Soho mouse

It was one of those satisfying days at work when everything I needed to do was done, and I walked out of the office with a clear in-tray. I haven't had that feeling for many years. It's great to think of a job completed well, one in which I was able to take the time to be careful and meticulous. In my last job, I had to do everything so fast and there was so much of it that time was a luxury I often couldn't afford. This meant that mistakes were inevitably made - just small ones, but enough to knock a bad feeling into the day.

And so, with a clear head, I walked through Soho to meet Jane for tea and cake at Yumchaa. The cafe on Berwick Street had a huge range of teas, all arranged in small cups so you can smell the individual blends before choosing. I had Chelsea Chai, a minty spicy white tea. Yum. Oh, and a toffee fruit cake, which was divine. Jane and chatted until the cafe closed at eight. The staff expertly dealt with a strange fella who came in, sat down, poured a can of coke into a clear plastic bottle, which contained a good quanitity of smirnoff, then wandered around looking for a toilet. The staff explained that there was a toilet at the end of the street and gently ushered him out.

When I left the cafe, the streets of London were strangely quiet. A three-day tube strike had just started and most people had rushed home early. I'm pleased to say that Jane found the Central Line to still be running (the strike had started at 7pm) and got home without much delay. I'm glad I have a day at home tomorrow, but I'll have to face the strike on Thursday. Mind you, being a south Londoner, my journey doesn't involve the tube, but my overground train might be a tad busier.