Table for two at Croydon Airport
Perhaps this self-employed business isn't so bad after all. Louise - an old work colleague of mine, who's now a partner in her own successful company in South London - offered to buy me lunch. I was a little bit thrown when she told me we'd be dining at Croydon Airport. I'd heard of being diverted to London Luton or London Stansted, but London Croydon? This Stellios thing was clearly getting out of hand.

Louise reassured me that London Croydon was, in fact, an historic aerodrome which had been London's main flying hub before they decided they needed something a little larger. Apparently someone called Amy Johnson set off from there, although I couldn't see any sign of her today.

Anyway, the meal was very nice indeed. I was expecting the usual airline tray with a hermetically sealed pack containing a tuna roll. Instead, I was treated to prawns in white wine and garlic, venison with cabbage and parnsip and a very splendid cheese platter. I ate a bit too much bread early on, but I'm a growing lad and I need building up. I don't think Louise noticed.

If you want to eat at this gaff, you need to head down the Purley Way, do a right at World of Leather and you can't miss it. It's the place with a bloody great plane out the front. You do need to check in a couple of hours before your starter though.


02.24.06 @ 04:02 PM PDT [link]

Nobby's friend's mate, Mr Thermostat
A friend of my old work colleague Nobby has received some interesting spam from someone calling himself Chris Thermostat. Mr T is making hot job offers. But he does sound like the kind of boss who might go on the blink at any time.

Meanwhile, my own inbox is still filling with eccentric spam:

Yo Selbestieno

Just wanted to see if you are still workign out at the gym. If so, I came across this site at www.bcxpk.org/yw/mk7/ that has been helping me build muscle.

They've got all these great programs that helped me. Everyone is experienced and excellent to talk to.

See ya,
Maximilla
02.23.06 @ 09:56 AM PDT [link]

A snap of the Elephant

The London College of Communication - part of the University of the Arts London - where I lecture in copywriting and creative writing.

From the higher floors of the LCC's tower block in the Elephant & Castle, you can see right across the capital. The local area is known for its huge roundabouts, olde worlde shopping centre and labyrinthine underpass system. The College, meanwhile, is renowned the world over as a centre of excellence for printing, design, marketing and journalism

02.23.06 @ 09:14 AM PDT [link]

Move over Gary Sparrow. Jack Regan's back in town.
Monday's episode of Goodnight Sweeney was certainly a bit of a shock. Suddenly we'd returned to some of the darker, more menacing themes that the series had promised in its earlier stages. Less slapstick and more people being given a slap.

Sam Tyler, our time-travelling Detective Inspector, gets the idea that if he can bring down the corrupt team he's working with, he'll force his way out of his retrocoma and back into the 21st century. (Hearing Pulp on a radio in an Indian restaurant is a major clue that the space time continuum is some kind of flux.) After a nasty punch-up in a locker room with that fat slob of a DS, he manages to get hold of a tape that proves a suspect was forced to swallow cocaine. The unfortunate detainee is now brown bread, but no one seems willing to take responsibility.

Sam doesn't bottle it. He slaps the cassette on the table of the station Super, thinking that this upstanding top cop will throw the book at his bent subordinates. Unfortunately, the bloke's not interested and decides to destroy the tape in front of our distressed hero. Perhaps Sam is destined to stay in 1973 forever? Find out next week, time travel fans.
02.21.06 @ 03:20 PM PDT [link]

That crazy spam just keeps arriving

LATEST MESSAGE

Hey Sevves

I just finished messaging with my co-worker, who says "howdy," and she wanted to converse with us about an awesome vendor she found at www.argus.drub.ipgoh.org/er/

She filled me in that this internet shop shows an unmatched selection and dirt-cheap prices that dishonor our local store!

We all should get on the web and start shopping right away and desist this foolishness of getting screwed over at our old location!

See ya
Meximilienus

MY RESPONSE

Hey Meximilenus

Please say 'howdy' to your co-worker from me, y'hear? I'll go check out this awesome vendor she recommends. Don't know how our local store has the nerve to charge the prices it does. They are certainly dishonored. Let's end the foolishness once and for all.

Later

Sevves

02.19.06 @ 04:21 AM PDT [link]