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ventaWhen I moved to London, I had this vague and woolly idea that I had lots of friends in London, and that visiting them would be easy. It turns out, it isn't. I knew bits of London could be quite a long way from other bits of London, but hadn't quite appreciated the extent to which this is true.
There's also the problem of working it out. Some bits are unpredictably far away. Closeish in distance, but an awkward tube ride. Some bits are unpredictably close. Bloody miles in distance, but an unexpectedly convenient bus just happens to link them. Sometimes public transport is a pig, but it's a dead easy drive for those with cars.
There's also the difference of what various people consider "too far". Some people think an hour's travel is fair game for London. Some think that's a ridiculous distance on a school night.
This has caused the following problem: I'd like to invite people round for dinner more often, but I always worry that journeying to my house might be too much of a chore. If I could be confident that people would say "God, no, you live in the Styx[*]" that would be fine. But people can be fettered by too much politeness. Accordingly, I have a survey to see whether you'd like to be invited for dinner.
I am not a fabulous cook. I think I'm an all right cook, but then I read posts on here where people write about how they were so knackered when they got home from work they just couldn't be bothered to do more than whip up a roast peacock mousse with carrot ganache and candied walnut shavings. Occasionally people post photos, and I think good heavens, I am a culinary Neanderthal. But I've not killed anyone yet.
So... if I'm having a cooking frenzy, would you consider an invitation to dinner a good thing? I now live in Ealing, about ten minutes walk from Ealing Broadway. It's just off the A40, so not actually too hideous from somewhere like Oxford if you have a car. My cooking frenzies are unpredictable, so this is a general question rather than a party I'm planning next week.
[Poll #1619415]
[*] I've never written that phrase down before. Is it Styx like the river? Or is it actually Sticks?
There's also the problem of working it out. Some bits are unpredictably far away. Closeish in distance, but an awkward tube ride. Some bits are unpredictably close. Bloody miles in distance, but an unexpectedly convenient bus just happens to link them. Sometimes public transport is a pig, but it's a dead easy drive for those with cars.
There's also the difference of what various people consider "too far". Some people think an hour's travel is fair game for London. Some think that's a ridiculous distance on a school night.
This has caused the following problem: I'd like to invite people round for dinner more often, but I always worry that journeying to my house might be too much of a chore. If I could be confident that people would say "God, no, you live in the Styx[*]" that would be fine. But people can be fettered by too much politeness. Accordingly, I have a survey to see whether you'd like to be invited for dinner.
I am not a fabulous cook. I think I'm an all right cook, but then I read posts on here where people write about how they were so knackered when they got home from work they just couldn't be bothered to do more than whip up a roast peacock mousse with carrot ganache and candied walnut shavings. Occasionally people post photos, and I think good heavens, I am a culinary Neanderthal. But I've not killed anyone yet.
So... if I'm having a cooking frenzy, would you consider an invitation to dinner a good thing? I now live in Ealing, about ten minutes walk from Ealing Broadway. It's just off the A40, so not actually too hideous from somewhere like Oxford if you have a car. My cooking frenzies are unpredictable, so this is a general question rather than a party I'm planning next week.
[Poll #1619415]
[*] I've never written that phrase down before. Is it Styx like the river? Or is it actually Sticks?
no subject
Date: 2010-09-16 04:21 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-09-16 09:26 pm (UTC)-roy
no subject
Date: 2010-09-17 05:37 am (UTC)As I'm now coming in from the North-East, anywhere with quick/reasonable transport links from Kings Cross or Liverpool Street is good for me.
The Travel equation goes: drive from house to central Cambridge or a Park & Ride (20 mins) + get to station (anything between 15 and 30 mins depending on parking location), get to London (say another 1-1.5 hours depending on trains) + get to final destination (anything more than 20-30 mins on tube/bus/walking from mainline station is going to make me think twice).
So I'm anticipating say 2-3 hours travel each way to visit a friend in London on the 'right side', add in multiple tube changes or heading to the far end of any lines and its just not viable on a school night, and really quite a schlepp. I'm usually in at work by 7.30am, which means anything that causes me to stay up much after 10.30pm is going to lead to disrupton the next morning. Going out for an evening do in London and trying to leave before 8.30-9pm just doesn't work out.