Day 31 - Central Line (Part 6) and Finished!

I can scarcely believe it myself, but today, on time and as planned, I finished my tube walking.

I'm still a tad speechless, but I'll quickly run through today's events before adding a few thanks.

TFL tried their best to hold up/prevent the walking throughout, doubtless desperate to prove that walking in London was impossible. But despite their efforts, we persevered, setting off from Ealing Broadway and heading into central London.

A good group of walkers joined me today, and I must name them all: Messrs Jonathon Caunt (of course), Kevin Touhey, and Neel Acharya; Misses Lynsesy Edgar, Emma Danforth and (from East Acton) Alexandra Simmons. As with every other day, the company made the walking, which was pretty dull until Notting Hill, not just bearable but enjoyable.

Having dragged the girls past Westfield shopping centre (as well as other stunning sights of London... Wormwood Scrubs for example), and stopped for a much needed Subway sandwich, the party ploughed through Oxford Street. It says much that, of all my walking, traversing the busy street between Bond Street and Oxford Circus tubes was just about the most challenging part of all. Having finally made it through the other side, we carried on through Holborn, stopped off to admire St. Paul's Cathedral, and finally arrived in Bank on schedule. As might be expected, this preciptated a well deserved trip to the pub (albeit a pub in London Bridge) with others who had kindly waited at Bank to greet us.

On the subject of this project as a whole, now completed... A massive thanks to all those who have walked with me over the past few weeks, and also to those who have donated. Both have made this far more rewarding both personally and for the charity, who I'm sure will also be enormously grateful. I will pass on anything I get from them and post it here. Particular thanks to Jonathon Caunt, who has been a legend throughout, walking a truly ridiculous amount of the track with me, providing advice and updating the daily map, a job which doubtless took up far too much of his time.

I'm at something of a loss for what to do both to celebrate, and to fill my time in the days ahead. Luckily LPC elective exams should certainly help with the latter. However, I have very much enjoyed walking London, learning a vast amount about the geography and social make up of the city in general. Five key things I have noted:

i )It is absolutely massive, and spectacularly diverse;
ii) there are more Subways than McDonalds (thankfully);
iii) the painted elephants really brighten up central London, and there are a LOT of them;
iv) localities in London can easily be judged by what services local solicitors specialise in, from personal injury claims/criminal defence to very expensive property law and finally;
v) walking that far every day makes feet very sore. This is not so much about London, but I think it is certainly worth mentioning.

I could go on, but everyone knows a lot about London generally and I don't want to bore more than I already have.

Before I go any further, I must post up the final walking league, as I know it is VERY competitive. So, without further ado....

With one week to go...

1st Mr J Caunt (82 miles)
2nd Miss L Edgar (25 miles)
3rd Mr R Day (12.5 miles)
4th Miss E Lowe (12 miles)
5th Miss F Ward (11.5 miles)
= Mr K Touhey (11.5 miles)
= Mr N Acharya (11.5 miles)
= Miss E Danforth (11.5 miles)
9th Mr T Wood (11 miles)
= Miss L Hassan (11 miles [in the pouring rain])
= Mr R McNicoll (11 miles [in the pouring rain])
12th Mr R Sinclair (10.5 miles)
13th Miss C Hartley (9 miles)
14th Miss A Simmons (8 miles)
15th Mr A Chartres (7 miles)
16th Mr M Michalski (6 miles)

Thrilling. A close result, but JC shades it.

I hope people have enjoyed reading this blog and following my progress. It has been tremendously rewarding, and I know Jersey Hospice will be thrilled. The justgiving page is still open for those who have not yet donated, and I would love it if you could spare a few pounds for people who really need it.

www.justgiving.com/alexrenouf

On that note, fare thee well! I may post again if any more developments occur (there has been talk of me walking the DLR. We shall see...), there is any more coverage, or I get a final figure for donations.

Thanks, and good night.

Alex

Day 30 - Central Line (Part Five)

Another Sunday spent productively wandering around bits of London I may never see again. Today took me to West Ruislip, which I had seen twice before, as while only serving the Central Line it sits neatly on the Pic/Met Line path between Rayners Lane and Uxbridge.

While the tube stations were relatively close together, the layout of the roads meant that it took an age to walk between some, but the walks were relatively nice. The industrial estate at Greenford wasn't the most thrilling place in London, but it DID have a Hovis factory which smelled wonderful. And it was here that I picked up my walking companion for the day, Alex Chartres, who took time out of his doubtlessly busy day to accompany me for a couple of hours. And very good company he was too.

Indeed, it was the courage of his convictions that saw us save a couple of miles by walking through a very nice park in Perivale and along a canal path. Not only was it quicker, but much more scenic, and the last time I will see Regent's Canal which has criss-crossed my path frequently.

Spurred on, we made good time by ignoring Google maps further and cutting more pointless meanderings around North Acton. Quote of the day however came from the Tube Attendant at Hanger Lane. Having told him I was walking to North Acton, and about to ask if it was possible to traverse Western Avenue, he sternly replied "It's too far." I was stunned by his response, and having told him I'd walked the vast majority of the underground network he relented, albeit grumpily, and told me the way to go. I'm sure he just wanted me to use the shiny, gleaming Central Line rather than risk damage to my feet, but still...

One more day to go. My aim is to start at Ealing Broadway at 12, and finish at Bank at 6, having stopped off for 'refreshments' along the way. Really excited to be finishing tomorrow, and I hope people are keen to meet up en route or for a drink at the end.

I hope I don't break my leg on the way to Tesco...

A

Day 29 - Central Line (Part Four)

So close to the end now, I can almost taste it. But, alas, not close enough to allow me any leeway in terms of days off, so to Epping today in the pouring rain, which persisted for the majority of the walk. At times it truly bucketed down, but my spirits were kept high by Laila's optimism and the pleasant company of Rodney McNicoll. To walk with me is madness in itself, but to do so in today's weather was true heroism/insanity.

Epping itself is nice, although Rodney and I were almost disappointed to discover it had a Subway, while doing its best to seem rural and idyllic. The long sodden walk to Theydon Bois saw us somehow manager to pass under/over/through the M25 without seeing it, but from then on the path became more straightforward. As with the other extremities of the underground system, the stations are miles and miles apart there, although at least it is largely miles of countryside and not industrial estate.

We pressed on hard despite the conditions, Rodney soaked through, myself having abandoned my glasses and Laila onto her second pair of ruined shoes. Why most of the roads deemed pavements of any type unthinkable is beyond me, but we finally arrived with some relief in Woodford, desperate to get home to hot showers and dry clothes. Two days to go, and one long stretch of track between me and the end, defying in all honesty my own expectation. Still keeping my fingers tightly crossed though until I can limp over the finish line.

Hope everyone is having a lovely weekend

TTFN

Day 28 - Central Line (Part Three)

A pleasant walk yesterday for Day 28, albeit rather brief, with the lure of drinks in Moorgate too strong to allow me to do any more. And the desire to keep my feet and legs in tact for the weekend...

I am grateful to the OS map at Roding Valley tube station for showing me a footpath which cut two miles off my journey to Chigwell. This allowed me a very pleasant walk through the countryside, and also the unexpected pleasure of stumbling upon Tottenham Hotspur's 'Spurs Lodge' Training Ground. Alas there were no players, as they are all off on their summer holidays, but it was a good find nonetheless.

Te other destination of note was Grange Hill, which bored little resemblance to the fictional school which bore its name on television. Instead the area, and for that matter Chigwell, was full of plush houses and sports cars with personalised number plates. Still no sign of the typical Essex I had heard so much about...

Day 27 - Central Line (Part Two) and Jubilee Line (Extra)

A day of two walks, neatly sandwiching some low standard but high flair College netball.

The first was a brief and fairly dull affair in Essex, starting in Barkingside and doing the lower side of the Central Line loop, most of which consisted of plodding along the Eastern Avenue and trying to make sure where I was walking was pedestrian friendly. In fairness, the area is actually quite nice, although the drizzle that followed me about precluded me from really enjoying the surroundings.

The less said about the netball, the better. Though congratulations to the eventual winners, and superstar Rob Sinclair who bagged the winning goal. Or whatever you call them in netball...

The second walk was the third in my three-part extra walking series which I can now reveal (without too much excitement) was in fact me correcting earlier laziness on my part. Long, long ago when I first walked the Jubilee Line (with an injured foot) I surmised that it would be impossible to traverse the Thames between Canning Town/North Greenwich/Canary Wharf/Canada Water. How wrong I was. With the aid of three very clean and attractive tunnels, I was able to walk under the river vaguely near each tube line (today's final walk being a particularly wide interpretation of 'vaguely').

The first short walk was between Canada Water and Canary Wharf, and saw me use the Rotherhithe Tunnel. I advise all other walkers not to. Signs noting the presence of noxious fumes and warning pedestrians 'not to loiter' sum up the dingy mile-and-a-half long car tunnel perfectly, and while it was an experience to go through it I hope it is one I will not need to repeat again any time soon. Adventurous.

The second was far more pleasant, from CW to North Greenwich. This, excitingly, involved a walk past my own house before passing down the Isle Of Dogs to Island Gardens, where can be found the Greenwich foot tunnel. Unsurprisingly, this links the area to Greenwich, a lovely town with a huge park (and an observatory) as well as numerous impressive naval buildings I had neither the time nor inclination to take a closer look at, save for a few photos. I had a public companies workshop to get to after all.... The walk from there to the Millenium Dome (or 'O2') was pretty dull after that, although that structure itself is obviously impressive.

Finally, today's walk, kindly accompanied by who else but JC. And I suspect he will live to regret it. For to get between Canning Town and North Greenwich requires a 3 mile walk to Woolwich to take the foot tunnel there which is only open from 8pm onwards, followed by a 3 mile walk back along the river. The industrial estate we passed through on the north bank was dire, despite featuring Tate and Lyle amongst a wide number of factories and depressing buildings. We even thought we'd struck gold when we found 'Loveworld TV' but it turned out to be a Christian Televesion Network. Which is what we had hoped for of course...

Having gone under the river, the south bank was more pleasant, although I'm not sure how it could have been any worse. We stopped off in another large warehouse area for a meal at a well known fast food purveyor (seemingly the only option), then pressed on through the dark to the Dome once more. The Jubilee Line is now well and truly, and properly, done. And I have 4 days left on the Central. Marvelous.

Apologies for those hoping for my confidential walks to be more racy. If you were, you probably haven't been paying close attention to the rest of my postings.

Night

Day 26 - Central Line

I had intended to get up this morning at 8, and set off for a long walk before college. But after only 5 hours of sleep, my head said no, and instead I set off on the (shorter) second leg of my afore mentioned three part confidential journey... More details to follow!

However, having gone into college, and with Bank on the Central line, I had no good reason not to walk into east london. My original (modest) target was to go as far as Stratford, but having got there in surprisingly quick time I plodded on. Stratford is an interesting area, with a massive amount of ongoing development. I imagine that in 2012 it will be stunning, but now it looks like a huge building site stuck between Bow and Hackney. Nice. The main Olympic buildings, the Stadium and the Aquatic Centre, are well underway and look impressive, but the rest are still in their early stages.

Leyton and Leytonstone are nice enough, quite typical of East London and similar to Bow, West Ham and Plaistow on the District. Snaresbrook seemed leafier, and I look forward to returning in the near future to press on into greener surroundings...

Ta

Day 25 - Northern Line (Part Four)

Huzzah! The Northern Line is complete, leaving me with just one more to go. Albeit the longest one...

Having spent most of yesterday walking uphill, I decided that walking downhill today might be preferable, and so set off to High Barnet to walk into Camden. The plan didn't quite work out, and until we reached Highgate Hill there were as many ups as downs. Lynsey Edgar gave up her doubtless valuable time to join me, and so I was the beneficiary of company for the 6th walking day in a row.

The walk was a pretty decent, of particular note being the really spectacular houses in East Finchley and Highgate, and the equally spectacular view of London from Archway, the road there traversed by the attractive but worryingly-named 'suicide bridge'.

Only two hiccups today. The first was unplanned, the second intentional but none the less frustating. While walking between Totteridge & Whetstone and West Finchley, Lyno and I managed to miss Woodside Park tube station, and were it not for the helpful direction of a passer by we might have spent hours looking for the (admittedly well hidden) building.
Secondly, walking all the way to Mill Hill East, an additional terminus which sticks out of the branch, before retreading most of the same steps and thus adding about 2 miles to the journey, was something of a pain. But we're still alive, so never mind.

And just when we started to flag, we were joined by Tom Ainsworth at Archway for the walk past Tufnell Park and Kentish Town into Camden, and a subsequently well earned drink in the Camden eye. Thanks to both Tom and Lynsey for their company, which as always was heartily appreciated.

One more line to go, and five days of walking. My feet are pretty painful now, and I may soon be popping to Boots for another batch of blister plasters, but my knee continues to defy expectation by supporting my weight on every step, and so I shall remain optimistic!

KBO

Day 24 - Northern Line (Part 3)

The penultimate day of the penultimate line. Words that fill me with excitement, although the end is still a week away. This time next week, if all goes to plan, I will be lying somewhere quietly having drank myself into a merry haze. But not yet...

Today, the task before me was to walk from Old Street up past Euston and Camden along the west branch of the Northern Line, to Edgware. Jonathon Caunt (who else?) joined me at the latest possible notice, for which I was enormously grateful. The early stages of the walk were familiar. Although I am a huge fan of Camden, the stifling heat which continues to warm London combined with a walk that was predominantly uphill created something of a challenge for us. This challenge was promptly lessened by Jonathon's sage purchase of an entire box of profiteroles. Fantastic call.

Long stretches of the walk were green and pleasant, particularly around Golders Green and Hampstead, and even those that were less leafy were mostly aesthetically pleasing. Only as we edged into Colindale and away from Hendon did we enter the more suburban and industrial-centre style areas that have become synonymous to me with north and north-west London.

The walk even came with the standard view of Wembley in the distance. I had totally forgotten that England were playing Mexico there at the time, but as we made it to the pub in Bank on the way home I at least managed to see most of the second half. My feet are getting worse by the day, and the frequent twinges in my left knee still linger as a threat, but I am so close to the end now that I can almost ignore it!

Lynsey has kindly volunteered to accompany me tomorrow, doubtless in view of her poor league table showing... The Northern Line will be complete, leaving me with the 'orrible long red one that seems to stretch on endlessly from one end of London to the other. CAN'T WAIT.

Hope everyone is enjoying the weather! And the imminent end of Workshops for fellow LPCers...

Over and out

The Walking League

I have decided to honour those who have wasted their valuable time by walking with me, by putting them into a league table based on distance. This by no means measures the joy of their company in any way other than distance, and so contributions to witty conversation and food supplies (special marks to Ms Lowe) are ignored.

With one week to go...

1st Mr J Caunt (51 miles)
2nd Mr R Day (12.5 miles)
3rd Miss E Lowe (12 miles)
4th Miss F Ward (11.5 miles)
5th Mr T Wood (11 miles)
6th Mr R Sinclair (10.5 miles)
7th Miss C Hartley (9 miles)
8th Mr M Michalski (6 miles)
9th Miss L Edgar (2 miles)
10th Everyone else (0 miles)

I'm sure people will be desperate to improve their positions with only a week to go...

Cheers to everyone on this list, it would have been a damn site harder without all of you there with me. And apologies to anyone I've forgotten, please message me for the credit you deserve. It really would be inexcusable...

TTFN

Day 23 - Piccadilly Line (Part Four)

The weather today was absolutely stunning, which made the walk both a pleasure and, as it continued, increasingly tiring! My walking companion for the day was Caroline, who met me at Park Royal for a wander that went through some of the leafier parts of north west London. The first half, up Sudbury's rather low hill and on to Rayners Lane, was new ground for me, and very nice ground it was too. The heat precipitated repeated buying of drinks and ice cream, but despite the conditions we made a good pace and admired the scenery. The area around South Harrow was particularly pretty, which made up for the more urban walks I have been on of late.

Caroline stayed with me as far as Ruislip, a very good effort for which I am grateful, and I trudged with increasing weariness the last few stops to Uxbridge. This was a route I had passed before albeit in the opposite direction while walking the Metropolitan Line. Along the way, I passed West Ruislip, ominously the start of my 11th and final line (the Central), to where I will return in earnest later this week.

The majority of the walk was fairly peaceful, a nice way to spend a ridiculously hot sunday afternoon. Another line finished! Nearly there now, the end most definitely in sight. With that in mind, I am still working on my schedule for the last week or so, thus should anyone still be keen to accompany me, let me know soon!

Hope everyone had a similarly nice weekend
x

Day 22 - Piccadilly Line (Part Three)

Yesterday was always going to be tough. If only for the 12 mile walk from Acton Town to Heathrow airport, but then for the crushing possibility that some, if not most of the airport might be inaccessible by foot. The final result was somewhere in the middle, not as good as it could have been but also not as bad...

Accompanied by Jonathon Caunt (as per usual) and Felicity Ward (a newcomer to the world of walking between tube stations) we set off from Acton Town just after lunch. The early parts of the walk were fairly pleasant, but after passing Boston Manor a long dull road stretched out before us and the only thing that kept Flick going was the promise of ice cream at Osterley. Osterley came and went without any sign of an ice cream vendor, but Hounslow was more useful in that sense. A quick stop off at ASDA yielded two magnums each, Lucozade for myself and Pimms for JC and Flick.

The heat was baking, and the road seemed endless, although as we got closer to the airport the planes flying over our heads became lower and larger, and at least that gave us a sense that we were getting somewhere. Finally reaching Heathrow's perimeter road, we wandered along for what seemed like hours before reaching Hatton Cross, and some way beyond it the Heathrow Hilton. They had kindly allowed us to use their walkway into Terminal 4, although in honesty it would have been easy for us to have just wandered through. But manners cost nothing...

Once in Terminal 4 we quickly found the underground, and then tried to plan our next move, originally to Terminals 1/2/3. Given conflicting and fairly hopeless advice, we resorted back to JC's iPhone, and decided to change tack and head for T5 instead. Here, Flick gave in to heat, tiredness and boredom and went off in an ultimately failing search for a McDonalds in Terminal 4, before heading off back to London. Abandoned, we pushed on through the heat, around the entirety of Heathrow's perimeter, finding a road into the Terminal, and again finding the Tube station. Hopes were high at this point, but alas they were about to be shattered...

On the way out, we stopped at the info desk to ask if it was possible to walk to Terminals 1/2/3. A BAA employee informed us that no, it was not, as the only access involved a tunnel from which pedestrians were banned. Tempting as it was to try to flout this rule, it might well have ended up in another 90 minute walk in the baking sun which would prove fruitless, followed by legal action. As frustrating as it was, it just wasn't possible to walk any further, and so JC and I wearily climbed onto a tube and, making sure to pass through T1/2/3 and therefore complete that part of the line by tube, headed back into London.

It was a real shame not to be able to go any further than we did, but it was still a massive achievement to visit Terminals 4 and 5. Had it been possible to do more, we would certainly have done so, but alas it was not. In any case, that part of the Piccadilly Line is now complete, leaving only the Uxbridge branch to be finished over the weekend. Another day closer to walking the tube, only 8 more days of effort to go.

Cheers

Day 21 - District Line (Part Five)

A day of walking that never seemed to end... whenever we reached one end of the tube, we had to turn back and head to another.

Luckily, it was a warm day and the surroundings were very pretty indeed, highlighting starkly the contrast between the east and west ends of the District Line. With Barking and East Ham on one end, and Earl's Court, Richmond and Kew at the other, the difference is truly spectacular.

I was also lucky to be accompanied by the lovely Emma Lowe, who in contrast to former walkers didn't complain once (not mentioning any names...), and brought flapjacks. A very hard act to top, although I'm more than happy for others to try...

Heading out from Earl's Court, the first destination was Ealing Broadway. Further familiarity, as the walk covered the same path as the Piccadilly Line had a couple of weeks ago, but very pleasant it was and so I could not complain. From there, a quick tube back to Chiswick Park was followed by a beautiful walk via Kew to Richmond, probably the nicest of London's surrounding areas that I have yet encountered.

Wearily we climbed back on and tubed back to Earl's Court for the short walk to Kensington Olympia, the District Line's last terminus. Excitedly, we then found a pub.

On the way home, I completed the first of a three part journey the details of which will be highly confidential until it is finished. Well, as confidential as showing the photos on facebook. Never mind.

I will sleep soundly tonight after a LOT of walking!

Night all...

Day 20 - District Line (Part Four)

A very grumpy, tired body almost fell off the train at Wimbledon this morning, on what was to prove a hot, humid day in London. Picking itself up, said body proceeded to walk from the home of wombles, of which there were none that could be seen, through Putney, Chelsea and Kensington into central London and the destination of Edgware Road.

Hand-made maps again showed me the way as I tore through the capital in a desperate bid to make it to my Public Companies workshop on time. As you might imagine, with such a carrot in front me, I made good pace. The highlight of an efficient walk was Putney Bridge and another Thames crossing, although other sights of note included Parsons Green, with many a familiar pub, and Chelsea FC, the third football club (and almost certainly the last) I will be passing. That is if you don't count Barnet. And let's not...

Along with such moving highs was an irritating low. With the walk all but completed, halfway between Paddington and Edgware Road, I felt a familiar twinge in my right knee which hinted at trouble. This combined with a spectacular blister made for an uncomfortable afternoon, albeit one made all the better by a trip to see the filming of QI. Stephen Fry = Legend.

Resting up now with the last day of District Line (hopefully) to come tomorrow. A trip to Boots may be on the cards...

Ttfn

Day 19 - District Line (Part Three)

Faithfully accompanied by my flatmate Robert Sinclair, who did not complain once during the entire walk about his feet, we set off from East Ham to Bromley-By-Bow to complete the short part of the eastern District Line that had been left over. Short of stopping to buy a belt and diverting from the route to have a quick look at West Ham FC, the walk was brief and uneventful, no doubt in some part due to Rob's determination to hasten away from east London asap. And to get onto a tube before his feet fell off, presumably... The area and route was largely as it was for the H&C line, mostly urbanized but with a few parks and other spots of green here and there.

This was followed by the far more attractive (although clearly just as demanding on Rob's feet) walk from Aldgate East to Earl's Court. Again, the route was in repetition of the Circle Line for the most part, but so scenic are the spectacular views of the city and the Thames, dotted with London landmarks, that I was grateful for it. Again, a pleasant and uneventful walk, finishing in the (personal) familiarity of the Gloucester Road/Earl's Court area. Much political and philosophical debate was had by all (the both of us, and anyone unfortunate enough to be walking close enough to listen...), and I'm grateful to Rob for making familiar ground more interesting.

Off to Wimbledon tomorrow, in the hope of seeing Wombles. Fingers crossed.

Alex

Day 18 - District Line (Part Two)

Not the most thrilling blog entry, alas. Today saw a rapid walk through the furthermost eastern part of the Underground. It provided little in the way of incident, but nonetheless further demonstrated the variety of London, and just how far the tube stretches, here deep into Essex.

Upminster itself was pleasant enough, and Hornchurch is positively leafy. This was followed by a long, meandering walk to Dagenham. While Dagenham is far more urbanized, the road there was punctuated by a friendly horse which stuck it's head out of a field to greet me, and momentarily bar my way. Not one to be rude, I duly gave it a pat on the nose. As with other animals I have encountered, on learning I had no food it promptly wandered off...

The other scenic part of the promenade was a jaunt through Mayesbrook Park, featuring two lakes complete with swans, geese and the like. And the impressive, if rather imposing view of Canary Wharf looming in the distance.

I reached the end early, having set myself a decent pace, and so decided to do my future self a favour and press on for another stop. This covered familiar ground between Barking and East Ham, last travelled on aching legs deep in the evening last week when walking the H&C line. The whole area looked different by day, and I look forward to chewing up the rest of the eastern and central part of the District Line tomorrow, albeit on walks I have entirely covered before on the H&C and Circle lines. With only two weeksto go, despite being thus far on course (fingers crossed...), I really am starting to suffer from the rule about covering the same ground twice on each line...

Then again, if something's worth doing, it's worth doing properly. On that note....

Night night

Alex

Day 17 - Circle Line (Part Two) and District Line

A wet and windy Sunday in London saw me complete line number seven and start line number ten. I decided to start the circle line leg from Hammersmith rather than Moorgate, not just to see Rob and Jenny off to Earl's Court but also because, having done the exact same trip just 5 days before, I thought that going the opposite direction might at least spice it up a bit.

In fact, I took a slightly different route, gambling that there would be a way through, under or over the motorway next to Westfield and getting lucky. This cut off about an hour of walking time, which I was understandably delighted with...

Not much to say about the walk itself, either part of it. The circle line was predictably similar to how it was last week, and finding myself finishing a bit early, I thought I might do myself a favour and start the district line early. So I set off from Aldgate East... on a path that directly mirrored the second leg of the H&C line that I undertook on Wednesday. Thriller. The sole difference was the rain, which thankfully only really begain to pour when I got home.

A productive day, all the more impressive after a good (and late) night yesterday. The District Line looms ahead, and a journey to Upminster tomorrow. Exciting, isn't it?

Hope everyone has had a nice weekend!
Alex

Day 16 - Circle Line

A lovely day for a walk in and around central London, which was ideal really as such was the task I set for myself today. Accompanied (for most of the way) by Martin, today's walk was probably just about the most scenic in terms of seeing central London that I am likely to do.

Starting from the overly familiar Moorgate, the line curves around Bank, taking in such sights as the Tower of London, Tower Bridge and St Paul's, before following the north bank of the Thames to Westminster. From here it passes through Kensington and Notting Hill (very fashionable) before splitting at Paddington/Edgware Road, one way to Hammersmith and the other to Moorgate.

I am sure I will greatly resent the Circle Line extension by the time I finish the line. In fact, I resent the whole line really given that every single station is covered on another line and thus I really am repeating myself. But it really is nice to be able to wander around the center of London, admiring the sights in the style of a tourist, rather than pushing through zones full of rows of housing to the end of the various lines.

The Circle Line should be finished by Sunday night if all goes to plan, and I will be into the last two weeks. Can't wait.

Night...

Day 15 - Victoria Line

They said it couldn't be done. But it was...

A really mammoth day, but a really rewarding one. LPC results aside (probably the best place for them), the focus of my day was the entirety of the Victoria Line. Accompanied by Mr. J Caunt, we set off from Walthamstow Central bright and early to head into the city. The walk itself was pleasant, and we were greatful for the decent weather as we wandered between Walthamstow and Maynard reservoirs towards Tottenham. From then on, there was a sense of familiarity for the both of us having walked through the general area before on the Piccadilly Line from around Finsbury Park onwards.

Pausing at Highbury & Islington, roughly the halfway point of the 16 mile walk, we popped over to Moorgate for the small matter of my Interviewing Exam (which seemed fine, fingers crossed...) and for a few drinks with fellow LPCers celebrating in the pub. We couldn't afford to stay long (Jonathon had pressing social commitments), and got the bus back to Highbury to resume where we had left off.

Soon Kings Cross hoved into view, and beyond it Euston and the centre of London. The pace was high, and the stations came and went, all familiar sights which had been visited before on my walks. The most impressive...? Buckingham Palace probably, a far cry from yesterday's walk through West Ham and Barking. Beyond there Victoria and Vauxhall Bridge, before finally reaching Stockwell (agonisingly close to Jonathon's house) and the ultimate destination, Brixton.

A walk which took in a huge variety of London, some fantastic sights, and of course a large number of the increasingly familiar painted elephants that currently adorn the capital. A real achievement, and the only point other than Day 1 at which I will be able to complete an entire line in a day. Again, massive thanks to Jonathon, whose contribution to my sanity was invaluable.

15 days down, 15 to go. 6 lines down, 5 to go (2 of which I've made decent progress on). And a knee that's still functioning. Just.

Day 14 - Hammersmith and City Line (Part Two)

Having intended to set off in the morning to complete the H&C with my first proper trip into east London, I found my knee to be very sore and stiff in the morning. Instead, I spent the morning in college (working hard, of course) having resolved to do this part of the line another day, and rest my leg in preparation of tomorrow's marathon walk.

Instead, on leaving College at 6 I felt no pain in my knee, and decided.... stuff it. I'd do my best. I have a deadline after all.

So, setting off from Moorgate, I headed east to do the other half of the line. It starts by moving through the city, via Liverpool Street and Aldgate, before following Whitechapel Rd and Mile End, twisting towards West Ham and ending up in my destination, Barking.

I felt fairly good for most of the walk, and made quite good pace. All was going well until the tricky manner of the journey between Bromley By Bow and West Ham. Google Maps confidently told me I'd be able to wander through a sizeable industrial estate. Whilst in the end there was a way, it clearly was not that set out for me. After being led half way back the way I'd come before I finally managed to persuade my good-hearted (if confused) guide that I had to WALK to West Ham as oppose to going back the way I'd come and taking the bus, I found one security guard who confidently told me there was no way through, before luckily double checking this and finding another who pointed me in the right direction.

Still unsure, I asked an ambulance driver (the area acted as a depot) and she kindly told me exactly where to go, before stopping further down the road and offering me a lift "as it's quite some way". Having explained to her what I was doing, I watched with some pain as she drove off. It was starting to get dark as I kept my pace up into east london, and I was keen to finish as soon as possible. Passing Upton Park (the football ground of West Ham United for the unknowing), there was only one more complication, crossing the North Circular. The employees at East Ham station disagreed on the best way, but here Google Maps steared me right, crossing an overpass and making up the final distance to Barking Tube and heading home.

My knee is a bit sore, but doesnt seem too bad. Tomorrow is going to be a big day for many reasons. Good luck to all fellow LPCers, and feel free to join me for a celebratory/commiseratory walk along the Victoria Line.

Cheers
Alex

Day 13 - Hammersmith and City Line

Unlucky 13? Well, an awful lot happened during my walk today. How unlucky it may or may not have been rather depends on your political opinions....

In truth, not a great deal happened to myself, or indeed Mr Thomas Wood, who kindly accompanied me between Moorgate and Hammersmith (via Paddington and the surrounding area) today. Rain came and went, and my knee got worse and then better. Puzzling...

Memorable views all seemed very media based, from the BT Tower to the BBC, and the walk was fairly straightforward bar getting a bit lost around Westfield and the housing estates of Shepherd Bush.

All was well that ended well, and a couple of drinks in the pub were well earned. I hope to finish the Line tomorrow, in direct contradiction to the schedule I made only a couple of days ago.

Ah well....

Alex

Day 12 - Metropolitan Line (Part Four)

And so, the Met Line is finished. The monkey on my back has been removed, although not without some considerable effort.

Going out to Zone 9 (yes, there is a zone 9) of the Tube on a Sunday afternoon for a 4-and-a-half hour walk through the countryside to Watford is not something I ever thought I'd do, but then again I suppose that is part of this challenge, and part of the experience. Nevertheless, perhaps for the first time since starting I really felt the miles drag. I think the main reason was that, although the scenery was lovely with fields and forests more reminiscent of Jersey than London, the stations were as much as 3 miles apart. The lift I normally get from reaching the next station was infrequent, and when I felt an ache or pain, it really dragged on.

Still, the scenery was nice. Ish. Lots of little hills, ups and downs, winding lanes and the odd house. My DIY maps were again mostly fine for the journey, but with such large potential for error I frequently checked with local people that I was heading the right way. And, as per usual, they were all very helpful.

The walk itself was not particularly eventful, although going back to Rickmansworth, where last I limped onto a train over two weeks ago with a foot so sore it kept me inactive for a weekend, was satisfying. En route however, I felt a twinge in my knee that was to come and go for the next few miles, and as I got home still bothered me. I think that the Rickmansworth area, or perhaps the Met Line in general, has joined in with TFL to sabotage my efforts. I will certainly be glad of my planned rest tomorrow.

Reaching Watford was certainly a plus. Not for the great beauty of the place in itself, but for the fact that the Met Line joins the Jubilee, Bakerloo, and Hammersmith and City in the 'finished' column. With two more lines half done, I'm really happy with my progress. And if my knee isn't swollen up tomorrow, I'll be confident of finishing on time. Maybe.

Happy Liberation Day!

Alex

NEW SCHEDULE

I have revised my walking schedule and my current aim is as follows....

Wednesday 12th May 8AM – Hammersmith and City Line – Barking->Moorgate

Thursday 13th May 1PM - Victoria Line - Walthamstow Central->Brixton (ENTIRE LINE!)

Friday 14th May 12PM – Circle Line - Edgware Road- (via Victoria)>Moorgate

Saturday 15^th May 12PM – Circle Line - Moorgate->Hammersmith

Sunday 16th May 1PM - District Line - Upminster->West Ham

Monday 17th May 3PM - District Line - Edgware Road->Wimbledon

Tuesday 18^th May -----------------------------------------------------------

Wednesday 19th May 9AM – District Line - West Ham->Kensington Olympia

Thursday 20th May 11AM - District Line - Earl's Court->Richmond + Turnham Green->Ealing Broadway

Friday 21st May 11AM - Northern Line - High Barnet->Camden Town

Saturday 22nd May 1PM –-----------------------------------

Sunday 23rd May 1PM- Northern Line - Edgware Road->Camden Town

Monday 24th May 3PM - Piccadilly Line – Acton Town->Heathrow Airport Ts1-5

Tuesday 25th May 3PM Piccadilly Line – Park Royal->Uxbridge

Wednesday 26th May 10AM - Central Line - West Ruislip->North Acton

Thursday 27th May 12PM - Central Line - Ealing Broadway->Liverpool Street

Friday 28th May 10AM - Central Line - Liverpool Street->Leytonstone

Saturday 29th May 12 PM - Central Line - Leytonstone->Epping

Sunday 30th May 12PM - Central Line - Leytonstone->Woodford

Hopefully this won't change much more, but I never know....

Alex

Day 11 - Piccadilly Line (Part Two)

An early start, which was particularly distressing on a Saturday... and a walk which became progressively more difficult. My fault, obviously.

I set off from Kings Cross on another jaunt through central London. These trips have been frequent in the last few days, but each slightly different. Today, I passed through Covent Garden and Piccadilly Circus, through Knightsbridge and Kensington, past my old house in Glocester Road to Earl's Court.

This part of the walk was great, seeing many sights as well as more and more of the aforementioned charity elephants, dotted along the route. At this point however, it became somewhat more difficult, as my expertly made handwritten map vanished, almost certainly dropped between Earl's and Baron's Courts. Had this been central London, I would probably have been fine, but to me it was all unfamiliar territory. Edging along the road to Turnham Green, agonisingly passing 3 District Line stations en route which I will have to revisit later, I finally found Turnham Green.

As I went to take a customary photo, calamity number 2 occurred, and my camera ran out of battery. Cynics and conspiracy theorists will speculate (ie. James Bellamy and probs Khawar) that my lack of photos is becasue, mapless, I gave up and ran home, and this may have been the better plan. Instead, I asked around for the way to Acton Town.

Worryingly, everyone's directions began with "Oooooh, well, it's a long way" or "Ahhhh, ummmm, well it's quite a hike". Finally I made it, and from this in truth the walk became much easier, although I still relied on helpful shop owners and crappy bus maps as I wandered through west London, finally reaching Park Royal. Incredibly, I wasn't much later than I hoped to be when I set out, and hopping back onto the tube I looked forward to reaching Uxbridge and the end of the line tomorrow!

Alex

Day 10 - Piccadilly Line and Northern Line (Part Two)

Kindly accompanied by Mr Jonathon Caunt, we set out today from the intriguingly titled Cockfosters station, complete with Sci-Fi style building and gnomes on the tube track (honestly...) for the long journey along the Piccadilly Line into the centre of London, and our destination of Kings Cross.

I would be lying if I said the scenery was much more thrilling than the rest of north London has been so far, but the occasional park broke up the monotony of houses likely, with the north of the line certainly having a more rural feel to it.

This didn't last all that long, and from Wood Green onwards it was London as usual, very urban and built up, the one highlight of note (other than the brief stop at a cafe to rest weary feet, and the sight of King's Cross itself) was seeing Arsenal's impressing stadium. When posing for the photo with a hilarious 'thumbs-down' gesture at Arsenal tube station, I was asked if I was a Tottenham fan. Clearly insulted by this, I moved swiftly on...

At this point, still fresh(ish) and with legs and feet that felt they could go on a little bit longer, we debated continuing the Piccadilly Line route or completing a bit of the Northern Line through central London and decided on the latter. A short bus ride to Euston later, we started again, and from there proceeded along Tottenham Court Road, through Leicester and Trafalgar Squares and over the river, in a similar journey to the end of that undertaken yesterday. The only real difference being the seemingly endless meandering to Kennington at the end, by which time a dead iPhone battery, tired feet and confusing roads began to take their toll. Arriving was a relief, but I still feel confident I can get up nice and early in the morning for another brisk (And hopefully painfree) walk through London.

Cheers to Jonathon for coming today, he made the 16 miles fly by... Furthermore, he wishes it to be placed on public record that Oakwood, the station just south of Cockfosters, "smelled like BBQ."

Alex

Day 9 - Bakerloo Line (Part Two)

I was immediately grateful for yesterday's efforts as I set off with the daunting task of walking all the way from Wembley into central London, across the city, and out the other side. Just the extra hour and a quarter tacked on to Wednesday's walk made all the difference, as the first few stations tumbled by.

North West London, between Wembley and Kilburn in any case, consists like much of the rest of north London primarily of row upon row of suburban housing. The areas of Maida Vale and Warwick Avenue were much easier on the eye, with some impressive housing and Regent's Canal. I still found the tag of 'Little Venice' for the area a bit of an exaggeration, but maybe my imagination isn't as good as the tourist information board...

Central London was as ever fun to walk through, the Bakerloo Line cutting down from Regent's Park to Oxford and then Piccadilly Circus, before moving through Trafalgar Square, over the river at Embankment, and finally limping through the south bank to Elephant and Castle.

Elephants seemed to be the theme of the day, and I counted (and photographed) about five of those displayed around London in aid of the campaign to protect the Asian variety of the animal. A good cause, and it certainly brightens up the capital.

Was really pleased to get through this walk, about 14 miles in total, as it gave me more confidence about meeting my targets and finishing tube lines on time. Three down now, and hopefully more to come soon...

Cheers
Alex

Day 8 - Metropolitan Line (Part Three) and Bakerloo Line

A double header for the blog, and a double header of tube lines!

Much to the chagrin of a Mr J. Caunt, no sooner had I completed one line than I began another, leaving the Met and Northern still unfinished. They'll get done... one day.

In any case, it was a long (and largely uneventful) walk today, albeit one that took in some more leafy areas. The first of the four North Westerly Met Line termini, Uxbridge, is not the most thrilling of places, and seems to contain not a single map. Having lost mine in a bar last night, I had hand drawn mine at 8am. Given the sketchy quality, it was frankly remarkable I didn't get more lost. After asking 2 or 3 people, all who helpfully gave different advice, a lovely old lady pointed my the right way and from then it was quite an easy walk. Mostly passing through leafy suburbia, some of it very nice indeed, before emerging in Harrow and the other end.

Having both time (which seem to evaporate quickly from this point) and energy (likewise) remaining, I grabbed a bus to Harrow and Wealdstone to start the Bakerloo line and ease my burden tomorrow considerably. I managed to make it to Wembley Central (getting very well acquainted with that stadium now), before hurling myself onto a tube and racing back into London for College. I was only 10 minutes late, which is remarkable given the aforesaid quality of my maps, but even more given the lethargic pace of the Bakerloo Line.

Back tomorrow to do the rest of the Line, from Wembley to Elephant and Castle. A long one, but with some lovely sights on the way. Must remember to vote first...

Alex

Day 7 - Jubilee Line (Part Three)

And so the Jubilee line is finished! Fairly uneventful walk from Willesden Green up to Stanmore. The main highlight was seeing Wembley (again) and the rather pretty Fryent Country Park.

Feet seem to be coping, which is excellent....

Day 6 - Northern Line (and a weekend at home)

Hey,

Had a lovely time at home resting and enjoying the fame and fortune that accompanies page 3 of the JEP (see photos). Rested my foot up nicely and returned to England on Monday only to learn of the Bank Holiday shut down of the Jubilee Line. It seems that TFL are desperate to frustrate my efforts, perhaps in the hope of dissuading others from copying me and subsequently eating into their profits...

SO, not wanting to be beaten by engineering work, I headed down to Morden to complete the southern chunk of the Northern Line. Walking north in the afternoon sunshine was nice, going through Tooting, Clapham and Borough where I was kindly met by Lynsey, who accompanied me the last leg of the way, to Old Street.

No exciting stories, but Clapham Common was pretty, and I got to see up close the impressive new skyscraper in Elephant & Castle. And of course I got to see Moorgate, which I clearly don't do enough...

Will try to get back on Sched tomorrow, although I'm not entirely sure how it will work...

Cheers,
Alex

Morden-South Wimbledon-Colliers Wood-Tooting Broadway-Tooting Bec-Balham-Clapham South-Clapham Common-Clapham North-Stockwell-Oval-Kennington-Elephant and Castle-Borough-London Bridge-Bank-Moorgate-Old Street

Day 5 - Jubilee Line (Part two)

A really lovely walk today. The first positive is that my legs coped with (as yet...) no obvious problems, so it seems as though I'm getting on track in that respect.

The second, and indeed the greater positive, were the stunning views of London I benefitted from as I walked. For every estate in Stratford, or row after row of suburban housing in Kilburn, there is a fantastic London landmark waiting when I cross through Zone 1. Today I passed the London Eye, Westminster Abbey, Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament, and Buckingham Palace. Added to this the view of London from Westminster Bridge, and being able to walk through not one but three of London's fantastic Parks (St. James, Green and Regent's), and all in all it was one of my favourite routes so far.

I will stop there, lest I sound like an advert for London Tourism. Needless to say, it is with some trepidation I am eyeing my return to north west London for the completion of the Jubilee and Metropolitan lines next week. Wembley aside, the views are somewhat less spectuacular. Nevertheless, seeing all of London, the good and the bad, certainly makes me appreciate the city all the more.

Off back to Jersey (huzzah) til Monday, when my walks, and blog postings, will resume.

All the best
X

Waterloo-Westminster-Green Park-Bond Street-Baker Street-St. John's Wood-Swiss Cottage-Finchley Road-West Hampstead-Kilburn-Willesden Green

Day 4 - Jubilee Line

The agony of choice or the choice of agony...

My walking has been delayed up to this point by the pain in my foot, but it recommenced today. Unfortunately, I was unable to finish the Met Line as planned due to time constraints. Instead, I decided to start the Jubilee, with the proviso that I never walk more than two lines at once! I think the flexibility may prove useful later on...

In any case, I was somewhat nervous as I started walking, worried that my foot would not cope. I had earlier purchased some proper walking/running shoes (at last), and armed with these I set off from Stratford, taking my time to admire the new Olympic Stadium and Aquatic Centre. It wasn't the most thrilling of walks down to Canning Town, but I was pleased it was relatively pain free.

It was at this point, I confess, that I used the Underground for the only part of the journey I have planned to do so. Despite my best efforts, it is impossible to walk over the water between Canning Town, North Greenwich, Canary Wharf and Canada Water. Tunnels do exist, but are a long, long way away. In the spirit of following the tube lines, my only option was to head to the tube station, surfacing at North Greenwich and Canary Wharf to complete short walks around the areas and photograph the progress.

Starting again from Canada Water, and kindly accompanied by Jonathan Caunt, we set off to Waterloo. A nice walk in the afternoon sunshine provided no further drama, for which I am grateful, and I returned home optimistic about making more progress tomorrow.

Cheers

Alex

Stratford-West Ham-Canning Town-North Greenwich-Canary Wharf-Canada Water-Bermondsey-London Bridge-Southwark-Waterloo

Pain

The long walk that made up Day 3 of this endeavour has caused my foot to swell up and left me in rather a lot of pain. As a result, Friday and Sunday's walks have been rescheduled for the upcoming week, so all being well I will still be on target by the time I head home on Jersey...

Day 3 - Metropolitan Line (Part two)

Just got back and my feet are aching! A mammoth walk today, and huge thanks to those who joined me for it.

After a hectic start to the day (due largely to my own lack of any organisational ability) we headed off from Finchley Road into north-west London at about 2.45. Two or three hours of identical semi-detached housing followed, although Wembley itself was a highlight, a truly fantastic stadium. After stopping off nearby for lunch at a petrol station (in which the facilities, according to Rich, were 'pleasantly surprising' in terms of décor and cleanliness), we headed on, walking underneath the North Circular on a precariously thin pavement before passing through Brent, Harrow and Pinner. I pressed on more than I had originally intended, finally reaching Rickmansworth at about 10, where my feet gave up!

Various members of the British public must receive thanks for directing me when I went beyond where I had planned and was without a map, particularly a man near Moor Lane who must have been a little wary about opening his front door to my bearded, hoody wearing (trampish) self at 9.30ish.

Onwards tomorrow to Uxbridge with Khawar, where my efforts will be rewarded with a visit to the filming of the IT Crowd. Hoping the entertainment will make it all worth it...

Alex

Finchley Road-Wembley Park-Preston Road-Northwick Park-Harrow On The Hill-North Harrow-Pinner-Northwood Hills-Northwood-Moor Park-Rickmansworth (18 miles)

Day 2 - Metropolitan Line

An early start (well, 10AM, so not that early really, but anything before 12 feels early to me) saw me grab the tube to Aldgate and start the second part of the trip, the Met line.

The line goes from the City out into north west London, with several different branches to Uxbridge, Amersham, Chesham and Watford. But for today, a nice central chunk, leaving from Aldgate and walking through the city in the sunshine. The highlight of the day was Regent's Park, and I remain jealous of the hundreds of people lazing about enjoying the weather. I was able to find the tamest squirrel in London, and for a short while thought he was going to walk all the way to Finchley Road with me, but alas on discovering I had no food he gave up and scurried away...

Finchley Road to Pinner tomorrow!
X

Aldgate-Liverpool Street-Moorgate-Barbican-Farringdon-King's Cross-Euston Square-Great Portland Street-Baker Street-Finchley Road

Schedule

As promised, for those of you with some insane desire to accompany me, this is my (rough) plan for attempting this project. Please keep your disbelieving groans to a minimum, and comment underneath if you are free on any of the days when you would like to walk some (or all) of a section with me.

It is really appreciated!

PLAN

Monday 19th April 10AM - Waterloo & City Line - Waterloo->Bank

Wednesday 21st April 10AM - Metropolitan Line - Aldgate->Finchley Road

Thursday 22nd April 2.30PM - Metropolitan Line - Finchley Road->Rickmansworth

Tuesday 27th April 4PM - Jubilee Line - London Bridge->Waterloo
Wednesday 28th April 10AM - Jubilee Line - Waterloo->Willesden Green

Monday 3rd May PM - Northern Line - Morden->Old Street

Tuesday 4th May 3PM - Jubilee Line - Willesden Green->Stanmore

Wednesday 5th May 10AM - Metropolitan Line - Uxbridge->Harrow-On-The-Hill [may attempt to start Bakerloo Line, time and energy permitting...]

Thursday 6th May 9AM - Bakerloo Line - Harrow and Wealdstone->Elephant & Castle (ENTIRE LINE! Will take a while, if you want to join please pick a chunk and find me)

Friday 7th May 10AM - Piccadilly Line - Cockfosters->King's Cross

Saturday 8th May 9AM - Picadilly Line - King's Cross->Park Royal

Sunday 9th May 1PM- Piccadilly Line - Park Royal->Uxbridge

Monday 10th May 3PM - Piccadilly Line - Acton Town->Heathrow Airport Ts1-5

Tuesday 11th May 4PM - Circle Line - Moorgate->Hammersmith

Wednesday 12th May 8AM - Circle Line - Edgware Road->Moorgate

Thursday 13th May TBH - Victoria Line - Walthamstow Central->Brixton (ENTIRE LINE! Will take a while, if you want to join please pick a chunk and find me. During the day, I will have an Interviewing Assessment at some point. As a result, the exact details of the day are as yet to be finalised)

Friday 14th May 9AM - District Line - Upminster->West Ham

Sunday 16th May 1PM - District Line - West Ham->Kensington Olympia

Monday 17th May 3PM - District Line - Edgware Road->Wimbledon

Wednesday 19th May 9AM - District Line - Earl's Court->Richmond + Turnham Green->Ealing Broadway

Thursday 20th May 11AM - Metropolitan Line - Rickmansworth->Chesham

Friday 21st May 11AM - Northern Line - High Barnet->London Bridge

Saturday 22nd May 1PM - Northern Line - Edgware Road->Euston

Sunday 23rd May 1PM - Hammersmith and City Line - Hammersmith->Kings Cross

Monday 24th May 3PM - Hammersmith and City Line - Kings Cross->Whitechapel

Tuesday 25th May 3PM - Hammersmith and City Line - Whitechapel->Barking

Wednesday 26th May 10AM - Central Line - West Ruislip->North Acton

Thursday 27th May 12PM - Central Line - Ealing Broadway->Liverpool Street

Friday 28th May 10AM - Central Line - Liverpool Street->Leytonstone

Saturday 29th May 12 PM - Central Line - Leytonstone->Epping

Sunday 30th May 12PM - Central Line - Leytonstone->Woodford (Circular Part)

Monday 31st May - REST!

Monday 31st May also serve as a useful catch up day if, for any reason, I am behind schedule...

Looking forward to it now!

Day 1 - Waterloo and City Line

It was a riveting start to my challenge today. Getting up semi-early, I grabbed the Jubilee to Waterloo and began the long and complicated walk to Bank, the only other stop on the line.

No stories of note, but tis early days, and I fear it may not be the last time I cross the river...

One line down, eleven to go.

Alex