There is an almost universal rule in planning trips around this early part of the year, which says at some point I'll end up in Cambridge. This is partly because it makes for a pleasantly long, circular journey when done right - using track I neglect at other times of the year. It's also because doing so means a bit of time in London, which is a rare pleasure amid other trips - though promises to be fairly commonplace in the coming few weeks. On the last couple of visits though, Cambridge has offered new things - the guided busway and the new Class 379s last time, and this time a chance to see the completed new platform in use after a rather quick and efficient build.
The day began with one of the textbook beginnings I've adopted in recent times - the early train to Bristol, catching up on news and social networking from the last few days, then breakfast at Bristol cursing Starbucks for the truculence around opening times. I was pleased to see that the phantom seat-stealer wasn't around today as I don't think I could have stomached a scramble for my booked pew this morning, so it was onto 1M21 to Birmingham, watching the sun slowly rise and listening to music. A cracking start to the day in fact, after a tricky few days at work. Had a bit longer than usual at Birmingham so I grabbed a coffee and watched the station coming to life. I never tire of busy stations, and there is something special about being relaxed and quiet while the crowds buzz around. Down to the platform for the 09:22 which was a little late arriving and performed a very swift turn-around, causing lots of silly seat reservation related frustration. Found a comfortable spot and settled in, noting that someone on the platform had already had a heavy day, as a drunk sprawled alongside the train with a couple of Network Rail staff trying to stop him wandering away until we'd left. Finally off, taking the familiar route through Nuneaton and Leicester before heading onto the rural section via Melton Mowbray. It had been a little while since I'd done this, and it was interesting to spot the changes as we headed south and east.
After noting a load of locos lined up at Peterborough and the customary one stabled at March, I settled in for the last bit of the journey. The unit was getting busy with daytrippers for Cambridge, and I was restless to stretch my legs. We soon arrived on the new island platform after a slow, lurching switch over to the left of the alignment. Cambridge has always had a curious one-platform with a middle crossover arrangement, with a couple of bays at each end for good measure, and this solution using a bit of the stabling yard had been talked about for years before finally getting built. Noted a few passengers looking bewildered and asking for Platform 8 though! I'd decided not to head into the busy city this time noting that the busway was still a building site at this end, and contented myself with a spot of lunch on the windy platform, awaiting the train to Kings Cross which was booked, apparently into Platform 0. Resisted temptation to board a shiny 379 for Liverpool Street once or twice.
In the event, the train didn't make it into Platform 0, instead bumbling over to No.3 on arrival. It was a pleasant journey down, made more amusing by how much my presence in First Class seemed to annoy the couple who arrived seconds before departure and glared at me for being present. They were visibly upset when the ticket check failed to see me thrown out of the train too. The run down the southern end of the East Coast Main Line isn't one I do often, and for that reason it's always an interesting one - certainly in comparison to the northern sections which I see more of! At Kings Cross, I wandered into the walkway through the new ticket hall. The sweep of the building was visible, and the large open space was pretty impressive. With the main trainshed roof cleaned and the concourse opened out, there is a light airy feel to the whole station, and this new section promised to change the station into a nicer spot to hang around. I do miss the cafe in the corner where I ended up eating an obscenely big breakfast after the sleeper one morning though! Outside the station I found myself wandering into the area behind the station which was buried behind hoardings. The 'small print' on these reminded you that you should use this private area responsibly, and the moment a down-on-his-luck type stumbled into view, a couple of skinny security goons in ill-fitting blue caps scurried out of nowhere to escort him back to the road. After making a couple of 'phonecalls, I quickly headed back to civilisation and made for refuge on a bus.
Finding myself heading down Farringdon Road, I decided to hop off south of the river and have a look at Blackfriars Station, now spanning the Thames, covering the full length of the bridge - the first London station to do so. The Thames Path was busy, a jazz band pelting out tunes under Blackfriars Bridge, and a stream of people enjoying what had become an unseasonably warm, sunny afternoon. I descended the stairs onto the shingle shoreline, littered with shells and debris. There were a surprising number of folks strolling along the waters edge, the ferries and pleasure boats sending waves against the stones. Took some pictures of the city under the piers of the bridge, before heading back to the path and struggling against the crowd to Tate Modern, then over the busy Millennium Bridge to St.Pauls. Instinctively hopped on a bus again - a No.26 which took me through the city and onwards towards Shoreditch and eventually to South Hackney. I bailed just before it turned East for the Wick, electing to wander over to London Fields station for a run back into Liverpool Street. It was now very warm and sunny, and I was enjoying just being out and about in London for the first time in a while.
From Liverpool Street, it was time to start heading back - albeit a little early. In the event this was a good thing, as after picking up the 205 bus on Houndsditch due to the Crossrail works and getting delayed heavily in the diversion along Beech Street to Old Street, the route was curtailed to terminate at Marylebone. Weighed up my options, bailing at Great Portland Street for the short tube trip to Paddington and a pleasant coffee before heading home on the usual train. Today was a varied and rather busy one - and probably not quite what I'd had in mind when I set out. All the best ones end up like that somehow!
Move the station, move the landmark, build relations, build a carpark... 19 years ago
Posted in Railways on Saturday 3rd March 2007 at 11:58pm
It's been a long day. For the first time in a long time I've been out on service trains rather than on organised railtours. I really enjoy the time I spend anonymously using the railway network - the opportunities to people-watch, the ever-changing scenery and most of all the chance to discover odd little corners of this country, which is in a sense what set me off on these journeys over a decade ago. Today I was accompanied by another local crank who had expressed an interest in a jaunt to the northwest. The events of last Friday didn't directly affect our plans, but there was a sense of quiet on the network - particularly in the Virgin services we used - presumably because people heading north of Lancaster were travelling by other means rather than mass desertion of the network due to safety concerns. My objective was Blackpool South. Not glamourous and not exciting - but it's needed doing for many years and today was to be the day.
Stumbled blearily onto the platform at Highbridge to catch the 06:33 as far as Weston. This meant an easy interchange with the 06:59 which today was going as far as Preston. Sought out a comfortable seat in the quiet coach and settled in for the journey northwards. Even having done the trip to Glasgow less than a month ago, I still enjoyed the ride. There is something special about the journey from here to the Midlands and the West Coast Mainline for me - perhaps it's to do with the transition from rural south west to industrial north west, and then into the strange and desolate Pennine landscape? Perhaps it's just because it was so inaccessible and distant when I first began tramping around the network? In either case, managed to snooze and chat through the journey to Birmingham, arriving via Camp Hill and passing 40145 on its' trip to mid-Wales as we crept into New Street. A photograph would have been impossible, but it was a pleasure to see the gleaming locomotive in the glorious sunshine which had developed as the morning wore on.
Running about 25 late now due to a driverless freight back at Bristol Parkway, we seemed to make better time north of Stafford and were soon passing Basford Hall Yard and the other remains of Crewe's railway history. The familiar run through Warrington, Wigan and to Preston has always enthralled me . Much of the line seems to march on high viaducts over the flood plain of the Mersey, with wide views of the industry which crowds around the estuary to the west. In particular, Fiddlers Ferry Power station dominates the scene. Arrived in Preston a little later than planned, where platform 5 seemed to be operating as the terminus for all Cross Country services.
Once my colleague had stopped salivating over seeing his first 185, immediately up to the ticket office and after a brief panic about change for the ticket machine, rebooked for Blackpool South. These services only run once each hour and I didn't intend to miss this opportunity to cover the track. Down to platform 1 in time to watch a Transpennine 185 depart for Blackpool North. Amazed to see how many people had flagged this for the much slower South service, but soon realised that this was the first train which arrives after opening time at the Pleasure Beach which also explained why we were some of the oldest people on the train. The rather tired looking Northern 156 coped admirably with the crowds though, and I didn't feel anywhere near as claustrophobic as I have on some of the local units in the south west at peak times. Most of the train bailed as predicted at Pleasure Beach, and things were much more comfortable for the last three quarters of a mile, except for those sitting near where an over-excited teenager had vomited profusely in the aisle. Welcome to Blackpool!
I've made no secret of my dislike for the north's premier family holiday spot. Despite needing this relatively simple-to-get piece of track, it's taken me ten years or so to come back and visit. My last visit, also in March as I recall, was damp and grey. I'd also managed to book myself into a Christian B&B - and when I went to the cinema to cheer myself up ended up watching the less than life-affirming Trainspotting! The place still looked and felt tired, tattered and vaguely menacing - even after the allowances I make having grown up partly in a seaside town. As we set out to walk to Blackpool North, things appeared to be pretty much unchanged here. After pausing for the 'Engineering Tram' to pass by, we set off on a half-remembered route northwards towards the Tower. Navigating around seaside towns is simplified greatly by their linear topography and the fact that many of them were built to late Victorian geometric patterns of town planning. Despite the angry motorists, got us to the town's busier station in time for a fast train to Preston. Here, my travelling companion discovered a 'feature' of the new style ticket machine popping up over the network: if the machine has no change available, it wisely won't accept notes, but should you tender coins in excess of the value it spits the whole lot back and forces you to start again! A few more hilarious moments as pockets were delved and coins shuffled to produce exactly the right fare back to Preston. We made the train with moments to spare, and were soon enjoying the comfort of a 185 on a fairly quick run back.
Spent a couple of hours trying to get some shots at a fairly quiet Preston station. The low but powerful sun made this fairly tricky, and the problems further up the line meant far fewer services were passing this way. Entertainment provided by a steady stream of units in a motley collection of liveries, then just time to grab a bite to eat before heading for our Voyager back to Birmingham. Everything ran smoothly until Wolverhampton, where we were unexpectedly diverted via Bescot, returning to the Stour Valley Line at Soho. No explanation was offered, but it made us just late enough to miss our booked connection. Made the trip upstairs to get our tickets endorsed by Virgin, then back for the 17:40 to Bristol. Predictably this arrived in Bristol just minutes after the train home, and we had an hour or so to wait. It was a pleasant enough evening for it, and I was happy enough watching goings on at Temple Meads. My colleague however became quite frustrated by the wait, and eventually wandered off leaving me to contentedly lounge with a coffee, before snagging a prime 'ex first class' seat on the unit when it arrived.
A strange day in the north, but track scratched and nice weather means I'm happy enough. Might think twice about travelling with certain others in future though, as I clearly cause them distress with my erratic ramblings and strange notions!
Got up early and completed essay. Not entirely convinced it's my best work, but its done on time and before my trip - so I'm pleased. Bumped into work people in town and gossiped a little. Some difficult news from a friend later. Visited, managed to get myself pretty mad about the situation, not convinced I was much use. Later, off to the Playhouse to see Charlotte Gray - interesting film, wonderfully shot - has the strange side-effect of making me want to live in France - which was probably not the intention. Pleasant chat afterwards. Early start looms.
Daylog Entry for Sunday 03/03/2002 24 years ago
Posted in Updates on Sunday 3rd March 2002 at 12:00am
Went to Burnham, then on my return persuaded my parents to tour various bits of Weston with me. Spent a lot of time helping (well, hindering) Scizzo in the creation of a potential GNOME2 splash screen. I really like it, and that it is a picture of Bristol is pretty funny/nice. Looks like Scizzo will be coming to the UKUUG event in July too. Huge cleaning and tidying session this afternoon also which was much needed and quite therapeutic in some ways. Got a feature request for gtkdial which I hacked up a response to pretty quickly, after a tiny brush with X libs. Feel like its been a productive day, despite most of the work not being mine.
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.
