Memorygirls - Make Do and Mend

hanb

Hi Memory Girl,

I thought I would creep out of my lurking corner again to just say that although I don't live in London I have to book a lot of travel there for work and I couldn't do it without this site http://www.tfl.gov.uk/ - hope it's as helpful for you.

Still quietly loving your diary!

*Shuffles back to lurkdom*

maryb

Memory_Girl wrote: »

Hello to anyone who can help:

The plans so far are

• Train from Leuchars arrive Kings Cross 3pm Friday 23rd July
• Plan to go to Waterloo for a visit to the London Eye and surrounding areas
• Tube from Waterloo to Paddington for train to Slough

On Monday 26th July

• Train from Slough to Paddington
• Tube from Paddington to South Kensington for the Imperial War Museum
• Depart Kings Cross 2pm

What I'd like to know:-

1. Do we need a travelcard or oystercard which is most cost effective?
2. Are there any other places of interest we could include?
3. What is the price of the tube tickets?
4. What is the price of the train from Paddington to Slough return?
5. How long will it take to get from Kings Cross to Waterloo?
6. How long will it take to get from South Kensington to Kings Cross?

Other than these questions I think we have them organised

Memorygirl

MG the Imperial War Museum isn't in South Kensington it's near Elephant and Castle and the nearest tube is Lambeth North.

It's very hard to judge whether an Oystercard is better value or not. There is a price capping guarantee so you do not end up paying more than the cost of a Travelcard. However you do have to pay a deposit for them. Children under 10 go free with an adult on buses and tubes and you don't need to buy an Oystercard for them provided they are travelling together. Buses are cheaper than tube for an adult and you get a chance to sightsee.


http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tickets/14554.aspx

Some National Rail train companies have a scheme where if you buy a Travelcard for the adult you can get a child's one day Travelcard for £1 That would be your cheapest option but I am not sure First Great Western do it. You may be able to do it when you arrive on Friday at King's Cross (not sure which train company serves King's Cross) but that wouldn't help you on Monday. You can only get a child's £1 travelcard through London Transport if you have a photocard Oystercard and you haven't got time for that

However whatever you do don't pay single fares as it works out almost double the cost of an Oyster fare.

The Transport for London website is briliiant for journey planning - there is a journey planner on there that will tell you how to get to places using whatever means of transport you specify ie you can restrict it to buses and rail or have all means of transport. It will also give you a journey time allowing for changes. These are on the generous side.

Go to the National Rail Enquiries website for ticket prices. After you put in details in the journey planner it will allow you to check the price of tickets. This can be complicated. Even if you can't get a child's Travelcard for £1 sometimes you can get a cheaper price travelling at certain times or if you have any sort of railcard. However a lot of these deals are subject to a minimum fare. Sorry it's so complicated

I have some 2 for 1 entry vouchers for Legoland ie if an adult buys a full priced ticket a child goes free. WH Smith were giving them out some time ago and I have spare. PM me if they would be useful

Memory_Girl

hanb wrote: »

Hi Memory Girl,

I thought I would creep out of my lurking corner again to just say that although I don't live in London I have to book a lot of travel there for work and I couldn't do it without this site http://www.tfl.gov.uk/ - hope it's as helpful for you.

Still quietly loving your diary!

*Shuffles back to lurkdom*

Thanks for that hanb - very usefull.

You can't run off and hide again - now you need to stay and play - LOL

Memorygirl

dfw844

Buffythedebtslayer wrote: »

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Banish-Clutter-Forever-Toothbrush-Principle/dp/0091935024/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1279562727&sr=8-1

Its that book and it is great - well so far I am theorising it would be great if I had actually got off my backside and did it all! However your post has really made me hope that it might work - did you really follow all her ideas (which sound very good and SO logical)

Hello all btw just got a bit excited about the book! xxx

Hi Buffy, that's the one!!! It really is good, it has totally worked for me. You have to do as she says though - you've got to start by clearing the furthest away storage spaces of crap, and then you have somewhere to put the stuff that's currently 'away' but not used very often, and then those storage spaces are available for all of the stuff that you use daily but never have anywhere to put.

Case in point - my bedside table. There was always a messy pile by my bed, containing a book, a crossword puzzle book etc. On top of my bedside table was handcream, facecream, a pen, odd bits of jewellery, all competing with my water glass, lamp and alarm clock. When I read the book I came to realise that the problem was that the place where these things -should- go, was full. ie the drawers in my bedside table! It never occured to me to empty these out before. They had in them - random sunglasses I didn't want to throw out (why would I need these in bed!), an old diary I hadn't written in for years but wanted to keep, hundreds of hair bobbles, some screws that I knew were important but didn't know what they were for, and a load of hankies jammed in to point where it was difficult to open the drawer to get them out. I emptied the drawers of everything, and gave the things I wanted to keep a home in the newly cleared storage areas (in my case bookcases filled with storage boxes). Then, I had one drawer for handcream, facecream, bobbles, pen etc, and one just for hankies. And now the top is clear I put my book there.

It's such a simple principle but I just didn't know it until I read the book.

Also, storage boxes can be ridiculously expensive. I have collected shoe boxes from friends, and a few I kept, and wrapped them in wallpaper - I got a whole roll going cheap at homebase. I just picked a neutral colour, cream and beige with a floral silouette print. By using all the same paper, it doesn't matter that the boxes are all different sizes - in fact it looks a lot more interesting. I have then written a label in my best decorative swirly handwriting (but you could print them) saying 'small handbags', 'hats, gloves and scarves' etc, so that I know what is in each of them.

So I would definitely recommend the book! However, I lent it to my friend and she hates it. My problem was not having anywhere to put anything (or so I thought). Hers is that she won't put it away. I find that now I take serious satisfaction in having everything away and neat. Which is a serious acheivment if you knew how messy I was!

dfw844

Moobear wrote: »

844 thats such a brilliant post. I would so love to have a home like you and hopefully will with a lot of work. At the moment l suffer from CHAOS - Cant Have Anyone Over Syndrome

Aw thanks Moobear! I totally had CHAOS. My worst day was when my then future-mother-in-law called in. We had arranged to meet for lunch. I lived in a flat, with a locked entryway, and then my own front door. She said she would call when she got into the city. So I didn't tidy up at all - because no-one would see the flat, right? WRONG! She tailgated someone through the locked door, and turned up knocking on my flat door! It was mortifying. Stuff all over the place. Washing - clean, dirty, and drying; cereal boxes, plates, bowls, cups, clothes, the LOT. She was visibly shocked, because I always did tidy up for people who I knew were coming, I just couldn't have anyone over on short notice. That experience didn't change me though, it was about 5 years ago and I only started decluttering this year! Needless to say, she is flabberghasted by the change.

Also, I love the Eliminate the Evidence idea! Great way to think of it.

Sorry for the hijack, memorygirl, I've just suddenly become strangely passionate about decluttering!

dfw844

MG stop talking about pies!!! Mmmmmmm.

I'm sure you'll get a lot of use out of the piemaker.

Memory_Girl

dfw844 wrote: »

Aw thanks Moobear! I totally had CHAOS. My worst day was when my then future-mother-in-law called in. We had arranged to meet for lunch. I lived in a flat, with a locked entryway, and then my own front door. She said she would call when she got into the city. So I didn't tidy up at all - because no-one would see the flat, right? WRONG! She tailgated someone through the locked door, and turned up knocking on my flat door! It was mortifying. Stuff all over the place. Washing - clean, dirty, and drying; cereal boxes, plates, bowls, cups, clothes, the LOT. She was visibly shocked, because I always did tidy up for people who I knew were coming, I just couldn't have anyone over on short notice. That experience didn't change me though, it was about 5 years ago and I only started decluttering this year! Needless to say, she is flabberghasted by the change.

Also, I love the Eliminate the Evidence idea! Great way to think of it.

Sorry for the hijack, memorygirl, I've just suddenly become strangely passionate about decluttering!

Don't be sorry !! You don't fancy holidaying in Scotland do you

I so get what you men about the "furthest away places" - the problem is my places are filled with my parents stuff that they haven't moved to their new (and curiously effortlessly immaculate) home:mad:

Think hints may have to be dropped :cool:.

My groundfloor is all tidy - just need to hoover and mop through. So I'm over half way there. Now just need to go sort out the "New Guest Room" - at least the bed is clean.

Memorygirl

Memory_Girl

dfw844 wrote: »

MG stop talking about pies!!! Mmmmmmm.

I'm sure you'll get a lot of use out of the piemaker.

I hope so - had a little brainstorm whilst cleaning the bath. Could I make little frozen pattie of filling to go in the pies.

Had a little fiddle around in the kitchen and discoverred that a half-filled silicon muffin mould is the perfect portion size. So I could spoon leftovers into the muffin tin, freeze and pop into a freezer bag for using in the future.

Leftovers in our house now have no chance :T:T

Will report back when I've made some - anyone got a recipe for strawberry pies???

Memorygirl

Memory_Girl

I'm melting!!!!!!!!! Butthe guest room is set up.

I washed all my doors and woodwork downstairs and have now sent DS1 upstairs to put his games away so that I can hoover the livingroom.

Want to make pies - but I think a cold pasta salad will be more welcome;)

The good news is that my "ebay Shelves" now actually have some stuff on for selling - although I think I might have to wait until we get broadband sorted before we get too serious there - everything is sooooooo slow on this dongle. Wonder if I could persuade DS1 that his part time jobis internet selling ?

One last push - before we all collapse in a heap..................


............... and I haven't got nearly enough writing done today:( which is really bad because its the one thing that is actually really imortant. I suppose I oculd have let Stew come and visit me in a sloppy house really, couldn't I??

...............but I think we all knwo the answer to that one:rotfl:

So quick tea and getthe kids showered - then knuckle down and do some writing Memorygirl

Memorygirl

boredofbeingathome

What about making strawberry tarts? mmmmm