Damn. The dilemma. Left Greenwich station on 16:22 train bound for Cannon Street, trying to beat the deadline I'd been given (between 4 & 5 PM) to come pick up my travel documents. At Fleet Street.
Now, I've only been to Fleet Street once- when I went to submit said documents. And that took quite a while to find, as the street numberings looked quite unconventional to what I'm used to: go there someday and see for yourself. :-P
On that day, after submitting all that, I'd decided to try and retrace my route back- on my Brompton. In the process, I stopped by the iStore on the Strand... from there I cycled directly across the road up to Covent Garden Market to the Apple Store to book an appointment to have my iPhone examined (power button was misbehaving,..).
Just before the iStore on the Strand, I remember a turning on the left which led on to what looked like a familiar bridge: familiar from the time of my menteeship at IBM visiting their Blackfriars offices; wasn't this Blackfriars Bridge?, I thought.
Anyway, away from that, it's 16:40 now and I'm at ~Cannon Street, asking for directions on how quickest to get to Charing Cross. (The day I'd gone to submit my application, I'd come through Charing Cross and cycled to Fleet Street). This was the best route possible I knew.
The station attendant at Cannon Street suggested I take the Underground Circle/District Line to Embankment; then I could cycle to Charing Cross- they're not too far apart from each other, he told me. I thanked him (bless him) and walked thing: BUT I NEED TO BE IN FLEET STREET BEFORE 1700!!!
I decided to brave it and take the Underground as suggested: it a straight forward journey and there's less chance of me losing my way and thence, wasting any precious time.
As the train proceeds, I look up on the wall and see the Tube Map; there's Blackfriars station: 3 stops before Embankment... I think back that bridge I saw on the day I was returning from submitting those documents: should I get off at Blackfriars? Is this indeed the Bridge I have in mind. If it was, it meant I was literally round the corner of the address I was headed for. Is it possible? Round the corner?...
***This station is Blackfriars***
I'm off the train. The door shut and the train starts to leave.. me & my Brompton. Time is 16:43. Oh shit... Gotta find the station exit now.
Out, Brompton assembled, I cross the road. Soon, I'm cycling up that road, towards the junction I thought (prayed) I'd looked down from, that day I went to submit those documents...
...I was right.
And on time. Thank God.
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