Working In Central London

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I'm back working in Central London a few days a week and not Oxford any more ever! It's fantastic! Proper nearly sandwich shops! Fopp in the lunch break! The tube!

― Tom (Groke), Wednesday, 12 February 2003 15:59 (twenty-three years ago)

It's gotta be better than Uxbridge, with it's HMV and sportswear clad townies with a perma-scowl. And I still haven't found a decent pub here.

― chris (chris), Wednesday, 12 February 2003 16:02 (twenty-three years ago)

Oh don't even get me started on the pubs! Bliss I tell you, bliss!

― Tom (Groke), Wednesday, 12 February 2003 16:04 (twenty-three years ago)

But so much harder to part time stalk you.

― Graham (graham), Wednesday, 12 February 2003 16:09 (twenty-three years ago)

b...b...but what about THE TERROR?

― DV (dirtyvicar), Wednesday, 12 February 2003 16:11 (twenty-three years ago)

I'd absolutely hate it if I wasn't able to pop out to a decent record shop in a lunch hour. Having said that, I have to virtually run to Berwick St if I want a decent amount of time in Selectadisc (I'm in Clerkenwell). The whole thing gets quite frantic, but it's fine once I go into my record shop trance.

― James Ball (James Ball), Wednesday, 12 February 2003 16:12 (twenty-three years ago)

DV there's a pretty low risk of me actually dying in THE TERROR but working in Central London means that I'll be able to bore everyone for the rest of my life about surviving it!

Unless you're talking about Graham stalking me, of course.

― Tom (Groke), Wednesday, 12 February 2003 16:12 (twenty-three years ago)

After Welwyn Garden City and Crawley, the top of Great Portland Street is a bit of a treat, I must say.

Lunch opportunities run the gamut from super-cheap sarnies from a variety of newsagents through baked potatoes at Harts, lovely curries from a Warren St health foodarie, proper butty shops (Pret and indie), pub grub, right up to the outrageously swish Villandry.

Fitzrovia's where it's at.

― Michael Jones (MichaelJ), Wednesday, 12 February 2003 16:14 (twenty-three years ago)

Oh, I can stalk him instead DV.

(I assume you're talking about MarkH)

― Graham (graham), Wednesday, 12 February 2003 16:15 (twenty-three years ago)

It's GREBT! Although the arse-end of Westminster-ish wherever wot I am based NOW is slightly rubbish. I would LOVE to work back in central-CENTRAL London again, even just that bit more up to Victoria!

― Sarah (starry), Wednesday, 12 February 2003 16:16 (twenty-three years ago)

When I say Central BTW I mean PROPER CENTRAL where the shops are.

― Tom (Groke), Wednesday, 12 February 2003 16:17 (twenty-three years ago)

He means of course the West End which is only one definition of Central London, and not really a desperately convincing one.

The true centre of London is the point around which Westminster, the West End and the City all revolve: the McDonalds on Fleet Street.

― Tim (Tim), Wednesday, 12 February 2003 16:21 (twenty-three years ago)

Working from home after working in London is just fucking amazing. I'd love to be able to never go into town again (for work purposes).

― Mark C (Mark C), Wednesday, 12 February 2003 16:22 (twenty-three years ago)

I couldn't work in central London, I hate the tube. I like where I work in Ealing, wahoo! Specially as it's only a 15 min walk from home.

I can find out if there any good pubs in Uxbridge, Chris. Uxbridge is weird, I admit, every other shop is a sports retailer.

― jel -- (jel), Wednesday, 12 February 2003 16:22 (twenty-three years ago)

I work just behind Regent Street, and I can safely say that working in Central London is CLASSIC, CLASSIC, CLASSIC! For all the above reasons (actually, going down to Fopp at lunchtime, buying a CD for a fiver and listening to it at work in the afternoon is beyond classic). As is taking colleagues to the Glasshouse Stores at lunchtime for bar billiards championships. As is the general feeling of possibility at 5.00 on a Friday afternoon. It's all good. I wouldn't want to work anywhere else.

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Wednesday, 12 February 2003 16:22 (twenty-three years ago)

Also, being able to pop down to lounge in St James or Hyde Park in the summer is wonderful.

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Wednesday, 12 February 2003 16:23 (twenty-three years ago)

Going into work on the tube - big fucking dud.

Thankfully I can get the bus in.

― James Ball (James Ball), Wednesday, 12 February 2003 16:24 (twenty-three years ago)

Tim it has the shops i.e. more than just Tie Rack and Pret. I am desperately convinced by that alone.

― Tom (Groke), Wednesday, 12 February 2003 16:25 (twenty-three years ago)

What kind of mentalist logic says the shops necessarily = the centre?

― Tim (Tim), Wednesday, 12 February 2003 16:25 (twenty-three years ago)

Shops = centre. Why are Shopping Centres called Shopping Centres otherwise?

― jel -- (jel), Wednesday, 12 February 2003 16:28 (twenty-three years ago)

Working at home = uber classic (currently 2 days a week)
Working in Central London = classic (pubs, recd shops, friends, LIFE..and all the stuff Tom said)
Working 40 minutes drive away in the *wrong* direction away from civilization, towards the (spits) 'country' = mega dud. (3 days a week)

― Dr. C (Dr. C), Wednesday, 12 February 2003 16:28 (twenty-three years ago)

Working from home is totally classic but was also pandering to all my worst instincts - I just didn't have the self-discipline in the end. That said I'll still be doing it a fair bit.

West End = shops plus offices plus pubs

City = offices plus pubs, precious few shops

Westminster = offices (admittedly v important ones), bit of a pub and shop drought

― Tom (Groke), Wednesday, 12 February 2003 16:29 (twenty-three years ago)

Thankyou Jel.

― Tom (Groke), Wednesday, 12 February 2003 16:30 (twenty-three years ago)

Jel: because they're centres for shopping. Unless you want to argue that Sports Centres are also automatically the centre of town?

Tom yes and all three = Central London, therefore the centre point of all 3 = true centre of London and that obv = McDonalds on Fleet Street.

― Tim (Tim), Wednesday, 12 February 2003 16:32 (twenty-three years ago)

classic. *good* rec and book shops are neevr far away. you can also go to the NFT and pop in there for a movie.

dud. the transport (not the tube as that is mostly fine but trains can be terrible).

― Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Wednesday, 12 February 2003 16:33 (twenty-three years ago)

McDonalds on Fleet Street = City.

― Tom (Groke), Wednesday, 12 February 2003 16:34 (twenty-three years ago)

Clerkenwell = near to shops minus tourists

― James Ball (James Ball), Wednesday, 12 February 2003 16:34 (twenty-three years ago)

(plus plenty of pubs)

― James Ball (James Ball), Wednesday, 12 February 2003 16:35 (twenty-three years ago)

It all depends on where you put sports on your agenda! Shopping is better than sports, ha! It's all subjective!

― jel -- (jel), Wednesday, 12 February 2003 16:35 (twenty-three years ago)

Jel, can you find out if there are any good record shops too, HMV just isn't cutting the mustard. And I ain't going in MVC. It has got a couple of very good computer game shiops though.

― chris (chris), Wednesday, 12 February 2003 16:36 (twenty-three years ago)

I'm not about to make recourse to the mentalist argument that the City really = London (City of London rather than Westminster / suburbs etc ect) but to discount it as part of Central London is even more crazed.

― Tim (Tim), Wednesday, 12 February 2003 16:39 (twenty-three years ago)

They've got a CD Warehouse in Uxbridge, good for getting back catalogue stuff, it's near WHSmith's, on that pedastrian area.

― jel -- (jel), Wednesday, 12 February 2003 16:39 (twenty-three years ago)

Clerkenwell = ACE!!!

I live here, I work here, it's close to everything, but NOOOO tourists. The only thing I would change is I wish I could buy a bus pass on Sundays! That fucks me off, but that's about it.

I can't imagine living or working outside of Zone 1 ever again.

― kate, Wednesday, 12 February 2003 16:39 (twenty-three years ago)

i would quite like to work in the city as my bus journey would be only 10 minutes, but my cross-london marathon of 141 or 76 then waterloo & city then train out to zone 4 allows me plenty of time for reading and looking at amtrak/greyhound timetables and plotting!

― gareth (gareth), Wednesday, 12 February 2003 16:42 (twenty-three years ago)

also, i have always lived at least one hour away from work and i like this, when i am home work feels far away and separate. i couldnt live near work (plus, if i get called out on overtime i get to claim for my travelling time too!)

― gareth (gareth), Wednesday, 12 February 2003 16:43 (twenty-three years ago)

I worked in The City for two summers in the late 1980s. So I know all about central London.

― DV (dirtyvicar), Wednesday, 12 February 2003 16:44 (twenty-three years ago)

i temped on Tottenham Court Road for a few weeks once and it was alright - i could see the pros (i enjoy walking down Charing Cross Road) and cons (i didnt use ILX back then so no FAP-type coolness) easily - first time i'd worked in Central, i do want to work in Zone 1 (but would gladly settle for Zone 2) for a year or two now

― stevem (blueski), Wednesday, 12 February 2003 16:59 (twenty-three years ago)

Kate, there is a Bus Pass Machine outside the Yorkshire Grey pub (where the 38s etc stop before going into Rosebery Avenue)which is open every day.

― suzy (suzy), Wednesday, 12 February 2003 17:03 (twenty-three years ago)

does you NO GOOD when you only have a FIVER and there are NO SHOPS OPEN TO GIVE YOU CHANGE!!!! Which has happenned two Sundays in the past month. Grrrrrrr.

― kate, Wednesday, 12 February 2003 17:05 (twenty-three years ago)

why do you need to buy a bus pass on Sundays? (is this a stupid question?)

― stevem (blueski), Wednesday, 12 February 2003 17:07 (twenty-three years ago)

Working in Canary Wharf = dud. Except for new Waitrose which is like Christmas In Heaven. (I haf discovered HOT CHICKS for sale at the back.)

― Sam (chirombo), Wednesday, 12 February 2003 17:07 (twenty-three years ago)

no shops open on Sunday = proof that Clerkenwell = wasteland

― chris (chris), Wednesday, 12 February 2003 17:10 (twenty-three years ago)

I don't know what's wrong with me, but the very THOUGHT of working/living/spending more than 2 days at a time in central London makes me depressed and anxious.

― Archel (Archel), Wednesday, 12 February 2003 17:24 (twenty-three years ago)

Working in Fitzrovia rocks. I have not applied for another job in years because of it. I only applied for the one I had today because at Holborn it was just as central (and I could spit on Carsmiles office).

― Pete (Pete), Wednesday, 12 February 2003 17:29 (twenty-three years ago)

Because I persist in having stupid friends who persist in living in Zone 2, requiring that I have to get a buspass to visit them?

The only time I ever travel outside Zone 1 is at the weekend. I try to avoid it if I possibly can.

― kate, Wednesday, 12 February 2003 17:33 (twenty-three years ago)

Surely Bloomsbury rather than Fitzrovia. good luck with the job though.

― Ed (dali), Wednesday, 12 February 2003 17:38 (twenty-three years ago)

The only time I ever travel outside Zone 1 is at the weekend. I try to avoid it if I possibly can

aha that explains why you dont get a monthly pass i guess

― stevem (blueski), Wednesday, 12 February 2003 18:04 (twenty-three years ago)

Michael Jones, what the heck is a butty shop?

― Mandee, Wednesday, 12 February 2003 18:46 (twenty-three years ago)

a place where you get sand-ma-wiches

― jel -- (jel), Wednesday, 12 February 2003 18:57 (twenty-three years ago)

My nutty friend moved to St. Albans to get "peace and quiet in the country" (in the country, woo-hoo-HOO!). I stayed with her for a while. Let me tell you, Sunday afternoons are QUIETER in Clerkenwell than they are in Herts! Apart from the not being able to buy bus passes, it rocks.

― kate, Wednesday, 12 February 2003 19:48 (twenty-three years ago)

Look, think about it. Junction of Charing Cross Rd, Tottenham Court Rd and the Oxford Streets (i.e. five minutes walk south of my job): Centrepoint! They couldn't call it that if it were not the middle, could they? Have they been sued under the Trades descriptions Act? QED.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Wednesday, 12 February 2003 20:59 (twenty-three years ago)

But why butty, Jel?

― Mandee, Wednesday, 12 February 2003 21:57 (twenty-three years ago)

Tottenham Court Road is the geographical centre of (Greater) London, hence Centre Point

does anyone know anyone who works/worked in Centre Point? arent a lot of floors empty and have been for years? if ot who is in there anyway (i've never known)

― stevem (blueski), Wednesday, 12 February 2003 22:05 (twenty-three years ago)

I met someone once who worked as a security guard in Centre Point. I think he said there were flats and stuff there as well as offices. what a cool place to live!

― DV (dirtyvicar), Wednesday, 12 February 2003 22:12 (twenty-three years ago)

I do consider Centre Point to be the centre of London. There are places I like to go immediately north, south, east & west from there.

― Eyeball Kicks (Eyeball Kicks), Wednesday, 12 February 2003 22:14 (twenty-three years ago)

Mandee, it's like a bun with chips in it. I'm not sure why it's called a butty.

― jel -- (jel), Wednesday, 12 February 2003 22:17 (twenty-three years ago)

only northerners say butty incidentally - i suppose its something to with them being buttered

― stevem (blueski), Wednesday, 12 February 2003 22:27 (twenty-three years ago)

except they use margarine in the north

― mark s (mark s), Wednesday, 12 February 2003 23:51 (twenty-three years ago)

or lard

― mark s (mark s), Wednesday, 12 February 2003 23:51 (twenty-three years ago)

i work in angel, which means heaven must be missing one

― mark s (mark s), Wednesday, 12 February 2003 23:51 (twenty-three years ago)

No! No! Don't go to Angel! The Angel Islington is EEEEEEVIL!!! I think that every time I walk by it now. Curse you, Neverwhere. Mark S, I walk past your work every day.

― kate, Thursday, 13 February 2003 00:01 (twenty-three years ago)

we can hear you

― mark s (mark s), Thursday, 13 February 2003 00:03 (twenty-three years ago)

we hide

― mark s (mark s), Thursday, 13 February 2003 00:04 (twenty-three years ago)

I'm sorry, I've been trying to cut back on my singing along with the walkman problem...

― kate, Thursday, 13 February 2003 00:04 (twenty-three years ago)

you islington folk appear to be rubbing it in my face again, quit it!

― stevem (blueski), Thursday, 13 February 2003 00:33 (twenty-three years ago)

who me?

― gareth (gareth), Thursday, 13 February 2003 00:43 (twenty-three years ago)

When I met Gareth at Angel after arriving in England I expected to be surrounded by cherubim. Alas. There was just a very long escalater.

― Mary (Mary), Thursday, 13 February 2003 09:12 (twenty-three years ago)

And commuting through town today was quite a pleasure wasn't it? Thank goodness for Marylebone station.

― chris (chris), Thursday, 13 February 2003 09:38 (twenty-three years ago)

Working in central london is completely dud when there is a total mare on the tube, as happened this morning.

― Vicky (Vicky), Thursday, 13 February 2003 09:42 (twenty-three years ago)

Blomsbury - yes Ed - I'm not sure what got into me there (I wanna be Mike Jones). I know someone who works in Centre Point, and have also been to the very top with someone else I knew who worked there. Its a fantastic view of London.

― Pete (Pete), Thursday, 13 February 2003 10:02 (twenty-three years ago)

Mandee: in South London we call them batty shops. It's to do with the consistency of the bread, who's serving you and if you can get away without paying. It's confusing.

If I believed in fate, this would be tempting it, but I seem to be skirting around all these tube problems like they're not there. Vic line still as good as ever (I think I've escaped the repercussions of two horrendous delays by minutes this week - one from some guy pulling the alarm handle cos he left his mobile on the platform or something?), the final days of the number 2 from CrizzyPally as reliable as ever (we get the shiny, new 432 as a replacement next week).

Oh, I did have a nasty argument with two self-regarding dicks this morning who wouldn't stop haranguing some fellow about the volume of his Walkman.

― Michael Jones (MichaelJ), Thursday, 13 February 2003 10:33 (twenty-three years ago)

When I met Gareth at Angel after arriving in England I expected to be surrounded by cherubim. Alas. There was just a very long escalater.

It's supposedly the longest escalator in Europe.

I also tend to think of that junction as being the centre of London, but for my second useless fact I can tell you that they actually use Charing Cross Station as the centre of London for the purposes of distances on road signs. When you're 100 miles from London you're 100 miles from Charing Cross Station.

― James Ball (James Ball), Thursday, 13 February 2003 12:14 (twenty-three years ago)

It's the model of the cross in front of it no less, the sight of one of the Eleanor crosses that they use to nmark the exact point.

― chris (chris), Thursday, 13 February 2003 12:25 (twenty-three years ago)

i am unemployed and immanent

gissa job

― zemko (bob), Thursday, 13 February 2003 12:38 (twenty-three years ago)

I was reading about eleanor crosses the other day v.interesting.
That's how Waltham cross got it's name. There were 12 originally, all points where the funeral cortege of Eleanor (wife of Edward I) stopped for the night on the way from Harby to London.

― Vicky (Vicky), Thursday, 13 February 2003 12:38 (twenty-three years ago)

were you? did I never tell you about G's plan to write a book about them? He was going to walk the route and find out about the places and stuff. Waltham cross is a famous one and possibly the last original one standing.

― chris (chris), Thursday, 13 February 2003 12:45 (twenty-three years ago)

No, there are two others, Geddington and Hardingstone, near Northampton

Sorry for hijacking!

― Vicky (Vicky), Thursday, 13 February 2003 12:47 (twenty-three years ago)

No need to apologise, Vicky, it's actually quite interesting.

― James Ball (James Ball), Thursday, 13 February 2003 13:00 (twenty-three years ago)

And commuting through town today was quite a pleasure wasn't it? Thank goodness for Marylebone station.

Marylebone is brilliant - do any other stations pipe out classical music in their grandiose ticket halls? also the toilets are still free, there's a little M&S shop and a Cornish Pasty kiosk - all it needs is a bar

― stevem (blueski), Thursday, 13 February 2003 14:50 (twenty-three years ago)

No, they use Charing Cross, which stood where Whitehall runs into Trafalgar Square. I think there's a statue of Charles I on its site now.

― caitlin (caitlin), Thursday, 13 February 2003 14:56 (twenty-three years ago)

Marylebone is brilliant - do any other stations pipe out classical music in their grandiose ticket halls?

Blackheath, obviously. Although this is stretching the use of the term "grandiose" a tad. The woman behind the counter sells home made cakes and flapjacks as well.

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Thursday, 13 February 2003 15:48 (twenty-three years ago)

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Working In Central London - C/D