“Friendship is the source of the greatest pleasures, and without friends even the most agreeable pursuits become tedious.” - St. Thomas Aquinas

Well we certainly chose the right week to take leave, the weather has been amazing. On Friday we planned to meet a special friend but we wanted to make the most of the day so we planned our journey carefully. We drove out towards Rugby through some of the most beautiful parts of Northamptonshire, it is always beautiful but the bright sunshine on Friday made it perfect. The next part of our journey was not as beautiful, but Robbie loved it because he was able to spot a lot of Stobart lorries - the things I do to please that man! 

Our destination was Astley Book Farm in Bedworth. I have been there several times but it was Robbie's first visit, I had told him how good it was but when he had a chance to explore he got so excited that he even took photos of the loo! I pointed out the railway section (which was conveniently close to the bus and tram section) and there he stayed for at least an hour. When I went to find him later he was sitting on the floor surrounded by a growing pile of books, he still had so much to see but I was finally able to lure him away with the promise of coffee. We went to pay for his pile of books and he talked excitedly about how wonderful the loo was (sometimes I really wish he had an off button!).

He loved the coffe shop. Our friend came to join us and we had a lovely time. The coffee shop counter is awesome, it is covered in pictures of children's book covers and i was pleased to find that I had read most of them. Eventually we had to drag ourselves away from the Book Farm and we went back to our friend's house, it was a really lovely day. Robbie went home with a big smile on his face, a big pile of railway books and he was able to do more Stobart spotting on the way home, what more could he possibly want.

Full Length Mirrors!!

The alarm woke me up from a rather confused dream, I don’t recall the detail of the dream but I know that the alarm became part of it. I must have spent about 20 minutes pushing the snooze button in my sleep before I woke up properly. I realised that if we were going to fulfil Robbie's plan for the day we needed to get moving – so I kicked him out of bed to go and make the sandwiches and I rolled over and went back to sleep! After all he is the one that wanted to go, so the least he could do was to make the sandwiches. He woke me again with a cup of tea and I grudgingly agreed to face the day. To be absolutely honest he wanted to go to London on a Chiltern Service and I didn’t want to go. I’d travelled on a Chiltern service from London to Birmingham last year and it was a very bad journey, so I wasn’t keen to repeat the experience, but if it was so important to Robbie I couldn’t very well refuse to go.

The omens were not good when we arrived at the station car park to find lots of empty parking spaces, but the pay and display machine wasn’t working so Robbie had to run around the car park looking for one that worked. When we finally got that sorted out we walked to the station building to find that London Midland had taken poor service to a new low. The queues at the ticket office were longer than the queues for the Next sale! According to the man when we finally got to the front of the queue this was because they were one person short on the ticket desks. It was impossible to hear what the man at the ticket desk was saying, so that added to the time taken by each customer and caused general confusion. For those that survived the car park and the queues the man on the ticket barrier was ‘cheerfulness personified’ I am not sure if he was there to check tickets or to repel all boarders!

I thought things would get better from that point but I was wrong. It was almost time for the train to go and it was almost out of sight at the far end of the platform. It was so far away that it was practically at Kings Heath!! Robbie made me run, we caught the train but it set my asthma off and left me struggling to breathe. Undeterred Robbie marched me through carriage after carriage in search of exactly the right seat. When we were finally seated and I had recovered the power of speech I begged Robbie not to make me run anymore today. His suggestion that I should keep my inhaler close by did not fill me with hope, so I told him in no uncertain terms that my running days are over.

Usually the London Midland train managers are good, but we got the exception that proves the rule, she looked a mess and she was inarticulate. Announcements matter to people, they need to be clear and easy to understand, but she failed on both counts. This became more important later in the journey when it was announced that the train would be terminating at Birmingham International. This left a lot of confused and upset passengers who didn’t understand what was happening and were worried about missing connections, so Robbie did his best to help the people around us.

To be fair, he didn’t make me run between platforms at Birmingham International, it was more of a trot, but it wasn’t a good experience. I guess it was worth it because we completed our journey to New Street on a Virgin Pendolino with an excellent train manager. Robbie was getting very wound up because the points failure near New Street that had interrupted our journey had made us very late and we were in danger of missing our connection at Moor Street. When we arrived at New Street Robbie left the train like a greyhound out of a trap, weaving around people, dodging obstacles (there were plenty of them) and generally making a quick getaway. I was left to trot along behind trying not to lose him. When we got outside I had to beg him to walk more slowly even if it meant missing the train, he was not a happy chap, but he did slow down. We didn’t have time to admire Moor Street, it looks like a pleasant station, but we did make our connection with a whole minute to spare!

We were travelling to London Marylebone in the Business Zone on a Chiltern Railways mainline loco hauled service. All I really cared about was being able to sit down and get my breath back. I must admit that the seat was quite comfortable; at least my legs didn’t dangle in the air like they do on an HST!  It was a fairly pleasant environment except that the p.a system didn’t work, properly, it sounded very faint and you couldn’t hear what was being said. It didn’t worry me too much because I was getting off at Marylebone but it would have mattered more if I had wanted to get off at one of the other stations it stopped at.

To be fair there wasn’t much else to complain about except the tea which was almost as putrid as Cross Country tea, surely a decent cup of tea is not too much to hope for, it is not rocket science! There was one other unnerving aspect to the journey, the toilet. It was clean enough, and it was certainly big enough, but it must have been designed by a man. The toilet roll dispenser would be within easy reach of the right hand for a person standing up, but a person who is seated has to reach behind over their left shoulder to reach it, not the easiest manoeuvre. Even worse there is a full length mirror which gives a full view of you seated on the ‘throne’ – unnerving to say the least! A man would be able to turn his back on the mirror but anyone sitting can’t avoid the view.

There is not much to say about Marylebone Station except that the toilets were seriously grim. I know that part of London well enough not to get too badly lost, so as we only had about an hour in London we went for a walk to have a quick look at 221b Baker Street.  Then it was back to the station in time to buy a coffee and head for our train. We had the same train manager on the on the way back, she was very good, but despite her best efforts she couldn’t do much with the internet connection which was patchy to say the least. 

When we got back to Moor Street I made sure that we walked back to New Street at a manageable speed. I couldn’t run for another train if my life depended on it! We had plenty of time before our train was due to leave, so we paid a quick visit to WH Smith to buy a magazine. Then back to the platform for the best part of my day, a Virgin Pendolino to Rugby, a perfect journey despite the mad man swearing at the top of his voice in the quiet coach!

The final part of our journey to Northampton on a London Midland service was uneventful but noisy; Robbie said that he is longing for the children to go back to school! Northampton Station was calmer, but no more welcoming than when we left this morning. There is one part of the station that deserves praise, the toilets. They are always clean and well looked after and they are free!

Railway termini are our gates to the glorious and the unknown. Through them we pass out into adventure and sunshine, to them, alas! we return - E. M. Forster

The weather forecast for Norfolk told us to expect a heavy rain today so I wasn’t in too much of a hurry to get up, but when I looked out of the window it was sunny so Robbie decided that we should get organised and go to the North Norfolk Railway. Suddenly our life was set on fast forward and somehow we managed to catch the 10.13am train from North Walsham to Sheringham. It is a pleasant journey with some lovely costal views and for a time I was happy to stare out of the window lost in my own thoughts, but after a while I chatted to Robbie about various things. As we pulled into Cromer I sensed that Robbie was not really listening, he seemed to be on auto pilot so I casually mentioned that there was a tiger on the platform, the man sitting opposite looked a bit worried, but Robbie just said ‘yes dear’. I wish he would drag his attention from that blackberry for five minutes!

I enjoyed the North Norfolk Railway. For me the highlight of the day was a visit to the Ladies loo at Weyborne Station. It is a lovely little station, very clean and beautifully kept, it is clear from the many little details that this is a labour of love for all those involved in running this station. The ladies toilets are amazing, very old fashioned with heavy wooden doors, but they are kept spotlessly clean and the walls are decorated with metal posters. The area around the sink is fascinating, like a mini museum, there is a big display case on the wall above the sink filled with all sorts of interesting items and to the side is a display of old money and various other interesting posters. It makes a visit to the ladies a very pleasant and memorable experience.

Robbie enjoyed taking photos, looking at all the stock in their yard and of course travelling on the trains between Sherringham, Weybourne and Holt. His rucksack got heavier as the day went on because he bought a number of magazines from the wide selection of back numbers available at the shop. I enjoyed the views on the trip to Holt and I liked the compartment coaches, it felt like travelling back in time. Robbie wants to go back again on Sunday, I don’t really mind. However if he thinks he is dragging me out to travel behind 47s between Norwich and Great Yarmouth all day on Saturday he can think again, he can go on his own, I have better things to do.

Sound Effects

Robbie was late home from work again today and when I left work he was waiting for me in the car park so that he could get a lift home. I love him dearly, but at times like that I wish he could be a little more 'normal', last time he turned up wearing that dreaded flasher mac and today he had his white London Underground umbrella!

He told me a funny story on the way home. This morning he was in he bathroom on 'the throne' when he became aware that he could hear faint music and someone was talking to him. It wasn't 'heavenly' music so he had no fear that he was about to 'do an Elvis' and meet his maker in the bathroom. This was much more down to earth music, and it bothered him, he couldn't believe that someone would be thoughtless enough to have their radio on in the street at 5am loud enough for him to hear it. He then remembered that the bathroom is at the back of the house, so he deduced that the offending radio must be in our garden, but he wasn't in a position to go an investigate straight away. Thankfully the neighbours were spared the vision of Robbie in his smalls searching for a radio in the back garden, because he found the source of the mystery music before he left the house. We have two radios in the bathroom, ours (tuned to Radio 4) and theirs (tuned to something else). One of the children had turned their radio down to almost nothing instead of turning it off!

On the subject of mystery noises, the previous day Robbie and Emily searched the lounge for a phone that kept vibrating. It wasn't a phone, it was the cat snoring!

Dangling Legs and Other Problems

Saturday dawned far too early for my liking, but after a lot of moaning and groaning on my part we were on the road and heading for the station. We travelled First Class to Birmingham on a 350; I wasn't impressed because it felt cramped and it looked shabby, but at least it was quiet and we had an uneventful journey arriving in Birmingham slightly late.

I hadn't travelled on a refurbished HST before so I was looking forward to it. I'd been underwhelmed by the livery but I'd heard good things about the refurbishment and was keen to see it for myself. The first problem we encountered was the platforming, it was rubbish, the signage was wrong, leaving us sprinting down the platform to find first class. The platform staff were neither use than ornament - certainly not ornament!

The train looked OK except for the horrible colour of the upholstery and the hideous curtains that looked as if they had been cut down from an old woman's crimpelene dress. The antimacassars looked good, very simple and tasteful, which is more than I can say for the carpet which was too 'busy' and not dark enough, it already looked dirty and shabby. The seats are fairly comfortable if you happen to be a giant, but it is impossible to use the table comfortably because the distance between the seat and the table is to great. I am a bit on the short side but not abnormally short for an adult, so I was annoyed to find that my feet didn't reach the floor when I sat down. The seats were adjustable but unfortunately it required more height than I possessed as your rear end had to be in the seat and your feet in contact with the floor to achieve the required thrusting motion. This was the first of many clues that it had been designed by a man!

Clue number two came when I visited the toilets. They are 'cosy' but I guess there is adequate space for the average contortionist to cope with the 'essentials'. It wasn't the space that bothered me as much as the poor design, the unpleasant smell and the dirty state of the facilities. The toilet tissue does not dispense correctly, it comes out in handfuls, but then it will not flush away. The sink is too low even for someone as short as me! It is not possible to see how the soap dispenser works, so you have to put your hand into the gap and feel around for the soap. This triggers the automatic tap and rewards you with wet cuffs. Then when you have wet hands you have to battle with a towel dispenser that dispenses small soggy strips of tissue, so you have to reach in and grab a few towels. For some reason the towel dispenser is above the sink so while you are doing battle with it the water from your wet hands runs down your arms and drips off your elbows! The final insult was the bin, the gap is too small to put the used paper towels in without pushing your clean fingers into the bin. I returned to my seat with wet cuffs, damp sleeves and soggy elbows, thankful that I had hand sanitizer in my handbag because I had no intention of using that sink again.

It was the bumpiest journey I have ever experienced and I didn't feel safe, even Robbie said it was a bad journey. I wanted to get off but Robbie reassured me that it would be OK.

We lost time at Cheltenham. I thought we had slipped into a parallel universe. The train stopped and the dispatcher came wandering down the stairs looking as if he had escaped from a home for the bewildered and was about ready to be dispatched himself. When he had plodded down the platform and remembered what he was there for we departed several minutes late. There was a really cute dispatcher at Bristol so that was some compensation.

Robbie had to sprint off the train at Bristol because nobody delivered the urns to the train so there had been no hot drinks available between Manchester and Bristol. Apparently the previous week there were no hot drinks available all the way from Manchester to Newquay! There had been a mix up with the reservations too, they had labelled up for the wrong train meaning that a whole first carriage was rendered unusable as the seats were labelled up for people on a different route!

As I was gazing out of the train window my eye fell on the paper notice Headed Manchester Picadilly - Newquay, I wondered why it was necessary to list the starting point, after all even the most 'challenged' traveller knows where they are when they start their journey!

We were delayed from Dawlish onward by an HST in front that was busy going nowhere. Robbie was getting seriously irritated about his timing being messed up, but it was nice to crawl along and enjoy the wonderful views. I couldn't believe that there were so many cranks scattered along the line just to take photos of an HST - what a waste of a Saturday!

We arrived at Plymouth a few minutes late and I begged Robbie to let us travel home on a Voyager, but he wouldn't hear of it. My verdict on the journey, a thumbs down to the refurbished HST and a huge thumbs down to the catering trolley. However there were highlights, the staff were all friendly and helpful and the views from the sea wall at Dawlish were as wonderful as ever.

We spent the day in Plymouth, then we set out on our return journey to Birmingham. My legs were OK just dangling for a while, but then they began to ache and by Taunton they were swollen and painful, so I had to rest them on a rucksack. We saw a kettle at Taunton, Oliver Cromwell, it looked amazing

The ride back was every bit as bumpy, I would much rather travel on a Voyager or a Pendolino, but it was a nice day out. Robbie says I am mad, apparently I don't know a good thing when I see it, he still thinks HST's are wonderful. He says we have to do the journey again soon to check that some of the problems have been put right (he is determined to make me like HST's), but he has promised to take me on a Pendolino next, so I am looking forward to that.

Train Trouble in France

A man in France got his hand sucked down a train toilet when he tried to retrieve his mobile phone from toilet. That must have taken a bit of explaining when he was rushed to hospital with the toilet still attached to his arm.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7693386.stm

The Highlight of the Day! 30.01.08

Robbie was late home and extremely talkative after his expedition to Cambridge. He met lots of people he doesn't see very often but the first thing he told me about was the re-branding of the sandwiches on West Coast!. I asked if that was the highlight of his day and he said that it was. I nudged the conversation on to what I hoped would be a more interesting direction but that led him to tell me all about the queue for the toilets at Stanstead. He should count himself lucky, if he was a woman he would be used to queuing for the toilet! Oh, and the other highlight of his day - the buffet of course!

More Bathroom Blues

After Robbie's 'help' in the bathroom on Saturday, we were left with an annoying leak from the back of the toilet. As a consequence Robbie had ear ache and finding a plumber was top of his priority list on Monday morning. I didn't think he could come to much harm armed only with the Yellow Pages - but I underestimated him! He booked a plumber and rearranged his work on Tuesday so that he could be off in the morning to be at home for the plumber; he had to work late into the evening instead.

On Tuesday morning the plumber turned up and set about rectifying the problem. I wasn't there but somehow Robbie got into conversation with him and discovered that I had known him in the course of my work some years ago. I meet some very unusual people, most of them nice, but I wouldn't necessarily trust them with my plumbing! Robbie had not only found a useless plumber, but a (hopefully ex) flasher into the bargain! Don't worry there were no nasty shocks - Robbie obviously wasn't his type! In fact the chap reassure Robbie that he was wearing his 'long johns'. As you may have deduced we still have a leak, in fact we now have two leaks! I am totally frustrated but I am determined that Robbie will get it sorted - practice makes perfect, or so they say!