I managed to hear most of what was said Mattk just as personable as I expected.This is ‘a good thing’.
Here’s how Cecil Adams came through for me.
After finding somewhere to stop at around 2pm it was time to go sightseeing.
Camden on a Saturday to a stranger is like sensation overload city, thousands of folk wandering around all ‘putting on the agony, putting on the style’, scooters and bikes throwing themselves through the traffic, strange crusty type folk, loads of music all colliding and clashing from just about every doorway, exotic food smells strange perfumes, bright colours, and too much to see all at once.
Wandering around Camden and the locale with my super abridged map of western Europe compressed onto a diary page, it didn’t take long to realise that better material was needed, so now I have a used only once London A-Z no reasonable bid refused.
When lost what do you do ? ask a local of course. Hah! try that in Camden, it was all I could do to find someone who spoke English, I think the real locals spot folk like me a mile off and either hide or give their advice just for the entertainment of watching others wander round aimlessly.
'Hogs Head guv ? Never ‘eard of it there’s a Stags ‘ead off toward Golders Green’, well thanks a bleedin’ lot mate!
Inspiration struck, London big city up to the minute and all that stuff, maybe they’ve got them cybercafes I’ve seen on the tv.
My ‘cybercafe’ turned out to be a bureau de change/low rate international call centre, still there were the computors now all there was to do was look up the message boards and find Mattk’s map and directions.
Well I tried the AOL search engine on www straightdope.com - no joy.
Oh well how about Chicago Reader - el zilcho
Well maybe the Hogshead, Camden, London - nope.
I became increasingly desparate and then the flash of inspiration I put Cecil Adams in.
BINGO - hole in one, bullseye, 147 break.
If I’d had a hat I’d take it off to you you came through when I needed you most.
Once I found the relevant thread it was dead easy to find the right place from the directions and the map.
I arrived with a mere two hours to kill, ever wondered how many cups of coffee, muffins, burgers and pizza slices you can consume while trying hard not to look suspicious hanging around Camden for two whole hours? >burp<
I then spent a good chunk of the rest of the evening trying not to drink too much so I could keep it all down, damn those London prices I paid handsomely for all that stuff no way was it going down God’s big white telephone.
