Dom Pannell's Blog

Merry Christmas to me!

So, I'm starting Crisis Christmas tomorrow. But this year there's a slight catch: my centre (centre 2) will be in Stratford, which is several miles away from where I live. London's already dodgy public transport system effectively shuts down over Christmas and besides, I have to be at the centre by 6am for the next eight days.

But I have found a solution...

... and it's this:

That's right: my new Suzuki Bandit 650SA. Well it'll be mine from 5pm today. Only 8 months after passing my motorbike test, I've finally got my arse into gear to buy a bike.

Thank heavens for online tutorials like this one, which will hopefully stop me making a complete fool of myself in the shop later today.

Oh and I've never ridden in the dark before, so today and the next 8 days are going to be "interesting"...

Santacon 2008 is tomorrow!

Here's the official email communication:

You’ve been waiting for this message for pretty much the last 364 days, so we won’t mince our words. Here’s the deal Santa.

Start points:

WEST
Meet at the Market Bar in Notting Hill at 11.30am. We will leave the bar at 12.30pm to start our trek. Did someone say market? Oh you said carnival, I thought you said market. That’s fine.

Bring a travelcard as this route involves a tube ride (Santa loves the Tube!)

Market Bar, 240a Portobello Road.

Nearest Tube: Ladbroke Grove (yes we know it’s very out of the way…but it’s also very worth it :-) )

SOUTH
Meet in the Horniman Pub at Hays Galleria at 12 midday. We will be leaving at 13.00 to start our trek. No! We won’t get to steal HMS Belfast…well if we do we have to promise to put it back again afterwards!

Horniman’s Pub is actually on the South bank over looking the Thames and HMS Belfast. You can also get to it via Counter Street, off Tooley Street.

Nearest Tube: London Bridge

[Santa Dom: I'll be in the South posse]

Lost Santa?
On
the day follow the main flags and pay attention to where the main
Santas are going. If you get lost…and we mean really lost, then we will
have a Santa helpline again. The number for this is:

078...

If
you have access to Twitter on your mobile, we’ll be tracking our
movements for both routes via this application – more information about
this is on the Santacon.co.uk
website.

Both routes will be
meeting at TRAFALGAR SQUARE AT 5PM sharp and will have left by 5.30pm
in search of more fun (….it’s a little cold so we don’t want to be
standing around in one spot for too long!)

AFTERPARTY

The
afterparty will be at Kings College London Student Union (KCLSU), 4th
floor Macadam Building on Surrey Street, WC2R 2NS, just in between The
Strand and Victoria Embankment. If you’ve bought tickets, it’s up to
you to get yourself to the venue – memorise the address! :-)

Doors will open at 8pm. Any remaining tickets will be sold on the door.