Lego City

Today I've just about survived my first full day of fieldwork, surveying an area grassland and hedgerows on the London fringe. I took the train, instead of battling the A14 and M11, and on the way back I had an hour or so to spare before I could return to King's Cross and leave on a cheap train.

I took the tube to St.Pauls and meandered across the River Thames on the Millennium Bridge, and then strolled along the South Bank. This area is my favourite part of London - religion, history, finance and culture all thriving rubbing shoulders. Today it was packed with crowds of students and schoolchildren from all over the globe, adding even more potency to the mix.

Other things I learnt on my trip today:

New varifocal glasses add an extra frisson of fear when going down long escalators;

It's possible to paint your nails in a crowded tube train whilst wearing all your evening finery;

Young city businessmen wear too much after shave;

Italian teenage boys seem to be effortlessly chic in appearance, but are just as noisy as English ones!