London closed

Following on from yesterday (and Saturday), I was on a mission today. My mission was to take Mirinda’s Little Friend to her.

The plan had been worked out in infinite detail before I left the flat yesterday then re-iterated over the phone last night. The plan was simple. I’d go up to town after the gym, arrive at her office by about midday, drop off her phone then return to Farnham.

My first hurdle was the Tube strike. It started last night at 6pm and wouldn’t end until tonight at the same time. (This is always never the case because, quite rightly, the trains are never in the right place after a strike. Moving them becomes a big job in itself so what inevitably happens is the 24 hour strike extends into the next day except that everyone is working.)

Given I was only going as far as Embankment, I felt I could just walk across Hungerford Bridge (and back) without too much trouble. Of course I could have taken a bus but the queues (even at 11:30) were very, very long. Actually the end of the queue was over the bridge anyway so it made more sense to just keep going.

My walk by the Southbank Centre threw up a surprise in the form of a rather weirdly shaped and brightly painted seat.

Melted in the middle

As I continued my journey, I discovered more of these odd outside furniture styles dotted around. I love the way the Southbank is often decorated with unusual stuff. It’s reassuring that art still exists for the general public and not just hidden away in galleries.

Rather than artistic, Embankment Gardens is undergoing its usual horticultural change with the beds being ploughed and new plantings happening before spring arrives. You can’t see the tractor in the photo below but there is one…complete with plough.

I arrived at Mirinda’s office just before midday. I looked into her window to discover she wasn’t there (no surprise) so I continued on to the security desk where I declared my need to see her to the lovely security lady at the desk. She called Mirinda but with no result, explaining to me that she wasn’t in her office (no surprise) but she would send her an email. She also asked me if Mirinda had a mobile phone. I said yes and showed it to her.

After waiting for 15 minutes, the security lady asked me if there was anyone else I could contact. I went through a few names but none of them were around. Then I had the bright idea of texting someone from Mirinda’s phone (I don’t have any numbers in my phone except for Ben and he wasn’t at work). Genius! I texted Emma who Mirinda had assured me would be in the office.

Emma wasn’t in the office but she did respond very quickly, telling me she’d get someone to me ASAP. And, true to her word, someone called Kerry almost immediately turned up and took Mirinda’s Little Friend.

Just before I left, the security lady said I was very good to bring the phone in. I told her it’s what any Loving Husband would do, surely. She muttered that her Loving Husband certainly wouldn’t. I smiled; she smiled; I started for home.

And it was raining. I had a text from Mirinda asking if I’d already left but I was already halfway back to Waterloo and so didn’t have a coffee with her. But I did photograph another crazy bench.

The funfair chair

Eventually I made it home where, having calmed the puppies down, I started stripping the Christmas tree ahead of the Great Boxing Up for this year.