Quote: Ben @ 10th April 2016, 9:11 AM BST

Ben drove round London for the first time yesterday. And it wasn't anywhere near as stressful as he thought it would be.

Granted, it's very different mid-morning at a weekend compared to, say, rush hour during the week, but it's still a league above my usual small town/city driving.

The absolute dearth of parking in central London is frustrating though. I was bursting for the toilet, but couldn't pull over anywhere to nip into a toilet.

And I drove straight past Borough market which I would have loved to quickly nip into, but had to keep driving instead.

The reason for my trip was that I was meeting someone in Elephant and Castle at West Square. It's a lovely little garden tucked away which contains several mulberry trees which are particularly curious beasts.

Someone wrote a blog about it a while back and put up some pictures here: https://londondiaryblog.wordpress.com/2015/02/13/west-square-bradshaws-hand-book-no-93-2/

View original

It looks lovely Ben. When we started driving in London regularly we got fined for stopping across a junction which we had no choice about at the the time and for a parking offence which we disputed but lost. My OH has been driving for over 40 years and that's the first time.
It's a different kind of driving, it seems you have to be quite aggressive to get anywhere. I've only ever been a passenger and I find it quite frightening.
We found quite a few leafy lanes, tucked away parks, play areas and lots of roadside parking almost by accident.

Quote: Strumpet @ 10th April 2016, 4:42 AM BST

I like Vegas tacky capital of the world, my eldest son took his first steps there so remember it well. I remember when Excalibur and Luxor were first built.

Strumpet

View original

My son went for the first time in February. He said he could take it or leave it. He has no desire to go back.

I drove around London for a whole day, I didn't get fined.

Or have any difficulty parking.

But I did get told by a very rude constable "I was a bleeding loony and if I didn't piss off back home he'd have me locked up"

I think it's because I don't actually posess a car and was just running down the middle of the road, holding a bagel and going brum brum.

Quote: sootyj @ 10th April 2016, 8:50 PM BST

I drove around London for a whole day, I didn't get fined.

Or have any difficulty parking.

But I did get told by a very rude constable "I was a bleeding loony and if I didn't piss off back home he'd have me locked up"

I think it's because I don't actually posess a car and was just running down the middle of the road, holding a bagel and going brum brum.

View original

That's normal for London isn't it? If you did it where I live you'd probably get followers Pied Piper fashion, appear on the news and win an award. We are a bit slow for news here.

Loopey, you're brilliant!

Quote: Strumpet @ 8th April 2016, 10:43 AM BST

ok thanks Loopey, congratulations Lee,do you have to drive on P's on the UK like we do here?. My youngest only has his hazard perception test to do then can drive alone on his P's he is still on his L's . He has just been learning how to take the fuel cap off the jeep as his dad always has to help him at the moment.

Strumpet

View original

Ps are voluntary here and as far as I'm concerned I sympathise with learners but once you've learned - Ps or no Ps - you're a driver so don't expect any special treatment.

I'm currently learning to drive at the moment, it's awesome.
My instructor is a cheeky sod though because the first few lessons he had me driving round the new housing estates that are being built in my town. I thought he got me to do it because there was very little traffic and it would be safer for me to practice there but no, he's looking to move so wanted to see what they looked like.

In about 30 minutes my son, his girlfriend and I will begin a 20-hour, 1350-mile drive from Orange County to Texas. Two cars and 3 drivers, so we'll have to switch things up a bit. It's fairly scenic (mountains, desert and cacti) for the first 800 miles, but from El Paso to my house there won't be much to see, but it'll be dark anyway. The 80 MPH speed limit in Texas will make things go by a little quicker. Hopefully there won't be any rain along the way.

Oh yeah, there's a dog along for the ride, too.

The man with the hookah pipe replaced my new washing machine with a new washing machine. I had never seen one before especially around the neck of a white Englishman.

Once the auto clean had been started, I finalized my drawings for an Angel of the Midlands. It's Claudio Ranieri in the colour of Persil crying tears of joy into a packet of crisps.

Have you had a shot of the hookah pipe?

Quote: DaButt @ 11th April 2016, 1:13 PM BST

In about 30 minutes my son, his girlfriend and I will begin a 20-hour, 1350-mile drive from Orange County to Texas. Two cars and 3 drivers, so we'll have to switch things up a bit. It's fairly scenic (mountains, desert and cacti) for the first 800 miles, but from El Paso to my house there won't be much to see, but it'll be dark anyway. The 80 MPH speed limit in Texas will make things go by a little quicker. Hopefully there won't be any rain along the way.

Oh yeah, there's a dog along for the ride, too.

View original

Like fear and loathing but in the other direction?

Quote: sootyj @ 11th April 2016, 8:07 PM BST

Like fear and loathing but in the other direction?

View original

Miles and miles of desert. Almost in Tucson. Only 900 more miles to go.

Quote: A Horseradish @ 11th April 2016, 2:37 PM BST

The man with the hookah pipe replaced my new washing machine with a new washing machine. I had never seen one before especially around the neck of a white Englishman.

Once the auto clean had been started, I finalized my drawings for an Angel of the Midlands. It's Claudio Ranieri in the colour of Persil crying tears of joy into a packet of crisps.

View original

I was in a Pub on Saturday night, which was open air, and evidently you can rent a big Hookah from the bar, as lots of people were smoking them.

Quote: billwill @ 11th April 2016, 8:31 PM BST

I was in a Pub on Saturday night, which was open air, and evidently you can rent a big Hookah from the bar, as lots of people were smoking them.

View original

I had never seen one before billwill. It must be a new trend but it isn't something I would have associated with white van man between his vehicle and my garden steps.

The new washing machine spelled a-u-t-o c-l-e-a-n on the digital display and then suddenly there was a snapping sound and nothing on it worked. I couldn't even switch it on again but the new new washing machine seems ok.

Quote: keewik @ 11th April 2016, 7:46 PM BST

Have you had a shot of the hookah pipe?

View original

No and I didn't mention it to him in case it seemed like prying.

The new washing machine spelled a-u-t-o c-l-e-a-n on the digital display and then suddenly there was a snapping sound and nothing on it worked. I couldn't even switch it on again but the new new washing machine seems ok.

The above doen't make sense, did you mean OLD in the second word?