I've spent the best parts of my life working and backpacking my way around Australia, Europe and the Middle East. Originally starting out before the advent of the mobile phone.
Imagine that? Gen Z certainly wouldn't. They can barely navigate their way from the bedroom to the front door without one.
It taught me how to be organised and resourceful. So today I carefully planned my trip to Barking with military precision.
The trains were up the spout for engineering works. I could hear them first thing this morning working on the railway bridge near me using what sounded like, in the absence of a good dose of WD40, a piece of outdated machinery that would be more at home in a museum. The railway line also serves routes via Barnehurst and Slade Green meaning no chance of travelling to the likes of Woolwich or Greenwich then.
So I looked forward to using the bike and planned to follow the Thames Path to either the Woolwich Ferry or the adjacent foot tunnel, then pick-up the cycle super-highway 3 via the Sir Steve Redgrave Bridge to Barking.
With lights fully charged, bike tools, phone charger, notebook and other necessary accessories packed, I set off towards the Thames stopping at Morrison's Erith to grab a couple of sarnies for fuel on the way.
After battling a constant headwind I arrived at Woolwich in fairly good time. I always find if I operate independently, under my own steam, I always achieve my goals. But, as soon as you involve even just one person or service outside of that, then that's when it can all go wrong.
In this case it was Transport for London (TFL).
As I approached the slip road to the ferry I spotted a pedestrian family heading towards the embarkation point. I also saw them being turned back. The automaton in a security hut was frantically waving his arms shouting closed! closed! I think he was trying to say the ferry service wasn't running and closed was the only word he knew. No point in asking why then. I went to the foot tunnel. There was an Out of Order sign on the lift door. The stairs were also closed. Probably due to elf 'n' safety incase anyone less able decided to risk it.
This is London for you. Overseen by a numpty of a mayor. And that's the problem in broken Britain. There are far too many people being hired in positions of responsibility for every reason other than their ability to do the bloody job competently in the first place. On the one hand the government pretends it's encouraging people to use public transport, (didn't stop them putting the fares up), then some buffoon closes both the ferry service and the adjacent tunnel on the same day. And when there are major disruptions on the local railway line too. So where did this leave me apart from up the creek without a paddle? I didn't even have a dinghy. I only wanted to cross the Thames. A water taxi was out of the question. I didn't have the Border Force's number. Basically, I was stuffed.
I'm gutted not to be at the game this afternoon. And I missed an Emily Woodhouse hat trick too. But if that's what she does in my absence then maybe I should stay away until the end of the season, when she can buy me a drink! Only joking. Except for the drink.
It sounded like another great all round performance from the girls today though.
Player of the match. Well obviously I wasn't there, but Woodhouse has dug me out of that one. She got a hat trick, so can't take that away from her. Well done Em!
BARKING 1-6 DARTFORD
Emily Woodhouse 10, 27, 51
Emily Vaughan 68, 86
Sarah Hill 83
Imagine that? Gen Z certainly wouldn't. They can barely navigate their way from the bedroom to the front door without one.
It taught me how to be organised and resourceful. So today I carefully planned my trip to Barking with military precision.
The trains were up the spout for engineering works. I could hear them first thing this morning working on the railway bridge near me using what sounded like, in the absence of a good dose of WD40, a piece of outdated machinery that would be more at home in a museum. The railway line also serves routes via Barnehurst and Slade Green meaning no chance of travelling to the likes of Woolwich or Greenwich then.
So I looked forward to using the bike and planned to follow the Thames Path to either the Woolwich Ferry or the adjacent foot tunnel, then pick-up the cycle super-highway 3 via the Sir Steve Redgrave Bridge to Barking.
With lights fully charged, bike tools, phone charger, notebook and other necessary accessories packed, I set off towards the Thames stopping at Morrison's Erith to grab a couple of sarnies for fuel on the way.
After battling a constant headwind I arrived at Woolwich in fairly good time. I always find if I operate independently, under my own steam, I always achieve my goals. But, as soon as you involve even just one person or service outside of that, then that's when it can all go wrong.
In this case it was Transport for London (TFL).
As I approached the slip road to the ferry I spotted a pedestrian family heading towards the embarkation point. I also saw them being turned back. The automaton in a security hut was frantically waving his arms shouting closed! closed! I think he was trying to say the ferry service wasn't running and closed was the only word he knew. No point in asking why then. I went to the foot tunnel. There was an Out of Order sign on the lift door. The stairs were also closed. Probably due to elf 'n' safety incase anyone less able decided to risk it.
This is London for you. Overseen by a numpty of a mayor. And that's the problem in broken Britain. There are far too many people being hired in positions of responsibility for every reason other than their ability to do the bloody job competently in the first place. On the one hand the government pretends it's encouraging people to use public transport, (didn't stop them putting the fares up), then some buffoon closes both the ferry service and the adjacent tunnel on the same day. And when there are major disruptions on the local railway line too. So where did this leave me apart from up the creek without a paddle? I didn't even have a dinghy. I only wanted to cross the Thames. A water taxi was out of the question. I didn't have the Border Force's number. Basically, I was stuffed.
I'm gutted not to be at the game this afternoon. And I missed an Emily Woodhouse hat trick too. But if that's what she does in my absence then maybe I should stay away until the end of the season, when she can buy me a drink! Only joking. Except for the drink.
It sounded like another great all round performance from the girls today though.
Player of the match. Well obviously I wasn't there, but Woodhouse has dug me out of that one. She got a hat trick, so can't take that away from her. Well done Em!
BARKING 1-6 DARTFORD
Emily Woodhouse 10, 27, 51
Emily Vaughan 68, 86
Sarah Hill 83
Statistics: Posted by Ajaxman DFC — Sun Mar 30, 2025 5:17 pm