crazycrone

An alternative way to Heathrow from your place might be to take the Overground (or a bus) to Clapham Junction, then a main line train to Feltham, then either the 285 or 490 bus to Heathrow (depending on your terminal). The trains to Feltham are very frequent, and the journey would be all above ground and the rush hour effects less extreme. You might find the various changes more annoying than a straight run on the tube, of course, but I like the way they break up the journey.

Yeah, that sounds a bit complicated for the state I'll probably be in. I can get to Leicester Square tube by bus, then stay on the same tube(Eeee...) until Heathrow (T4) Evidently it only takes about an hour. I did use the tube to get to Sophie's, when she and Chris gave me a lift to the MCR, and didn't freak out (much-)so I'll try and bite the bullet. Thanks for the tip, though. Might try it another time.

I can't say I relish the journey bit. There was mega added stress on my recent trip with "unnamed state." Turns out all painkillers (paracetamol, co-codamol) are illegal there. Natch I'd bought loads which I had to dump before the border. I was terrified I'd overlooked some (I tend to put them in various different places) and I'd get "done." A 2000 dollar fine and a week in prison for a couple of sodding lemsips! As it was they grilled me on my fish oil tablets (for my cholesterol) and some loose change of pound coins and euros. WTF!

Wow, I didn't know that lemsips and such were verboten in that part of the world.
You can't change pounds for Serbian money in London, though, have to do it when you arrive there, which is a bit of a drag.

That's an improvement on China - I always travel with cash (it's not recommended, but it's cheaper and more convenient and I've never had a problem with security), and it was a teensy bit of a shock when I rocked on up to the bank in Shanghai at the beginning of a six-week trip with my New Zealand dollars...and found I couldn't exchange them there. !!! Luckily I'd taken some odds and sods of US cash with me just in case and I scraped by on that.

Re the journey - all I can proffer is that from your reports it always works out very smoothly, so hopefully it will this time as well - fingers crossed!

Your not being rude woman reminds me of my usual minicab driver in London whose favourite expression was "I'm not being funny..." followed by a torrent of racism. Sigh. Of course he wouldn't have done it if I wasn't white, whereas if you're fat everyone feels free to let fly in your face. Sigh again.