For the last two weeks I've been doing some work experience in West London at a PR company, and I've been experiencing life as a London worker.
Getting up at 6am every morning from Monday to Friday is a killer, but not allowing myself to snooze my alarm seems to be doing the trick and making me wake up! Walking around like a zombie and sneaking round my house trying not to wake anyone up (and failing... I'm known as the fairy elephant), I slowly get myself ready for the London day.
The station
My train leaves at 7:24 precisely, and after two weeks I'm starting to recognise the same people every morning. There's the typical business man with his sharp suit and polished shoes, carrying his shiny briefcase and looking ready for the day. Then there are the numerous people who display the 'work clothes with trainers' look... one that never ceases to make me laugh. There is also the same man who is on his Ipad every morning, and every Thursday, he (and me over his shoulder) watches The Apprentice; obviously catching up from the previous night.
Luckily the station I pick up the train from is half way to London therefore there are always some seats available. I've turned in to one of those people who, as soon as the train starts coming in to the platform, walks ALL the way down to the very end of the platform because this is seemingly where the most seats will be. I've now realised that more and more people do that every day, so it sort of defeats the object...
The train
On a standard London Midland train, amongst the lovely green carpety seats there are the two people seats, the four people ones and the six people ones. Through the two weeks I've trialled pretty much all of these to see where the best place to sit is during rush hour... but all I've found is that you're at a disadvantage wherever you sit if a big man comes and sits down next to you.
I thought i had it sussed, sitting on the aisle of a four person group of seats seemed the best option. However one day a hugely large man came and sat next to me and I ended up having a to share my seat with him and having one bum cheek hanging off in to the aisle. This also then resulted in every person that walked past knocking me either with their arm or bag...
Now I've learnt that RUSH HOUR IS BUSY and you will be crowded no matter where you sit. I'm just thankful I get a seat as I'm always that person who falls over on trains when they're moving.
London
As the train pulls in to London Euston, everyone starts to pack their stuff up and straighten themselves out after the boring, squashed journey. A few people always stand up as the train is pulling in; something I have never understood... they never get any further than me still sitting down so why waste your energy?
As the doors open that is it. Hundreds of Londeners zoom off the train towards the alarmed looking security men at the barriers, and as the lucky few at the front of the crowd escape through quickly, the rest of us end up getting jammed in the small space, resulting in us waddling like penguins until its our turn to zap our Oyster card.
I then make my way to the underground doing the standard London walk... walking way faster than people are meant to in every day life and bumping in to everyone walking the opposite way. My legs are a lot shorter than the majority of other London workers so I find my legs moving 100 mph just to keep up with the race to the Tube.
Coming home
After work is the same situation. Finishing at 5:30 means I am in the midst of rush hour once again and the underground is even more crowded that the morning. Everyone looks tired and present glum faces that know they have to travel back home on the sweaty, packed train.
Getting back to Euston is always the funny bit for me. Waiting in the concourse with the crowd of people under the big screens, we're all waiting for one thing... the platform to be announced. You can see people glancing around and then looking up at the screen hoping a) their train has arrived, and b) that everyone else isn't waiting for the same train.
Suddenly it is announced and if you are unfortunate not to have seen yet, you will definitely be swept up and taken with the crowd regardless. Once again people walk a million mph towards the train, many people also running as if they're racing Usain Bolt, while the overhead tannoy hopelessly reminds people, "please do not run when making your way to the platform..."
So far my experience as a Londener is going well. I've got two weeks left of my work experience and I'm really enjoying it so far :) I'll let you know of any more updates to my London worker life!
Gemma x
I've recently been doing a bit of work experience with Heart FM as a Heart Angel. This involves being a Heart FM representative and helping with events, which is great fun and also very rewarding. 
When the gates opened we were greeting the public as they came in and high-fiving them with the Heart foam hands. We were also taking photos of groups or families which went on to the Heart FM website. Some of the other Heart angels were handing our flags and were all face painting for free which was a hugely popular which the children and ladies!
