Like old times - leaving work early and heading for the station. An uneventful ride up to Bristol, then time to wedge myself into a packed Voyager bound for Warrington, which stayed busy and uncomfortably warm almost all of the way. Ground to a halt at Smethwick, but soon on our way and making up time. The plan had been Pathfinder's Rutland Renegade tour, but I found out this was cancelled last weekend. During the week I managed to get myself sorted enough to utilise my Warrington ticket and hotel booking, and to book a trans-pennine jaunt for today, if nothing else just to preserve the record for new track this year.
Arrived in the dark at a very spooky looking Warrington Bank Quay, with the Unilever works belching out smoke and lit by halogen lamps from below. From the station, set out roughly in the right direction for the Travellodge, but played it mostly by instinct as there seemed to be no hope of a satellite to guide me tonight. Finally found the hotel, checked in and left to wander into the town centre. There was quite a bit of the industrial-era grandeur I'd expected - the baths and the municipal museum in particular. Aside from that, the centre of town was quiet and slightly menacing. Every pub seemed to have a disco on, but no-one was dancing. Searched for somewhere that sold cask ale but didn't have ear-splitting music blaring. Compromised on The Bluebell - still pretty loud, but the DJ seemed to have fairly good taste. Settled down with a pint and watched the world go by. There was something strangely comforting and northern about the place - the pretty barmaid had a pronounced limp, the girls drank pints, and the landlord carried a big bunch of keys on his belt. I'm almost convinced that the bouncers who spent the evening drinking massive mugs of steaming weak tea were actually off-duty PE teachers. The beer wasn't great, but I enjoyed my short stay.
Walked back to the hotel via the makeshift bus station, and through the bowels of a half-built shopping centre. There isn't much to love about Warrington, but there's little to dislike.
Lost::MikeGTN
I've had a home on the web for more years than I care to remember, and a few kind souls persuade me it's worth persisting with keeping it updated. This current incarnation of the site is centred around the blog posts which began back in 1999 as 'the daylog' and continued through my travels and tribulations during the following years.
I don't get out and about nearly as much these days, but I do try to record significant events and trips for posterity. You may also have arrived here by following the trail to my former music blog Songs Heard On Fast Trains. That content is preserved here too.
