Normally when I go to London I travel on the very nice Chiltern line from Warwick Parkway to Marylebone. It's usually on time and a pleasant journey, made even more pleasant a few weeks ago by the discovery that I could recharge my excessively large mobile phone battery en route! (I love having an htc but don't love the fact that I'm constantly seeking plug sockets...)
However yesterday I decided to approach the capital via another route and boarded at Evesham instead. I remember taking this route once before. I was probably about twelve. Having grown up with a train enthusiast in the family I get undeniably excited about travelling by train and mentally note down every little detail to relay to my father later on. Even the annoying couple in front of me in the increasing queue - who wanted to know if they could return on the 12th after 9 o'clock and oh they'd forgotten they had a railcard would that make a difference - didn't bother me!
The journey down was uneventful. One woman who sat down opposite me was so drenched in a rather overpowering perfume that it reminded me I'd completely forgotten to put any perfume on before I left the house, but it was better than someone who smelt more fruity I suppose. Another business couple got on and sat opposite and spent the rest of the journey to London discussing other members of their team, personalities and 'dalliances'... What a great word! I shall have to use it more often. As interesting as that was, when I saw them sit near me on the return journey I decided that headphones were the way forward!
The return journey was exciting though. Firstly it was a really long train with not one but three First Class carriages! All this to go to Hereford!? Some people do like to travel in style. However, I was more interested in what could be found in 'Carriage D'.. Oh yes, who needs the leathery comfort of First Class when you have Carriage D to look forward to. For this was classed as the 'Entertainment Carriage'!!
Each seat had a mini television in the back of the seat in front of it. It truly was like being on an Emirates plane, without the constant interruptions in Arabic (I don't like being bombarded with languages that I can't master!) The opportunity to try this system was too good to miss and as I had two hours to kill I paid up the princely sum of £1.50 via a text message and settled down to a catch up on a few episodes of 'Outnumbered', none of which I'd previously seen. Brilliant.
I was well impressed by this technology and super train! Only when I came to get out of the train at Evesham did I realise it wasn't a new super train at all, merely an old intercity that had had new seats in it! To get out of the train I still needed to push the window down and stick my arm out to open the door, something I remember doing way back in the old University days when I trained it up to Durham. Progress on one count but incredibly old-fashioned on another. Still, it was a great journey overall!
Each seat had a mini television in the back of the seat in front of it. It truly was like being on an Emirates plane, without the constant interruptions in Arabic (I don't like being bombarded with languages that I can't master!) The opportunity to try this system was too good to miss and as I had two hours to kill I paid up the princely sum of £1.50 via a text message and settled down to a catch up on a few episodes of 'Outnumbered', none of which I'd previously seen. Brilliant.
I was well impressed by this technology and super train! Only when I came to get out of the train at Evesham did I realise it wasn't a new super train at all, merely an old intercity that had had new seats in it! To get out of the train I still needed to push the window down and stick my arm out to open the door, something I remember doing way back in the old University days when I trained it up to Durham. Progress on one count but incredibly old-fashioned on another. Still, it was a great journey overall!
NOT the First Great Western Train to London, but the Inchanga Choo Choo in KZN, South Africa, a slightly slower way to travel (and it would take a long time for that train to get to London!)
