Ah, the trusty old N155! My saviour in the dark night when I find myself north of the river past the midnight hours. It's a pleasure to ride and stops conveniently close to home, a mere five to ten minute stroll away through the relative safety of residential Clapham. True enough, it can take up to an hour from Trafalgar Square, but you could always make use of this time to have a friendly chat with the other passengers.
You think I'm taking the piss? No, seriously, I've had some great times on the night bus! One memorable time I was so drunk that I could hardly stand up, but once I was sat down in the bus seat I felt invigorated and I spent the next hour lecturing two of my fellow passengers, two young, unsuspecting Dutch country boys, about the virtues of cycling in London. I don't think I managed to convince them, but I had a great time anyway.
Another time I'd been to a Sunday night clubbing event. It ended quite early, but by the time I'd managed to get myself from Brick Lane down to Trafalgar Square and the N155, it was already past three o'clock. Even Trafalgar Square was quiet then, and I felt a strange sense of solidarity with the handful of people, no doubt also party-goers, who also found themselves on the N155 at this hour. Okay, I was a very drunk when I left the club, but the journey down to Trafalgar Square had sobered me up, and my lengthy heart to heart with this gay German fella was low-key and down to earth and sincere.
Strangers in the night - they could be friends you just don't know yet.
Monday, 7 January 2008
Sunday, 6 January 2008
Breakdancing in Brixton
First of all, I have a little confession to make. For all my initial enthusiasm, my plans to learn lindy-hop have now been put on hold for the foreseeable future. It's not that I'm capricious - if it wasn't for the busy schedule of my ballet dancing friend who was supposed to be my partner, I'd be lindy-hopping away every spare minute. But alas, these days my friend only has one evening off a week, and this evening is sorely needed to rest and recover from his many injuries.
Well. What other dance, I thought to myself, could possibly compare to lindy-hop in coolness and impressiveness? Moreover, what dance had these qualities and was also a dance that required no dance partner? The answer is now obvious: Breakdancing!
As it turns out, I've had to trek to Pineapple Studios in Covent Garden to find someone who could teach me this oh-so-cool art. But that doesn't mean that the southside is a stranger to breakdancing. In fact, for years the Brixton Academy has been chosen for the noble purpose of hosting the annual International Bboy Championship. And every summer Clapham Common is the site for the Sprite Urban Games, which has its own b-boying stage both for performances and practice. For those of you who require a more frequent fix, check out Plan B, which hosts regular b-boy throwdowns. The next night will be sometime in February, can't wait!
Well. What other dance, I thought to myself, could possibly compare to lindy-hop in coolness and impressiveness? Moreover, what dance had these qualities and was also a dance that required no dance partner? The answer is now obvious: Breakdancing!
As it turns out, I've had to trek to Pineapple Studios in Covent Garden to find someone who could teach me this oh-so-cool art. But that doesn't mean that the southside is a stranger to breakdancing. In fact, for years the Brixton Academy has been chosen for the noble purpose of hosting the annual International Bboy Championship. And every summer Clapham Common is the site for the Sprite Urban Games, which has its own b-boying stage both for performances and practice. For those of you who require a more frequent fix, check out Plan B, which hosts regular b-boy throwdowns. The next night will be sometime in February, can't wait!
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