London Calling – Part Two

By John Freeman on May 29, 2006

Regents Park

Explored Regent’s Park yesterday, blown away by the surrounding architecture and the sheer variety of wildlife, so many herons it’s amazing. Read an article in Daily Telegraph later suggesting grey squirrels may be responsible for predation on song birds eggs. Well, I think the birds are holding their own here, despite the obvious numbers of squirrels.

The park’s busy but not heaving, perhaps the dodgy weather puts people off. By the time we get to Primrose Hill the sky is black but the rain is transitory. It’s a great exploration, although turning a corner afer such a glorious few hours and walking past an armed policeman (machine gun and all) was a bit of a shock (Winfield House. the official residence of the US ambassador, is in the park, or rather on its edge).

Lunch in St. John’s High Street is good if pricey, then back tyo hotel, change and brave the tube to Westminster for one of the main reasons for our trip. The stage production of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.

Westminster tube station is incredible these days, an imposing industrial, all metal edifice below ground that is a far cry from the quaint Victorian station it used to be.Ffor some reason it now conjures the Morlocks from The Time Machine.

The play is excellent (seats good too, despite the price). Good cast as well as the leads, a powerful play, still relevant today. I would like to read the book and see the film again now.

Trip back fine — late night sandwiches in our room. Sleep well for the first time this trip.

John Freeman

The founder of downthetubes, which he established in 1998. John works as a comics and magazine editor, writer, and on promotional work for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He is currently editor of Star Trek Explorer, published by Titan – his third tour of duty on the title originally titled Star Trek Magazine.

Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine, Babylon 5 Magazine, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics. He has also edited several comic collections, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”.

He’s the writer of “Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies” for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs” with Dave Hailwood.