I was in Heathrow a couple of times in March and I cannot understand why it is such a horrible airport. At first I thought it was because it was so busy – but I’ve been in busier airports which are serene in comparison. I still haven’t worked out what is happening but I can only assume it’s a combination of being overcrowded, under staffed and having insane security precautions.

I spent some time in Terminal 3 before flying back to Tokyo. This looks as if it’s recently been refurbished but that doesn’t mean that they put in enough seats for people to sit in just that there are now around 15 shops to buy a new pair of sunglasses or a ridiculously expensive handbag. But the thing that summed it all for me was the notice taped in each toilet cubicle:

    BAA Heathrow is committed to providing excellent services across our terminals.

    Please help us by leaving the toilets as you wish to find them.

As well as expecting me to spend over an hour getting through security they also want me to clean the toilets before I get on the plane.