Having picked up a stomach bug somewhere during the week and needing to retire hurt from work yesterday lunchtime, today's trip was uncertain right up to this morning. Crawled out of bed a little after five, feeling acceptable but not really tip top. Put that down to the unsociable hour and set out for the station in cold but dry conditions. The plan was simple enough - up the West Coast Main Line to Warrington, over to Manchester and then to Liverpool for a Pendolino trip most of the way home. The way back was to be in First Class simply because that's the only reduced rate ticket I could get hold of.
Changed for the 07:02 off Weston and secured a warm seat in the Quiet Coach. Purchased refreshments and felt much better. Managed to doze a little between Bristol and Birmingham, having slept badly. The day started dingy and got wetter and darker as we progressed northwards. Just about light enough to spot a number of DRS 37s at Basford Hall and a clutch of four 60s at Crewe station. On time at Warrington, where 92037 was stabled. Arriva connecting service astonished me by being on time for the short run via Newton-le-Willows into Piccadilly.
Feeling a little grim now, so didn't stray far from the station. Grabbed some reading matter so I could just sit quietly somewhere for a bit. Heavy police presence meant that 'lurking' around the station was discouraged it seems. Rebooked and headed for a Liverpool train, which would give me more time to wander around there. Central's fast service was 22 down so settled for 150228 on a Northern Trains stopper. This unit had frankly seen better days. The 3+2 seating and livery did give me a brief and unpleasant recollection of how Wessex's 150s used to look. Some blessings to count I suppose!
Lime Street station hasn't changed much since I last visited. It's still a strange mix of busy local station and important mainline terminus. Not quite sure which it is, but acceptable at both. Stomach feeling much worse now, so attempted to walk it off by venturing into the city. Lots of the work on refreshing the centre of Liverpool was still ongoing when I last visited. In fairness, some of it still isn't finished - but the European Capital of Culture 2008 status seems to be moving things along. Despite feeling really awful, managed to detect the strange note of optimism which always strikes me here. Didn't wander far from Lime Street as I was concerned I wouldn't make it back! Ended up watching football and scrolling BBC news on a huge screen in the city centre - including a memorable story about a radio chat show caller who died on air. Strange the things which grab you when you're nursing a bellyache in a drizzly Merseyside shopping centre! Headed back to the station, and found a strange little second-hand book shop on the approach. It was incredibly cold inside, with the proprietor and his friend in huge anoraks and gloves, huddled around an electric heater and nursing mugs of tea. Browsed for a while before settling on an interesting volume entitled London in the Country - The Growth of Suburbia. I'm sure there were more treasures to be had, but I didn't feel up to the hunt.
Back to the station with a bit of time to kill before the 15:03 Pendolino, so got some tea and read for awhile. Being warm seemed to help a bit, so I boarded the train as soon as it was available. The concept of First Class being at the front in London is fine, except it means that at Lime Street its stuck out of the end of the recently refurbished roof, in the mouth of a damp tunnel and most of the way to Edge Hill. Got damp, but boarded safely. Alone in the front carriage of 390001, warm, comfortable and feeling a lot better. Smooth ride back to Stafford in the deepening gloom with only a slightly exaggerated tilt around Weaver Junction to stir up my stomach troubles!
Took my only photograph of the day at Stafford in failing light. Quick change onto the following Pendolino which was heading for New Street. Again, only a couple of people in the carriage. Managed to doze off on the seemingly endless stretch between Wolverhampton and New Street. On arrival a quick hop over to the Plymouth-bound Voyager which took me right back to Weston. First Class on the Voyager was a little busier but still comfortable and restful. Over the bridge at Weston and onto the 19:15 for home. Arrived feeling sleepy and pretty grim, but glad I'd done the trip despite my concerns. Time for some much earned sleep...
First trip of the year, and a much needed opportunity to get out and about. The plan was to explore Northampton a little. Set out on what would be my normal commuter service, travelling to Weston to rebook for Northampton. Time for a quick chat with staff at Weston before heading out in dry but misty conditions for Birmingham. Excellent running all the way, but limited success at getting my GPS receiver to work on the train. Arrived at New Street to find the London end closed entirely, with the station being worked as a terminus. Things were running suprisingly smoothly given the frequency and complexity of movements involved. Spent a little while watching things, before buying food and heading off to locate my service for Northampton.
This was also my first chance to sample the new Class 350 'Desiro' units. I'm not clear what sort of unit they're actually meant to be? Are they running commuter services for Central or providing the ex-Virgin inter-city service to Liverpool? They end up doing rather well at a combination of both, stopping everywhere from Northampton to Birmingham, then heading up the West Coast Main Line to the North West. Luckily they are surprisingly comfortable and spacious units which seem capable of speedy acceleration, and are incredibly quiet. An improvement on the rather tired ex-Silverlink 321s which previous operated the service to Northampton.
Due to the closure, out of New Street via the Stour Valley, follwed by a quick right turn at Soho South Junction. Another right-hander at Perry Barr and onto the freight-only chord for Stechford - a bit of new track for me, and a good start to the bashing year! Weather deteriorating into a damp, drizzly and dark afternoon. On crossing the green and sickly looking River Nene and arriving at a very depressing looking Northampton, decided that exploration wasn't a good idea as I'd form a very bad opinion of the place due to the prevailing conditions. Instead, rebooked again and boarded a Silverlink unit for Milton Keynes, which would enable me to complete the loop of track to Hanslope Junction, which I'd omitted to do over a decade ago and had no need or opportunity to cover since! Milton Keynes perhaps even more depressing than Northampton, so after a coffee and a wander around the bleak and windswept square outside the station I headed back for the next unit up to Northampton. This highlighted the silliness of splitting the London Euston-Birmingham New Street stopping service. Why operate two separate halves of what was previously a successful single service? It's all of course down to inter-operator politics and the seemingly random whim of the Strategic Rail Authority.
Arrived back at New Street a little late, but noted that my planned connection was also around 25 late, allowing comfortable time for a connection. As the situation developed, it appeared that the 6V36 Lackenby-Margam freight working had expired at Bordesley Junction. So concerned were Virgin at the one line into New Street from the north being blocked, that they volunteered 57307 'Lady Penelope' to assist. The only slight problem with this laudable effort was that she wasn't quite up to the job, causing further delays and much embarassment! Massive confusion at New Street, particularly with what promised to be a dangerously overloaded Cambridge-bound service. Central Trains thoughtfully provided an additional train in this case.
With 6V36 safely tucked in at Saltley, things began to move. Debated waiting for the following Plymouth service, but in the event squeezed on to the 16:33 service - now delayed by 95 minutes. Lucky that I did, as the following services became snarled up at New Street and ran even later. Arrived at Temple Meads around 17:30 with the next connection to Highbridge not leaving until 20:55. Tried to persuade Virgin that it was their job to get me home, to no avail. A chilly and boring end to an otherwise interesting day.
Since the millenium, I've not customarily observed the new year celebration. This year, I wandered out for a couple of pints, but soon found I was a little out of place propping up the bar on such a festive night. Returned home to watch TV and eat too much. This year London's fireworks were impressive, finally making up for the damp squib of 2000 when the world was puzzled by our alleged 'River of Fire' which failed to burn. Otherwise, it was a case of attempting to decipher the strange ramblings of Andrew Marr - the BBC's man in Edinburgh - as he ranted incomprehensibly about hogmonay to Natasha Kaplinsky!
Having returned to work for the strange limbo days between Christmas and New Year, I'm restless for the rest of the world to return to normality, and along with it for the railway to return to its usual timetable. I've spent much of the holiday season happily helping out my family and contentedly spending time with my nephew, but I'm sorely in need of a rail trip to blow away some cobwebs and generally just see different places. Naturally, these past few months I've felt reluctant to take leave, and I suspect that this will remain the case for a while longer. I miss the strange expeditions which I usually make on weekdays when the rest of the world is busy with its usual activity. So I'm loosely planning a trip to Northampton tomorrow based on a poorly-remembered journey ten years ago and curiousity aroused by mentions in Iain Sinclair's Edge of the Orison.
There are some immediately obvious challenges this coming year, and despite some shaky times over Christmas where nervous contemplation of the year to come overcame me, I think I'm probably ready for them. In my usual way however, I'll be worrying about the tiny details while the big issues are looming overhead!
I recall writing about the rather humbling realisation last year that the festive season was important, if only for the sense of belonging to a family. The past year has tested everyone one in my family beyond expectation, but despite even the most recent setbacks, we all turned out for what was perhaps the strangest Christmas Day on record for us. We overcame some of the practical problems, and managed to involve my father who was uncomfortably nursing his injured foot elsewhere in the house. Once again, my nephew stole the show and kept everyone on their toes. Perhaps the most rewarding time was a half-hour spent sitting on the kitchen floor playing with magnetic numbers on the freezer, with him repeating the numbers after me before sweeping them onto the floor. Surreally, he pronounced the 'equals' sign as 'eagles' which appealed to my sense of humour and ended with us both giggling uncontrollably.
Despite mostly living so close to each other, we're not often together for more than a few minutes at a time. Thinking back over the past year, and looking forward with a degree of trepidation, I'll confess there were moments when I could barely control my emotions this Christmas. Channelled some of this excess of energy into an endeavour my mother has long wished to undertake - the tracing of the family tree. So, spent much of today knee deep in Census records and mananged to trace a couple of the branches back to the 1850s, with the help of my grandmother's unfailing memory. I sense this project will start to involve and obsess us increasingly - and I'm already feeling a pull towards a small village in Worcestershire which seems to hold the key to my origins. Once again I'm substituting topography for spirituality.
I suspect that as a result of this entry I'll be asked once again if I'm a 'convert to Christmas'. Well, I'm not - there has been no Dickensian visitation here to cause a turnaround. I'm more convinced, in fact, than ever about my atheism. But a holiday when no-one has anywhere else to be but here is always going to be a good thing in my book.
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.
