Day 2 – Zone 1 and All Lines Challenges
Begins with a Premier Inn breakfast. As I was checking I was booked in for the next night a couple were asking about how to get into London. They were told the over ground was shut and the underground was a cab ride away. No worries, says I, I can give you a lift. Where are you from I ask? Nottinghamshire they say. Oh, I’m from Derbyshire. Where in Notts? Sutton they say. What are the odds? All this way to London and I give a lift to a couple that live 10 mins from me! I dropped them off at Watford station and then drove to park at Stanmore as I wanted to be parked inside zone 6.
As I did yesterday, I got off at Wembley Park and changed to faster Met train, went to Baker St for a coffee, loo stop and buy water; I didn’t want to be struggling like I had been on the Sunday.
Zone 1 Challenge
I started the Zone 1 challenge at 11:22 when I left Edgeware Rd on the Circle line to Paddington. On exiting the station, it felt like a long walk to the Bakerloo Line – and I just missed (story of the day) a train but caught the next at 11:30 - Edgeware Road 11:32 - Marylebone 11:33 - Baker St 11:35 and exited Regents Park (I love being on the train C4D3R [Carriage 4, Door 3, Right hand Side] to run straight down the exit stairs – thanks Station Master app!), turned right and headed to Great Portland St. I tried jogging – but I’m not built for that
Leaving GPS on the Metropolitan Line at 11:42 we passed through Euston Square 11:44 - KXSP 11:47 - Farringdon 11:50 - Barbican 11:52, alighting at Moorgate and got this absolutely right today. I was at the right door and had no hesitation in running down the spiral stairs ... only to miss a departing train by seconds. If only I had tried to run from the Met line to the stairs. Gutted.
After the bottle challenge yesterday, I knew I needed to be at the far end of the platform for the exit at Euston and there left Moorgate 12:00 - Old St 12:01 - Angel 12:04 - KXSP (again) 12:06. There was a very useful train announcement about Northern Line via CX being Platform 2 which meant I avoided the screw up of yesterday and got straight onto a rammed Northern Line south dep at 12:11 - Warren St 12:12 - Goodge St 12:13.
It was good fortune as I was near the back of the NL train and when I got off at Tottenham Court Road I was able to shoot straight up the back passage (ooh err Mrs!) and onto the Central Line platforms. This was much better than my FUBAR of the previous day. It did bring me onto the wrong platform but I hopped across and had a 30 sec wait for a PACKED (for the carnival) west bound train which left at 12:16 - Oxford Circus 12:18 - Bond St 12:20 - Marble Arch 12:21 - Lancaster Gate 12:23.
One hour in to the challenge - 23 stations down.
It was a struggle to get off at Queensway because the train was so full – and there was a queue for the lift with so many carnival people. I need to be able to take the stairs
![Sad :(](./images/smilies/icon_sad.gif)
I fast walked to Bayswater and had a 4 min wait for a district train to Wimbledon (for Earls Court) leaving at 12:38 – Notting Hill Gate (which was closed) 12:40 - High St Ken 12:42. Got off at Earls Court and went straight under platforms only to miss a Piccadilly north by seconds. Again. Arrghhh!
Left Earls Court 12:48 – Gloucester Rd 12:50 - South Ken 12:51 - Knightsbridge 12:53 - Hyde Park Corner 12:57.
32/64 done in 1hr 33. Is 3 hours possible for me? I knew I shouldn’t get my hopes up like this.
Green Park 12:59 - Piccadilly Circus 13:00 - Leicester Sq 13:02 - Covent Garden 13:04 - Holborn 13:05 – exited at Russell Square and doubled back to Holborn, leaving at 13:09. Back onto the Central Line East 13:16 - Chancery lane 13:17 - St Pauls 13:18 - Bank 13:20.
Off at Liverpool St – and went straight to H&C line (no screw up like yesterday) and caught train to Aldgate East at 13:27. I walked (should’ve run if I could) back to Aldgate and left on District line west 13:37 - Tower Hill 13:39 - Monument 13:42 -Cannon St 13:44 - Mansion House 13:45 - Blackfriars 13:48 - Temple 13:49.
Off at Embankment onto Northern Line to Charing Cross leaving at 13:54. At Charing Cross I changed to a Bakerloo south via a bloody long tunnel, leaving at 13:59. Embankment (again) 14:00 - Waterloo 14:02 - Lambeth North (station closed) 14:04 - Elephant & Castle (had to wait in the tunnel for a platform to be free) and changed to Northern Line train at 14:11 - Borough 14:13.
Off at London Bridge changing to the Jubilee north at 14:19 - Southwark 14:20. Changed at Westminster – had to come all the way up to the District & Circle. I’ve exited the Jubilee at Westminster before but as it’s my 2nd favourite station I enjoy looking at the engineering. Now? I’m in a rush and I’m walking up the escalators trying to reach the summit. I need to lose weight I know that. This is killing me. I got to the platform as a District train pulled out. Queue much
&%(**!!@£ in my head.
Left Westminster 14:29 - St James’s Park 14:31 - Victoria 14:34 - Doubled Back at Sloane Sq -14:39 – changed at Victoria onto Victoria line south 14:42 - Pimlico at 14:44 finally finishing at Vauxhall at 14:49
Total Time - 3hr 23 mins
My ugly mug on arrival -
https://goo.gl/photos/F4Apk2ZkZ9DxNdNE9
Video of my route -
https://youtu.be/KPM50up3uNw
If only I wasn’t such an overweight, unfit and old man. So many times I ’just missed’ trains I could have caught
IF I had been able to run and/or use the stairs. Still, it’s personal target for me to aim at if I do this again!
I bought a couple of bottles of coke and spent some time above ground at Vauxhall. Came across a big gathering in Vauxhall Park which turned out to be a Gay Men’s health event – I watched the Sack Race (no, that’s not a euphemism) which was funny and had an ice cream. Wandered off and found a Portugese restaurant for a nice lunch/dinner. What to do now? I know, let’s try the All Lines challenge!
All Lines Challenge
Went back to Farringdon (walking between Warren St and Euston Sq to see how long it took and to stretch my ankles) before catching a Met Train. As the doors closed at Farringdon I started the stop watch - 16:52
Off at Barbican and onto the H&C - 16:55
Moorgate – Circle (had to wait for this) and left at 17:00
Liverpool St (Central) 17:04
Bank (Waterloo & City) I loved the moving walkway but I should’ve run as I just missed a train. 17:14. the W&C train feels faster than usual trains?
Waterloo (Northern) 17:21
Embankment (District) 17:26
Westminster (Jubilee) – Had to go all the way DOWN this time ... but just missed a train. Again. 17:31
Green Park (Piccadilly) 17:39
Piccadilly Circus (Bakerloo) 17:42
Oxford Circus (Victoria) 17:47
Arrived at Green Park (again) at 17:49
Final time = 57:01 - That’s a bit more like it!
Point of note
I hate Green Park station. It is just mile after mile of tunnels. Very happy to have completed this in under an hour and with a bit of luck (and running) I can see how it could be reduced.
Never, ever do this on a Carnival Weekend; any train heading towards the NH area were packed. There were many times I couldn’t get down the platform to be where I needed to be on the train.
Also I didn’t realise how much this would take out of me.
“How can you be tired, just riding trains?”
My knees, ankles and feet are absolutely banging. On many trains it’s standing room only – or I’m not on for long enough before I had to get off. Then then there is negotiating the changes; Trying to get from one platform to the next is a lot of effort; all the stairs, escalators (and yes) I was walking up/down these. The changes between stations – Paddington-Paddington, Regents Park-GPS, Aldgate-Aldgate. I wish I had step monitor to have recorded all this activity; this is the most exercise I’ve done in years! I also can’t believe how much I have drunk and not had to go to the loo.
After finishing the All Lines Challenge I wanted to ride the Northern City Line so went back to Moorgate and took the 18:19 to Angel and Islington. I then changed to Overground rail to West Hampstead, then the Jubilee back to Stanmore and off to the hotel.