After taking like an hour and 30 mins to get ready I finally left at 10pm for the party. I had checked out the clubs website ad to be perfectly honest I wasn't expecting too much from the venue. Plus I could only imagine the budget that Meirice had to work on.
Getting off at Old St Tube Station, I've got to tell you I was actually scared, the station is def the worst and most run down off all the tubes I've seen, hobos sleeping and begging in the underground shopping centre's hall ways. I was walking with purpose and conviction to get out of there. When Londoner's voted Baker St as the worst tube station, clearly not many of them have been to this one. And Baker St was only vote the worst coz it's still old with all the original fixtures and wood work. Personally I think It's beautiful.
I was hoping the when I reached the surface the streets and building would be cleaner and at least look safer (I didn't hold my breath). And no they weren't, there were indescribable smells, bad lighting and def not clean. At this point I was getting really really worried, I can now see why Debbie told me to stay away from the East side. I was now regretting trusting someone elses judgment and regretted coming. Funny thou there was still a glimmer of hope that the place would be decent enough and the time would be fun.
Apon arrival, I was searched (not a convincing move seeing how I was feeling) and was lead up these stairs to the second floor where the party was booked. Walking in I've gotta be honest - I was less than impressed, maybe my standards are just too high?
Now that I was used to paying to hang my jacket in the cloak room, I went to pay. Well it wasn't much of a cloak room, multicoloured plastic coat hangers on a few rails behind a little bar counter style effort, not convincing that you're items are going to be kept safe...
Never the less I didn't right the night off. As I came in a girl from work was there, Renee. Thank God, some one that I knew. Seeing as Laverne was at the door and Meirice was no where to be found. I wasn't feeling too comfortable with bringing my camera now. I had to leave it in the 'cloakroom' as I didn't see Meirice sitting behind an 'entrance desk' as she said she would be. Laverne was downstairs just standing at the door. The club was actually actually an old 2 story house that had been converted into what looked like two flats at one stage and when the area turned commercial it was brought out and converted several times since then. And the latest happen to be this 'club'. So the first downstairs 'flat' was one section of the club and the upstairs was the hired part for the website bruin-ou.com's function. As I was saying Laverne was just standing at the main 'house' door no till, no desk, chair or nothing. collecting money with two bouncers behind 3 red velvet ropes.
Well I thought, I so need a drink, at first I was just gonna buy a water but the look or lack there off 'lead' me into the alcohol. Vodka, lime and lemonade - single please, I would like my wallet to come home with me... £3!!! damn that's like R45, I might as well be at Sun City! Well I was gonna drink this very slowly, well so I thought. I tagged onto Renee and her boyfriend, they were so in love and into each other it was making me sick - I hate being the fucking third person and more so I hate not knowing anyone and worst off I hate coming to a party apon invite and being hung out to dry when I get there! And hence the drink disappeared in like 5 mins. Oh that's another thing, it was damn hot in the club, yes it's cold outside but you've got ppl crammed in here, um, you can switch the heating off.
So not bitching and moaning too much (oops too late) the night was a bugger up and I could only stand it for 3 hours, after the first hour I wanted to leave and Meirice told me, no this is my last night, and then I'm going on holiday. This gave me hope that she would actually come back to the little hell corner I was in and I would have some conversation. Ah, no don't be stupid!
When I eventually did leave I walked to the bus stop that I had looked up on the tfl.gov.uk site while planning my route. it wasn't far at all. But my ankle was killing me, I was walking like I had a cleft foot, slower than an old lady on crutches with constipation... Get to the bus stop and look at the time table, yippee, I missed the bus by 3 minutes, it always happens with me. Oh well, I had my iPod Shuffle to listen to and a pink limo across the road, I was scouting it to see which hooker was gonna get out - no luck there. The bus arrived at 03h23 and I hopped on. So time to look for stop K. literally 2 mins down the road I saw stop K and got off, only to find that I'd gotten off too early. DAMNIT, now I gotta wait 30mins for the next bus!
A luck would have it there was a Texaco with Somerfields Easy shop across the road, I went to make myself a caffe late (machine served) and brought a double size Twix. I needed all the enegry I could get to wait in the 4 deg air outside and to be able to sleep in the next morning without having a hungry tummy wake me up.
Bus came and I was thinking, yippee, home time, thank god. You know you have those nights that you know you just shouldn't have left the house? This was about to turn into one of those.
While travelling I was frantically looking on my cellphone at the image from multimaps.com that i had gotten as well at the one from tfl while trying to read every number on each bus stop. We go around what looks like the corner that the map shows and I couldn't see the street name but someone else pushed the button so at least I didn't have to puch it and not get off. 4 or 5 ppl got up to get off, so I thought that this must be the one, surely they are getting the next bus too. So I get off, look at the stop number and it's M, shit, hop back on as the driver is closing the doors. In hind sight I shouldn't have done that. The next stop was K and I saw the road name as the robot before the corner was luckily red. So I pushed the button and got ready to get off.What happens? The fucking bus driver didn't stop, so I thought fine I'll get off at the next one, he doesn't stop again, a passenger gets up and says blah blah blah, stop at the next stop, does he stop? NO, he carried onto Waterloo, where we all have to get off. Boy was I pissed, Now I have to walk to Piccdilly Circus. Now for all of you that don't know London, that's a good 30min walk, for someone without a completely fucked ankle. Me - 45mins.
And would you know it: every bus stop I saw I had just missed the busses!!! Eventually I got to Trafalgar Square and I was actually in luck, the bus I needed the N9 was stopping there. After waiting for 5 or so mins I was so please to see the bus stopping. Up to the top level I went for some peace.
Nope, no such thing there were 2 totally out of contract girls up there screaming and shouting, well I could handle that coz I just turned my iPod up to fuck my ears even more. Now it was time to settle for a good rid home.
Um, what ever!!! I start smelling cigarette smoke. The 8 immature 16 year olds behind me were all smoking with no regard for the passengers on the bus nor the actual rules. Well let me open the window. As did a few other ppl. They soon started getting cold as they were at the back of the bus and of course all the air flows there. The girl behind me asked if I had a problem with closing the window, so I said yes. One of the boys closes it anyway, I reopen it. After a few more open and closes they start throwing things at me. I hate being the bigger person but I didn't have any backup so I simply ignored them.
My luck would get better - 6 of them get off at the same stop as me and get on the same damn bus! Thank goodness they got off before me and didn't see what stop I was getting off at, I really didn't feel like dealing... Esp not while I was carrying my camera with me.
Home at 6am, and in bed at 06h30 after a shower and teeth brushing.
Not a bad night for wanting to go home from the moment I got off the tube, don't you think?
