LONDON FRIDAY NIGHT SKATE TM
& SUNDAY STROLL TM

From: Week on Wheels <wow /at/ lfns.co.uk>
Subject: [wow] Week on Wheels: Squares and Circles
Date: Wed, 18 Oct 2006 16:03:52 +0100

This Week, on Wheels:

* Last week, this week: LFNS and Sunday Stroll news
* Marshal profile: Eugene
* The marshal you never see
* Circle Line skate: 17th November, 19 miles

== THIS WEEK ==

Past themes for LFNSes have included the Circle Line skate (of which,
see below), a tour of Jack the Ripper's hangouts, the Tate a Tate trip
around London's museums and galleries, and many more. This FRIDAY
we've a route around central London's squares - so now on that list
there's the Square Root Too - another One For To remember.

(Maths joke. Sorry)

The route stays fairly central - we'll be seeking out the smoother
tarmac around Marylebone and Holborn, and astonishing the tourists in
Soho. Half Time near Tottenham Court Road (Central and Northern
lines).
                            http://www.lfns.co.uk/route.php/20061020


And the SUNDAY STROLL is heading north again, after last week's
enthusiastic response to our Maida Vale trip. Another chance to get
some air on the speed humps in Little Venice.

                              http://www.lfns.co.uk/route.php/20061022


== LAST WEEK ==

"ra ra ra ra ra ra rar ar ar ararraaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa that was a giggle"

"I just woke up from this really strange dream where I completed a
whole LFNS. Really scary"

    - we *think* this is positive feedback ...

The LONDON FRIDAY NIGHT SKATE headed approximately East (some bits
more approximate than others) under the guidance of LM Dan, and with
the help of Markus scouting out the route. The first half was a
reasonably sedate trip across Fitzrovia and Bloomsbury towards the
City Road and Moorgate, then after the break we wound it up a little
for the full-length blast back through Holborn, down to the Embankment
and round Whitehall, Pimlico and Sloane Square. Sorry no photos, our
photographer was having trouble with motion blur.


The mystery SUNDAY STROLL route was revealed to be a gentle meander up
to Maida Vale and back, a total of just over 8 miles. With the public
music mix vote going the way of Marty's cheese music mix, the
skate headed off in the fantastic Autumn afternoon sunshine, perfect
Sunday Stroll conditions.

To begin with there were complaints that the music was not
particularly cheesy but these soon died down as, mile after mile, it
got worse - progressing (regressing?) from "Hey, hey, we're the
monkeys!" to Boney M's "Rasputin" and finishing with the Star Wars
theme tune. Actually the skate was spared the worst of it and we had
to concede defeat and change the CD when returning the music bike to
its home.

We had to re-route the final part of the skate as Oxford Street was
blocked due to some building works, fortunately between Lead Marshal
Bren and the Christian as Scout we managed to avoid the worst of it,
leaving us with a good run down Park Lane and back into the park.

Well done to all those who completed their first skate.

                           http://www.lfns.co.uk/route.php/20061015/01

If you heard anything you liked on this week's mix - or if you hated
every minute of it and wish to free Joby from his imprisonment in
Marty's basement then please do send us your feedback. Otherwise we
might introduce you to DJ Olaf next week.....


== PROFILE VIEW : EUGENE ==

Eugene was bullied into buying his first pair of skates 18 months ago
by a 'friend': for the next few months he was often found at the
Albert Memorial on Wednesday afternoons clutching a hockey stick and
looking as stationary as the statue next to him whilst others sped
around him. Having been registered for the London Inline Half
Marathon by the same 'friend' without his knowledge, Eugene finally
tried learning to skate properly some 3 months later, culminating in
him completing his first street skate in November to the strained
strains of some techno version of Sesame Street.

Eugene's been marshalling since July and can now usually be found
puffing away just in front of the Lead Marshal trying hard not to be
overtaken by skaters at the front of the pack! He reckons his
favourite moment as a marshal was to be handed the megaphone on only
his second solo outing, with the instructions to 'Keep the skaters
happy' - needless to say, the crowds were hanging on to his every
word and sound (what fantastic beat-boxing) until he broke the
megaphone through excessive use! Or maybe the truth was that not even
the microphone could withstand such a din.

Eugene is still learning everyone's names on the skates, and loves
talking to random people/objects he doesn't know - it comes from being
a country bumpkin from the South West. So do please go and talk to him
(he says he doesn't bite). He normally wears a red cycling helmet and
is supposedly of Taiwanese descent.

Outside of skating, Eugene is yet another scruffy, impoverished,
antisocial student. He plays the violin and croquet - not usually at
the same time- practices Chinese martial arts (the sort seen in Jet Li
films) and is often found in the student union bar, trying hard to
convince people that maths is cool. He has even gone so far as
declaring knowledge of 'maths chat-up lines', though has never
knowingly used any on a girl. We hope he never does.


== TWIST AND SCOUT ==

Some of the more eagle eyed skaters who hang around at the front on
skates might have noticed that there's one marshal who never seems to
do anything. They just skate on ahead and you never get to see them
blocking any roads or frankly doing anything useful.

Well, of course - perish the thought that the marshals should be made
to work hard. We've even legitimised the position by naming it -
that's the fun that awaits our Scout each week. (S)he skates ahead and
does a last minute route check whilst working out where the marshals
need to be to keep the skate safe. Then once the blockers are in
place, the Scout moves on to the next junction. And if the route ahead
is blocked, they'll work with the Lead Marshal on finding an
alternative route.

Of course being so far ahead they never get to hear the music or see
any of you (unless we've run out of marshals) ... but rest assured
they're there.


== MIND THE GAP: CIRCLE LINE SKATE ==

The Circle line serves 27 stations and requires 14 trains to operate
the peak period service. On 17th November, we'll be skating around it
over 19 miles and requiring two Lead Marshals. Why? Because above
ground the street isn't covered with discarded copies of the Metro.

The skate starts from the normal Wellington Arch start point at 8pm,
and plans to arrive back at just after 10:30pm. Our first station
stop is Victoria, and then we head off anticlockwise to the City for
the first 10-minute break at Liverpool Street Station. This first 6
mile section will be at the normal LFNS "red" first half pace.

The second section will be slightly faster but not the full LFNS
"black" pace as we leave that till last. This section will cover all
the stations along the northern section of the circle line, passing
Fenchurch Street, Kings Cross, Baker Street and stopping at Paddington
Station for another ten minute break. If you get this far, well done -
you have skated over 13 miles at this point.

Now we crank it up a gear or two, as we have a change in Lead Marshal
(Hans replaces Bren) for the final sprint. The third section takes in
the western section of the circle line passing Notting Hill Gate,
South Kensington and then past Victoria to complete the loop. We then
return to Hyde Park Corner for a very well earned pint.

The good news is that a lot of the route has been re-surfaced since we
last ran this route, and because we go anticlockwise we're going DOWN
Kensington Church Street instead of UP it (unlike the LSST lot, who
seem to enjoy the punishment - or perhaps they just like showing off).
We will also have a regular supply of fresh bike riders and batteries
so that the FireBrox can pump out the sounds of the underground (send
in your Tube related music requests to the feedback form on the
website) throughout the route.

Friday, 17th of November is also the night of the BBC's Children in
Need appeal, so get yourself sponsored for every mile that you
complete, and you may get on telly. This has to be a better way of
raising money for charity than sitting in a bath full of beans.

             http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tube/company/linefacts/?line=circle


== AIN'T YOU LOT GOT HOMES TO GO TO? ==

That's it for this week. Don't forget the Halloween skate (Sunday 29
Oct) and the SantaSkate. Tickets for the SantaSkate are being sold on
the streetskates - look for people wearing Santa hats. Speaking of
clothing, we still have a few LFNS t-shirts left, too.

                                     http://www.lfns.co.uk/tshirts.php

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