GNER is allegedly on time.How they know that is a mystery as the train starts from Edinburgh and won't have left yet unless someone has stolen it. It is a moot point as to whether or not you should book a seat. GNER puts all the reserved seats together with a couple of carriages crammed and several virtually empty-not of course at peak periods but most times. It can be dangerous to move from your allocated seat to pastures new-I once heard a ticket inspector shouting at an old lady ' You are not sitting in your seat-why can't you stay where you have been put. Move now' He added, belatedly, 'please' and an entirely unmeant 'madam'. She scuttled back to her reservation to find it had been snapped up by a bolshy businessman who was not prepared to disturb his stomach and large bottom from where they were resting to anywhere else for a mere technicality. Like sitting in the wrong seat. The old lady asked the ticket czar to intervene but he had lost interest, presumably given the size if the offending person. 'You are at fault for abandoning your reservation..Madam.. There are plenty of empty seats elsewhere' (Including of course the one he had just evicted her from')
I hope I shall be spared such hassle. I don't like to make a fuss, me.
I also hope that the refreshment car will be attached. Once it wasn't owing to the wrong sort of something, somewhere. Any inconvenience was regretted especially by another large man who had been looking forward to 'Go Eat' for days. Stomach rumbling he leapt out at York to grab a morsel from a food stall; But ever watchful GNER saw him coming (or at least going) blew its whistle and left him mouthing incoherently on the platform. Incoherently as his mouth was filled with a Healthy Choice (Brie and Cucumber, I believe-hard to be sure as the train was accelerating in case he made a run for it)
But at least he had his lunch.
Leisurely. (next train 55 minutes later)
