As planned, set out to do the Great Western diversion - with South Wales bound services going via Stroud and Gloucester as the tunnel was closed. Comparatively late start from Weston, and a nice quiet run out to Swindon. A quick same-platform change to a Swansea service, and the sun comes out once again in the Stroud Valley!
Swift running to Newport, and chance for coffee at last. Newport is eerily quiet - combination of Sunday services and nothing much running through the tunnel. Flagged a Great Western going back the way I came, and settled on an Arriva stopper to Gloucester which gave me more chance to enjoy views of the castle in Chepstow and to catch a glimpse of preserved 73002 at Lydney.
Gloucester was a little busier, and allowed me the chance to relax in the sunshine for a while before getting a Wessex service back to Bristol. Chatted briefly to the driver before departure. We were scheduled to go via Hallen once again (seventh time around the diversion for me!). This time we were due to call at Clifton Down too, but the Bristol crew who took over at Parkway clearly had other ideas, and once again we skipped this additional stop. A sleepy and rather too warm journey, but pleasant nonetheless.
Wandered around an almost deserted Temple Meads for a while. Contemplated a trip out to Salisbury, but concluded that this would give me endless difficulties and tricky connections later. Resolved instead to take a short break, then reschedule my Monday visit to my parents in Highbridge.
Turned up at the station in time to watch the 1837 train to Highbridge get later and later - eventually arriving 43 minutes down due to a failure in Bristol Getting back however was painless, and I later calculated that in over 900 miles - many of them over congested diversionary routes, this was my only real problem!
Very sleepy - its been a long weekend.
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.
