On my visit to Croydon and central London during the past week I eat well but too much and of the wrong foods. The consequence is that I added over a quarter of a stone having already moved closer to 16 and a quarter in the days immediately before the visit. Today I concentrated sorting and commencing the writing with no inclination to commence the exercise programme again after an uncomfortable waking during the night although I have maintained the high average of 8.3 hours with the Sleep Apnoea treatment machine having reached 8.4 with a total hours high over 251 for 30 days. I have not missed one day since September and this includes during two colds.
I commenced last Wednesday with porridge for breakfast followed by a coffee at the station (£1.80) and another on the train (£2.25) and eating small prepared home baked rolls with pâté and olives. I had some packet soup with the remaining roll in the evening and enjoyed an inexpensive bar of chocolate brought with me at 40 pence. I had a flask of cold water with me for the journey and purchased two cans of diet coke from Waitrose paying cash £1.18. £5.23 on the day.
I had a soup rather than coffee at the Travel Lodge for breakfast which sufficed until just after 12 when I sat down at the Water Margin Asian Buffet restaurant at the Millennium Dome 02 on the Thursday and which was offered their midday meal for £6 instead of the usual £8.80 and indeed 80 pence cheaper that the same level of fare at the local all day buffet here in South Shields which I am still to visit And have postponed until I get below that sixteen stone ceiling.
I purchased a large diet coke so that with tip the final account was £9.50 which was very reasonable given the delicious five plates of food I enjoyed over the next 90 minutes, I was the first inside, joined by a couple of mine own age and then two individuals on their own and then two men, one of whom wanted beer and gave up his spoon only after one small plate of food.
From the starters I took a couple of crab claw balls and then various kinds of chicken pieces adding a liberal portion of curry sauce. The was followed by two plates of beef dishes in various spicy concoctions and the sweets first a mixture of fresh and tinned fruits including pineapple, grapes, melon and peaches and then a bowl of ice cream with two scoops of chocolate and one of vanilla. In the evening I enjoyed a coffee £1.50 in the members cafe on the fourth floor and also a diet cola round £2 if not more and then a carton of chips from an outside concession at £3. I purchases a diet Coke 59p at Waitrose on return plus a pack of soft rolls reduce to 59p for the following day a total expenditure on the day £18 18.
I had one of the rolls with a packet soup for breakfast and coffee on arrival at the ground the following morning £1.50, enjoying the rolls for lunch and then purchased a Diet Coke(£.59) from a shop on my lunchtime walkabout, finding a convenience store at the end of a short row of shops and service providers and which included an attractive looking pub which had offered live jazz the previous evening. On the way back I purchased spicy chicken wings for the evening meal £2.99. More bread rolls £.67, some pâté at£1.59. A diet coke £.59 and a packet of two custard tarts(£.79), one eat that evening and the other the following morning. The bill at the Waitrose totalled £6.53 making a day expenditure £8.62.
I then had another soup with a plain roll breakfast on the Saturday and an early coffee followed by another in the President’s tea room in the afternoon when I looked at the match behind glass as it had turned bitter cold again and also read the free newspapers while keeping on Chelsea’s football match on Sky.( £3) Homeward there was a second purchase of Chicken wings. A can of diet coke and two cream scones which I wolfed and cost £5.96 in total. £8.96 in total.
I adopted a different approach on Sunday going to the Wetherspoons the George for a pub lunch after a soup for breakfast. I enjoyed their roast special which in my instance comprised a half chicken with a good plate of vegetables and a pint of Foster Lager for £6.99. For the evening after the pictures having returned early and able to visit Waitrose there was the third helping of chicken wings more custard slices and a can of diet coke total £ 4.97 and £11.86 for the day.
On Monday, the last day of the cricket and my visit as Durham proceeded to a win I celebrated with a coffee on arrival £1.50, a plate of chips for lunch £3 followed by one of the most expensive Feast Ice creams ever at £2.60 in the so called convenience store created from the old shop area in the ground. After depositing the shoulder rucksack at the Travel Lodge I went to Wetherspoons for a sausage and mash and a pint of Fosters, £7.84. From Waitrose there was a packet of Werthers originals having run out of night sweets for a dry mouth £ 1.25 and afters of two custards slices for £1.39 £17.58 on the day.
I had acquired a Metro voucher for a sausage and egg (with a slice of Cheese McMuffin for 99p which I enjoyed as breakfast the following morning on my way to East Croydon and then used the free coffee from having purchased six and attaching the stickers to the free coffee card. I called in at Waitrose for £3 smoked salmon sandwich for the journey and enjoyed a coffee on the train £2.25 total of £ 6.24 during the journey and back home there was a late visit to Morrisons for a pint of milk and some fresh veg £1.68. For the evening meal I enjoyed a large fish cake with a mixture of tinned beans, tomatoes and carrots, the second portion I used with a pork chop for lunch yesterday, followed by three small home baked rolls with cheese and pickle after a porridge for breakfast. I also purchased two Feast Ice Creams during the stay from the Travel Lodge £2 and a bottle of Pepsi £1.50. I had taken a total of three of inexpensive chocolate bars with me on the trip so the food crime list includes ice creams, chocolate, chips and cream cakes.
The cost of what was for me a food extravaganza comes to £81.85 what some pay an individual meal or the cost of a ticket to one of Ashes test at Durham this year excluding car parking. The total expenditure so far including travel (£82)and accommodation (£146) is therefore £209. 85, To this must be added £52 for my four visits to the Oval (£261.85 for the whole trip which works out at £50 or so per whole day there and only £37 for the seven days with the travelling days included.
Arriving around 4pm on the first day and the sun shining I went for a good walk into Croydon along the High Street to West Croydon station working out the quickest way to get there, especially if there was rain, as at that point I had in mind taking the Victoria station train calling at Balham for the Northern Line to thee Oval, the route I have taken many times when staying at the Clyde Road flat in Wallington. As previously explained it was only on the Friday I worked out that the best route and quickest was to take the non stop train from East Croydon to London Bridge and then take the Underground train to the Oval and back the same way. On the Wednesday evening I continued past the station along to where there is a row of international stores, restaurants and services as far as the Volunteer and public information and services new HQ building. I had intended a longer walk than was taken but coming tired I briefly sat in the shopping mall on the way back and then returned to the Travel Lodge after calling at Waitrose. I had noted that the all day Asian buffet restaurant opposite the George had closed down.
The underpass between platforms at East Croydon station are not only closed but it looks as if work has progressed on sealing the exits. The udnerpass has been replaced by an impressive above platform construction with the stairway between platforms open but the lifts yet to be completed. At present the construction ends with the far platforms but looks as if it could be continued in both directions to create new entrances/exits to the station. Apart from this development and some clearance I did not gain the impression that other work on the development site which is to comprise residential and shopping facilities plus a new theatre has commenced although notices on the hoardings suggested other wise.
Some of the regular street people were noted on my journeys to and from the station. There is an Asian lady I suspect from the Indian sub continent who sells the Big issue outside Waitrose. There is also a man with a shopping trolley overloaded with his possession which includes a broom and which suggests that he is living on the streets. I saw him twice on this visit, once outside Waitrose and at the junction between George Street and Wellesley Road. There was one man who looked in a poor condition and was approached by someone who I cannot work out is a social worker or street life organiser and who I have previously seen talking to the street people. Not seen was the man or the woman who sometimes beg here, usually with a skinny dog to hand. There is also a group of alcoholics who have encountered in doorways close to Surrey street and this time they were noted close to the entrance of the Travel Lodge.
Another regular feature of my visit to the capital is the check on property prices where a reasonably sized family home nothings special was priced at three quarters of million in Croydon and closer to one million advertised by an agency viewed on the Oval walkabout. Next the Oval and the cricket.
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