Student Daily Life in Busy London

After a long time intense use of my bike, I had to have it serviced. It turned out I needed to have: the back wheel replaced, the front wheel repaired, the breaks replaced, the hub repaired and the adjusting barrel fixed. Thanks to that, I have a reliable and fast bike again. My daily route starts in East Acton goes along Hammersmith Hospital to White City, where I turn left for Shepherd’s Bush. At Shepherd’s Bush I negotiate a complicated road junction and cycle along Holland Park Avenue to Notting Hill Gate. There the best part of journey comes as I pass the Kensington Gardens street, which is dedicated only for embassies. I first pass the Czech Embassy on the corner and then I enjoy the spectacular architecture of some beautiful buildings on a quiet road, which is accessible only for diplomatic vehicles.

For the last few weeks cycling has been even more enjoyable as the weather has improved. However, I have been indirectly affected by the recent unfortunate events and the terrorist attacks. Although I study and live far from where the attacks happened, my cycling route was affected. Immediately after the attacks the road with embassies was closed and blocked so I had to take a different route. Finding a different way wasn’t a problem but it meant I couldn’t enjoy passing the embassies on that magical road for diplomats, plus all the other road was steeper.

Another quite sad experience was when I was returning from the College late and suddenly many ambulances overtook me. Within minutes I heard dozens of sirens nearby. Unfortunately, Grenfell Tower had caught fire and the first patients were being transported to Hammersmith Hospital. Since then the roads around the tower have been closed and pressure on traffic on Holland Avenue has increased considerably. This actually makes cycling home a lot easier, as on my bike I can pass all the traffic safely and quickly.

Although I finished all my exams last week, I am not on holiday yet as this Monday I joined the Plasma Group in our department for a research placement.