Hello Hounslow

Well, kicking off the Autumn Road Trip, I am safely ensconced in exotic Hounslow tonight.

Don't think I've ever been here before, so I took a little wander.

They have a park. It has a pond.

Yes, those are empty bottles and... uh... tennis balls. Lots of tennis balls. The legacy of Murray's Wimbledon win, I guess. Perhaps use some taller netting on the tennis courts?

This is what I love about London, though. Tomorrow I need to be at that big hotel in the background there, but to get to it I pass a row of workers' terrace houses and a mock Tudor building!

The other thing I enjoy about London is the anonymity it affords. When I first came to Croydon aged sixteen, it took me a long time to feel comfortable. I arrived there from a little country village. Like most teenagers, I was completely uncomfortable in my own skin and would always choose the two seater places on trains - one seat for me, one for my bag so that no one could sit next to me. I'd get on the bus and stare fixedly out the window in the hopes no one would notice me.

After I'd been there for a few months, I asked myself a question. I'd just walked down Croydon High Street, and the question was: name what three people were wearing.

I couldn't.

And therein lay my answer. I was so consumed with what I was doing, that I hadn't noticed anyone else. Therefore, why would anyone else notice me?

It didn't take long for my perception to make a radical about turn. No longer was London a city full of eyes and people staring, it was the place where no one stares. You could walk down the street dressed as a gorilla and I doubt anybody would blink.

If you lived it every day it would probably become a bit lonely, but just passing through it's nice to be forgotten for a day.

I only walked down to Asda to buy food. My road survival kit consists of an assortment of olives, a selection of sushi, a roast pepper and feta wrap, a chocolate shake, a bottle of guava juice, oh, and dental floss for that minty after-dinner freshness.

Munched it whilst watching the last couple of episodes of The Borgias. Glad I saved them. Sad they're not making any more episodes but it did kind of end at an appropriate place. Left them at the height of their power.

Also discovered Katie Melua the other day and I'm utterly smitten. She's done so many incredible songs, but I think my favourites are It's Only Pain, which features this bizarre sort of Kate Bush - Helena Bonham Carter hybrid; I Cried For You, another fascinating video; oh, and she also did a cover of Closest Thing to Crazy. I completely forgot that song even existed, but she and it are both brilliant.

It freaked me out a little. The first thing I said when I heard her (accidentally, on Radio 2) was 'gosh, that sounds a bit like Eva Cassidy.' Flicking through YouTube, what did I find? Only a posthumous duet of Wonderful World featuring Melua and Cassidy!

Truly beautiful.

Feeling a little nostalgic at the moment. I've been working my way thought re-blogging an old blog lately and there's an entry where I must have been hooked on the Chilis for a period. Specifically Snow. I've had it on repeat for two days now and I'm still not sick of it. Forget 'over and out,' let's just rock out.