Great Western Coffee Shop

Am I turning into a Victor Meldrew?

Yesterday, I grumbled at the access / reception to Locomotion at Shildon, though I revelled in the exhibits.

Knaresborough ... I fancied an ice cream, and walk up to a booth advertising cones with one of those big GRP cones outside.  "Can I have one of those cones" please.  "Oh - we don't do those any more - machine was taken away a while ago".  Hmmm - perhaps you should take the advertising cone away too then?  Thanks for the offer of scooped flavoured ice creams but I can't; a risk of certain ingredients making me ill, even in very small cross-contamination quantities that you get from the way scoops are rinsed.

I won't be using the same B&B in Darlington next time having had two room swaps in the six nights I've been there - one because of an unsealed shower (new room and they had forgotten to seal it!), the next room because as soon as anything electric was switched on (like the TV) the circuit breaker blew.  And I ended up in a room that was nice enough, but the window was out to the conservatory / hotel's laundry room and for privacy the blinds had to be kep closed. They had quite a few rooms ... sounds of washers and dryers until late at night and from early in the morning.  Sure, it was cheap - but perhaps just a bit too cheap for me.

In good time at Darlington Station this morning ... so went into Punkpin for a cheese and marmite toastie advertised outside on a movable board, and a coffee. "Sorry - they've been sold out for a while" so I upgraded to a breakfast in a roll. £5.74.  I presente my Bite card. "That will be £6.10" err ... I don't think so.  Can you take the Bite card off, please.  "That will be £6.78".  Err - "so where did the £5.74 come from" asks I. "That was a previous transaction".  Hang on ... £2.99 (Coffee) + £2.75 (breakfast roll) as advertised ... "ah but that was before you presented your bite card".  Grr!

It's fashionable to complain about youth.  May I instead have a grumble about old ladies with more luggage they can handle.  One old dear getting on the train at Darlington and her friend seeing her off lifts her bag on and stands chatting. Need must and a rather gruff "excuse me" so that I could get on - and they look at me daggers for disturbing their farewell.  And ... while on luggage ... if the youths assault you with their bags you would get upset. But the old girl with her handbag over her arm, with wheel on it - shoving those fithy wheels into my leg time after time as she chatted with her friend trying to stow luggage - should be forgiven, I suppose!

Victor Meldrew?  Perhaps I should go onto room 101!  Or perhaps members would like to suggest their own things for room 101?

On a positive note - so much to write about on this trip.  Some great journeys, some lovely, lovely people met.  Some great places and a lot of things learned. And looking around at how others live, and (over)hearing conversations that are sometimes hard to avoid even with just one working ear, I thank goodness for what I have, and for the problems I don't have.

Without exception, railway staff have been professional, helpful, well informed and have made the week a real pleasure.  And that's been so emphasised by a mixed bag, including some contrasts, away from the industry professionals.

Chris Grayling

GWR IETs

HSTs. The sooner the last off-lease stock is gone, the better.

Class 142/143.

Would putting a Class 101 into Room 101 cause a temporal or existential upset? ;D

Chuffed ! ;D

I was about to enthusiastically click "like" for this but then I thought... are we perhaps rather close now to a "be careful what you wish for" moment? With the looming change of PM, Mr G might even now be looking for a box to put his office mementos in.

Airline seats

Voyagers.

Transport for london travel update announcements in locations outside the capital.

See it, say it....etc

Above-inflation fare rises

Seemingly endless health & safety announcements on GWR stations

The present ticketing system

The split between infrastructure and operators.

 Any announcement from a TOC promising new/better/longer/faster/cleaner/roomier/more frequent/buffet fitted trains from the next timetable start.

Crosscountry's four coach Voyager sets. Always overcrowded, toilets stink, reservations often not working, and not enough space for luggage.

GWR's dodgy fares that are higher for A-C than A-B + B-C.

That's not just GWR is a all the TOCs as far as I can tell.

The now generally becoming accepted term 'train station' that the media push. I'm in my 40's and have always used railway station, rail station or just plan station. Perhaps in america you need to tell the difference between bus and train but when somebody mentions station here, we all think railway, so the 'train' in front of it is unnecessary.
This post was inspired by the BBC.

Most of the signage at Reading Station (fixed and passenger information, except the one above the information desk in Brunel Arcade)

The flooring on the over bridge there which turns into a skating rink when it gets wet

1)Connections in train running order, on the automated announcements and not alphabetical order
change here(at Swindon) for Cheltenham Gloucester Kemble Stonehouse and Stroud.

2) Human beings announcements
your next station stop is  ?????????,its not my stop its some one else's stop.

and the WE will be calling at A B C D E,I might only be going as far as C

Correct announcement should be THE next station stop is ??????????

3) Travel information about the Underground on local? trains making their way North away from London

4)Why do all the doors on the Underground trains have to opened?
I can understand it when its commuter time,but not when its not very full as well as cold, damp, wet outside
and all that heat in the train being whooshed out in just a few seconds.

Keep Guards on the train. Both so many jobs at risk, as well as passenger safety.

'Our next destination is......' You cannot have a next destination. Destination is final. I have a destination, but the trains destination may be different.



'We are now arriving into......' You cannot arrive into, you can only arrive at. Approaching would be a better term to use.

Presumably you mean that DOO should be in travel room 101, not the guards  ???

[pedant]I would argue that ... take the 07:09 from Portsmouth Harbour
"Our destination is Brighton
it becomes the 08:59 from Brighton
"Our next destination is Great Malvern"
it becomes the 14:50 from Great Malvern
"Our next destination is Weymouth"
from whence it goes into the Jersey Sidings ... arguably the final destination of the day
[/pedant]

The only way to get him into room 101 is to give him instructions on how to find room 100.

Brilliant!  ;D ;D ;D

TOCs that are incapable of managing their workforce efficiently enough to prevent Sunday services being decimated on a regular basis.

 Microwaved bacon baps.

Most of all at Cardiff Central, where you get that irritating shouty "not for passenger use" man deciding to negate TfW's entire Welsh language policy by interrupting the Welsh-first announcements and shouting exactly the same thing several times in English only in a thick Cardiff accent. That guy definitely belongs in Room 101, or failing that a ticket hut in Coryton or one of those branch line stations.

Whilst we're putting Cardiff Central's staff in Room 101 or ticket huts on branch line stations, those pointless customer-be-damned orange bibs on the Valley Lines platforms are ripe candidates for redeployment.

I'm surprised I can't see replacement bus services.  Especially if they miss the next train. Happened to my son saturday bus substitution  Hounslow - Staines. Express bus arrives Staines to see Reading train pulling out!

Apologies if its been thrown in already.

The worst combination of words in the English language, rail and replacement. The only people who like those words together is your local bus operator as a lucrative money making opportunity comes up.