Clockwise
The train thing is getting beyond a joke. Up at a quarter to six this morning to be in good time to meet my colleagues at Euston station. Got on a train at Edgware, which instantly broke down before it had left the station. After a wait, got on another tube train reasoning I still had an hour to do the 30 minute journey in. After a few stops the entire Northern Line ground to a halt. A 30 minute wait at Brent Cross station meant I missed my connection with my three colleagues to go up to Manchester for the pitch. Much frenzy and grinding of teeth on my part.
However Hannah texted me to say that if I caught the next train to Manchester, I could meet them them before our onward train left. I would have four minutes in Manchester Piccadilly to find them. My train was delayed outside Manchester but I just managed to find them and leap onto the connecting train which itself was delayed by two minutes. A surge of relief.
But it wasn't over. We arrived to our destination station, Adlington Cheshire. Having alighted, we discovered we were in the middle of leafy fields. Turns out that we were supposed to be in Adlington Lancashire -- the PA at work had bought us entirely the wrong tickets.
Managed to get a taxi and travelled 45 miles to the right destination arriving half an hour late for our pitch. Did the pitch which went as well as could be reasonably expected. There was one unpredictable new client who might cause us trouble though.
All slightly hysterical afterwards, the pitch team drinking beers and having a bit post mortem on the train down to London -- and continuing in a grotty bar near Euston once back in London. So grotty that you were given a code to unlock the door into the toilets.
The tube with Hannah, then I made it back to Brighton at about 9:30. Wonderful to be home, but wondering what new travel horrors are in store tomorrow.
The train thing is getting beyond a joke. Up at a quarter to six this morning to be in good time to meet my colleagues at Euston station. Got on a train at Edgware, which instantly broke down before it had left the station. After a wait, got on another tube train reasoning I still had an hour to do the 30 minute journey in. After a few stops the entire Northern Line ground to a halt. A 30 minute wait at Brent Cross station meant I missed my connection with my three colleagues to go up to Manchester for the pitch. Much frenzy and grinding of teeth on my part.
However Hannah texted me to say that if I caught the next train to Manchester, I could meet them them before our onward train left. I would have four minutes in Manchester Piccadilly to find them. My train was delayed outside Manchester but I just managed to find them and leap onto the connecting train which itself was delayed by two minutes. A surge of relief.
But it wasn't over. We arrived to our destination station, Adlington Cheshire. Having alighted, we discovered we were in the middle of leafy fields. Turns out that we were supposed to be in Adlington Lancashire -- the PA at work had bought us entirely the wrong tickets.
Managed to get a taxi and travelled 45 miles to the right destination arriving half an hour late for our pitch. Did the pitch which went as well as could be reasonably expected. There was one unpredictable new client who might cause us trouble though.
All slightly hysterical afterwards, the pitch team drinking beers and having a bit post mortem on the train down to London -- and continuing in a grotty bar near Euston once back in London. So grotty that you were given a code to unlock the door into the toilets.
The tube with Hannah, then I made it back to Brighton at about 9:30. Wonderful to be home, but wondering what new travel horrors are in store tomorrow.
Comments