Five people stand on the middle of Waterloo Bridge as the sun slowly buries the day in the West. A black woman, a white man, a black man, a white woman and a Japanese woman. They are silent as the five of them look around themselves slowly taking in the wonderful 360 degree view. The three women are softly crying while the two men are quiet but look sad. The Thames as ever takes no notices of anyone and just chugs it’s ancient green brown route to the sea. A river the colour of milky coffee.

They have said their goodbyes to Brixton and now only London, the mother-ship, remains to be bid farewell to. Brixton tube station was inevitably closed for refurbishment. They were in taxis so it didn’t affect them but it seemed a fitting way to see the back of the old place; the mad, lovely place where they had all lived, loved, drank, danced, smoked and took most other drugs these past few years.

Their flight is that night, five seats in First Class smoking, but they have a few hours to say their good byes to London. They look south over the South Bank centre, the National Theatre – still their favourite building in London – and onwards to the abandoned but still resplendent Bankside power-station.

- The town of Notxrib in the Land of Nodnol, the land of lost content says the white man.

- It’s such a beautiful city says the black woman

- Yes, the most brutiful city in the world says the Japanese woman

- Never mind says the white woman, I’m sure where we’re going will be beautiful too.

- Yeah, I’m sure it will be says the black man

- If we can make there we’ll make it anywhere.

The women smile and stop crying.

- London Bridge is falling down, falling down, falling down, my fair lady.

- Build it up with wood and clay, wood and clay, wood and clay, my fair lady

- Wood and clay will wash away, wash away, wash away, my fair lady

- Build it up with bricks and mortar, bricks and mortar, bricks and mortar, my fair lady.

- I don’t know the rest of it.

- I do. Bricks and mortar will not stay, will not stay, will not stay, my fair lady.

- Build it up with iron and steel, iron and steel, iron and steel my, fair lady.

- Iron and steel will bend and bow, bend and bow, bend and bow, my fair lady.

- Build it up with silver and gold, silver and gold, silver and gold, my fair lady.

- Silver and gold will be stolen away, stolen away, stolen away, my fair lady.

- Set a man to watch all night, watch all night, watch all night, my fair lady.

- Suppose the man should fall asleep, fall asleep, fall asleep, my fair lady.

- Give him a pipe to smoke all night, smoke all night, smoke all night, my fair lady.

- Yeah, give him a pipe. Then London Bridge will finally be safe. As long as that’s only tobacco he’s got in that pipe.

- I don’t know this poem.

- It’s a nursery rhyme____, a poem for children.

- I see

There is a pause.

- How about the Bells song? Does anyone know all of that? Oranges and lemons say the bells of St. Clements.

- I know this song. I studied it

- Go on then ____

Gay go up and gay go down, to ring the bells of London town.

"Oranges and Lemons" say the bells of St. Clements.

"Bull's eyes and targets" say the bells of St. Margaret's.

"Brickbats and tiles" say the bells of St. Giles'.

"Halfpence and farthings" say the bells of St. Martin's.

"Pancakes and fritters" say the bells of St. Peter's.

"Two sticks and an apple" say the bells of Whitechapel.

"Pokers and tongs" say the bells of St. John's.

"Kettles and pans" say the bells of St. Ann's.

"Old Father Baldpate" say the slow bells of Aldgate.

"You owe me ten shillings" say the bells of St. Helen's

"When will you pay me?" say the bells of Old Bailey.

"When I grow rich" say the bells of Shoreditch.

"Pray when will that be?" say the bells of Stepney.

"I do not know" says the great bell of Bow.

Here comes a candle to light you to bed,

Here comes a chopper to chop off your head.

Chip chop, chip chop, the last man's dead.

- Bit of a gruesome end.

- What does it all mean?

- It’s the different churches of old East London ____ .For example near St. Peter’s there were a lot of bakers hence the pancakes and fritters.

- Okay I see then ____

- We could make up some more …

- I have far to go say the bells of Tokyo

- Or I am the pretty daughter says the Belle of Bayswater. Because ‘belle’ is also a pretty woman _____

- Sank you _____

- It is a smoggy day say the bells of LA.

- Carnival on the go say the bells of Rio

- I am no longer walled in say the bells of Berlin

- Here the wind will blow say the bells of Chicago

- I was the Emperor’s home say the glate bells of Lome

- The market is full say the bells of Istanbul

- This is fun. Hmm. I am never grey say the bells of Mumbai

- The sun is not hid say the bells of Madrid

- I give you a kiss say the bells of Paris

- Nice one ___

- I will right a wrong say the bells of Brixton.

- Good one.

The black woman thinks for a bit then says

- I will not talk say the bells of New York

- It is all done say the bells of London.

And the five are quiet again.

- This beautiful city that we all must leave and it’s all my fault my lovely family of lovers.

- It wasn’t your fault ____. You did nothing long. It was just that wanker Clive. You weren’t to know.

- Yeah, don’t blame your self ____.

The black woman gazes around once more.

- “As long as I gaze on Waterloo sunset I am in paradise” I loved that song. No-one knows who Terry and Julie were. Just an anonymous couple Ray Davies noticed on day in the 60s.

- I knew a woman called Julie who was dating a man called Terry once. They lived near here too.

- Really ______?

- Yeah

- How about that.

A passer-by on the Bridge spots them and comes over.

- Excuse me but aren’t you the ____ ______ five?

- No, we are not. Please we don’t want any company. Just walk on.

- I only wanted a photo.

- And we only want to be left alone. Please, nothing personal, just walk on

He walks on disgruntled. Probably not a malicious person thinks ______

- And this is why we’re leaving

- Yeah, for the last time.

- What did we ever do that was so wrong? We were minding our own business. We only wanted to be left alone.

And right on cue down comes the rain. It’s time to go anyway.

- We’ll need two taxis. Me and ______ will go in one. You three go in another. We’ll be less conspicuous that way.

- Makes sense.

- So we’ll see you at the check-in at Heathrow?

- Yes

There are plenty of taxis for hire crossing the bridge and she gets one easily. She and the black man get in.

- Heathrow terminal 4 please driver.

- Okay Miss

She smiles at a fond memory.

- Do you remember _____ all the times we couldn’t get a taxi to Brixton? I wish we were going there now.

- Me too ____, me too.

The other three get a taxi too.

- Goodbye Brixton, goodbye London, goodbye, goodbye, goodbye.

She starts to cry again and buries her face in the man’s chest. He feels must try and cheer her up.

- Just as matter of interest driver, and we don’t want to go there, do you go to Brixton?

- Brixton? That’s a bit out of my way.

- Ha ha ha!

- Heathrow is fine anyway driver. Thanks for the information.

- Nothing personal you understand guv. Just hard to get a fare from Brixton.

- You amaze me says ______ with deep, dry sarcasm.

- Streatham now, lovely place.

- Yeah, lovely.

The taxi drives on.

- You realize ____ that this is the last time we will ever have this conversation?

- I don’t know. Doubtless there are New York cabbies who won’t go to Brooklyn.

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