Camden, shoes, policemen and sherlock!

What have I been up to? Not much until yesterday. In fact the day before yesterday I slept for sixteen hours straight. But yesterday I went out with John to London. Something we haven’t done for AGES! Really can’t remember the last time we went down London together. The idea was originally to go on the Brompton Cemetery tour, however the weather was sucky and so we thought the tour could well be off. So plan B was to go to Camden to buy some new shoes, and then the Sherlock Holmes Museum - located on Baker Street obviously. To be truthful I was actually more interested in going to the gift shop, I already knew what I wanted to buy from there.

So we set out into the dull rainy day at approximately midday, I took my big black Hoodie which has oriental writing on (no idea what it says) because it honestly is the warmest most waterproof thing I own now. Needless to say it actually isn’t super waterproof only being a hoodie but it is very warm. John went out in his big coat. We both soon regretted our choice of outdoors ware, for the tube was very hot and stuffy and by the time we were in Camden the weather had warmed considerably.

It must be at least three years since I ventured into Camden high street and down to the lock. It seemed busier than ever but they maybe due to my diminished memory of the place. One thing is certain it has changed a lot and in a rather disappointing sort of way. Camden has always been too pretentious for my liking but now you have to add on top the word incredibly trendy. Gone are the many rock shops and alternative music stores. In there place are shops selling very random objects and objects of clothing more found on the dance music scene. I couldn’t locate one good shoe store selling the kind of Goth dance trainers I have become so fond of. It would have been so easy to find them once. I did come across one shop which had a pair of new rock trainer boots in them which were simply lovely (only good shoes in the shop as far as I was concerned), the price, on the other hand, wasn’t lovely. Needless to say I left the ship very much empty handed. Such a shame because my current shoes are totally falling a part after eight months service and I can’t locate X18’s (shoes I currently have) in Size 9 anywhere on the internet. I noticed it was hard to locate any shoes in size 9 in Camden, or in shop stores in Oxford Street where I went later on. Weird!

As much as I found Camden still interesting to explore for a while I was glad to have finished my uneventful search for decent shoes and by on the way to Barker Street. Baker Street wasn’t as easy to get to as hoped. On a good day it would have been a breeze seeing it really isn’t so far from Camden if you are taking the train. The problem was there was no train to take! It shouldn’t have surprised me to find Camden Station closed. It is always being closed to steady the flow of humans pouring in and out of the area. Typical unorganized London! Honestly by now you’d of thought they would of build a much bigger and better station for Camden. Camden station is pathetically small and clearly from a time when people were mercifully fewer in number than today’s rabble. Those must have been the days! I bet Camden was beautiful in those days…

On the bus we went, taking us rather off the mark of Baker Street but at least it took us to a station, seven sisters, from which we could get to Baker Street by. Once on Baker Street it didn’t take us too long to locate the Sherlock Holmes museum. It has a most beautiful old fashioned wooden front, the glass in the window frames reminds me of old bottles in the way it rounds into harmless corners. I was pleased to see upon entering a really nice photo of Jeremy Brett as Sherlock Holmes on the wall. Thought that was so cool! Well I would.. I seem to have become a little obsessed with him recently, more so after reading two biographies on him (I relate to him so much it's weird.. I feel so fond of him).

While looking around the shop a man dressed in Victorian police uniform complete with black cape entered the shop, he went up to the old wooden counter to ask the lady seated there, in old fashion Victorian wear, something or other before leaving the shop. I thought he looked stunning in that Cape. I love male Victorian clothing so much. I tried to not make it oblivious I was drooling at… I mean looking at him. After poking everything in the store, and handling all the Sherlock teddies (which I couldn’t afford), I found MY book. Yes, my book, all mine, mwahaha. Um yes. Anyway, it had been by where the pretend Victorian policeman had been standing all along. Clearly he put me off in his fine cloths. I was so pleased to see the big fat A5 Glossy Book with Jeremy Brett on the front in Victorian Top hat, suit and holding a cain upwards resting over his shoulder in black leather gloves, I almost kissed the book. Thankfully I refrained from doing so to at least to carry on giving the outside appearance of sanity to all whom inhabited the crowded shop.

The book is about all the Sherlock Holmes actors who have ever been but it has a large section to Brett with some very nice photos because he is regarded as the very best Holmes ever by many (because he is!!!). Him and Basil Rathbone (1930 -40’s actor) are seen as the very best. Both fan groups will of course say the other was better. The text makes for rather depressing reading, stuff I already knew mostly. Think I’ll just look at the photos and not read the text again.

On leaving the Sherlock Holmes museum shop, John commented how he liked what the lady at the counter had been wearing and she was very pretty. I said I hadn't really notice her but I had noticed the police man! I said he was dressed so fine and looked sooooo nice. He was quite yummy. John said, what policemen? Then he said “oh this one you mean this one” and laughed. The police guy was standing just inches from me, and I went totally red as he smiled at me and said “why thank you very much” to me! Gah! Never going be able to go back there again now. :p

After we left Baker Street we went to Oxford Street to look for shoes for me again! By this time I was feeling a bit dizzy and my heart felt funny, I guess too much exercise and very little food after the highly inactive day before. Almost was at the point of white mist before my eyes. Thankfully john spotted a shop simply called “Eat” on Oxford Street. It had so many seriously good organic sandwiches and salads in there, I was in heaven, yummy! So we got some things and sat down on the very comfy leather upholstered seats there and had a good rest and put some good food in us. Afterwards we carried on hunting for shoes. I found a pair I liked but guess what? In size flipping ten, gah! I give up. I’m going have to make my own shoes at this rate. This is not in the least bit amusing.

When we got on the train home we stopped off at White City and sat down for a while before carrying on again. Still have no idea why I love that train station platform so much, but I do. Always feel so content sitting on the wooden benches at that station with my back resting against the big round white city train logo which forms the back of the bench. One of those little mysteries of life, huh? I was nice to be back there. I hope they never change those benches I’d be horribly upset. I get so attached to things! Not supposed to, attachment is bad according to Buddhist text because it leads to sadness in the end. Which is so true! I’m not a very good Buddhist type…