Frothers Travels

Well an interesting week to say the least.

My trip abroad was a disaster as I landed in Paris off the Eurostar having dined as a guest, eating Duck pate/Beef Venison and some nice pud and stilton. two half bottles of wine and I managed a full blown chunder and a case of the trotskys.

Bad enough when you are at home, when you have no hotel and are planning to travel overnight to Stuttgart its no fun, a quick visit to the Ibis, one room secured and a night of up and downs later, I came back home on the 1143 Eurostar game over for the weekend,

The only highlight Sunday evening was watching the Who live at the Electric Ballroom, particularly awesome was Baba O'Reilly.

back to work and a steady week, including doing some Ceefax work for the BBC, really dull today, not alot going on glad its POETS day.

Train delays have been the usual niggling ones

this week

Mon 26 late from Oakham 17 late from Peterborough PM 2 late from peterborough

Tues 1 late 6 late On time and 10 late respectively.

wed 2 late 1 late on time and 9 late with 100 odd standing as Midland Main Line punters for Leicester diverted via Peterborough, saw a friendly face from my old MML commuting days who is involved in the bidding for the new cross Country franchise, hope he took note that 2 car trains are no effing good on this route.

Thurs 9 late 34 late 2 late and 1 late.

Fri so far 3 late 33 late

So far caught 18 trains this week, total delay of those trains 156 minutes. Unbelievable.................

Although I have only actually been just over 20 minutes late in total getting home!

Have fun.................

Last night was a regular Thursday curry night, I caught the 1730 from the X which was late boarding and then followed the 1733 through Stevenage arriving in Posh 10 late.

I already knew the 1955 from Posh to Oakham was cancelled no driver, just for a change, aimed for the 2040 which was 7 late.

The 1750 from the Cross was cancelled and the 1803 was running on one power car and had a 47 late start being overtaken at Posh by the 1850 Leeds. The 47 late start was caused by refuelling the HST at Bounds Green.

Another messy night for GNEr, this morning a signal failure at Loughborough caused the 0704 from oakham to be 10 late, the 0746 from Posh to the X was 4 late, arriving early in the smoke.

i am off to Germany overnight tonight, wind permitting, thats the howling type and not the effects of last nights curry.

Back sunday, I hope the couchette is not inhabited by a snoring indian like it was a few weeks back when I last caught this train. I have some ear plugs just in case.

No music references to report as such, have some C90 tapes to listen to from Monday nights Lamacq programme and wednesday nights Jo whiley live shows, the only radio One I listen to these days.

Any decent toons will be noted down.

Toodle pip

well after several thousand kilometres and a few weeks of hectic goings on, its time to have another blog or three.

The usual rants about late running and cancelled trains as well as the power of guitar and drum will no doubt help to fill a ramble or two.

This morning I wanted to make a little time up at the office as I am leaving at 4 tomorrow, heading off to Germany via the Paris-Munchen night train and of course eurostar.

Got to Oakham station to be met by Patrick loading his car up, he cheerily told me the 0637 was delayed at Leicester and I was welcome to a lift which I quickly accepted.

I popped my head round the booking office window and was told the 0545 had been cancelled and the 0637 was now 22 late, lucky things lifts, after a speedy journey to peterborough I was on the 0720 and reading my paper. It was a tad warm, in fact it resembled a sauna.

This train travel is tedious to the extreme that again I have no delays to harp on about,last night Midland Main Line and Central Trains ran on time and delivered me safely home on time.

This morning Central were 6 minutes late, again unusual for the 0704 to let me down, GNER ran a few minutes late , time was made up by Kings Cross due to the slack timings within the timetable.

Maybe I should be quiet as I have to get home yet, its a grey day here in the smoke, the rain has set in, I have no coat nevermind.

No startling musical comments today, listened to the Automatic playing live on Jo Whiley's new Wednesday night show, they are certainly a very good live band, have seen them twice this year to back that up, but whats this rap song sh1te that they insist on doing a Kanye West cover come on chaps snap out of it.

OH WELL A BORING DAY DESERVES A BORING BLOG, HAD TO USE MY WHEAT HEAT PAD A FEW TIMES TODAY AS MY DAMAGED SHOULDER AND SIDE HAVE PLAYED ME UP CHRONIC, STILL i GIVE A THUMBS UP TO THEM AS THE TREATMENT WORKS.

Even had a colleague(Ruth) saying she wanted to buy one as she is forever cold in the office and a similar one will keep her warm, (Bless)

Just realised left caps lock on silly me. Oh nearly forgot the lovely Polish girl in the caff at lunch time told me they had no cabbage to have with my roast beef etc but couldn't pronounce Broccoli which caused us both much merrirment as I thought she meant Brussels easy mistake I spose.

cheerybye

An uneventful journey home last night, GNER and Central both ran to time, I listened to the new Killers CD which is good but not as good as the excellent Hot Fuss,or the fuss generated by the music hacks it deserves
a 7 out of 10.

Coming in this morning an uneventful journey both trains on time, although when I arrived on my Central Diddly Doo from Oakham at 0735 the 0615 and 0710 to East Anglia occupied platform 5, seemingly delayed by a freight train failure East of Posh. Nice one if you wanted to get to Norwich for brekkie or Stansted for a flight?

Enjoyed the excellent Dirty Pretty Things album travelling up this morning, work was OK although a colleague has a dodgy knee and was subjected to some tests by the NHS before retiring home for a well earned lie down, sounds like it could have been worrying though with DVT mentioned and then discounted.

Tonight I am going to have a change of scenery and travel back Midland Main Line as the 1730 Cross to Edinburgh is shown as an HST in trust, might as well enjoy some MML thrash tonight, pity it stops at Bedford though, it will be wedged until then.

more to follow tomorrow, REM the IRS years are on the music box going home tonight what a classic CD a definite 9 out of 10.

Caught the 1900 home on Monday evening very quiet until two obnoxious Geordies got in and flouted the no mobile quiet coach rule in Coach B , still they soon fell asleep thankfully and that was that. Trains ran on time to Peterborough and my friend Central Trains got me home on time most surprisingly as well.

Tuesday morning was also incident free, Central and GNER ran to time and I traded insults with my friend from Network Rail who bailed out and went home to Retford last Thursday after the wires came down (again) when I persisted and won by arriving at work at 1140, he spent the day doing nothing, although the beer in the Crown whetted his whistle seemingly.
I think he was impressed with my journey and the double decker bus amused him greatly.

Interesting few days after Thursdays shenanigans

Thursday evening went to see OK GO, play a short set at HMV they turned up late having got lost coming down Oxford Street from the Astoria which is outside Tottenham Court Road tube station. Quite easy to get lost if you are a septic band I presume???

Anyway this put me on the 1930 which was half full and home ten minutes late as my friends at Central Trains like to regularly run late if at all this is not uncommon.

Friday was Larrikin Love day they are a good band who have an excellent future, thats twice I have seen them live this week. Got a bit sweaty though as the atmosphere was volcanic and the mosh frenetic.

Saturday saw me reunited with another group of friends and Pathfinder, a most interesting day was had albeit frustrating.

Sunday, where did the morning go, the afternoon saw my friends Central Trains run very overcrowded still two carriages on such a core route is no surprise, perhaps they could take out the seats and make the trains similar in design to a bendy bus they both run around full to capacity anyway.

Monday 2nd back to work, my 0704 from oakham was delayed 16 minutes due to a failed preceding train, I spoke to soon when I said it always runs on time!

Caught the 0804 from Peterborough which was Back to Front ie the loco leading and coach B next to the buffers on arrival at Kings Cross, this caught a lot of people out including the Train announcer at Peterborough who showed the train as being first class rear on the monitors and then proceded to announce it as being first class leading whoops did we larf when people realised and then did the dance of the wildebeast running around like headless chickens on the platform, my seat was comfortable thanks.

Interesting journey today, my usual commute home to office takes 2 hours, including a visit to Tescos for Breakfast.

This morning I managed 4 hours 40 minutes.

Journey started off perfectly, I caught my usual 0704 train this was on time, it is usually I have to say and got to peterborough to see a full platform 4. The 0704 to Edinburgh was late, this duly arrived and departed 35 late, Popped in to speak to the Station Supervisor who happily gave me the news that the wires were down at Hornsey and he had no idea about trains to London or the North for that matter after the next two trains from Kings Cross departed Peterborough.

Being used to this sort of thing I decided to persist and sat on the 0740 to London with a guy from Network Rail who I occasionally trade insults with.

After 15 minutes of comedy announcements, the train was terminated and returned North to Leeds.

To be honest no one knew what was happening and as we decamped on to the platform along with several hundred other happy commuters a decision had to be made go via Cambridge and Liverpool Street or head home or go via Leicester to St Pancras.

After a bit of dithering a message came over the station staffs radios to say that a delayed FCC service was going to depart, I made my mind up and opted to go normal route, eventually a GNER train the 0804 turned up at 0910 and left ten minutes later. I was quite happy two seats and plenty of room, we braked for stevenage and came to a stop.

I heard the train doors released straight away and then an announcement that the train was being terminated, I was not at all impressed as at no time was this ever suggested when at peterborough or en route, good old GNER pulling the wool over the commuters eyes.

now what to do next, go back home, not an option as I had got this far or make alternative arrangements, the queue for the bus to Luton that was being provided as an option was horrendous, I rang work for suggested other options and was told that a bus was running from welwyn garden City to St Albans or a shuttle was running to New Barnet where you could make your own way to High barnet.

Luckily a local diddly doo FCC train arrived and I jumped on that to WGC and circumnaviagted the shopping centre to find the alternative bus, an ex London transport tatty Olympian that had seen better days. Still I was on the move we duly set off in convoy with a coach which had also seen better days and had a run down the A1 and A414 to St Albans where we all decamped and had a few minutes to wait for a fast Thameslink train to Kings Cross arrival 1130 instead of 0843on a better day.

The level of info offered was horrendous the preferred suggestion being go back home always you can use your ticket tomorrow, whoopee doo I thought my ticket is valid for tomorrow and the next day and so on

GNER staff offered the usual slick no information at Peterborough on the train and at Stevenage, this was because they had none or very little, FCC staff at least came out in force several yellow jacket staff stood on platform 3 at Peterborough with very little or no info and at least at WGC and St Albans someone was on hand with directions.

needless to say I got into work and a colleague on lates rolled in 40 minutes later having completed the same journey in 50 mins from Peterborough as all was well.

Cheers then..................... lets hope the return is uneventful.

Lets see how we get along.