My First Year in London: Lazing in the Sunshine

Last of the evening
sunshine.

Oh hi, THURSDAY ALREADY?... I’m sure I’ve opened with something like this before.

I’d love to tell you this week’s post is later than usual because I’ve been super busy doing fun and exciting things. I haven’t. I’ve been a lazy git, or should that be ‘lazing’ git? Yes, I’ve been a lazing git; lazing in lots of SUNSHINE!

Tickets

But that’s all gone now, we’ve had our summer. It was lovely, if a little brief. Seriously though, I hope we do get a bit more of the lovely weather. Hosting the Olympics will be a bit shit if it pisses it down the entire time! And whilst we’re on the Olympics, my first set of tickets arrived yesterday. Well, I say arrived, I actually had to walk about 2 miles to the sorting office in the MIDDLE OF NOWHERE to find them but shouldn’t grumble – I’M GOING! These tickets are actually for the GB football match at Old Trafford but I’m expecting some Handball tickets any day now. They come with a really personal letter from Seb Coe (‘Dear Ticket Holder’), and a Team GB sticker. Lovely. London (specifically the Star Lane stop, 60 seconds from my house) is getting steadily busier as Games Makers descend on the East End for their training sessions and to be issued their uniforms and credentials.

Hi-Vi

I’ve been issued with my orange Hi-Vi jacket for my shifts at West Ham and Canning Town and will be going for a ‘familiarisation’ session at both during the next month or so. I’m also booked on to do a night-time track walk! I’ll turn up at 10.30pm one night at the end of June and after the last train has left the station and the power is switched off a group of about 6 of us will head down the tunnel learning about…engineering stuff. I can’t wait – the IT crowd don’t get out from behind the desk very often so it’s good to get the chance to do it while I can.

From the boat

On Friday night I went on a stag do! One of the guys in the office is getting married and a big group of us went for drinks. And more drinks. Then a boat ride down the Thames. Then dancing. Lots of dancing. It was great, but good Lord did I have a hangover the next day! And worse was to come as I arrived at the office on Monday morning to discover the photos from the night had been emailed around to everyone… LUCKILY I only had one awful photo so escaped the embarrassment that some of the others faced. Pheuw! It was good to get a chance to get to know some of the rest of the (huge) team in a more relaxed environment.

Liverpool

Had a bit of a sore head on Saturday. I lay in the back garden and wondered how I could better the situation. Ice lollies – lots of them. That evening, armed with a big bottle of water and several Red Bulls I headed to Euston and jumped on a train to Liverpool. And what a night I had! The Lisbon, Bar Baa, somewhere else, somewhere else and Pink! I woke up in Formby with a totally unappealing 4 hour journey home ahead of me. It was tough. But very worth it. And this weekend will be just as busy!!

The Jubilee events look set to be FANTASTIC.

I have invested in LOADS of Union Jack

Jubilee prep.

(I refuse to say “Union Flag”…where the hell has that come from any way?!) stuff and am fully ready for the arrival of Jenla and spending the weekend wandering around London looking like a complete idiot. I do hope you will join me, wherever you are in the country.

Until next time,

Bren x

Ps, You seen this? (via @berryfruitful)