Richmond Park Ramble! (Blog 413)

Yesterday, I walked around Richmond Park for a bit! To get there, I had to travel by train. Sadly, on my travels, I just missed out on seeing a station clock turning 11:00:00 but I did see the time 11:00:11, which of course is a palindrome. The less amount of unique digits in the palindrome the rarer it is on a clock as explained a while ago. (This blog isn’t just a blog, it’s a lesson and I’m your teacher). 2 unique digits isn’t anything TOO special, I just wish I saw the three in a day event time that is 11:11:11. Yes, I can see it on my clock at home, but bigger clocks like the ones found in stations are more impressive, simply because they’re bigger, that’s another lesson for you.

Finally, I arrived at Norbiton station. New town, a whole new world of number plates. Which is good, as I’m starting to memorise some of the plates in my home town, now. Even when you’re in a new world, searching for plates of interest can be a frustrating experience when you don’t see the numbers and letters you want to see. However, the experience is made more exciting when you say to yourself ‘If I see the plate I’m thinking of in my head, I fall over’ or whatever. That seems like a potentially dangerous thing to think, but actually seeing the last three characters of the number plate you have in your mind on a car is about 1 in 26,000 so you’re more or less completely safe. And of course if you’re unlucky enough to see the plate, what’s going to happen? The idea comes true? I doubt it. You’re fine! ;)

After a couple of minutes of walking in the town, I got myself a sandwich! Sadly the sandwich shop that was around when I went to university in the area has closed down. If it was still around and even better, the same staff worked there it would just make me happy inside. It’s like when Forest Gump was a child he had a bus driver, and the bus driver stayed the same when Forest grew up and he had a child, it was moving. By the time I got to the park, I saw a cafe. Not only did I not buy anything there, I used the business’s bin to throw away my sandwich packaging, much like a very, very small scale fly tipper. Not QUITE antisocial behaviour from me, but slightly rude maybe? :(

As I rambled in the countryside, I was thinking to myself ‘it’s nice being in a laid back environment. It’s like being in a simpler time. A historic time, even.’ After all, even the Romans had roads, and there were roads in the park. The Romans didn’t have cars though, certainly not jumbo jets and I saw a few, but it was at least a bit Roman-like. I mean if they DID have such advanced technology, how did they die out? Nuclear war, maybe? That would be very surprising coming from a civilisation who couldn’t count past 3,999. Don’t physicists have to like be good at maths?

At one point, I think I heard someone blast out Black Sabbath’s ‘Sweet Leaf’ from their car. That was ironic, as there were no leaves, it was Winter. Very grey, but actually the weather was pretty good! Pretty mild. Sweet weather, even. Sadly there are no Sabbath songs called ‘Sweet Weather’. Even though the band members are in their 70s now, they haven’t mellowed out enough to play such hippy music. Because sweet weather is hippy-ish. Or maybe… they could. They have a song called ‘Planet Caravan’ and a very pretty piece called ‘Orchid’. MAYBE the band will release a song called ‘Sweet Weather’ if they reunite. I forget what my point is. I ramble in Richmond, I ramble here!!! :D

Soon enough, I saw a deer! That really was the highlight of the walk, I didn’t think I’d see anything better or as good again, so I decided to go home. I didn’t get lost as almost all of the journey was a very basic pretty much straight line. Very simple, very American. Yes, American town planners are our superiors, they just have something about their way of thinking that is basic yet elusive. Beautiful, even. I’m not necessarily saying they’re kinder or more moral, but they do make more sense, you can’t deny that. I may not remember directions (unless they’re straight), but I do usually remember writing about the same thing twice. I’ve pointed out twice how American town planners are better than us, and that’s because I believe it.

As I approached Norbiton station, I saw a number plate with ‘VMT’ on it, which of course is short for vomit. Very funny. From roughly the same distance, I also saw the train home leaving, which was annoying. I guess I’d have to do a lot of waiting around. Not only that, a few minutes later the station ticket machine stole my ticket and didn’t let me through! I had to crawl under the gate which looked super shifty. Thank God no one ever asks to see your tickets when you’re on the train! I mean what would I say? The machine stole my pass? It mugged me? If I said that, I’d be called a smartass and be sent to jail immediately. As I waited around however, that gave me an opportunity to see the station clock say ’12:34:56’ which I probably would have missed if I was on the transport. Lastly, when travelling home on the tracks, I think I saw three jets, possibly fighter jets! Very cool. I wonder what they were doing. Maybe just messing around? It’s a time for celebration and they’ve earned it, I’m sure. If they haven’t earned it, I guess be scared. And… bye!