Covid-19 Vaccination

Having selected  St Thomas's NHS Hospital, convenient for Waterloo Station for my Covid -19 jab, travelling to London Waterloo by train was rather more straightforward than it had been  over very many years in the past. Most people in February 2021, are staying at home or using their cars for travel, as the train was almost empty of other passengers. 

Waterloo Station was very quiet also as the photograph below illustrates:

The walk from the station to St Thomas' NHS Hospital was straightforward and again very uncrowded but eventually I arrived at the hospital which much to my surprise was also very peaceful.

There were volunteer attendants at every point who steered people to the correct testing centre (there were two). Arriving 30 minutes early was no difficulty and my place in the very small queue was  then shown on a TV screen  in the waiting room.

Upon being shown into the vaccination area it was apparent that much of the system was being run and excellently,  by the army. There was some jocularity about dad being in the RAF but having answered the various questions about allergies etc the army officer showed me to the vaccination point. The young lady who undertook the vaccination had been laid off by British Airways where she had been a steward and was now  undertaking the new and different work which she told me was from 8am to 8 pm so not easy.

The vaccination was straightforward and no waiting afterwards. 

I decided then that a walk to my old office which had recently been purchased by a wealthy Russian for conversion into a private home, might be interesting.

The walk took about 30 or 40 minutes through some deserted London streets. Building workers at the office, pictured above, had opened windows to keep air flowing during their conversion labours. 

The walk  by the River Thames from the old Pimlico offices to Vauxhall Station was a reminder of some pre-retirement years (see below).

 In fact the  journey to Farrer & Co walking from  The Temple  District Line or London Waterloo during my couple of years there prior to retirement, was rather more interesting.

The journey back to Wimbledon from Vauxhall was uneventful with the train again being almost empty of passengers.

The army are to be congratulated on their organisation.