Bikes

So, my bike got serviced yesterday.

It came in £30 under budget, which was good. I'd budgeted for £200 to go on it, and it cost £170, so had a nice Nando's meal out of the change. (Incidentally Ealing Common is the closest tube station to a Nando's restaurant, in that they are next door to one another.) On the plus side, having had my front brakes repaired I can now stop fairly promptly. This was fun riding home in the rain yesterday, on wet roads with a feather sensitive front brake.

As lists seem to be a running theme for this blog (who can guess which song title I'll use for my end of YEAR roundup of my LISTS? Anyone?) have a list of the bikes I've had so far.

1a. Suzuki GS250T - X reg
My first bike, a birthday present from my parents in August 2003. Passed my test September 24th that year, blew the bike up around 8am one Sunday the following December due to a lack of oil.
1b. Suzuki GS250T - W reg
My second bike, exact same make, model and colour as the first, one year older but with less miles. Purchased around 9 hours after I destroyed the first one. Lasted me a good few months, and even took me to Chichester and back in one day (around 250 miles). Sold to a gentleman who lived outside Cheltenham after it appeared in the Sussex edition of Friday-Ad in May 05. Rode it up there, got the train back (which was exciting).
2. Honda CB500 - L reg
Bought January 2005. Cost me £400 from a guy who worked near me, sold on 18 months later for £375 - not a bad rate of depreciation. Took me to gigs in Colchester and Oxford without trouble - in fact, the only reason I got rid of it was because I was handed down my Mum's bike which was bigger. Not as mean looking though.
3. Yamaha YX600 - C reg
As mentioned above, Mum's bike so didn't cost me a damn thing. Japanese import so it's a bugger to get parts for though. Tends to wobble at 105mph so I keep it below the ton. I love it to bits though, and like Katy I can't see me getting rid of it or getting a younger model for ages. Unlike Katy parts tend to fall off it a little too often, hence why I've named it Serenity.

London Stations

I've never been to London Marylebone station.

Granted, there are a fair number of railway stations in the UK that I've also never been to. Thurso, for one. But considering how much time I spend in London, particularly on the railways/underground, for there to be a mainline terminus that I've not visited seems silly. I think then that I shall have to go on Monday on my day off, to photograph and blog about it. In fact if I manage to get it working, I may even blog it from the station.

Stations I've visted:

• Blackfriars - several trains home from here at the weekend due to engineering works.
• Cannon Street - as above, including one occasion last March which involved a dramatic dive onto the train just as the doors closed.
• Charing Cross - tiny, soulless, and depressing. Another termini for weekend services from the Kent coast.
• Euston - Spent an hour and a half here with a tired and emotional Rosie.
• Fenchurch Street - Visited (albeit briefly) on the all stations challenge last November. If I decide to make this a regular feature, then Fenchurch Street will be the next visit.
• King's Cross - Spent an enjoyable few hours getting drunk here before Laura's party.
• Liverpool Street - Left here to go to Hertford in October. Also passed through a few times.
• London Bridge - Changed here for the Underground in the aforementioned Hertford trip.
• Moorgate - Only been through on the Underground, so will visit again. These visits will also work well as research for the London Termini pub crawl.
• Paddington - Station for adventures in the West, meeting Amie, and the fantastic Mad Bishop and Bear pub.
• St. Pancras - Wandered round shortly after opening. Wasn't impressed.
• Victoria - home station. I come in and out of here every trip.
• Waterloo - The station I'll go to to get to Kingston on Monday.

I have a funny feeling that lists may be a predominant part of this blog.