A slow walk to the postbox this evening provided a moment of sensory contrast for, although it is warm enough to saunter comfortably in shirt sleeves, the smell of woodsmoke was in the air and for me that is inextricably tied to autumn. Whether or not it is the result of global warming, the weather does seem to be a little kooky these days. This morning, on the day that I returned to car-less commuting, howling winds and driving rain didn’t bode well for a future that includes standing on platforms and walks between stations. Yet, in the finest ‘If you don’t like the British weather, just wait a minute’ tradition, my bus and train journeys this afternoon were bathed in warm sunshine that had folks smiling and being pleasant to one another. I’m sure the encroaching winter chill will cause such behaviour to vanish like warmth from frost-nipped fingers but it was a nice way to ease back into world of communal travel. Talking of which, my hearty congratulations to the combined ranks of London Buses, First Great Western and London Underground for speeding me door-to-door in a little under one hour and fifteen minutes with good connections and minimum waiting. Let’s hope it lasts…
my lo-fi ears are listening to Let’s Get It On /Marvin Gaye