Terminal 5, two hours before departure and my fellow traveller and I are sitting in the lounge mesmerised by a pair of peregrines hunting and then tearing apart their prey under the roof of the terminal building. Every so often they dive off the building and search again, swooping over the tops of the aircraft parked at the gates below. We wonder whether they have been introduced to the airport intentionally in an effort to eradicate nuisance pigeons, or whether the birds have colonised the building themselves believing that they provide a safe environment for them, away from human interference.
The lounge seems busy today, lots of families travelling and using the lounge, a much higher proportion of children than I remember on Saturdays in times gone by. The choice of refreshments has also improved, with two varieties of hot curries on offer, jacket potatoes and salads as well as the usual well stocked bar.
Now on my third gin and tonic I am reminded of the words of a Chinese philosopher, which for the purposes of our forthcoming journey I will modify:-
A journey of one five thousand miles must begin with a single step Gin & Tonic.