Apologies in advance - this is a moan with perhaps no redeeming qualities...

My regular crewmate took today off (he doesn't like working Sundays - and tends to book annual leave to avoid working them). So I was single, until Control sent me to team up with someone in Camden. I'd never worked out of Camden station before, and was pleasantly surprised by how nice everyone was, including the person I was working with, and in the general state of the station.
The work was fairly easy, instead of Asians, I treated Jews, and instead of Newham hospital we took them to the Royal Free hospital. Nothing particularly out of the ordinary to deal with, the same basic stuff of people falling over, and diabetics having a low blood sugar.

What annoyed me however were the people around Camden - They were young, good looking and dressed well enjoying the fresh air by eating at any number of very nice looking restaurants. They all looked successful, happy and generally clean, and I would imagine some of them were on their way to hear a band play in a lively, yet friendly pub. I know all this, I used to work at the Whittington Hospital, which isn't that far from Camden - and the social life of the nurses there was excellent.

Unfortunately I had to return to Newham.

Back to the dull, dirty area, full of dull, dirty people, doing dull (and probably dirty) things. Newham, where the tourist attraction is a statue of some footballers, and the restaurants are greasy kebab shops. Where everyone dresses the same (Hijab, Burkha or the male equivalent) and the pubs are places to meet to see how drunk you can get before having a fight. Where 'street culture' is graffiti tags by youths in hoodies and baseball caps, and the entertainment at night is avoiding getting stabbed.

So, yes, I am a bit depressed - I wonder how different my life would be if I lived in Camden, rather than the rat-hole I live in at the moment. Would I have met the woman of my dreams? Would I be writing about the latest new band? Would I be a regular in a friendly well lit pub? Would I feel 'younger' than I do at the moment?

I know I can't afford to live there, but I can dream can't I?

I'm off to eat some ice-cream now...gotta love comfort food.

Cheerier post tomorrow, I promise