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Of course, one of the downsides to living in a rather small one-bedroomed flat in Primrose Hill is that we don't have a shower. Yes, we do wash, but in a less than full size cast-iron bath. In fact the entire bathroom is so small that one could, if one so desired, sit on the loo with ones feet in the bath and still be able to reach the 'sink'. And I say 'sink' because it is so small that it is actually impossible to fit a bottle of soap on it, let alone do anything so much as wash oneself. So, we make do with the bath. Out of which comes less than hot water and cools rather quickly in winter as the bath is so cold. Oh, the joys of being able to moan about it. I therefore get in and wash my hair before washing myself as quickly as possible. And then use an empty water bottle in an attempt to rinse my hair.
So this evening, after we had been out for an early supper at Carluccios, we accompanied M's father back to his hotel room at the Hilton where he 'lives' a couple of nights a week when he is working in London. Whilst he and M chatted and drank port, I availed myself of the bathroom and had an absolutely glorious shower. The water was hot and I managed to get my hair properly clean for the first time since I left my parents house a few weekends ago. And I feel so great. So clean and so warm. He also very kindly donated the toiletries to me, so that I have some travel sized portions to take with us to Marrakech. An excellent night all round.
We returned to our flat, which is not that much bigger than the suite we had just left. To TJ and M practising guitar and me to bed. Night night.
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
Hilton Showers
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13 comments:
I've experienced a bathroom like that. It was tiny, but I made do. The downside was, the toilet paper was on the other side of the bathroom from the toilet, which made it awkward to reach across the vanity to get a piece of papaer.
Nice blog, rachel
What you needed were some empty wine crates which make excellent temporary cabinets and even loo roll dispensers...
As a Londoner it always interests me where non- Londoners choose to live in 'The Great Wen'. You could I imagine afford a larger place in a cheaper part of London than Primrose Hill. My parents live in Battersea, which is a very yuppie type enclave these days. I used to live in Streatham Hill, which is scummy but all we could afford.
Primrose Hill may be expensive but we can (obviously) afford to live in our flat. Which may be small, but I love it. living where we do, I can walk to work. Something which I could not do from somewhere further out and I would end up spending a lot of time and money using the tube.
Primrose Hill is also dark and quiet at night and an enjoyable place to live, so I feel my quality of life is better than, say, when I used to live in a larger flat in Bermondsey which was near a main road and never quiet. I also spend more time doing things I enjoy and less time getting too and from work. An easy decision to my mind.
Yes, ease of access to work is very important. Personally I like a bit of a commute- it's reading/ listening to music/ thinking time, though preseumably you think when you walk to work! My bus journey to work here in the west of Scotland is 50 minutes, but it's all on the one bus.
I don't think I would mind commuting so much if it wasn't so busy. It is to even think in rush hour here let alone read or listen to music. I commuted from Berkshire to London for one year (about 4 hours travelling per day in total) and then from Bermondsey for another 7 months, which took about 45 mins to an hour depending on how long I had to wait to be able to get on a train, and I have to say I'd take a walk (or short bus ride) and a very small bathroom over that morning journey any day of the week! (That and my passion for sleeping, which a long commute severely cuts into).
Aye, one thing I don't miss about London is the crowds. Very noticeable whenever I go back. The rush hour in Glasgow lasts from 5- 6 p.m. I remember going to Sainsbury's in East Kilbride early one Thursday evening and the staff outnumbered the customers.
Do you use those wooden wine crates? I love those, have them all over the place from when I used to be a wine bod.
Oh, I am so with you on the lack of shower front. We have one, but the water pressure is so awful it takes an hour to even get your hair wet, let alone free of suds. So at the moment I'm struggling with a saucepan of water every day to try and get my hair clean. Hateful!
Yep, the very same wine crates. We have a bookcase and bathroom 'cabinets' constructed out of them.
We had low water pressure in one house. I started going to the gym so that I could use the showers there!
you're welcome to come and use the bathroom in my flat anytime you like........
Political point - look at what you have been reduced to. The mismatch of demand and supply re housing in the UK is what is keeping homeowners feeling rich which is crucial to Labour's election prospects - meanwhile the twentysomethings' rental cost have never been so high for so little. I am writing this from a 170m squared flat with views of the whole of Prague.
Rental is only part of the twenty somethings problems. Encouraging so many people to go to university and then forcing those that do go to pay tuition fees means that the undergraduate degree becomes devalued (leaving aside the argument that degrees are now easier in any event) and those that want to get ahead need to do a postgraduate degree, thereby incurring more debts. The level of debt means that it is impossible to save which means that joining the property ladder is unobtainable to many people and the twenty something is therefore forced to rent.
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