Last Sunday, Mom and I decided to attend Sung Eucharist at Westminster Abbey. I reasoned my English hymn project would benefit from selecting a hymn heard in that historic space. So...getting to Westminster Abbey from BYU’s London Centre is a snap, right? I mean, it’s only a few stops from Notting Hill Gate down the Circle Line.Except, wait a minute…it's Sunday. London Transport closes the Circle Line for maintenance nearly every weekend. Buses? Nah—too unpredictable and they take too long on weekends.
Not to worry. Let's take the District Line from Notting Hill to Earl’s Court, transfer to the other side of the platform and pickup the returning District Line towards Westminster. Right? Not so fast. Sure, we get to Earl's Court--but on this particular Sunday the District Line was closed for “track repair” from Earl’s Court through White Chapel. Does that include Westminster? Yup. Sigh. Anyone that’s ever travelled underground in London knows how the Bermuda Triangle’s got nothing on Earl’s Court Station.
Now what? Throw ourselves on the tracks? Not just yet. C'mon! We can beat this system! No problem. Station officials advised us to take the Piccadilly Line from Earl’s Court to Green Park, and then transfer to the Jubilee Line which will then deposit us at Westminster.
Ya think? Whoops. We got to Green Park all right, but what’s with this sign that says “Jubilee Line is shut at Green Park? Are you kidding me?
OK—now I’m at WAR with the London Underground. We consult the map. I know! Let’s make our way over to Embankment on 2 lines that ARE operating today, then work our way back to Westminster.
Mom's brow is furrowed. She's got that sceptical look. Time ticks--Eucharist is minutes from starting. But we DO get to Embankment; what a triumph. And...Oh my gad! All westbound (towards Westminster) trains from Embankment are suspended. HUH? Yee Gads.
Exasperated, Mom declares, “I AM OUTTA HERE!” We split up--not the marriage (though almost!), just our next chosen paths. I exited Embankment, and walked prestissimo to the Abbey--a pace that would have put Mom “in hospital"-- arriving 15 minutes late. They let me in with a wink. Except for one possibility, the hymns weren’t that great! Isn't London swell?
The time I've spent in London is DWARFED by that of Mom and Dad, but I gotta say that I would often notice that after going from one tube stop to another, I'd come to the realization that it really wasn't that far, as the crow flies. I'd get so entrenched in those cartoon tube maps that I would never stop to think, "Hey, I could just walk."
ReplyDeleteI mean, Green Park is pretty close to Westminster, right? Like a 10 minute walk probably. Seems like that would've been the way to go.
But when you're at war, you're at war. I can understand Dad wanting to beat the system.