The wife is off to southern parts to-day-not a good day for going on GNER with the weekends reserved for maximum disruption because of 'essential maintenance' Maintenance is apparently widespread-so her original train is cancelled, ( you have to have access to a computer to know this. The friendly telephone lad in Mumbai had no inkling.) So it is an earlier train to Newcastle, bus to Darlington (Bus to Stockton for old times sakes for railway history buffs no doubt) Train south in the general direction of London stopping for every conceivable reason( faulty signals, cattle on track, frozen points, last years leaves, necessary maintenance) at every inconceivable place including Hitchin where no one ever gets on or off as trains 'don't stop there' and the station is probably closed anyway-for essential maintenance or because its Sunday.
By the time she gets to London it may be tomorrow and time to come home. TGIM she will say. Oh yes they forgot to make seat reservations. She had 'booked too soon' and by the time she remembered they were no seats left. Then they cancelled the train. Do they really deserve to renew their franchise?
