It is after 9 pm and I am in Croydon on a Saturday evening. Instead of writing about my day I want to go back to the night of arrival on Wednesday and rediscovering the area of London that is Kings Cross, my visit to Houseman’s and home of Peace News, of my experience at the cinema on Thursday afternoon, and of a quiet Friday.
I arrived at the Kings Cross Travel Lodge late and by taxi. I remembered little of my previous stay and the first surprise is that the corridors, the doorways and the rooms have been given an uplift by adding a mahogany décor. However I also noticed that there was no chair so that one had to sit uncomfortably at the end of the bed to use the lap top on work on the bed which was also uncomfortable. I was told by reception that there were no chairs in the rooms but I was able to take one of the lighter ones from the dining room bar lounge and this made a significant difference.
I have stayed at Travel Lodges for at least three decades and it was on my most recent visit that I encountered a coach party, for a wedding, suggested by the attire and attention to hair and make up of the ladies, the suit and ties of the men. The former Royal Scot Hotel Travel Lodge has a desk for groups. One implication of this is late arrivals and early starts. On my previous visit I had an outside room and there was some street noise late into the night. This time the room looked into a triangular courtyard with access for Taxis and some private vehicles. It is a feature of those using this kind of establishment to stand talking in the yard so everyone can hear and to continue to do so in corridors whatever the time of day or night and then to place do not disturb notices up on their doors. Fortunately I was tired on the three nights of my stay from travelling and from activity and was able to sleep well.
I must mention the contrast with my present room which is on the first floor or close to the reception area and care bar, but there is no noise. I have been allocated a room used by those wheel chair disabilities. It is a giant room with no one but three large windows. The king size bed takes up less than a quarter of the space. The bathroom toilet area is equally spacious with a walking shower. The clothes wardrobe and other facilities have been designed for those who spend most of their time in a wheel chair.
It was only as I left the motel on Thursday morning that I remembered my location on the King Cross Road. It is about ten minutes from the station. Between the Lodge and the station there are perhaps twenty places to buy snacks, breakfasts and other meals. There are media businesses and the Poor Drama School for would be actors and actresses. It was also a notorious area for drug use and prostitution. During my walk to the Travel Lodge after midnight on Thursday evening there were indications on drug peddling and this morning around seven there were two women who had been together but then went in different directions who I may have misjudged their profession but I think not. However the area is set to become the greatest land travel centre in the UK due for phased completion in time for the Olympic Games. There are three major stations within half a half and two separated on by one road. Kings Cross station serves Scotland and the North East of England. The fabric of the station has been allowed to deteriorate for many years. Now there is a vast army of workers set to transform in the same way as St Pancras International, National, and Suburban.
St Pancras has been transformed but work is still going on at the from to create apartments and a hotel. The Penthouse is going for £10million. There is now a joint Underground station serving the two main lines and with links also to Euston so that five of the eight main Underground lines across the capital are covered.
St Pancras has become the central London station for Channel Tunnel Trains and the main thoroughfare of shops and restaurants is now fully functions. The trains operate from the first floor level and at one end there are trains to the Midlands. Below stairs so to speak at the far end the International is the new development with a large wide concourse with access from the main roads at either side of the station and a separate taxi service from that serving Kings Cross. Marks and Spencer’s, Boots and Smiths have large station area stores here together with a range of coffee shops and a Sushi bar. There is the latest left luggage centre where this morning the case had to be opened to confirm that the lap top was not on and to identify any other electric devices. At Lords this morning every compartment of my shoulder bag was opened and checked and I was given a full body search. At the 02 centre all hand luggage including bags are scan checked and the latest hand held body scanner is used. Euston station which is relatively modern serves the West Midlands and the North West and Glasgow Scotland. There is also a large area behind the two adjacent stations of former industrial use described as brown land which is being developed.
Along the main road between the three stations is the comparative new British Library Building. Several decades ago the former senior solicitor South Shields, and subsequent chief solicitor South Tyneside became a member of the NALGO national executive and helped acquire their headquarters building. Now a purpose designed new headquarters for UNISON, the former NALGO and NUPE unions is at an advance stage next to Euston Station. There are a dozen or more bus services going east wards to the City of London, into the central areas of the West End and over Thames Bridges into South London, and westward to Paddington which serves Oxfordshire and the West Country. There are buses going into North London and buses direct to Victoria and London Bridge stations.
There are inexpensive hotels such as Travel Lodge with three in the immediate area, Premier Lodge and Novotel as well for the Youth Hostel Association. There are also several internationally known restaurant along one side of the main road fronting the three main line stations. It will be appreciated that the authorities have and continue to take action remove the criminal and sordid aspects of parts of this area.
During the past thirty five years I rarely went outside Kings Cross Station except to walk the short distance along to the separate Kings Cross London station which has now moved to the far end of St Pancras International. However in the late autumn of 1959 I was offered a temporary packing Christmas cards and assisting in the Houseman’s bookshop, which led to joining the weekly sending of copies of Peace News to subscribers and making the acquaintance of Peace activists
On my first outing on Thursday I went along the Caledonian Road and Houseman‘s was just opening so I decided to return later on the visit. I checked the left luggage facilities at Kings Cross and St Pancras and then realised I had failed to shave. On the way back to the travel lodge I had called in and found the store celebrating its 50th year only having opened earlier in the year when I had been given the temporary job. Peace News continues to be published but on a monthly basis rather than weekly.
The Trocadero in Shaftesbury Avenue between Piccadilly Circus and Leicester Square has seen better days and at present is an odd combination of a tourist fleece market on the lower floor, amusement arcade fun fare at the top and Cineworld Shaftesbury with standard releases and some international at a reasonable price of £6 concession for the heartland of the West End.
For a period of two years when visiting my mother in residential care at Sutton I took out an London monthly subscription to Cineworld, sometimes seeing two films on one day of my visits to see her. My last visit was to see the second Che Guevara film. I was attracted to seeing the Informers because of Billy Bob Thornton, Kim Bassinger, Winona Ryder and Mickey Rourke.
After arriving with 15 mins to go and finding I was the only customers I was then surrounded mainly by men, with one youngish woman on her own and one couple. The opening was puzzling with a series of disconnected scenes and it was only afterwards in the Cineworld magazine that I noted the headline of Greed, sex, drugs and violence in 80s LA and that the film is based on, on the Bret Easton Ellis first novel of the same name and covers the loosely connected lives of seven super rich morally challenged Hollywood players in one week in 1983.
This an awful film, unoriginal and suggests that the film rock pop industry of Hollywood is corrupt, criminal and contemptible.
Billy Bob plays a Hollywood Mogul who has left his wife, Kim B, for a TV front woman, Winona R, and then negotiates a return to his wife Kim B to avoid the costs of his divorce and the growing seriousness of Winona who is messing up her professional life. He then wants to take up again with W R when he sees her at restaurant where he is dining with his two adult children. The daughter wants her brother to stop the situation having had to support her mother when he left and knows any getting together will be short term. Little does she know how short term. Kim B is no saint herself with a young stud who does the pool and who she keeps his interests with picking up his tabs. She tells him no more with family reunion although the daughter or was it some speaks out that the parents might become a couple again but never a family. KB success out the situation and agrees to go to a Benefits where errant husband plans to meet up with WR once more in order to take a closer look at the woman and then tells Billy Bob to pack his bags for good.
A Hollywood based rock group are called informers where the lead singer is on drugs and is found in bed with underage teenagers, boy and girl and in the book rapes a chamber maid. He has an accident in the bathroom and has people looking after him. The band is on tour in Japan.
I worked out that the hotel receptionist was bought up by a paedophile in the desert who he may have captured when only a boy. The man turns wanting a place to stay while he does some profitable work. The man has an underage girl with him who look out of her mind on drugs. He kidnaps a to order boy off the streets who he keeps at the home of the hotel receptionist until someone calls for the package. The receptionist pretends he does not know what the paedophile gang leader is talking about when he calls and as the man has already been paid he insists they all escape back into the desert or be killed. He insists the boy has to be killed and the receptionist fakes this to let him go.
I think Mickey Rourke plays Peter a young man forced to have a holiday with his estranged father. Father appears to have little difficult in picking up two Bimbos in search of good time adventure less than half his age and about the same as his son, but the son is not interested. Instead he takes an interest in someone he recognises and brings her to dinner to meet father. However she and father disapprove of his smoking and manner sop he goes off in a huff, the girl decides it is best not to stay, son tells father they have nothing to talk about and their relationship, whatever it was in not repairable.
A young man has become emotionally attached to a girl who has some disease and who is sleeping around in a situation where there are threesomes and foursomes between bisexuals. The girl appears to be dying on the beach refusing to admit to her sickness and get help. There appears to be attempted links. Which failed to recognise or understand and afterwards it was evident that some preparation for the experience might have saved concern that I was dim and failing to see what everyone else could. The problem with the film is the sum of the parts equals the sum of the parts. At best it is a voyeur’s film for film voyeurs. I did not regret the payment or the passage of time as there appeared to be nothing else to see other than Harry Potter which I had in mind for Sunday, especially if I was tired and the weather was bad.
I did watch Chicago again late night which has some catchy tunes and is an indictment of the preoccupation with celebrity, especially criminal celebrity, and on Saturday Coach Carter which is an indictment of the USA system in which black young people are encouraged into sport rather than into college in areas of worst segregation and poverty. Who is this film aimed at well black kids living in ghetto poverty I guess but which only underline to the parents with money and nonce that they need to move into different neighbourhoods so their kids get a better than 1 % chance of avoiding crime, drugs, prostitution and the hand out.
This reminds that having mentioned Soho sleaze past and present as I left Lords yesterday heading for the bus to Baker Street, my path was blocked by two tall starling beautiful black young women in tight hot pants who gave me a card saying I would be very welcome before I had time to make my usual comment about being too old for the disco or whatever they were selling. It was a VIP pass for the Tottenham Court Road Spearmint Rhino Gentleman’s Club. I kept as a souvenir of an interesting day which I will write about next.
I arrived at the Kings Cross Travel Lodge late and by taxi. I remembered little of my previous stay and the first surprise is that the corridors, the doorways and the rooms have been given an uplift by adding a mahogany décor. However I also noticed that there was no chair so that one had to sit uncomfortably at the end of the bed to use the lap top on work on the bed which was also uncomfortable. I was told by reception that there were no chairs in the rooms but I was able to take one of the lighter ones from the dining room bar lounge and this made a significant difference.
I have stayed at Travel Lodges for at least three decades and it was on my most recent visit that I encountered a coach party, for a wedding, suggested by the attire and attention to hair and make up of the ladies, the suit and ties of the men. The former Royal Scot Hotel Travel Lodge has a desk for groups. One implication of this is late arrivals and early starts. On my previous visit I had an outside room and there was some street noise late into the night. This time the room looked into a triangular courtyard with access for Taxis and some private vehicles. It is a feature of those using this kind of establishment to stand talking in the yard so everyone can hear and to continue to do so in corridors whatever the time of day or night and then to place do not disturb notices up on their doors. Fortunately I was tired on the three nights of my stay from travelling and from activity and was able to sleep well.
I must mention the contrast with my present room which is on the first floor or close to the reception area and care bar, but there is no noise. I have been allocated a room used by those wheel chair disabilities. It is a giant room with no one but three large windows. The king size bed takes up less than a quarter of the space. The bathroom toilet area is equally spacious with a walking shower. The clothes wardrobe and other facilities have been designed for those who spend most of their time in a wheel chair.
It was only as I left the motel on Thursday morning that I remembered my location on the King Cross Road. It is about ten minutes from the station. Between the Lodge and the station there are perhaps twenty places to buy snacks, breakfasts and other meals. There are media businesses and the Poor Drama School for would be actors and actresses. It was also a notorious area for drug use and prostitution. During my walk to the Travel Lodge after midnight on Thursday evening there were indications on drug peddling and this morning around seven there were two women who had been together but then went in different directions who I may have misjudged their profession but I think not. However the area is set to become the greatest land travel centre in the UK due for phased completion in time for the Olympic Games. There are three major stations within half a half and two separated on by one road. Kings Cross station serves Scotland and the North East of England. The fabric of the station has been allowed to deteriorate for many years. Now there is a vast army of workers set to transform in the same way as St Pancras International, National, and Suburban.
St Pancras has been transformed but work is still going on at the from to create apartments and a hotel. The Penthouse is going for £10million. There is now a joint Underground station serving the two main lines and with links also to Euston so that five of the eight main Underground lines across the capital are covered.
St Pancras has become the central London station for Channel Tunnel Trains and the main thoroughfare of shops and restaurants is now fully functions. The trains operate from the first floor level and at one end there are trains to the Midlands. Below stairs so to speak at the far end the International is the new development with a large wide concourse with access from the main roads at either side of the station and a separate taxi service from that serving Kings Cross. Marks and Spencer’s, Boots and Smiths have large station area stores here together with a range of coffee shops and a Sushi bar. There is the latest left luggage centre where this morning the case had to be opened to confirm that the lap top was not on and to identify any other electric devices. At Lords this morning every compartment of my shoulder bag was opened and checked and I was given a full body search. At the 02 centre all hand luggage including bags are scan checked and the latest hand held body scanner is used. Euston station which is relatively modern serves the West Midlands and the North West and Glasgow Scotland. There is also a large area behind the two adjacent stations of former industrial use described as brown land which is being developed.
Along the main road between the three stations is the comparative new British Library Building. Several decades ago the former senior solicitor South Shields, and subsequent chief solicitor South Tyneside became a member of the NALGO national executive and helped acquire their headquarters building. Now a purpose designed new headquarters for UNISON, the former NALGO and NUPE unions is at an advance stage next to Euston Station. There are a dozen or more bus services going east wards to the City of London, into the central areas of the West End and over Thames Bridges into South London, and westward to Paddington which serves Oxfordshire and the West Country. There are buses going into North London and buses direct to Victoria and London Bridge stations.
There are inexpensive hotels such as Travel Lodge with three in the immediate area, Premier Lodge and Novotel as well for the Youth Hostel Association. There are also several internationally known restaurant along one side of the main road fronting the three main line stations. It will be appreciated that the authorities have and continue to take action remove the criminal and sordid aspects of parts of this area.
During the past thirty five years I rarely went outside Kings Cross Station except to walk the short distance along to the separate Kings Cross London station which has now moved to the far end of St Pancras International. However in the late autumn of 1959 I was offered a temporary packing Christmas cards and assisting in the Houseman’s bookshop, which led to joining the weekly sending of copies of Peace News to subscribers and making the acquaintance of Peace activists
On my first outing on Thursday I went along the Caledonian Road and Houseman‘s was just opening so I decided to return later on the visit. I checked the left luggage facilities at Kings Cross and St Pancras and then realised I had failed to shave. On the way back to the travel lodge I had called in and found the store celebrating its 50th year only having opened earlier in the year when I had been given the temporary job. Peace News continues to be published but on a monthly basis rather than weekly.
The Trocadero in Shaftesbury Avenue between Piccadilly Circus and Leicester Square has seen better days and at present is an odd combination of a tourist fleece market on the lower floor, amusement arcade fun fare at the top and Cineworld Shaftesbury with standard releases and some international at a reasonable price of £6 concession for the heartland of the West End.
For a period of two years when visiting my mother in residential care at Sutton I took out an London monthly subscription to Cineworld, sometimes seeing two films on one day of my visits to see her. My last visit was to see the second Che Guevara film. I was attracted to seeing the Informers because of Billy Bob Thornton, Kim Bassinger, Winona Ryder and Mickey Rourke.
After arriving with 15 mins to go and finding I was the only customers I was then surrounded mainly by men, with one youngish woman on her own and one couple. The opening was puzzling with a series of disconnected scenes and it was only afterwards in the Cineworld magazine that I noted the headline of Greed, sex, drugs and violence in 80s LA and that the film is based on, on the Bret Easton Ellis first novel of the same name and covers the loosely connected lives of seven super rich morally challenged Hollywood players in one week in 1983.
This an awful film, unoriginal and suggests that the film rock pop industry of Hollywood is corrupt, criminal and contemptible.
Billy Bob plays a Hollywood Mogul who has left his wife, Kim B, for a TV front woman, Winona R, and then negotiates a return to his wife Kim B to avoid the costs of his divorce and the growing seriousness of Winona who is messing up her professional life. He then wants to take up again with W R when he sees her at restaurant where he is dining with his two adult children. The daughter wants her brother to stop the situation having had to support her mother when he left and knows any getting together will be short term. Little does she know how short term. Kim B is no saint herself with a young stud who does the pool and who she keeps his interests with picking up his tabs. She tells him no more with family reunion although the daughter or was it some speaks out that the parents might become a couple again but never a family. KB success out the situation and agrees to go to a Benefits where errant husband plans to meet up with WR once more in order to take a closer look at the woman and then tells Billy Bob to pack his bags for good.
A Hollywood based rock group are called informers where the lead singer is on drugs and is found in bed with underage teenagers, boy and girl and in the book rapes a chamber maid. He has an accident in the bathroom and has people looking after him. The band is on tour in Japan.
I worked out that the hotel receptionist was bought up by a paedophile in the desert who he may have captured when only a boy. The man turns wanting a place to stay while he does some profitable work. The man has an underage girl with him who look out of her mind on drugs. He kidnaps a to order boy off the streets who he keeps at the home of the hotel receptionist until someone calls for the package. The receptionist pretends he does not know what the paedophile gang leader is talking about when he calls and as the man has already been paid he insists they all escape back into the desert or be killed. He insists the boy has to be killed and the receptionist fakes this to let him go.
I think Mickey Rourke plays Peter a young man forced to have a holiday with his estranged father. Father appears to have little difficult in picking up two Bimbos in search of good time adventure less than half his age and about the same as his son, but the son is not interested. Instead he takes an interest in someone he recognises and brings her to dinner to meet father. However she and father disapprove of his smoking and manner sop he goes off in a huff, the girl decides it is best not to stay, son tells father they have nothing to talk about and their relationship, whatever it was in not repairable.
A young man has become emotionally attached to a girl who has some disease and who is sleeping around in a situation where there are threesomes and foursomes between bisexuals. The girl appears to be dying on the beach refusing to admit to her sickness and get help. There appears to be attempted links. Which failed to recognise or understand and afterwards it was evident that some preparation for the experience might have saved concern that I was dim and failing to see what everyone else could. The problem with the film is the sum of the parts equals the sum of the parts. At best it is a voyeur’s film for film voyeurs. I did not regret the payment or the passage of time as there appeared to be nothing else to see other than Harry Potter which I had in mind for Sunday, especially if I was tired and the weather was bad.
I did watch Chicago again late night which has some catchy tunes and is an indictment of the preoccupation with celebrity, especially criminal celebrity, and on Saturday Coach Carter which is an indictment of the USA system in which black young people are encouraged into sport rather than into college in areas of worst segregation and poverty. Who is this film aimed at well black kids living in ghetto poverty I guess but which only underline to the parents with money and nonce that they need to move into different neighbourhoods so their kids get a better than 1 % chance of avoiding crime, drugs, prostitution and the hand out.
This reminds that having mentioned Soho sleaze past and present as I left Lords yesterday heading for the bus to Baker Street, my path was blocked by two tall starling beautiful black young women in tight hot pants who gave me a card saying I would be very welcome before I had time to make my usual comment about being too old for the disco or whatever they were selling. It was a VIP pass for the Tottenham Court Road Spearmint Rhino Gentleman’s Club. I kept as a souvenir of an interesting day which I will write about next.
No comments:
Post a Comment