As I carried my bags through the station at Newton Abbot, I thought why does it look like i'm going away for a month? Then I remembered I am....
20+ T Shirts - CHECK
St John Ambulance Uniform- CHECK
Enough Black Skinny Jeans- CHECK
Suitcase full of cosmetics- CHECK
Underwear & socks- CHECK
Laptop, Books and College Work- CHECK (not that I wanted to check that)
Firstly the train was delayed for 5 minutes, it may not be long but when your mums car parking was only valid for a limited time it was a risky extra 5 minutes. After boarding the train I realised the struggle I was going to have with my bags so I just dumped them all on a spare seat and waited till I had help at Exeter. It was a relatively calm journey along the rivea line to Exeter with most people gasping over #Dawlish. There was me thinking "I have already been along this fixed line several times since it was open" but people were still astonished apart from the one man sat behind me "Oh, they haven't done a very good job with the wall"- Well just to let you know the work is an ongoing process 'mate'.
When arriving at Exeter the train was swamped with students, many remained unseated and just lay across the middle of the isle angering the OAP's.
At Reading we were joined by many of the 'Londoners' and all the locals with their bottles of budweisers- loudly sipping away while discussing their holiday plans.
When arriving at London Paddington, I was bursting for the loo and with classic London ways the loo's were accessible at a 'small' fee, after having no change I had to go through the hassle of getting some, then only to find out the barriers were unlocked and you could actually go to the toilet free of charge.
Moving on, the tube was so simple, I felt just like a local just gliding through with my 'Pre-Paid Oyster'*...When in central London I was desperate to go to the BBC News centre and to my excitement I found out you could actually view the whole newsroom as well as 'The One Show' studio (after the airport like security checks) ...it was really weird to see all the camera's automatically move around unmanned filming the newsroom for the opening titles of the news, as well as being able to see the presenter in the studio and on the screens; it really was live.
Whilst watching rehearsals for this evening's broadcast of 'The One Show' it took me a while to realise Alex Jones and Chris Evans standing there with his child wrapped around his ankles, thank god it was only a rehearsal. They always look so much smaller in real life than they are on the television.
After getting weird looks from Alex and Chris, whilst taking pictures of them just doing their job, it was time to leave and move on. I took a quick browse round the flagship store of Debenhams in Oxford Street where I went in to work mode and complained about the mess and folding of the garments. However they get posh engraved name badges where as I get a makeshift printed one. #NotImpressed.
I then followed doing the usual tourist bits, followed by one more disappointment when not seeing 'Liz' at Buckingham Palace...I suppose I have still got 3 weeks left to spot her though. I also saw the MI5 headquarters and its just makes me think, how much do they know that we don't? (lots)
Today made me realise this really is the place I want to be and it would be my dream job to work in the BBC Newsroom or even in the production team of a show,#Determined. You also get free publications around the city which are always an interesting read whilst on the tube.
*the Oyster Card is so efficient, especially if you have a railcard, you get cheaper travel anyway and with the railcard on top you get a further 1/3 off at off-peak times. I contemplated just buying a day travel card but found out if you spend over a day travel card amount, they just automatically stop charging you as you get an automatic day card- clever or what. 