hols → London part 1

Kate and I have just returned from a long weekend on London spent visiting friends and doing some sight-seeing. I was actually born in London and lived there until I was 6 years old and I always find it interesting to visit and see places that I have vague memories of. Here's Saturday:

We spent the first half of our packed train journey down the country sitting in the rearmost vestibule watching the pilot episode of Life On Mars.

This was actually quite comfortable until Darlington, where two drunken blokes got on and stood above us. One of them kept asking what we were doing (Are you playing Champ-Man?) but we ignored them. Eventually enough people in the quiet coach adjacent complained to the train staff about their language and an inspector confronted them. They had boarded without tickets and claimed to be travelling to Durham: much closer to Darlington but alas, in the other direction. The cost of two on-the-spot tickets to York from Darlington was about 30 quid, which kept them quiet until we arrived.

From York onwards the train was less busy and we joined our fellow passengers (including James Nesbitt) in the aformentioned Quiet Coach (you may not disturb neighbouring screaming babies with obnoxious ring tones or loud headphones).

Emma and Friend

After arrival, the rest of Saturday was spent socialising. Tom and Emma met us at hotel in Russell Square and we walked down to Leicester Square where we met up with Andy, Chris, Simon and my home-friend Sam.

Outside Wagamamas

After a few drinks Sam and Simon departed and we went to a fast food noodles place called wagamamas. I won't go into too much detail about what happened there but if you pay close attention to the group photo you should see a Shuriken-style device fashioned out of a paper menu...