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Published: October 24th 2006
Strathearn Place
My local, The Victoria - Only 4 doors down!Finally the day I get to move into my very own flat has come!
I am very much looking forward to living out of a wardrobe again rather than a suitcase!
I had a rather over-due sleep in on Monday morning. I started packing up my things ready to move into my new flat today. I got my first bag ready and caught the bus from Shepherd’s Bush into the city. However, thanks a section of the road being closed near Notting Hill, the rain, and excess traffic we were not getting anywhere fast.
I jumped off the bus and got on the tubes at the next station and headed in to my new flatmate Irene’s work near Oxford Circus. It took me over an hour and half to get there instead of the expected 15-20 minutes!
I got my new flat keys off Irene and head to my new flat on Strathearn Place to drop off the first of, I dare say, many bags. I got some KFC for lunch - naughty I know, and judging how my stomach felt after I don’t think I’ll be having it again for a while. Besides they don’t even have a
My Room
Check out the spotty floor! ‘works burger’ over here. The girl gave me a rather strange look when I asked if they had any burgers that had pineapple in them!
I caught the tubes back to Shepherd’s Bush to pick up all my bedding stuff from Argos. Turns out I had to travel out to Hammersmith to get all the stuff I had ordered, so hoped on another bus and off I went.
I picked up my new duvet, pillows, mattress protector, duvet cover and sheets from Argos. The stuff was a LOT heavier than I had thought! And struggled with it the whole way back to the flat via the bus and tube. I could only walk about 50m at best before I had to put the stuff down and give my hands a rest!
I caught the tube back to Shepherd’s Bush flat and started packing my big suitcase. I got a call from Brendan who had temporarily got some reception on his cell phone. Apparently, he’s currently hanging out up in the beautiful Scottish Lochs - lucky for some.
Helen came home and helped me to move most of the rest of my stuff. We caught the bus to
My Room II
Gotta love the NZ flag! my flat and managed to haul my heavy suitcase all the way up the stairs to the top flat! - Thanks Helen!!
Irene was still emptying the room, so Helen and I had a bit of a chat in the lounge before she headed home. We decided that the duvet cover was not what it looked liked in the catalogue, and the colour of the pillow cases and sheets match properly, so I planned to take them back tomorrow.
So a little bit about the place: Its located between Marble Arch and Lancaster Gate tube stations (however, Lancaster Gate is currently shut for refurbishments) and is a street or two back from Hyde Park - a great place to go for a walk/run/bike ride etc.
Lucky for me, but not so lucky for my bank balance, its only a 5-10 minute walk to Oxford Street (kinda like Auckland’s Queen Street, but a whole lot better).
One of my favourite things is a little cobblestone lane behind us call ‘Hyde Park Garden Mews’, that has the stables for a number of the horses that use Hyde Park, it looks so pretty with a whole lot of little hanging
flower baskets. At various times during the day you can hear the horse’s hooves on the cobblestones - a sound I know I’m going to miss when I leave this place!
My room was finally free and I started to empty my suitcase before going to bed rather exhausted!
I had another well deserved sleep-in the following day. Thankfully I found an Argos store that was closer to my new flat and got a refund on my duvet and sheet sets.
I spend the rest of the day shopping in the big department stores up and down Oxford Street buying new rather over-priced duvet and sheet sets.
I took my new purchases back to the flat, made my bed and started scrubbing my lino floors, which took me the next few days to get from a shade of grey back to white.
I caught up with Leo and his new flatmate from Cambridge, Dean, on Wednesday. We had a little look around Hyde Park, had lunch and then showed them my new flat.
We caught the tube over to ‘Bank’ and went to the Slug and Lettuce for a drink and nibble before they caught their
Hyde Park
My back garden! train back up to Cambridge.
I spend the evening picking the rest of mine and Brendan’s bits and pieces from Suz’s place in Clapham and transporting them to the other side of London.
Thursday was a rather grim day. After not being able to sleep much, I decided to get up early. I received an e-mail from home to say that my precious cats Misty and Smokey had been put down.
Apparently Misty was developing Arthritis in one of her legs, which was rather sad as I’ve had them since I was 11.
I started the long and arduous task of updating my CV into the ‘UK Format’, which took a lot longer than I had planned.
I caught the tubes over to Clapham and caught up with Suz after she got home from work. I had chicken curry dinner and a nice catch up with her and Matt before catching the tubes over to Turham Green, which was more of a mission than expected, partly due to the fact that the front of the tube says its going a different location than the corresponding information sign. Four tube changes later, I finally got where
Horsey Houses
Hyde Park Garden Mews I wanted to go!
I meet Helen, Beth, Matt and friends at “The George” for the Kiwi Comedy night. Turns out I know Helen’s cousin, Chris, from a friend I used to hang out with at the end of High School!
While we were waiting for the comedy to start, Justine, Chris (different Chris) and Paul spotted me from Freeflow (Auckland SH1 motorway upgrade job) - Totally crazy! and to be more bizarre, Paul is Beth’s cousin!
The comedy night was pretty good and also managed to get my hands on some Perky Nana’s and Pineapple Lumps from a guy selling NZ food there. I’m saving them for best (or when I desperately need some decent chocolate!)
Friday was solely defined by the purchase of an electric toothbrush. Not, however, to be underestimated.
I woke up on Saturday to find a text on my phone from Leah saying ‘I’ve just got home if your free to chat’… except it was 5 o’clock in the morning!
I spend the day shopping along Oxford Street and after a quick dinner I headed over to Shepherd’s Bush for a birthday party for one of Beth’s mates. I meet a nice old Italian guy on the bus on my way who was very friendly and chatty.
I went to Helen and Beth’s flat for Wade’s birthday and started talking to a few people that I had introduced myself to. Only to find about half an hour later that we had previously meet about a month ago - and I thought only Auckland was small!
Some of us watched a movie ‘The 5th Element”. I was too tired to be bothered to catch a bus home, so ended up sleeping on their rather small and uncomfortable couch.
The next day, Grant got up early and left. I was rather grateful for short sleep I managed to get on the airbed. I headed home via Morrison and got food, I made a scrumptious breakfast with waffles, bananas, peaches and Maple Syrup - Yum!
I spend the rest of the day shopping on Oxford Street (again), working on my CV (to pay for my shopping) and planning for our trip to Cornwall next weekend - Can’t wait!
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Mighty
Man, some of the photos you have posted of European buildings have been awesome. That Strathearn Place one, for example, is fantastic. It's like a massive steamship in the middle of the city. And even the names! "The Slug and Lettuce." Gold.