Monday 28 April 2008

New shoes

Ah, the Jubilee Line. What would my day be without it?! This morning I arrived at North Greenwich station to find a train on both platforms 1 and 2. The train on platform 1 was akin to a sardine can with something less than standing room only available.

The train on platform 2 was beginning to fill rapidly, despite the drivers repeated assurances that the train on platform 1 would be leaving first. Nobody was leaving at all though. The reason turned out to be not one but two passenger alarms (at Canada Water and Bermondsey). After about ten minutes (which was a delay on five minutes on the advertised departure time) we did eventually leave. A good service was operating on the Jubilee Line!

At lunch time I had cause to use the tube again. The shoes which I had used such will power not to buy on Saturday had been preying on my mind ever since, and my will power weakened and I decided to go to M&S and Marble Arch and buy the shoes. Of course, I always forget that the M&S at Marble Arch isn’t actually at Marble Arch, but back down Oxford Street. There was no need for my convulted journey via an interchange to the Central Line at Bond Street, as I’d say that M&S is equidistant between Bond Street and Marble Arch stations. Ah well. Shoes purchased I went back to Bond Street, to find that I was waiting 9 minutes for a train (12 as it turned out as the first train was too full to squeeze onto). Unspecified signal failures.

My new shoes are great. They make my feet look like movie stars! The heel is just about manageable. I adore shoes. I don't much like shopping for them, but I love to own them. I used to have a massive shoe collection, but since all the trouble with wobbly legs and balance I've had to re-assess my shoe requirements. Pretty much flat shoes only. Certainly no heels over about an inch high. So sad. I saw the loveliest pair of shoes at the weekend. Either in plum or deep aqua-green they had a bar across with a button, and such a lovely shape. Mary Poppins shoes. The heels were sadly about two and a half inches and more than my feet could handle. Didn't stop me wanting them though. So I got the movie star shoes. They are dusty pink with a peep-hole toe and floppy big bows, delicate straps round the back and kitten heels. Even these modest heels means that they'll be special occasion not going out for the whole day shoes!

The Jubilee Line managed not to upset me on the way home, however, the buses decided to join in instead, with a fifteen minute wait and crowds to fill at least twice as many buses. If it isn't one sort of transport it's the other!