It’s 6 PM on a rainy October evening in London. I’ve just finished work and I’m on the overground train from Shoreditch High Street to Clapham Junction. In a pre-Covid world, this would very much be considered rush hour, but this is a very different kind of rush hour than we once knew (no Chris Tucker or Jackie Chan in sight) and I wonder if rush hour will ever be the same again. 

Normally, I’d have to stand for a while before a seat becomes available but trains are way quieter nowadays and I find a nice middle seat far enough away from anyone else. Social distancing – a government guideline encouraging people to stay at least two metres away from anyone outside of their own household. As much as British people love rules – this is really only a guideline – everyone in London knows it’s impossible to stay at least 2 metres away from anyone else.

The other rule – and this actually is a rule – we all have to wear masks on public transport. If you don’t wear a mask, you risk a £200 on-the-spot fine, going up to £6400 for repeat offenders!

Straight ahead of me is a lady with her mask pulled down working overtime on her chin, flapping wildly as she devours a Greggs sausage roll. Explaining a Greggs sausage roll to my American friends is exactly the same as describing how cheeky a Nando’s can be – it’s impossible. To delve deeper into how intrinsic these things are to British culture would require essays worth of explanation and taste trials, but to put it into context, there are more Greggs in England than McDonald’s or Starbucks and the sausage roll is the star of the show. It is believed that it can cure everything from a hangover to a broken heart – all for the bargain price of £1.05. 

Let’s face it, Brits also love a bargain.

I digress…

I’m quickly distracted away from Sausage Roll Lady by a ruckus slightly further down the train. It’s not 36 Chambers and I really hope it doesn’t bring itself this way…but it does, in the form of another unmasked bandit with a beer in his hand (tut tut, also illegal on this very law-abiding train) and a protective face visor perched on his forehead nullifying it’s one and only use and making him look like Daffy Duck after he’s had his face blown off by Elmer Fudd.

As he makes his way down the carriage, attempting conversation with every person he walks past, he eventually gets to Sausage Roll Lady, who in a very British fashion tells him to ‘Piss off.’ 

As much as this fleeting interaction between two powerhouses of ineptitude on London public transport had my complete attention, I’m forced to quickly look away before I’m dragged into their shitstorm… and that’s when I saw her. 

She’s wearing Jordan 1’s, one of my favourite trainers (that’s right TRAINERS)…

…and sitting on the chest of her hoodie was the immediately recognizable face of our old friend, Adam Bomb. 

Even in the middle of a global pandemic on a relatively quiet train ride through South London, The Hundreds community shows up. I’ve never seen this girl before in my life, but I smile from behind my Adam Bomb mask, as much as you can when 60% of your face is covered by a piece of cloth – and she returns the gesture, I think. 

Maybe she’s clocked our matching mascots or maybe she’s just being friendly. But who cares, because smiles between strangers are few and far between these days, so I’ll take what I can get.

I get off the train to meet my boyfriend. ‘What’s for dinner?’ he asks, ‘A Greggs Sausage Roll?’ I suggest. We settle on sushi instead. 

I’m Lyndsay from Out Of Step and we look after all things The Hundreds in the UK and Europe. Every two weeks, I’ll be sharing some insight on life in London via my new column, Across The Pond.

I’ll be interviewing some of my favourite UK-based artists, creatives, and industry friends, plus sharing behind-the-scenes content fresh from our East London showroom.

Please drop a comment below and let me know your favourite UK-based artists, creatives, musicians, magazines – anything and everything, let’s have it. In the meantime, you can follow me on Instagram @lynders.