Baker Street

The Eaton Diary of London 2001

Baker Street

Tuesday, March 13, 2001

This morning we went on Tube again, this time to Baker Street Station to find the Baker Street Branch of Barclay's Bank. Our goal was to sort out Margie's Bank account. Margie had signed the papers weeks ago in Adelaide and sent them over on the understanding everything would be finalized and a bank account with the £500 reimbursement of her airfare in it, on our arrival. Not so! Like everything else, it didn't go to plan. Many excuses and explanations but still no banking facilities. But, as always, these little hassles are opportunities for us to negotiate different aspects of life in London, and today's escapade was no exception.

Baker Street Tube Station, for a start is a cut above many we’ve seen. It is beautifully restored - old, cute, and quaint, in keeping with Baker Street's main claim to fame. It's the home of the infamous Sherlock Holmes. So at the top of the stairs, as we emerged from the Tube station, we were greeted by the man himself - a real live authentic looking Sherlock, pipe in hand, posing for photos and giving out promos for the Sherlock Holmes Museum around the corner. It was good to experience first hand this slice of authentic English literature - that is, until we asked for 'Sherlock' for directions. Instead of the expected 'Elementary, my dear Watson', we were amused to discover that this 'Sherlock' was actually Russian. (Foreigners, like us, are everywhere here in London, making a buck wherever they can.)