London Day 1 of 3 - Do you speak English?

I’m off to London for a late, last minute booking, a 3 day course arranged on Friday.  I have a cheap train ticket, £56, and have booked a very cheap hotel adjacent to Kings Cross station, the Northumberland, which has free wi-fi, and is only £39 per night. I start the journey at Garforth and travel without a ticket to York, naughty and illegal, but my ticket is waiting for me at the machine there so why pay again. The guard ignores me, so I make it OK.

I pick up my ticket and discover that it now costs £25 to upgrade to first class using ‘Sunday first’; it used to only be £10. So, standard (second?) class it is then. The train is 30 minutes late and apparently three are about to arrive simultaneously, like busses, or they would if only the platform was long enough.

I have an un-eventful journey. The train is packed but no problem as I have a seat booked. I sit next to a young woman engrossed in an American football movie on her laptop. I set up some files for Monday and the surf the web for my allotted 15 minutes (in first class it’s unlimited). She hogs the only 3-pin plug but my battery holds out and we arrive only 20 minutes late. I decide first to add funds to my Oyster card (aren’t they clever) ready for the tube ride to north London in the morning but mistakenly use my own personal card instead of the company one; damn.

The hotel is opposite the station on Euston Road but before I can find the place I’m confronted by a young woman in tears who asks “Do you speak English?” I’m tempted and should have responded “Que?”, but of course, I don’t, I say “Yes” and listen to a sob story about abusive boyfriends and having no money for the tube fare home. In turn, she listens as I tell her I can’t find the hotel and she says that she knows where it is and she takes me to the door. When asked what it’s like she shrugs, not a good sign, and recommends another, the Lisa Court, for my next visit. So, for the cost of a pound (I’m a soft touch), I do a good deed (I think), find my hotel and have a better one to look forward to on my next visit.

The outside of the Northumberland hotel does not inspire confidence but the girl and guy (they’re not English but sort of mediterranean) on reception are polite and helpful, and very religious if the posters are anything to go by. I knew the room was not en-suite and that they didn’t do breakfast (more on that later) so I pay, check in and go find room 52. I’m very disappointed. All that’s in the room are a double bed, a bedside table, two towels, a mirror and a rail with 2 coat hangers. A bit of a come down from the Grand of only two weeks ago! 

There’s no wardrobe, no table, no chair, no kettle, no bedside light, no bin and most disappointing of all, no TV! On my last stay in London my small room had bunk beds but at least it had a TV. Oh well, it’s clean and it does have double glazing and it is only for three nights. I’m dining out with my brother Michael and his partner Tania on Monday and with my step daughter Chloe on Tuesday so I’ll spend as little time here as possible.

There’s nothing to drink so I eat the healthy humous and roasted vegetables sandwich I bought and go back to the station for a bottle of water, I left mine in the kitchen cupboard, and a moca from Café Nero (10p extra for decaf). It's really busy even though it is a Sunday night. Make it back to the hotel without being propositioned and discover that their free wi-fi has a poor signal and I can’t connect; I’ll sort it out tomorrow. I use my Orange dongle for a short period to update FB and then get the wi-fi working and post this blog.

Although they don’t do breakfast here they do have an arrangement with the Post Office (??) next door. Apparently, for £3.20, I can have a full English breakfast in the morning. And they don’t check! So, next time you’re at Kings Cross in the early morning, pop into the PO for breakfast and if asked, just say that you’re staying at the dump next door. 

Now it should be time for BBC Radio 4 Extra but RIP both BBC7 and my digital radio as the battery dies. However, I have my iPod as backup and so to bed. (God knows why this last bit is in a smaller font, because I don't).