Oh dear! Virgin train from Glasgow broke down about a mile north of Stafford - brakes suddenly locked on! We knew it was serious when the engines were turned off, the lights were dimmed and all went very quiet! I'm just glad I was on a Virgin train and not a Virgin flight!!! Yikes!!
However - to be fair to Virgin, we limped into Stafford station and they got another train to Stafford within about 20-25 minutes. I couldn't work out where they had the spare train and driver ready for such an event until it actually arrived. Our train heading south from Glasgow to Birmingham was on the north end of platform 6 and the "spare" train came heading north into the south end of Platform 6. It was then I worked it out.
That train detials said it was going to Glasgow - so once stopped a couple of hundred passengers disembarked and rushed up the platform to get onto our old train - meanwhile the 5 remaining passengers for Birmingham (everyone else had jumped onto other trains heading out of Stafford) headed for their old train - and within a few minutes we were on our way - 5 of us in a 5 coach train!!
So we got sorted but what happened to the couple of hundred who got on our train who were heading for Glasgow? If the brakes were jammed on where was that training going? I suggested to one of the Virgin staff maybe because it is a two engined train (one at the front and one at the back) it could go back the way it came using the engine at the other end - but she said the brakes went throughout the train - so maybe they're now sitting on our old train wondering why everything is so quiet and they haven't left Stafford!! Could be a long wait!
Anyone got a spare steam engine!!!
Thursday, 3 February 2011
Glasgow's finest?
Had an hour spare at Glasgow central station before catching train home today so went to the old Glasgow Grand Station Hotel - originally built in 1880's and just reopened after major refurb. Champagne bar (no - doesn't only serve bubbly) is excellent - however that wasn't the Glasgow's finest - that was reserved for the 4 ladies who came in and sat on the next table in the lounge.
They were dripping with furs and obviously "well heeled"! Got through a bottle of pink champers in less time than it will take me to write this and were all leaning well forward to discuss (confidentially) all their interests.
But the one that really struck me was the lady with long, very well styled white (grey or blond??) hair - probably in her 60's - whose well manicured finger nails were so long I was surprised she didn't poke her eye our when she blew her nose, and who's coat probably cost more that this laptop!
She wore 36" heels (OK I exaggerate a bit) with huge bows on the shoes and a skirt far too short for a lady of her age - oh and her coat, shoes etc where the same tint as her hair!
She probably thought she was the "bees knees" but I just felt she would have looked better if she had not tried to look 20 years younger than she was and had checked the mirror before she had come out!
I'm sure she is a very nice lady - just struck me as someone who was shouting "look at me" - trouble is I think everyone did and then thought "what the heck...."
Oh well - it takes all sorts!!
They were dripping with furs and obviously "well heeled"! Got through a bottle of pink champers in less time than it will take me to write this and were all leaning well forward to discuss (confidentially) all their interests.
But the one that really struck me was the lady with long, very well styled white (grey or blond??) hair - probably in her 60's - whose well manicured finger nails were so long I was surprised she didn't poke her eye our when she blew her nose, and who's coat probably cost more that this laptop!
She wore 36" heels (OK I exaggerate a bit) with huge bows on the shoes and a skirt far too short for a lady of her age - oh and her coat, shoes etc where the same tint as her hair!
She probably thought she was the "bees knees" but I just felt she would have looked better if she had not tried to look 20 years younger than she was and had checked the mirror before she had come out!
I'm sure she is a very nice lady - just struck me as someone who was shouting "look at me" - trouble is I think everyone did and then thought "what the heck...."
Oh well - it takes all sorts!!
Wednesday, 2 February 2011
On (another) train
This time going from Birmingham to Glasgow. Nice in 1st class (and if you buy your ticket in advance and with a railcard cheaper than standard 2nd class!) - even get wine!
So I'm sitting here, with my Virgin lunch (cheese sarnie and bag of crisps) and the lady in charge of the carriage says "Would you like a cold drink?"
"Yes please," says I, "could I have a glass of white wine?"
"White?" she confirms?
"Yes please!"
- she then walks the rest of the carriage (4 seats - no-one else there), turns - and stops by me and says "Did you say white or red?"
"White" I repeat for the third time!!
Good job they give you a tumbler full!
Listening is a skill we can ALL practice!
Oh, by the way - she brought red!!!
So I'm sitting here, with my Virgin lunch (cheese sarnie and bag of crisps) and the lady in charge of the carriage says "Would you like a cold drink?"
"Yes please," says I, "could I have a glass of white wine?"
"White?" she confirms?
"Yes please!"
- she then walks the rest of the carriage (4 seats - no-one else there), turns - and stops by me and says "Did you say white or red?"
"White" I repeat for the third time!!
Good job they give you a tumbler full!
Listening is a skill we can ALL practice!
Oh, by the way - she brought red!!!
Sunday, 23 January 2011
Rip off Britain strikes again!
Cheap flights ain't what they used to be!! Recently I booked flights for 5 of us to go to Germany for Brother in Law's wedding in June. Remarkably we got the flights for about £17 each outbound and a mere £7 inbound (total £24 each). But then taxes and fees put them up to £75 each!
Still not too bad until you realise that a bag in the hold is another £28 each way, and if you want to check in at the airport check in desk it's another £14 each way! Not only that, if you wanted to reserve seats together is was a further £5.50 each - each way (£9.50 if you want an aisle seat with a bit more leg room).
But the final insult was when I booked by credit card. Now most of us are used to getting "stung" by a £2.50 or £3 credit card charge but this company stated:
Still not too bad until you realise that a bag in the hold is another £28 each way, and if you want to check in at the airport check in desk it's another £14 each way! Not only that, if you wanted to reserve seats together is was a further £5.50 each - each way (£9.50 if you want an aisle seat with a bit more leg room).
But the final insult was when I booked by credit card. Now most of us are used to getting "stung" by a £2.50 or £3 credit card charge but this company stated:
- No booking fees apply when paying with VISA Electron
- For all other card types a booking fee per person per flight of £3.00 is applied
- Credit card supplement is £1.50per person per flight
Friday, 21 January 2011
Using you vote to get the government to change
Wouldn't it be nice if we could say to the politicians "Do this" or "Sort that out...and I'll vote for you" - and actually think it would happen? If it isn't the case now it certainly used to be! My late Father in Law was a bit of a hoarder and after he passed away we discovered all sorts of things including a copy of "Country Life" magazine of July 14th 1928. In it was an advert entitled "The Art of Not Voting" sponsored by Haig Whiskey, which stated:
"Politicians pay no attention to persons whose votes are pledged. If you require attention you should keep your vote in your pocket and only give it in return for a difinite promise...many thousands of people - especially in Scotland - will not vote for any government that will not rectify the admittedly unfair tax on Scotch Whiskey which is improperly restricting the Home section of a fine British industry. 8/51/2d tax per bottle is a grossly unfair tax. It means that
PROHIBITION HAS BEEN IMPOSED ON ALL BUT WELL-TO-DO PEOPLE.
This movement to "hold up" votes is spreading all over the country. It is the only method available of expressing discontent in an effective manner. We who continue fighting for an abatement of the Whiskey duty wish this movement success."
Strikes me we should do something like this about taxes on petrol - and VAT - and tax on wine and beer - not to mention income tax. Or better still the petrol companies should! Of course it wouldn't do any good - and I don't suppose this campaign did either. But at least it might make us feel better!
"Politicians pay no attention to persons whose votes are pledged. If you require attention you should keep your vote in your pocket and only give it in return for a difinite promise...many thousands of people - especially in Scotland - will not vote for any government that will not rectify the admittedly unfair tax on Scotch Whiskey which is improperly restricting the Home section of a fine British industry. 8/51/2d tax per bottle is a grossly unfair tax. It means that
PROHIBITION HAS BEEN IMPOSED ON ALL BUT WELL-TO-DO PEOPLE.
This movement to "hold up" votes is spreading all over the country. It is the only method available of expressing discontent in an effective manner. We who continue fighting for an abatement of the Whiskey duty wish this movement success."
Strikes me we should do something like this about taxes on petrol - and VAT - and tax on wine and beer - not to mention income tax. Or better still the petrol companies should! Of course it wouldn't do any good - and I don't suppose this campaign did either. But at least it might make us feel better!
Tuesday, 11 January 2011
Trains are not what they used to be!
I suppose that's pretty obvious really - now nice quiet, warm, smooth etc and with internet in the train - but totally souless. Bring back the steam locos of my youth - that's what I say.
Am travelling today from Brum to London via Virgin Trains. Managed to get a great deal on First Class with my OGR (Old Gits Railcard) - well there has to be some benefit in passing the 60 level (apart from the winter fuel allowance that is) BUT there is no hot catering on this service - disgusting - so no free (veggie) full breakfast - what is the world coming to?
And now they have announced delays of up to 15 minutes due to the wrong points near Milton Keynes - sure it was never like this in the gool old (steam) days! I remember stanidng by the side of the line watching the Devonian with a Jubilee class and jotting down the number...Oh! I think I just gave away a closely guarded secret that I was a train spotter. Please don't hold it against me!!
Am travelling today from Brum to London via Virgin Trains. Managed to get a great deal on First Class with my OGR (Old Gits Railcard) - well there has to be some benefit in passing the 60 level (apart from the winter fuel allowance that is) BUT there is no hot catering on this service - disgusting - so no free (veggie) full breakfast - what is the world coming to?
And now they have announced delays of up to 15 minutes due to the wrong points near Milton Keynes - sure it was never like this in the gool old (steam) days! I remember stanidng by the side of the line watching the Devonian with a Jubilee class and jotting down the number...Oh! I think I just gave away a closely guarded secret that I was a train spotter. Please don't hold it against me!!
Motorway speed (or lack of) and Radio 2 (AHHH!)
Aren't we lucky to have such a vast motorway network that lets you get virtually anywhere quickly? Well that's the idea - but half the time it doesn't work. Yesterday, driving from home to Aylesbury, the first 55 miles are all motorway - and managed an average speed of 31 mph! There was no snow, no fog, no accidents (that I saw), but lots of outside lane hugging! The last 20 odd miles - all single track A roads - helped lift the average speed to 35 by the time I got there.
And as for the Radio 2 traffic reports - they were worse than useless. Near the M42/M40 junction they said there was some traffic congestion by Warwick services (junction 12) and some south of junction 9 (Oxford - and the junction where I was leaving the motorway anyway) - due to earlier accidents BUT both had been cleared. They failed to mention the fact that you would end up stationery at Junction 15!
By the time we got through that the Radio 2 traffic said that there was now no problem on M40 - but I was stopped again by Junction 12. After that eventually cleared, and with Radio 2 Lady saying all clear I thought I was OK - nope - Junctions 10 to 9 was totally start/stop.
Once I had LEFT at junction 9 they advised me that there was some congestion between 10 and 9! Some congestion? It was a CAR PARK!
I HATE QUEUES AND MOTORWAYS AND OUTSIDE LANE HUGGERS!!
Lesson: Either don't use motorways or find alternative routes on A roads - on average would be quicker!!I Alternatively why not buy an ex army TANK - that should help get through (over) the traffic jams!
And as for the Radio 2 traffic reports - they were worse than useless. Near the M42/M40 junction they said there was some traffic congestion by Warwick services (junction 12) and some south of junction 9 (Oxford - and the junction where I was leaving the motorway anyway) - due to earlier accidents BUT both had been cleared. They failed to mention the fact that you would end up stationery at Junction 15!
By the time we got through that the Radio 2 traffic said that there was now no problem on M40 - but I was stopped again by Junction 12. After that eventually cleared, and with Radio 2 Lady saying all clear I thought I was OK - nope - Junctions 10 to 9 was totally start/stop.
Once I had LEFT at junction 9 they advised me that there was some congestion between 10 and 9! Some congestion? It was a CAR PARK!
I HATE QUEUES AND MOTORWAYS AND OUTSIDE LANE HUGGERS!!
Lesson: Either don't use motorways or find alternative routes on A roads - on average would be quicker!!I Alternatively why not buy an ex army TANK - that should help get through (over) the traffic jams!
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