London by bike

Every day tens of thousands of Londonders jump on a bicycle to commute to work, and this week I joined them on my new bike! 

Riding in London can be quite scary, as there are not nearly enough bike lanes and you're often forced to ride on busy roads and share bus lanes with taxis and London's much detested (so says Boris Johnson) bendy buses. And the quieter roads tend to be quite narrow with rough surfaces, particularly compared to those at home in Adelaide.

Nevertheless, there is a great sense of freedom on a bike with the wind in your face, and I'm sure one of the reasons a lot of drivers hate cyclists is because they're envious (particularly when you cycle past them in a traffic jam).

From Mile End, where I live, to work in Westminster is about 9km and I have managed to get my travel time down from 40 mins to about 30 mins by discovering shortcuts during the week. That's almost the same time it takes door-to-door when I travel by Tube!

There's something to be said for cycling past the Tower of London, Somerset House and parallel to the Thames each day, with Big Ben and The Eye coming into view as I approach work. I have also discovered buildings and streets I never knew existed, as you're oblivious to exactly where you're travelling when using the Underground.

Hopefully I can maintain my enthusiasm and get fit while I'm at it!

The day London stopped

When I stepped outside today into a crunchy expanse of 20cm thick snow, I felt a bit like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz: "Toto, I've a feeling we're not in England anymore!"

But it seemed Toto was nowhere to be seen ... no doubt he was lost in the depths of untouched snow that lay before me. I headed straight back inside. The situation called for waterproof boots and extra layers!

From Snowy London

But this was only to be the start of an unbelievable adventure just to get to work. After trudging through snow and sludge, I arrived at Mile End Underground Station, along with a few hundred others queued at the entrance. The gates were drawn and they were only letting a few people in at a time. The "adverse weather conditions" had shut down the District and Hammersmith & City lines, all London buses had been suspended, while the Central Line had only about one train every 20 minutes ... normally there's one every 2-3 minutes and even they're packed!

It felt like being in a post-apocalyptic movie. The masses surged forward in a desperate struggle every time the staff let people into the station. Thirty minutes later I made it down to the platform, which also felt surreal. An empty District Line train stood opposite with darkened windows, thick snow on the roof, and water running down its sides as the snow melted.

Eventually I managed to get on a train and make it to Tottenham Court Road for the 20 min walk to Westminster. The snow gave the city a new look.

From Snowy London

Apparently it was the heaviest snow London has experienced in 18 years! What a contrast to the heatwave in Australia. We are a world of extremes.

From Snowy London

About one-and-a-half hours after leaving the front door, I arrived at the office. An Arctic effort!

According to news reports, only about one-in-five Londoners made it to work. Most people stayed home because they had no way to get in. There were announcements in my office about numerous services like the canteen being shut for the day. One bizarre announcement stated: "The post room is open but there will be no mail delivery." Useful!

After putting in a few hours I was sent home early because of predicted heavy snow falls this evening. Managed to snap a few landmarks on my way back to Mile End.

From Snowy London

From Snowy London

From Snowy London

I love the snow but am hoping London's transport system is in better condition tomorrow!

P.S. I will go crazy if I hear the term "due to adverse weather conditions" again. Braved the snow and slush this evening, taking a Tube and then the Docklands Light Railway (DLR) to get to the cinemas at Canary Wharf (still no buses), only to discover a sign on the door that no films were showing after 7:30pm "due to adverse weather conditions"! London really has ground to a halt!