A wonderful experience and a long ordeal

I bought Nigel tickets for the War of the World's Immersive Experience in London for his birthday and we went this week.

Oh my - what a mixed day that was.

There was a time we used to go to London often. Heck I lived in London for 4 years at University. We'd go up several times a year to the theatre. We loved going. There was always a buzz and a thrill of going to the capital.

 

These days we are quite insular and provincial. we like our little home town and going to 'the big city' wasn't as exciting as we used to think. I was adamant we would drive as there was now way I wanted to be on the underground etc. We used to drive to London in 2 hours easily. We figured we needed to leave more time as Google said almost three hours. We had to be there at 12.20 so we left stupidly early at 7.45 figuring we would have a look around a bit once there.

Oh my goodness. It took us 4 1/2 hours to get to the car park (a fabulous car park) at the Tower of London. Four and a half hours for a journey that would take 2 and half at the most. The traffic was absolutely intense and hideous. London cabbies had never had much respect for the rules of the road but add int he motorbikes sweeping in and out, the total gridlock, the lights, the people. It was intense and I felt for poor Nigel. The length of the journey was in part due to an almost one hour delay on the motorway but driving through the centre of London was hideous.

 

The show was superb. It was really quite intense and the virtual reality with special goggles was incredible. The whole thing was very very good and well worth the price.

London was not! We had a pizza afterwards (and our £50 bill was reduced to just £20 with all the vouchers we had which was a bonus) but London was not anywhere I want to go again.

 

I took some photos (mainly to try and keep calm) as the journey back out was even worse.  It took us two and a half hours to cross London then another two hours to get home - but two and a half hours to get out of a totally grid locked manic city. Nigel is the best driver I have ever known. He reads the road well, is hyper aware of every other road user and is very safe. Even he found it dauntingly scary in places. It was utter maddness.

Anyway - some sanity-saving photos.  Enjoy - I'm not sure I will ever go to London again! All from the car - it was all we saw all day apart from the experience

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I managed a little scrapping today between getting ready for forthcoming craft fairs

 

 

Today I am thankful for

• not having to go to London again!!!
• a great show (not worth the travel)
• cheap pizza!

 

 

Comments

[Barb in AK]

Oh I feel for you and Nigel going through that crazed traffic! There are certain times of the day that Steve and I stay out of downtown Rochester due to the overload of manic drivers. And as par for northern states, there is road construction going on all the time trying to finish before winter —detours, closed to through traffic signs, rerouting of streets from one way to two way or two lanes down to one, and often “cheaters” who double their speed to get through the last breath of a yellow light. It can be harrowing.
Is Nigel a sci-fi fan? I am, and I raised a son to be one as well.
The “drive-by” photos were excellent!