Richard wrote:
On Wed, 2 Jan 2008 16:12:52 -0800 (PST), Mizter T
wrote:
I don't have an answer to your question Paul, but I have just perused
the TfL New Year's Eve travel info leaflet and there's no specific
information about closures of Charing X station on NYE. It might be
the Met Police being overzealous, I don't know.

I was stuck on Villiers Street for a while, the police said that the
exit south to Embankment wouldn't open until 0200 and it seems they
meant it. They were also very well trained with "well I wouldn't
start from here..." type answers to why people couldn't get through to
see the fireworks, etc. I went round by Northumberland Avenue in the
end.

They made such a pigs ear of it two years ago that I didn't bother this year
(last year was a logistical disaster as well).

Two years ago we were near Hungerford Bridge. I had to get back up to
Marylebone - which I intended to do on foot. In view of the number of people
heading for public transport - and mindful of the numbers in Trafalgar
Square from previous years - I decided to head down Northumberland Avenue,
through into Whitehall and down to Parliament Square before heading north.
The last place that I wanted to be was Trafalgar Square or the West End.
Emerging into Whitehall I was immediately ushered back towards Trafalgar
Square, adding to the numbers crushing into the square. It took over half an
hour to get from Great Scotland Yard, until I was in a position to duck out
towards Pall Mall and up into Piccadilly and down to Hyde Park Corner and
Park Lane. It was nothing short of a farce of Met Police disorganisation,
forcing people who could have relieved the congestion into making it worse.

I stayed at home this year and watched it on the telly. Much less hassle.