You can probably imagine my internal despondency at the thought of the wait that was ahead of me. In fact, I think the process towards that feeling actually started the moment I entered the tiny side space that has been given over to it, and saw the number of other internally despondent people who were sitting down. – Would this shared communal feeling be enough to call us a community?

I’d come armed with a book, but was regularly drawn away from it by the actions, and my interest in, the rest of the community. There were those who came, and  at the sight of us left, those who came with a friend, the guy whose just come in handcuffed, (11.25am) with 2 prison guards – that’s caused quite a stir -  I think we all did the look up, stare, then quickly look away thing (surreptitiously glancing back now and then). It would be interesting to know how many of us are wondering what he’s done.

Then there is the older couple who are calculating how long it’s taking to see people once they go in. They reckon it’s 5-10mins a person, based on the amount of people that had been seen in the time it took for the wife to go and come back with 2 small cups of Costa coffee. They may have been right earlier on, but it seems to be speeding up now.

There’s a few readers of the Metro, have seen a few random headlines:

‘Student vet facing £95, ooo fees for degree’, ‘Dolphin Clicks help me ‘see’ says blind Jamie’, ‘Bank boss victim of card fraud’, ’25% off clothing at Tesco’

People of all ages – though mostly the older end of the spectrum – every hue, and all waiting… I am now getting bored (11.33) We’re on no. 40, just 14 more to go. (I hope that couples calculation isn’t right, as if it is, that means a potential 140mins, and I haven’t eaten yet as I had to fast from last night!)

11.36 – Umm! The officer has just taken the prisoner in, I guess he’s getting seen ahead of his ticket. Don’t think anyone is impressed, I mean we’ve all been waiting ages, but maybe we’re all  kinda relieved? As would we be a bit uneasy about him being next to us when we went in, or a about having a handcuffed person around us period? Ummm, what does that say about us? And they’re off! 11.39 (well at least it only took 3 mins, maybe I’ll be seen quicker than the couple’s calculation would have predicted).

We’ve hit comical point. The older couple, the elderly lady I’m sat next to, and myself just had a chuckle at the faces of some people taking tickets, as the realisation dawns of just how long they will have to wait.

It is really quite funny, and as one of them said, it would be funny to have a candid camera (11.48am no. 43! Argh!)

I wonder if they ever have mystery shoppers in this place? – I have hit that point of random hysteria, streams of drivel are prone to now flow to erratically from my thoughts unto teh page.

The older couple are chatting unhappily over how much their parking is going to be – do you think hospitals should validate parking for those who have to come for medical reasons, maybe if you’ve had to hang about for over an hour it should be free? Or maybe based on my length of wait today, your 1st 3 hours should be free. (I don’t have a car, but just saying)

Umm, no. 46 (11.55am)

I am now tapping the page in boredom, and probably frustrated, though think I’m possibly too bored to be frustrated. I’m also ‘intrigued’ by the fact that one of us has started doing some drone like humming, repeatedly!

The pretty lady is leaning against the work of art that I guess is supposed to bring a touch of beauty to the drab surroundings. Argh!!!!

Latest glimpsed headline: “Cheryl loves herself…” – Under Guilty Pleasures in the Metro

Midday – my phone is reminding me of the fact that by now I was supposed to have done a number of things. My attempt to be organised. I had a ‘To Do’ list, I don’t do those, but I tried. Needless to say there are some things I haven’t been able to do yet!

12.01, no.47 – One of us is doing a crossroad, one is reading ‘Angels in my Hair’ (she has no. 97 – Oh dear!).

Umm, I’m going to try reading my book again: “There sending someone for their break now!” = response to “Rav, go for your break now”. OK, I’ve hit frustration point now! 12.05, no. 47.

‘Angels in my Hair’ lady has decided to go. – Lightweight.

“No wonder the country’s in such a state”. The opening comment of an annoyed elderly newcomer who has been sent to 2 different places already, and they have both been wrong. Jimmy, the old Irish gentleman with her, is very annoyed, and you can see he is fit to burst. 12.16 (no. 49).

Annoyed newcomer, and Irish fella have decided to go.

Another newcomer has just pulled ticket no. 5 (when the machine gets to 99, it goes back to the beginning).

Headlines: “faithless ready to Rock Roundhouse – itunes festival” – Metro “Cheryl…behind the mask. “I’m ‘Skanky’ she says” – Daily Mirror. 12.23 (still no. 49!)

An annoying lady is holding up the process. – No you haven’t missed your turn, we haven’t got to 92 yet! Yep, there are over 40 people in front of you.

Apparently they’re getting dome more people in there (I wonder how many are actually in there taking blood). 12.32, No. 53 – there was actually an audible cheer, Lol :-0

12.35, “Number 54″ – It’s me!

12.37pm – I’m out! 2 mins for 2 hours, umm – can I just say, 3 people in the room.

I wanted to call a friend who had been admitted, and wish her happy birthday. I was stonewalled in my efforts as the person on the phone refused to tell me if she was still there, quoting rules and regulations, which didn’t seem to exist a few weeks back.

I ended up having to say, “well if she is still there could you please give her a message from and say Janice says Happy Birthday”

I walked along the road, angry and upset. My emotions fueled by anger, disappointment and frustration.

My friend is in a place you wouldn’t choose to be on your birthday, and there is nothing much I can do about, or to change that. But bar the bite of bureaucracy, the least I could have done is wish her happy birthday, maybe bringing her a little joy because I remembered.

I have no confidence that the person on the other end of the phone passed on my message. She was vehement in defending her position, and I had hardly got my name out before they put the phone down on me.

Rules and regulations – some may prefer the terms guidelines, form, fundamentals, foundations, structure… – have there place, and appropriately used provide the framework that most, if not all areas of life, need, in order to function well.

However, if we forget the human factor behind them, the fact that they exist to ‘serve’ and protect us as people, they can become a stumbling block, sticking point, ‘noose round our neck’.

Bureaucracy Bites! – Rant over!

” I don’t like pigeons that fly”

This was a comment from my friend that had me laughing away. It made no sense to me!

She went on to clarify that as long as they weren’t flying around, she was fine with them. Once they take flight though, she will look for the quickest escape route, ‘ducking ‘n’ diving’ and maybe hollering. Either way, you’ll know about it

I don’t think she’ll be joining the Save Trafalgar Square Pigeons campaign anytime soon!

I kid you not. I thought I’d do a search for something on pigeons and this was result no.4 in my everyclick search. There is also a Wikpedia reference for them: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Save_the_Trafalgar_Square_Pigeons

Alongside my wonder at the existence of the group, some of the references to the pigeons of Trafalgar Square being starved to death, and the licensed feed seller: Bernie Rayner, (whose family sold birdseed in the square from 1948) no longer permitted to sell feed,  had me pondering the matter further than I would have thought was merited.

Other strangely interesting finds:

Pigeon Blog, click link for latest post: http://pigeonblog.wordpress.com/2009/03/16/lovely-bagel-necklace/

National Pigeon Day! http://nationalpigeonday2009.eventbrite.com/

I was due to meet a friend at Charing Cross, but she had been held up. As I mused about what I going to do, the choice seemed to be just nipping to a coffee shop across the road or going to a really nice coffee shop on Monmouth Street. – I haven’t actually been there yet, but some serious coffee drinker friends of mine highly recommend it, and I have been to the one in London Bridge. ( Monmouth Coffee Company)

Anyway, I digress..

I then remembered that I had wanted to check out The Crypt at St Martin-in-the-field, which triggered another memory, which was that I’d read somewhere that they have free lunch time concerts.

So off I went to see what I could find out, and was pleasantly rewarded by finding out the lunch time concert (held on a Mon, Tues, & Fri) was starting at 1pm. With 15mins to go, I headed back up to the church, where I had not long passed through a throng of people going in. – I think I had assumed they were tourists or going in for a service!

I became a part of the throng, and with my concert sheet in hand sat down in anticipation, hoping I would get some of the concert before my friend arrived.

Click for a list of March Concerts

I took a seat at the back, mainly because I knew I’d have to slip out early. However, had I wanted a closer seat, the pickings would be slim, as the church was pretty much full of a diverse throng of people.

From where I was, I could see the the open lid of the grand piano. I sat there taking it all in, and my thoughts alternating from thinking how beautiful the church was, to “maybe I should change my seat”, to snippets of the partially overheard conversation of the two mature ladies mature in front of me . – I got the distinct impression that at least one of them was a regular.

I did eventually move to one of the side cubicles. I still couldn’t see the extraordinary pianist, but did feel I could slip out more discretely.

From my new vantage point, I was intrigued by the 2 oriental gentleman, their heads laid on the back of the pews in front of them. This sight spoke to me of the need of a safe haven, their need of a place to rest, to literally ‘lay their heads’…

Caught up in the reverie of sound, I closed my eyes. My total abandon to what I was hearing only disturbed by my anticipation of my phone going. I had it held in my lap, the reception kept going, and my friend didn’t know where I was. – This distraction also made me aware of the drilling sound from outside.

As it was, exactly at the moment of applause – signifying the end of the first part – my phone started ringing. I popped my small donation in the bucket and went off to further enjoy the rest of the day.

*As well as the free lunchtime concerts, there are Evening concerts and Jazz Nights in the Crypt. – There is a cost for theses.

This is such a great walk at whatever time.

I knew about the London Eye, the London Acquarium, County Hall etc, but probably would have seen them as independant entities which occupy the same space.

It has been great to discover the ‘nooks and cranies’ it has has to offer: The skate board/bike space just after the National Theatre, the art displays sometimes outside the National Theatre, the street artists, from dancers to human statues, the little cul-de-sac of shops just before the Oxo Tower, the free art in the gallery along that walkway, the different stalls and festivals that happen – always a pleasant surprise as I hardly ever know beforehand that they are happening! All this is just the tip of the ‘iceberg’.

Just the diversity of people you will see milling about, enjoying a meal, or trying to weave through each other if you are a runner or cyclist are enough of a draw, especially if you are a people watcher.

I also find that the South Bank is a great place for inspiration. So if you’re creative in anyway: a writer, photographer, musician, artist etc you are guaranteed to find something that will get the ‘creative juices’ flowing and cater to the right side of your brain.

So why not take a stroll along there. I am certain you won’t be disappointed.

http://www.southbanklondon.com/

We joined an eclectic group of friends, tourists, locals and theatre goers in the National Theatre Foyer. They have free concerts every evening Monday-Saturday in the ‘Djanology Concert Pitch’. That Saturday the fabulous musicians were Errol Linton and Jean Pierre Lampe.

Under their names it simply said ‘Blues and Reggae’, which in the words of one review of them I have since read, are ‘unlikely bedfellows’, yet done successfully.

Errol and Jean Pierre were a delicious blend of harmonica and double bass.

In addition to this Errol was foot stamping, singing and did a stint on the piano. Jean-Pierre held nothing back, evidenced by the sweat that washed his face.

Errol mentions at one point that they are usually a 5-piece band. I am glad it was just the two of them. They had a harmonic distinctiveness that was so engaging.

The eye contact between them was effortlessly artless, showing them to be a proper partnering of talent. Vibing off each other and giving us the listeners, musical synergy which was sweet to the ear. Enjoy your city!

People of every hue were joined together in the enjoyment. Feet tapping, heads bobbing, bodies swaying, almost in complete unison. People were sat wherever they could find space, changing position, shuffling along to make more room, dipping in for a bit, staying the course. It could be described as poetry in motion.

I berated myself once again for not making more use of this kind of an opportunity. Stuff like this handed to me on a plate, and in the present financial climate. Come on!

My favourite sights:

The little girl sitting on the stage steps.

Stamping her feet in time to the rhythm and enacting the songs. She brought a smile to my face. So uninhibited, what pure enjoyment. Something to cherish and desire in oneself.

The old black woman jamming on the balcony as if she were in church. – I love her! She enjoys her city. I’ve seen her here before, I reckon she is here a lot. I could learn from her. My friend later noticed she had a Tesco’s bag, such an insignificant detail, but it still struck me as something to note down. Maybe it was the normalcy of it, here was a lady, enjoying something the city has to offer. Maybe that bag held her daily shop, or maybe just carries whatever she needs while she is out and about.

Other listeners:

The boy with long blond curly hair, in his red converse, tapping his feet.

The Mum on the floor, her toddler holding onto a chair, bending away, his baby sister or brother asleep in the buggy.

The threesome passing juicy fruit.

Lovers, friends, onlookers, passers by…

The lady in the orange shawl, waiting for a play, tapping on the balcony rail.

The diners in the Mezzanine Restaurant and Terrace Bar, conversing to the backdrop of sound.

The guy in a bow tie and evening suit playing air guitar. He is studying the positioning of his fingers, which makes me believe he knows how to play. Maybe he is trying to work out the chords.

The girl beside me clicking her fingers. Her hands crossed and her professional camera on her lap.

The music ends and I wanted to tell them how good it was. Bar a short break, of 15mins at most, we had an hour and a half of London’s finest. My friend wanted to offer them a tissue, but sees they are prepared with a black flannel. I still encourage her to go.

I wished I could buy a CD, and was tempted to spend what I had not gone prepared to spend. The young woman across for me – who read her book in the short interval – gets out her patent yellow purse, checking to see if she can afford to buy a CD. She could, and she did.

If you’re not already doing so, do more with your city. You may be surprised at what it has to offer.

Errol Linton is also an artist. If you want to check out more of his work click either of the links below: myspace.com/errollinton