Day 86 : artificial bushes!

I'm going through a sentimental period considering all the years I've worked in one building or another around Tower Hill and now we’re upping sticks I feel I should capture the local attractions as part of our final hurrah. I probably should be trying to catch sight of ravens, Beefeaters or executing long exposures of Tower Bridge but tonight I've opted for an entirely different landmark or perhaps point of reference if you will.

Our latest building is on a particularly barren part of the highway, really little to cite as a local monument. So when directing a cab driver, after exhausting the seemingly unheard of street intersection I resort to “it’s just past Secrets”. Secrets is, I believe the vernacular is, a table dancing bar. During the day it is tightly shuttered up and looks like it’s closed up forever but at night it comes into its slightly tawdry lit own. And to facilitate the smokers each night they wheel out this curious oasis of fake greenery surrounding a small piece of carpet. I've always assumed it’s to shield the girls who, let's say it, are not always “well dressed” from the busy road. I suspect someone envisaged accidents courtesy of distracted drivers and made it a proviso of their licence.

Now, however ardent a smoker you are, you'd have to be pretty tough to endure the biting cold at the moment but luckily the table dancing emporium has considered that and furnished the girls with big gold capes. I'm assuming this is some sort of inclement weather protection and not some elaborate stripping superhero act but either way the girls are clad thus when partaking in cigarette breaks.

I once had the pleasure of chatting to one of the “dancers” (that's probably too long a story as to how that came about) and Milly (as she said she said her name was, though I wondered if she was going to use that line “what do you want me to be called?” referred to the smoking area. I asked if she was alluding to the area with the “artificial bushes” and Milly, quick as a flash, retorted “there ain't any bushes nor anything artificial in here!” Now that could be deemed educational, frankly T.M.I. or just plain wrong as I am reasonably sure some of the girls have been “enhanced”, though I haven't made a particular study. But whatever, it’s a great line!

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