Woke up to bright sunshine - had doubts about braving the replacement bus service, but decided it was too nice a day to waste. Had planned a low key trip down to Southampton, and thence to Lymington Pier. Another little branch I'd not seen before, and a bit of track through the New Forest which I'd not visited for a long time!
All ran incredibly smoothly. Noted the services running to Taunton via Westbury. Might be an interesting diversion to get a 220 or 158 along that way before the diversions are over? Brief rainstorms at Southamtpon, waiting for the chaos surrounding an earlier fatality at Redbridge to subside. Did so soon after my arrival, and it was off to Brockenhurst, and then to Lymington on a 4CEP which according to fleet lists should have been a 3CEP! Strange. I didn't hang around at Lymington Pier - not much to do for an hour there really, so headed straight back - braving the awkward "didn't I just see you?" moment with the Guard during his ticket check.
Very smooth journey back, despite getting the very same 150 I had on the way down. Almost ran out of reading material however, which would have been a disaster. Coach driver back from Temple Meads was rather boisterous, much to the concern of one or two passengers. He would bark "STAY THERE!" at them as they waited to get on whilst others alighted, then when they finally got on board would be disarmingly nice to them.
Booked hotel for an evening in Edinburgh, despite my nagging concern that Virgin have yet to deliver the free tickets promised.
Despite a fragmented and strange week, I'm left with vaguely positive feelings. Along with mild overtones of confusion and doubt. Its an unusual mixture, of the sort that only advanced office politics can generate. Had a very positive and forward-looking meeting which left me with much to consider, and more to wonder about.
No sign of free tickets from Virgin. Investigated some Edinburgh hotels, fed a friend's cat and settled in to look for trips for tomorrow. Agitated and headachy evening.
To Swindon for a Software Update Seminar from Capita, our supplier. First contact as a member of our working group, so naturally there was some confusion as to how a lowly Admissions guy would have any knowledge of XML schema! The presentation was mixed - I was very relieved to see that the Admissions stuff seemed to be ready for Co-ordination in 2005. Likewise, I was much encouraged by the move to XML data transfer between schools and us - with more sensible rules for dealing with addresses and other information which differs between the two records.
Other parts of the presentation were lacklustre, over-detailed or just plain unnecessary. Since we are paying, wondered if this was good value, but then decided it was by virtue of the fact I'm reassured about the Admissions software!
Both my taxi drivers from the station to the far-flung hotel where the seminars were held wanted to tell me about Swindon. That was actually kind of fun - the first one was particularly well informed and gave a good historical account of the social effect of the railway arriving here. Our route seemed to consist of endless, very similar looking roundabouts, so I applaud the drivers skill in knowing which traffic island he had circumnavigated at any particular juncture!
Today was the first day I've felt almost normal, so I decided it should be the day for one of my pointless but entertaining epic dashes to get mileage and new track. After haggling over a Portsmouth ticket yesterday, and coming away with a rather expensive but completely unrestricted one, I set out on the 0628 for Bristol expecting a long day.
Pleasant enough ride down to Portsmouth. Last visit I went straight to the Harbour for the ferry crossing, so this time I hopped off at Portsmouth & Southsea and explored a little around the station, which is an unusual split-level half terminus and half through station affair.
Next leg was a run up to London Waterloo via Petersfield on what turned out to be a 5WES unit. I'd forgotten how comfortable these were, and despite being based on the Mk3 coach design, how much better they'd turned out. It was also somewhere on this journey that I decided that I could get back to Portsmouth by another route later... But doing another route home meant missing out on the planned London to Guildford via Effingham Junction leg. So, on arrival at Waterloo I threw caution to the wind and made an absurd double-back to Guildford, staying for only a quick coffee and a brief potter around the station environs.
Returned to Waterloo and crossed London under a threatening bruise-like sky. Spent some time exploring and people-watching at Victoria, one of the terminii I use little - so it retains the mystery of the 'big London station' in my imagination. Wondered if I'd get 377s back, but instead got (what I think was) a 4VEP and a 4VOP. Southern units confuse me - I'm learning, and will no doubt have it sorted in time for the complete withdrawl of slam-door stock. Granted, at current rates that could give me some years however!
So, left via Gatwick and Three Bridges on a Portsmouth/Bognor Regis train, which divided at Barnham. Now, this happens all day every day, but I really felt the pain of the South Central staff - offering repeated, detailed explanations of where people should be on the train, but still finding people in the wrong place, or just plain ignoring them!
Arrived back in Portsmouth in good time for the 1724 to Bristol. Now the fun starts. It was solidly packed most of the way, and despite starting on time, leaked minutes for no reason at all! By Trowbridge we'd just stopped. Later heard that someone had been taken ill on the platform and the train preceding us had stayed until medics arrived. More delays due to lost paths near Bristol brought us in 41 late by my reckoning.
Still, I set out for an epic day, and fifteen hours of travelling later I arrived back, tired but happy enough. I've never quite been able to explain why I do this kind of thing - best guess is that it's the nice, safe suburban version of explorers who get themselves lost to see if they can get home!
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.
