Three days in Covent Garden
Last week I had the chance to experience the life of a commuter in London, spending three days working in the Covent Garden area of central London, while staying in a hotel in the Earls Court district, west of the city.
I had selected the hotel based on cost and the fact that I could travel in on the Piccadilly underground line direct to Covent Garden so the journey in should be easy. However, Transport for London had issues with trains on the Piccadilly line and the commute became much less straightforward, involving delays, changes to other underground lines and a variety of routes!
 |
| Commuters on the District line |
I sampled the District and Circle lines, the Piccadilly line and the Central line - all at peak commuter times. What an eye opener. At first the District line train was busy but not manic but a few stations further on we were packed in like sardines. People were having to let trains go without attempting to get on board simply because there was no room to squash any more people in.
 |
| Earls Court underground platform |
Fortunately it seems that most people keep themselves clean - it got very hot in the tube with so many people but it remained reasonably fragrant. Nevertheless, I couldn't wait to get off the train and out of the station!
 |
| Sign at Covent Garden underground station |
One main observation I had was that there are two main activities to enjoy while commuting, looking at your mobile phone or sleeping, incredibly no-one speaks to their fellow travellers, apart from an 'excuse me' when trying to squeeze through the throng to get to the door when it's your stop.
 |
| What commuters do |
Covent Garden is a fun area to be based. There is the big market area, beautifully decorated for Christmas. There is culture galore to be found, opera, ballet, theatre and plenty of lovely shops to explore. Unfortunately, since I was working, I didn't get much time for shopping so no Christmas presents were bought. But still the atmosphere was fun and there was a buzz of excitement.
 |
| Covent Garden deliveries |
After work I explored some of the area around West Kensington and Fulham near to my hotel. There are some strange things to see like this foyer below!
 |
| Strange things to see in London |
The Christmas lights were very impressive around Covent Garden, with huge baubles hanging from the rafters in the market and mistletoe garlands across the streets. An enormous Christmas tree dominated the market area.
Comments
Post a Comment