When we were in London on October 2014 we went to Bath and from there to Brighton on the same day. In fact we spent a lot of the day on trains. There was no direct train between Bath and Brighton at the time we were traveling. We had to change at Farnham. No matter. We had a good time enjoying traveling by train. A lot of schoolgirls got on at one time. Towards 5 O'clock some commuters got on the train. It was dark by the time we got to Brighton. And windy. We walked to the pier but even though it had its lights on it was closed when we finally arrived after walking along the beach. Crunching the stones of course. The streets were more or less deserted around the pier. No matter. We walked back to the town centre where I had a stroke of luck. I found a wonderful Indian Takeaway. A small hole in the wall operated by I believe one man. Maybe he had another family member hidden behind a wall. But there could not have been more than two people involved because there was hardly space available for one. He was able to talk to me man to man. He looked me in the eye when I questioned his history. Where he came from etc. He was happy to talk. I liked the man and I enjoyed the curry. It was one of those which make you want to return to Brighton just to get a take away from his little shop.
On the train coming back into London after dark I had an enjoyable feeling of deja vu. You pass through a lot of stations. You don't stop at every station but you slow down to pass through most. When you come to London you start to pass a lot of high rises. Most of the windows have their lights on. There are a lot of street lights glistening in the dark. There aren't many people about. There isn't much evidence of traffic. There are other trains coming and going. Most stations are empty and the only figures to be seen are walking with purpose. Sitting in the train and looking out the window I had a distinct feeling of calm. I found the sight of the buildings comforting. The high rises were warm and welcoming. It was enjoyable watching them pass. They looked peaceful. I felt very relaxed. I sensed I was returning to safety. I was coming home into London. I was at peace with myself. I always had this feeling 43 years ago whenever I returned to London. Especially at night. By train.
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