.. from Cardiff, for 2.30pm. I’ve got a congestion-charge exempt car but I’m assuming the train is still the best option.

Train all the way? Park and ride somewhere? I’m thinking I’ll miss the peak travel times.

surely buying a train ticket for tomorrow is going to cost a fortune? Even non-peak?

Oh for God’s sake Mol, then you’ll have to come and meet me and Bullheart then. 😐

Train. 2 hours into Paddington.Then Oyster card it, innit? Riverbus service is only a few quid with an Oyster Card.

Don’t get Ken Bike and try do this though you will become hurt. 😯

Lol 🙂

I need to be there for 2 so perhaps a spot of lunch? Riverbus could be interesting, depending on how long it takes.

Nah, meet us afterwards innit?

Hmm.. tempting but poor Mrs Grips is going to be struggling at home with the babies… would not feel right having trendy drinks in that London with my poor tired wife watching the kids.

Btw it is London Bridge not Tower bridge….. do you reckon surface rail or tube?

EDIT: can anyone do better than £83?

£83!!!!

‘Kin ‘Ell!

I’d walk at that price! 😉

That said, if it’s a journey on more than one train, look at the prices separately. It’ll be cheaper, really it will. 🙂

Mrs Grips will be fine; in fact it’ll give her a bit of time on her own with the kiddies. Important, stuff like that. 🙂

No it’s true! And besides you’ll go back home more stimulated and enlightened so your family will ultimately benefit anyway.

Eighty-three pounds is a lot, but then, if you drove in, right, you’d end up getting stuck in rush hour traffic one accident on the car park M25, and it’s total gridlock. Could take you days to get home. Whereas if you met me and Bully, you could have a relaxing pint or two, then chill out on the train home, with a nice book or your iPad or some MP3 choonz dem pon music player thingummyjig.

I do present a convincing argument don’t I? 😀

I have driven from Bristol before and parked in an NCP in Hammersmith and got the tube from there.

Wallop; shh!

FFS… 🙄

Well I could perhaps have ONE pint.. quickly… will see how it goes.. I’ll let you know 🙂

It’s £77 to Paddington directly – return that is.

Wallop I have taken that option before when there were lots of us. Tempting again, but I’m a bit sick of driving lately. But.. £83…

😳

Well tbh, booking a ticket at such short notice, then it will be spensive. 🙁

However, an Oyster Card will cost only a £3 deposit and as much ‘credit’ as you want to bung pon it. And it’ll only cost you a fiver or so if you travel all day on it in zones 1 and 2 at least. Caps out at a day travelcard price.

How much would driving, parking then tube travel come to, out of interest?

Oh, and actually, if you used a Ken Bike, then it’s just a pound access fee, then up to 30 mins is free each time you use a bike. So, in theory, you could use bikes all day for just a pound. Paddington to London Bridge is less than a 30 minute journey.

A pound, Mol.

What’s a “ken bike? Everyone, and I mean everyone bar you, calls them Boris bikes….

🙂

And they’re ace!

You ask, yet you know the answer… 🙄

The Cycle Hire Scheme what was invented during Ken Livingston’s reign as Mayor, what Boris went and took the credit for. Like every other good thing the Mayor’s office did.

But you knew that already…

Everyone, and I mean everyone bar you, calls them Boris bikes….

I cannot be blamed for the fact that most people are in fact idiots….

Not sure I’d ride a bike in my suit to a job interview to be honest!

So, where’s this drink happening, then? I get lunch from 1:30-2:30…

Well he can’t go and get drunk before his interview now can he Woppit? 😆

Although…. 😈

Good luck, Mol! What’s the job?

Beer would be good, but am on my travels again, in Deutschland!

Fred…. 🙂

Well he can’t go and get drunk before his interview now can he Woppit?

Although…
Not drunk, they will smell it on him, although there are other things that might help ….

This one’s nice – near you?

The job is a specialist IT consultancy job covering Europe, Africa and the Middle East 😯 Permie tho.. not sure I can handle that level of commitment.

Interesting. Foreign government contracts by any chance?

Nope. Well some might be I dunno 🙂

I’m just watching Robson Green’s Wild Swimming thing….

what about swimming down the Thames… 🙂

Town of Ramsgate is a nice pub. The Captain Kidd, a bit further down used to be a fantastic pub but sadly it’s gone downhill in the last couple of years. Good if you’ve got bikes as it has an off-street seating area. 🙁 The Prospect of Whitby is of course a bit touristy but still a nice pub, as is the Grapes in Limehouse, which does really nice fish and seafood. Food in the Prospect is ok but a bit overpriced for what it is really. Not tried the Ramsgate for food yet though. The (Gordon Ramsey’s) Narrow is totally overrated; some of the food is made off-site then microwaved ffs. Like a glorified canteen where they try to make you feel lucky to be there. Tried it for me birthday this year, sat down, then changed me mind and we got up and walked out. No soul, no atmosphere, nowt. Another decent pub ruined by a tosser.

what about swimming down the Thames

Apparently David Walliams is doing this for Sport Relief. Wunundred and Forty miles. 😯 Nutter.

I agree about the Captain Kidd. Only one real ale, badly kept and poured. Haven’t been to the Prospect since I used a now defunct recording studio in Wapping Wall in the 1980’s…

Molgrips sick of driving! There’s hope for humanity yet.

Employer’s initials CR, by any chance?

******* missed the ************* ******* train by ******* ten ************* ******* seconds, very ******* ******** cross 🙁

Now I only have half an hour to get from Paddington to London Bridge… It’s going to be close.

On the plus side, FGW now have power supplies at the seats, and I have a table to myself too.

Edukator – I only like driving when it’s a long distance adventure. Sick of it at all other times – did you think I was a petrolhead?

Konabunny – nope, F.

Konabunny, I think I may know who you mean there……! 8)

TAXI!

Taxi? Quicker than the tube?

Tube from Paddington to London Bridge imhe was usually longer than a taxi, even though it shouldn’t be.

I agree about the Captain Kidd. Only one real ale, badly kept and poured.

The wheat beer and pure brewed lager are very good though.

But it has gone downhill a lot since the former landlord, bloke called Craig, left. He ran a great pub, but sadly due to differences between himself and Sam Smiths central management, he left to pursue other options, I believe in Edinburgh where he’s from. Lovely bloke. The restaurant there was very good, the staff were great, and the atmosphere was brilliant.

Sigh.

I hope one day it will get back to being as good again.

Still better than The Narrow mind, by a long way.

Sam Smiths pub problems? Sam Smiths

Good beer, shocking central management by all accounts

Whilst you’re all here, recommend me a nice place to have lunch between Bank and Monument .. got a week of training on the company dollar, as long as I don’t take the p*ss too much.. compadre won’t drink lunch times so beer not so important.