Facilis descensus Bricklano

It's been a really good day and I hope I haven't forgotten anything vital. I can hardly think so. Lynn and I have hardly seen each other for years and there was a lot to catch up on in not much more than an hour, but we fall back into the easy relationship that we have had for decades. We can't think why we haven't met in London before when it would be so straightforward, but we have only done so for a special occasion and never have much time to talk then.

I passed on Chris's message and she was very pleased and says thank you.

All went very smoothly, although the traffic was bad this morning and the bus took ages to get out of the City. Actually, I'd nearly made a cock-up before that. The road where the bus stop used to be is now closed, so I went two roads away to the bus stop and waited for the 205. If the bus, which I could see, had not been delayed for several minutes, I'd have got on it, but after a while, it occurred to me that there was something amiss and, rather abashed and hoping no one was noticing me, I went to the lights, crossed the road and waited at the bus stop on the other side. Ahem. Wouldn't be the first time I'd accidentally ended up in Brick Lane. 

Oh, and that reminds me.  This daft thing about east and west on the Circle line, when it's on a north/south section.  Why don't they say clockwise/anti-clockwise?

Still, Wink and I had a good lunch, the boilers were duly serviced, I left the keys on James's table with a note, and I toddled off to the Tube again and went to Bond Street station and found the place I was meeting Lynn.  Did I mention? - she's got a badly broken wrist, which she got cleaning the bathroom tiles - seems she was balancing on the edge of the bath and slipped.  Housework and sport cause more injuries...

The Tube was extremely crowded on the way back to the station.  I mused that one good thing about modern life, no one has BO any more.  Some years ago, being among a lot of people strap-hanging at the end of the day in a warm Underground train would have risked a niffy experience.  Now, everyone is sweet-smelling and clean.  And all very polite.  Lynn said that too, with her arm in a sling, people are holding doors, giving her their seat, being as kind as I found them when I used to walk with a stick.  I arrived back at Liverpool Street with more than ten minutes to spare, but then couldn't find my train ticket.  Nowadays, of course, you need the ticket to get on the platform - time was, I'd have been able to get on the train and then search my bag - but I had to spend several minutes fumbling through compartments ... I knew it was in one, not in the general bagginess, but I hadn't done what I normally do, put it in with my Oyster card.  It was all right, I found it without actually panicking and I was in plenty of time.  The train was ten minutes late arriving, but I expected that.  I can't remember the last time I returned from London and the train wasn't delayed on the line.