I have every sympathy with Disgruntled Commuter-5 stops on the Northern Line just about finished Huttonian off. How anyone can survive that heat every day I do not know. But I have not been so overheated since Kuwait. In August and that was only rarely 50C.

GNER was enlivened by a Cross Old Yorkshireman who came on at Darlington. He simmered quietly until the Ticket Chap arrived:

COY : On a point of information there is someone with a different name to mine sitting in my seat. Not good enough. Paid good money for that seat' and the train is 10 minutes late.

TC (having looked at COY's ticket) 'On a point of information, Sir, you are three days late. Your tiocket is for the 21st. This is the 24th.

COY I know what the bloody day is. I may be a countryman but I can tell the date and the
bloody time. I was told by your man in Darlington after queueing for 45 fiddling minutes that the ticket was valid to day and my reservation would be too. Now do something about it.

TC What I am going to do is give you the benefit of the doubt. Sir. I should charge you lots of money for your ticket being invalid and reserved seats are never moved except with valid tickets. (Hands ticket back and moves on)

COY (subsides at mention of more money at risk) When TC is out of earshot: Well I never. Cheeky Sod. Talk about unhelpful..Bloody Gestapo..Customer is always right in my book-I'll complain to the Head Poncho....blah blah moan moan

Nice Old Lady sitting opposite : Could you please simmer down and shut up. The Ticket collector is quite right. You are very lucky man not to be charged for a new ticket.

COY remains silent until lunch is called and he drags his wife off to the Buffet car muttering something about the standard of fellow passengers these days.

NOL sums it all up. Not a nice man

and a very stupid one.

Amen say we  ¶ 5:24 PM