One of Those Days 06.02.08

It was one of those days. Robbie's first text of the day got him into enough trouble to last a week. Last month he promised me that he would seriously modify his language but this mornings text conveyed his feelings about Network Rail in the most strident terms. A couple of phone calls followed Robbie was ranting so much that he was almost incoherent but eventually I understood that none of their voyagers had been able to leave the depot at Central Rivers due to a total power failure. Robbie was so cross, everything was a total shambles, the departure boards at New Street announced that train after train had been cancelled and there was absolutely nothing they could do about it until Network Rail got their act together. I didn't realise that so many trains went off to Central Rivers for the night, it conjures up images in my mind of Thomas and his friends all tucked up in their sheds on the Island of Sodor

My own morning was a bit challenging too. Dave the cat went back to see the vet and we have arranged for him to go in on Friday to have treatment on his bad foot. As well as his usual supply of steroids and antibiotics the vet prescribed a probiotic because his other tablets upset his tummy. The vet said it would be simple to administer the dose from the syringe type dispenser into the side of his mouth. It proved easier said than done. He clamped his mouth shut, swore menacingly and lashed out with his claws. I don't give up easily and I eventually got the required dose into the cat's mouth, that was when the fun really began. Dave sneezed or spat the medication back at me! It cost more than powdered gold and I ended up wearing it - such gratitude!

An All Action Hero 14.02.07

I made Robbie suffer for his strop, on the journey back to Northampton I nicked his (unread) Rail magazine and read it from cover to cover. I liked the interview with Chris Gibb, I imagined that he would be much older, not sure why. The article described him as an all action hero, so perhaps it was him and not Superman on Sam's favourite train! I thought it was a very good article. He say's that the 'average' passenger thinks Voyagers are great, well I am not 'average' (being female gives me a head start towards perfection!) but I am a big fan of Voyagers, they have nice toilets. I think he is right about the staff too, the train crews on cross country are more friendly than the ones from the 'dark side'. Some of the train managers have added entertainment value, there is one who has a better gay walk than Robbie, a real John Inman wiggle. It is better than watching TV when he is on the train! If you want to improve cross country the best thing you could do is 'head hunt' the station announcer with the camp voice from Milton Keynes, he is amazing, we go via Milton Keynes just to listen to him, he's brilliant! Possibly the only good thing about Milton Keynes. To digress for a minute, I saw a chap (platform staff) at New Street today who looked so much like Alf Garnet. It was a bit scary, he looked as if he could have been a traffic warden in a previous life!

Anyway back to Robbie's Rail magazine, I loved the train photos with the Chris Gibb interview, but where is Cornwood Viaduct, is it in the Plympton/Ivybridge area? The first photo of Chris Gibb was fine, the second was perhaps a bit of a mistake. The way he was sitting made me think of Rainbow - you know, Zippy and George. George was cute, but perhaps that is not a franchise winning comparison!

I have been reading the Christian Wolmar articles quite regularly. I am used to hearing him speak on Radio 4, but to be honest he confuses me. Sometimes I think he makes a lot of sense, but every now and then he says or writes something that to be honest makes me think he is talking out of the wrong end - but then what do I know anyway. His article this week about freight was really interesting.

I have given Robbie his magazine back now, so peace reigns! He is feeling poorly this evening, I hope he hasn't picked up the bug that the children had because he has to go to Leeds tomorrow.