London, 2 April 2012

London, dirty, dreary London.  But this city is also a place of magic and a place of adventure.  It is the year of the Jubilee and the Olympics although you would hardly know it from Heathrow airport.  Yes, there have been some improvements, but they hardly seem likely to be sufficient to deal with the expected hordes from all over the world.  While some of the terminals have been upgraded, the main arrival point for overseas flights looks, if not dirty and messy, a bit tired.  But then, having just been in Singapore, most air terminals will fall short of the mark set there. Still we moved rapidly through the processes required on arrival. 

After the rigours of the trip from Singapore or Australia, all you want to do is get to your hotel and collapse.  The fastest way is the Heathrow Express into Paddington Station.  For us this is ideal since we stay in a hotel only a five minute walk away.  The trip from the airport takes exactly 15 minutes and is "luggage friendly" although not cheap at a price of twenty pounds for a single ticket.

Considering that most international travellers will arrive into London through Paddington Station, it could be a lot more welcoming.  It is now smoke free, which is good, but on leaving the station by what is now the only available exit into Praed Street, you have to run a gauntlet of smokers. This is a result of extensive road works in the area which have been going on for at least two years and are concerned with changing the old Victorian sewerage pipes which are long past their use-by date.

Sewage Works

 The station itself is quite old and a fascinating place for those interested in 19th century railways, but it lacks some of the amenities which it will surely require this year.  First and foremost is the failure to have a tourist information centre.  People will be arriving from a multitude of destinations, speaking a variety of languages, needing accommodation and help.  In the last few years we have seen no sign of any such assistance being available there.

View of Paddington Station from Flower Stalls