Saturday 8 May 2010

Doing as I'm told

Doing as I'm told has never come naturally to me.  The minute someone tells me what to do, some recalcitrant part of my brain kicks in and my natural impulse is to do the opposite.  I only have to see a sign saying No Entry, Keep Off The Grass or 50 mph, and I'm ready to break the rules.  My next text message came through and I was all set to mutiny, and it wasn't even lunchtime yet!  Go to Upton Park and visit Queen's Market.....with an internal sigh, I turned away from the prospect of exploring Greenwich Park and set off on my journey to Upton Park in East London - they might sound similar but the word park is about all they have in common!








Some observations on the way.....


Overheard on the train - Ticket inspector to smartly dressed young Asian man caught fare-dodging: What's your Christian name? - Mohammed. And your last name? - Ali.

Going through the ticket hall at Bow Road tube station, I witnessed a group of 6 ticket inspectors going through the turnstiles - one of them had his Oyster card refused. I wondered idly what the collective noun for a group of ticket inspectors would be. A dodge, perhaps?

Climbing the stairs at Upton Park tube, the home of West Ham football ground, I was met with the incongruous sound of soothing Classical piano music coming from the loudspeakers in the entrance hall.  It doesn't do to have preconceived ideas about a place - life is full of surprises.