England (London)

One Day in London and Abbey Road

(Spring 2006)

There was only one day for this blog. A quick trip! How it unfolded…

An employment agency had gotten ahold of me (I was working in the energy industry in Calgary) and was interested in lining me up with an energy job in Qatar, Africa. At the time, Qatar was experiencing explosive growth in it’s energy sector. I was very much interested – it would involve a pay increase from my existing job (Canadian Natural Resources Limited) with lots of great perks. And if our family moved to the east coast of Africa, a new base camp so-to-speak, it would allow for adventurous trips to nearby countries. After much discussions, the company paid for my ticket to London, England, where the interview was to be held (there were many positions being offered by the company – lots of interviewees making their way there).

(Picture: At the front gate of Abbey Road Studios. Signing my name amongst the many other writings on one of the pillars)

At the time we had a 1 1/2 yr old (Andrew) and a 6-month old (Ryan). Our hands were full ! Especially Catharine, but she encouraged me to go and give it a try. Who knew what would unfold.

It was a red-eye flight – I don’t do well with red-eyes because I’m never able to sleep on planes, trains, or any vehicle for that matter. I knew I’d be up all night but I had no other choice. The employment company was in control of the scheduling and logistics.

It was a long flight – no sleep of course, and I remember watching our animated plane on the screen as we flew high over Greenland. And, later on, as the sun came up on the horizon, I looked far below out the window and saw the Highlands of Scotland. The mountainous terrain was all snow-covered and looked beautiful.

The flight had been delayed during the initial departure out of Calgary and my interview was scheduled not long after my original arrival time (maybe 2 hours later). So after navigating anxiously through Heathrow Airport, I found a cab and he took me quickly to the downtown core toward the Hotel MacDonald where I’d be staying and where the interviews were being held. When I arrived at the concierge, I checked my watch – my interview was in 30 mins! Yikes…

(Picture: Somewhere in downtown London)

I was exhausted – hadn’t slept in over 24 hours and I also needing a shower. I raced up to my room, jumped into the shower (a cold one to stay awake), got dressed into my suit and raced down to the large pavilion where the company was stationed. Minutes to spare! Before I introduced myself, I went into a nearby bathroom and splashed some cold water onto my face. Needed to look alive.

The interview went surprisingly well – about an hour. Afterward, I returned to my room and crashed hard  onto my hotel bed. At that point it was around noon. I fell asleep immediately without eating breakfast or lunch. I woke up around 5pm and, although still sleepy, I also knew I only had one evening in London because I’d be flying home early the next morning. I had to make it count.

I decided on a quick walk-around throughout the downtown area of Trafalgar Square, Soho and the Buckingham Palace area. During the jaunt, I bought a disposable camara and took a few shots – so much action going on all around as it was rush-hour and hordes of people were off in all directions. Was cool taking it all in. Loved the accents! I took in a hearty meal and beer at a local pub, quelling the hunger pains. All was good! But I just couldn’t walk anymore – exhausted from all that had happened. Back to the hotel I went and collapsed into bed again. Slept like a log all night.

(Picture: hitching a hackney carriage… aka cab)

The next morning I woke up and started packing for the airport. Did the previous day really happen? It was a whirlwind, for sure. I called up a cab and one arrived in no time. After jumping in, I told him “To the airport.” “No problem!” he replied. As we drove we got to talking about different topics and landed on the Beatles at some point. I told him I was such a big fan and he and I began rhyming off songs and facts. He paused… then said, “Any chance you have some spare time before your flight?” I did have some. “Yes, why?” I replied. He mentioned he could take on a quick detour toward Abbey Road, where the Beatles had recorded 190 of their 210 songs between 1962 and 1970 at the legendary studio (Abbey Road studios is the oldest purpose-built recording studio in the world). Wow!! I mean, I was like, “YES! Take me to that mecca!!”

Later on we pulled up alongside the front pillars at Abbey Road. The gates were closed so you couldn’t get inside but just being in front of the studio was awesome enough. I could feel the good vibes! Nearby was the zebra cross-walk where the Beatles had walked across the road for their famous cover on their Abbey Road album (picture below). I signed my name on one of the pillars (the pillars were covered in signings) and ventured across the zebra cross-walk. The cabbie took a photo and I was forever grateful. A keeper!

(Picture: Me walking across the famed Abbey Road zebra crossing which the Beatles made famous on their Abbey Road record)

After spending a bit more time there, I decided to get a move on. The plane wasn’t going to wait for me. We continued onward toward Heathrow and none too soon – I managed to clear security and get to the gate with minutes to spare. After getting comfortable in my seat, the plane took off into the skies and made it’s way back across Greenland enroute to Calgary.

A jam-packed 24 hours!

(Picture: The Beatles Abbey Road album cover)