Tuesday 30th and
Wednesday 31st July 2019
I travelled up to collect the kids. The Train Line App was sending me
through London with a transfer from Paddington to Euston. However, searching
for a route via Reading and Birmingham brought up a route that was half the
price and actually, supposedly, quicker. With the train from Hungerford to
Reading, change to a Birmingham train and then a Liverpool bound train,
disembarking at Winsford, it was always going to be a long day.
The train out of Reading was 18 minutes late meaning, with only 15
minutes between trains in Birmingham, I would miss the connection. The train
was eventually 23 minutes late arriving. I asked an attendant when the next
train to Winsford would depart. He barely spoke English and just directed me to
an information point that told me I had 55 minutes to wait.
Sitting in a waiting area, I noticed that the train I was supposed to
catch was still displayed on the departures board. It transpired that this
train was 35 minutes late. Chaos ensued on the platform which was split between
1A and 1B. Everybody piled onto the waiting train, only to find it was London
bound and the Liverpool train had not yet arrived.
The Liverpool train eventually departed some 50 minutes late and so
was held everywhere due to having lost its time slot. The later Liverpool train
was continuously catching up, so the train I was on terminated at Crewe and we
had to board the later, following train. Logic was applied of course, and one
arrived at platform 2 and the other at platform 12. There then followed a 20-minute
wait in Crewe. Apparently all the toilets were out of order and so the train had
to wait while people used the platform toilet.
Arrival at Winsford was an hour later than planned.
The return journey was exactly the same only this time with the kids
in tow, and we arrived in Hungerford, again, an hour late. We all breathed a sigh
of relief when we got off the train.
Brenda had spent her days cleaning and tidying the boat, and more work
on the bunting.
Once the kids had settled we had a walk around the town with a paddle in
the River Dun trying our luck at tickling some rather large trout. Back at the
boat, the gear came out for a spot of fishing before bed. Manny 2, with a
sizeable bream; Eva 1.
It is great to have the kids with us; we miss them greatly. They enjoy
the outdoors, the fishing and fresh air, and Nanny’s cooking.
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