Sunday 1 July 2007

A Pilgrimage to The Oxford Street

It has been a long time since I've not visited Oxford Street (Ox St). After a long pause and many excuses I finally found an occasion to drag myself to The Ox St.

My Clarks have been worn out and I had to get a new pair of shoes before streets start getting flooded. Met department's billion Pounds Supper computer has predicted heavy rain and a total wash out. A pair of solid shoes are required, I thought. Though I don't walk much, a 5 minutes of stroll from 6A Northbrook Road to Bounds Green, and then I come out on the other end of North London at Luton Airport Park Way, then take Palmers Green Bus to Capability Green; the place of my work for past 3 years.

It was one of those finest Sunday, which you could only dream for and remember forever. I jumped out of bed only at 11:00 AM. Weather was at its best, it has been raining in night on and off and it rained in morning. A little strong breeze which doesn't qualify for storm and the Sun playing hide and seek with clouds. A perfect weather to find an excuse to go out and stroll in in London streets. Such days are rara avis in London.

I came out of my house and found the weather was brilliant in reality as expected. Northbrook Street was calm, serene as usual. The idleness of street has been disturbed in the past by the Murphy's, who are digging the street to find Victorian era coins. Actually they are replacing the Victorian era water pipelines.

At Middleton Road cross I saw a Police notice board asking for help to find the suspect who has burned down the Da Vinci Cafe on The Middleton Road. It happened few days back at the stroke of midnight.

Passed the deserted Bowes Park Railway Station, which was as usual as deserted as it could be. Even from 10 yards away you can't tell if there is station.

Passed Queens Road and came on Bounds Green Road, glanced at Paki restaurant to check if they have my favorite Lamb Samosa in stock thought buying one on my way back if they still last, passed the grocery shop posted the letter; a complaint to HSBC bank demanding them to refund the excessive charges, crossed the road and arrived at Bounds Green (BG) Under Ground (UG) station.

Every time I arrive at BG in weekends I feel it is closed as almost no people there, otherwise it gets quite busy in the working days. Piccadilly line is one of the business line, in weekends it is empty at BG and I didn't feel luck to get a seat, it was more or less expected.

Glanced in the capsule (I call it capsule as it is actually shaped like capsule, they call it carriage) left and right and found that i'm the King of this capsule as no other passengers are present in the capsule.

The most difficult part of London tube journey is to think what to do once inside the capsule. The most common occupying task which people get engaged is reading, some stare on floor some try to take pretended nap. Metro used to be the de facto newspaper on the tube before it was bombarded with The London Paper and The Lite in evening. Being a weekend no one sees any opportunity for business and hence no newspapers which are no more than a means to spread capitalism rather then providing news. And London, being the capital of capitalism, where money is the language of society and PR the ideology you expect only 2 things in newspapers, Advertisements and rubbish PR materials which is the food for the Londoners. Londoners love it, reading about celebrities and all crap being written about them. They read it it over and over. Once in Metro 2nd time in The Lite and 3rd time in the The London Paper. If you are still hungry for some more and want a real taste of Indian Masala then read the Sun.

And me, what do I do in tube? I've got many hobbies. I play "Guess the language", "guess the nationality", "guess the perfume brand" and many others. London being the capital of The United Nations, you will find representatives from all the countries. Mostly it is the white colour which dominates with black spots, evergreen Indian chocolates and sprinkle of yellow flowers. Language puzzle is the hardest to crack. I can do all Indian languages, I can do Russian, I can do French, I can do Italian (They are the loudest so no need to guess their language, if you see more hand movements, high pitch and if they speak from heart, soul and whole body then they are Italians), I can do Korean, I can do chinese, I can do American English, I can do Australian English, but apart from these languages my ability to crack the language is more or less a wild guess.

Today I couldn't play this game as the crowed was missing. I moved my eyes to look for the adverts and they were as usual most boring stuff inside tube. Once of my other favorite past time e in Tube is to remember the tube stations name by heart and their sequence. I can go as far as Holborn on Piccadilly and no further. It is not a bad start, I've been in Piccadilly for just 2 years and remembering 12 tune stations on a single line in correct order is more than extraordinary ability.

Stopped at Wood Green, the colour here is the Black, I never like this station, it is really black and you need to avoid black in London. You never go south of Thames either as it is more black than coal. Next Turnpike Lane doesn't interest me either. TL is a mix of Indians, Arabs, Blacks and a lot of other colours. Finsbury Park, it does echo something, FP is bustling place and a junction where you can switch to Victoria Line (VL) if you want to save few minutes of your precious time. On working days I take VL from Kings Cross (KX) till finsbury park and then switch to PL as usual. Manor House was shining, they recently refurbished it and tiles were shining, it was looking cleaner apart from that I really don't know anything about MH, I never have been there. Holloway Road, yes I remember this place, HR has the maximum number of cameras on any road in England. I have been there, it is a crowded Road with markets, and also I saw my first Boot market here.

Passed Caledonian Road, which I remember as the place to get ready to get down at next station, the KX but being a weekend I was not in hurry and moreover my destination was
Ox St. KX was deserted, it is one of the biggest station where people go to catch trains for their outbound journey out of London and where I'm a regular face.

Next one was Russell Square, the place which reminds me of the 7/7 bombing otherwise it is a big market place, wide roads, tall office buildings and many more attractions as it is almost the center of London. Holborn, I changed to Central line with intension to disembark at Oxford Circus but having spotted Tottenham Court Road (THCR) I decided to get out here and go out in open as I have started feeling tubophobia. Coming out on escalators I spotted they have introduced video advertisement boards instead of the old ones. Innovation and creativity, I thought and opportunity to earn more money for PR agencies. I would put my business advertisement one day which would be more lively and vivid than these dead and boring moving videos, I dream.

Came out at THCR st. and saw sun shinning over the Carphone Warehouse, the first building which you see when you come out of THCR. Overheard a mid aged lady swearing at her small daughter it seemed she had lost her and instead of rejoicing at recovering her back she is scolding her.

I started the stroll on this scared capitalistic road from the south end as I was not sure where I could locate the Clarks. I've a faint memory to visiting the Clarks last time when I purchased my shoes from there. But after that I've lost it. Passed the Virgin Megastore, Currys are now Curry.Digital and sale is still on. I couldn't stop smiling. The sale is always on in the Ox St. no mater what the day is no matter what the season is no matter it is day or night, it is always sales time. And poor dumb consumers they always think they are at right moment in Ox st and sales is on. Passed M&S, this M&S is quite not so crowded from outside you can ignore it if don't pay close attention. The Sun has come out from hiding and it is shinning. glanced at crowed and felt the flesh. I don't watch FTV to keep myself up to date with latest in trend in fashion industry but I visit the Ox St . The whole street is more or less is converted in a giant long stretched hall with ramp in the middle and you can see all the labels being represented on this long ramp, including natural Indian Sarees, Salware Kameej and others.

Saw a lady with odd trouser, one leg was plain brown and another with psychedelic coloured in different colours, Jesus Lord, I murmured.

Spotted the Clarks on the left side, which I knew is not the one which I'm looking for, I decided to give it a try and entered the shop. Felt something strange which turns out to be a more feminine environment than masculine, it was ladies only shop, I made exit from there.

Arrived at the Oxford Circus was not so crowded today. I kept scanning the left and right sides of road for my destination. Just before John Lewis I saw 2nd Clarks. I have been to this shop in the past and I knew it is not the one which I'm after. I decided to give it a try to see if they have got something for me. Sales tag was as usual decorating the front of shop. I spotted one pair which was of my taste and decoded to walk around little more, went in the basement section for men's walked around the shop but as I've imagined it didn't satisfied my taste. While entering the shop I have spotted Barrats. I decided to give a try to Barrats as I've almost covered the whole Ox St and still couldn't locate my destination. Went into Barrats and saw that I Could find something interesting there. Found few pairs of shoes which were up to my taste, asked attendant to find no. 12 for me. After few trials I settled for a No. 11 comfy pair.

I went for Clarks but came out with Barrats. I'm a Barrat man now. My journey was over, I couldn't locate the destination but I got what I was looking for. now time to go back home. I decided to take Central from Ox Circus. Central Line capsules stink like Urinal, stinker than Indian Trains. I never liked this line but can't avoid it if I want to get into the Ox St. from Piccadilly. Return journey was sleepy, it was hot inside and with few stopping as usual I finally disembarked on BG. On way back I saw a Bangladeshi having fight, also saw him kicking someone's door and sw earning. Nothing unusual in this part of London. Stabbing is the favorite game which kids play in this part of London. "Shoot a man game" is not rare but happens quite occasionally. So kicking the door and shot at thy neighbor is not the kind of game which draws my attention. It is life as usual for me.

Arrived back at home. spanked in sofa with my favorite Lemon tea and decided to key down this experience. On tele Diana, The Princess of wales, memorial concert is going on in the Wembley Stadium. I was wondering if they are mourning her death, celebrating it or having a fun?

My pilgrimage to The Oxford Street was over. I went for the Clarks but came back with Barrats.