During
the year Gold Card Adventures was carried out, the Iraq war was fervently
opposed in a series of national demonstrations in central London.
Ellie used her Gold Card to travel to the demos on 28 September 2002
(month 01), 15 February 2003 (month 05), 22 March
2003 (month 06) and 12 April 2003 (month
07). |
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Ellie actually found returning back to Ealing on the Central
line on 21 January, during the first firefighters strike, was quicker than
usual because the train did not stop at: Holland Park, Lancaster Gate, or
Queensway. Unfortunately this was not the case during the second or third
strikes…
At approximately 13.52 on Saturday 25 January during month
05, a westbound Central line train derailed as it entered the platform
at Chancery Lane Underground station. 32 people required medical attention
as a result of the accident; the most serious physical injury reported was
a broken ankle. Ellie was fortunate to not be travelling in London on that
day.
This incident meant that the Central line was closed for nearly three months.
Given that the Central line was one of Ellie’s main routes back to
Ealing, the closure caused considerable stress and delay to her daily travelling.
Parts of the Central line began to reopen after 20 March and Ellie’s
first recorded trip on the Central line happens in month
07 on 25 March.
More information about Ellie’s experiences in London from January
- April 2003 can be found in her web based work My
Head's Swimming, made during this period.
Ellie was unable to use her Gold Card at several times
throughout the year, as she was away from London. From 21 - 28 December
2002 (month 03), Ellie spent Christmas with her
family in Wales so did not travel. From 15 - 26 April (month
07) Ellie went to Scotland on Holiday and called at Nottingham on her
way home for a few days, they would not accept the Gold Card on their local
buses! From 30 July - 3 August (month
11) Ellie went to Venice on a trip with the rest
of her course at Goldsmiths College, she was not able to use her Gold Card
on the Vaporetto either!
On 29 July (month 11),
Ellie took down her degree show at Goldsmiths College and left for good.
She has not made a trip to New Cross or New Cross Gate since. From 4 - 29
August during month 11 and month
12, Ellie worked two jobs: one at Royal Festival Hall and one at Tate
Modern. She used her Gold Card during this time to make frequent trips to
Blackfriars, Southwark, Waterloo and Embankment, which are the nearest stations
to these work places.