london

[hedgerow pete]

does anyone live in or do the london commute??

I have just been offer a job which involves being in the hammersmith and potters bar areas plus one or two others.
being birmingham based, i was going to site a caravan down near to the m25, dont know whever to be inside or out. anyway from the caravan base i was going to stay down till friday then travel home. this will save around 4 hours driving a day and petrol costs, the caravan cost are very small but what i need help with is how to get from the caravan to the centre of the smoke, ideas on cars, moter cycles, mopeds and cycles are wanted. the caravan is not sited yet as i was thinking of where either near a train or road route and still dont know about the travel problems with the m25, yes i know its bad but how bad.

the last time i was working in london we had just finished some of the floors of k2, which was renamed canary wharf and that was mid 80's so a little out of date

 

[Tom Bick]

I am based at Hounslow Middlesex Hedgerow pete I often travel quite long distances to my workshop as I live on a narrow boat and move it up and down the grand union canal so my advice is do what I do be on the road no later than 6.30 am that often works for me.
One advantage from the recession it is slightly quieter on the roads

Thomas

 

[Chris J]

If you don't need a vehicle for work then try to plot up near a tube station.
The traffic is a hideous nightmare.

 

[MuswellMetro]

does anyone live in or do the london commute??

I have just been offer a job which involves being in the hammersmith and potters bar areas plus one or two others.

Ok, my area, i live near the london outer ring road ( North Circular A406) and i walk my dog every day near Potters Bar and working three days aweek in Sherphards Bush near Hammersmith

first DO NOT use the M25, there are roadworks either side of P Bar junction and the delays can be bad, and i mean Bad...5MPH average speed 8:30



Driving in if you need a car. london clogs up with traffic arriving for central london between 8;30 to 9:30...and leaving 4;30 to 6;00

if you drive and can plan to arrive at Hammersmith by 7.00/7;30 then have breakfast its better than having breakfast and arriving at 9:30..the journy could take an hour longer

your route,HA HA, well thats the diff bit, find your route in, and i'll tell you were it jams up

if you can use the tube then Cockfoster to Hammersmith is about 60mins but will cost you weekly ticket all tube and buses Zone 1-5 Oyster Card £37 a week plus either carparking or bus from PB charges to get to cockfosters ( or take a fold up biketo cockfosters....easy down stag hill...but you would walk up it)

or quicker weekly train ticket from PB plus zone 1and 2

or drive in to bounds green.underground..zone 3 £28 weekly near A406 and you can park north of station in quiet roads (i live in winton road N11 200yds from station, )

if just a few daily use by public transport buy a PAYG oyster £3 and charge it up with money..40% off single fares and it limits it charge to you to the equivilant max daily travelcard fares...c

 

[hedgerow pete]

firstly tom i am so jealous of you living on the cut, it has been one of my dreams for years, and thanks for the reply

chris j
do you know how much a tube ticket is from outer london for the day or each way , i dont know. do they do day tickets for all areas.if so how much
i like the idea of a small moter bike /moped set up this was always the quickest and easist way in and out of london and because i pass my car test in the 80's i can get away with just a cbt all done for £100 plus helmet
but what is the parking in london like for a moped and does the congestion charge do bikes and if so how much

 

[Tom Bick]

" The cut " sounds like you are already on it hedgerow pete you will be saying bridge hopping next

Ok you can get day tickets (travel cards) but they start at 9.30 am you will be better off getting a one week pass I think they still do them just a photo and a bit of paperwork

I dont think bikes are charged for the congestion charge look at Transport For London on the net and you get free parking providing you can get a designated parking spot

 

[PaleoPerson]

Is a VERY, VERY brave man (or woman) who considers inside M25 on any form of bike.

 

[MuswellMetro]

" The cut " sounds like you are already on it hedgerow pete you will be saying bridge hopping next

Ok you can get day tickets (travel cards) but they start at 9.30 am you will be better off getting a one week pass I think they still do them just a photo and a bit of paperwork

I dont think bikes are charged for the congestion charge look at Transport For London on the net and you get free parking providing you can get a designated parking spot

No, you are wrong, he is coming in from Zone 5 or 6, that is an anytime travel card Zone 1-5 £12.10 not restricked to off peak after 9;30

(0r two single cash £8 or two singles with Oyster Peek £7.40, or off peak £4,40

if he was a londoner then i would say use the north london line via kensington olympia to avoid zone1 and touch in at a purple oyster point at NLL platform, two peak singles £4.00 off peak £2.20 BUT would he understand

 

[Tom Bick]

Ok how about this pete the only way a 2nd glass of wine can do this I pick you up at Rickmansworth near J17 M25 I can take you to Paddington if you want no parking fees no congestion charge all in two days

 

[MuswellMetro]

Ok how about this pete the only way a 2nd glass of wine can do this I pick you up at Rickmansworth near J17 M25 I can take you to Paddington if you want no parking fees no congestion charge all in two days

that's mean, you could turn off at Bulls Bridge down the Brentford Arm, through Brentford Gauging lock onto the Thames...if the tides is right you could get to Hammersmith in three days.....though if you get the tide wrong, you could be in southend in Two days and Ostend in four

 

[Hombre]

Light Relief

Good luck with the job Pete. Sounds like the job will be simple, but the travelling -
I'm dead impressed by the way.

"The last time i was working in London we had just finished some of the floors of K2, which was renamed canary wharf and that was mid 80's so a little out of date"

You can say that again. I think that they must have exported it since then. Just look at the state of it now. Impressive though. They call it a mountain now - K2.

If I had been able to upload the picture direct from my computer the remark would have been that much funnier.

Back in the 80's it was relatively simple to jump on a bus or a tube, but it's all so much more complicated now. Rather you than me. This is going to affect the wax figures for 2010.

 

[Frisbee]

If I had been able to upload the picture direct from my computer the remark would have been that much funnier.

Here you go

 

[Tom Bick]

that's mean, you could turn off at Bulls Bridge down the Brentford Arm, through Brentford Gauging lock onto the Thames...if the tides is right you could get to Hammersmith in three days.....though if you get the tide wrong, you could be in southend in Two days and Ostend in four

Thats not bad you go past Bulls Bridge then the Hanwell Flight three Bridges Brunell ect Brentford Gaging lock and all its history then the Thames lock providing you have booked the lock and got the tide times onto the river the wrong way towards Limehouse under Tower Bridge with the tide now pushing your boat faster than it can normally go cross the river moving sideways as fast as forward and hit a gap 60 Feet wide. I will do it the right way next time Limehouse to Brentford with the tied pushing me up the river

 

[MuswellMetro]

Thats not bad you go past Bulls Bridge then the Hanwell Flight three Bridges Brunell ect Brentford Gaging lock and all its history then the Thames lock providing you have booked the lock and got the tide times onto the river the wrong way towards Limehouse under Tower Bridge with the tide now pushing your boat faster than it can normally go cross the river moving sideways as fast as forward and hit a gap 60 Feet wide. I will do it the right way next time Limehouse to Brentford with the tied pushing me up the river

not forgetting your VHF radio ,and coastal marine radio licence if your boat is over 44ft


I'll wave at you from my 14ft GP sailing dingy....as you go past Putney Embankmnet..i'll notice you as you will be the only boat going sideways....

try doing it without a motor...i occasionally sail with ranlagh Sailing club on the thames at putney.. but now often do it more leisurly and trailer the dingy up stream to Goring sailing club..nice a sedate slow father thames up there

 

[Tom Bick]

How do you do that sailing on a tidal river with a what seems a small amount of water to work with its great to watch I have chugged past sailing dingies and it always looks as though disaster is about to happen and you turn 90* and all is ok its a real art perhaps I may try one day

Thats interesting they have reduce it to 44 ft I understood that it was to be reduced from 60ft my boat is 45ft I can always take a fender off.

Not being that far up the Thames but I do know its lovely I intend one year perhaps next to do the Oxford ring so will get to see more of the Thames

 

[hedgerow pete]

the idea of living on a boat is a long held dream, but can we get get back to the london commute pleas, does anyone know or motorcycles inside the m25 or centeral london, and where on the net is the information for tube and bus travel

 

[MuswellMetro]

How do you do that sailing on a tidal river with a what seems a small amount of water to work with its great to watch I have chugged past sailing dingies and it always looks as though disaster is about to happen and you turn 90* and all is ok its a real art perhaps I may try one day

Thats interesting they have reduce it to 44 ft I understood that it was to be reduced from 60ft my boat is 45ft I can always take a fender off.

the limit...if you every want to try to get to the limhouse basin ( the Hard Way ) the new PLA rules is that boats of 13.7m and over must have VHS,and marine licence, it came in early this year....44ft 11inches, so you would pass

but there is an exemption brentford to teddington if under 25m, so as long as you turn right, you could go through Brentford Gauging lock with a 15 day ticket ,,and visit the Beetle and wedge at Goring

Sailing...well i have been four hours tacking, only to gain six feet headwayagianst a strong tide...,if all esle fails, the tide does eventualy turn, and its fun,so long as you dont mind getting wet.

its better if motor boats maintain a straight course rather than try to avoid us ( rowing 8s are the real nightmare..so fast)....we know where we are going ( well hopefully)...At Goring, day tripper with a few hours motor boat sailing are a problem

 

[MuswellMetro]

the idea of living on a boat is a long held dream, but can we get get back to the london commute pleas, does anyone know or motorcycles inside the m25 or centeral london, and where on the net is the information for tube and bus travel

google TFL tickets, or transport for london oyster....or ask me, i worked for TFL as their estate surveyor until made redundant last year

M/C yes did it,for several years but gave up ...age related fright...

you can use most bus lanes and all Red route bus lanes

You are exempt from Conjestion charges, though i would not expect a drive to hammesmith would cross the zone

 

[MuswellMetro]

also try TFL journey planner, it will tell you haw to get from Potter BAr ( or wherever) to Hammersmith by public transport

if you only want to go by tube/bus, you can turn of Networkrail trains in the advanced options

 

[MuswellMetro]

london travel map

http://www.tfl.gov.uk/assets/downloads/north-west-london-bus-map.pdf