Beggar your Neighbour?

Huttonian could hardly believe his eyes. A Mendicant in Berwick. It must be the credit crunch. This was in the station just outside the main door. He seemed familiar-could it be my old friend the Princes Street beggar? On a short break holiday?The wee dog and its snug warm jacket was very similar but this was a younger man. No requests for small change, no sardonic 'Have a good day' as you slunk past, trouser pockets unentered, and praise the pigs, no bagpipes. Just an empty tin.

Grateful for the absence of the pipes (It is England after all, if only just) I dropped in a pound. The wee dog wagged its tail, the bloke gazed into the middle distance. A slight curl of the lip. Jumped to his feet, picked up his tin, flicked the coin into his jacket pocket jerked the wee dog after him and disappeared in the direction of the ticket office.

Got the final bit of his dosh for his ticket?

Kings Cross?

First Class?

Mission accomplished

Glad to have been of service

Labels: Berwick Station, Mendicant Piper, Mendicants

  ¶ 12:16 PM (0) comments

 
NOT FIRST CLASS ENOUGH

Or as the Berwickshire put it in Tomorrow's Paper:

First Class Ticket Second Class Service

is about a couple going to York on a discounted First Class ticket and then being turned away from the First Class lounge on Berwick Station-wrong type of ticket in hand. National Express had the answer:


The supervisor explained this was standard procedure although Lynda, her sister and the other two ticket holders hadn't been told of this rule at any time prior to that day.
"We went assuming we'd get into the lounge and had absolutely no problems getting into the first class carriage on the train or at any other point on our journey."
Commenting on the issue, National Express East Coast spokesman John Gelson said: "Our First Class lounges are a popular facility and to ensure space is available, especially at busy locations such as London King's Cross, our policy is that access is available to holders of full open First Class tickets.
"Our advance purchase discount tickets are an increasingly popular way for customers to try out our First Class service on the trains, but unfortunately we don't have space to accommodate everyone and so we offer the lounge service only to full fare ticket holders and not to those holding discounted advance tickets.
"We publicise this both at the point of booking, which for most advance ticket customers is via our website, and at the lounges."

I was once told by a Station Person (Deputy Assistant Acting Platform Team Manager)that the Berwick First Class lounge is rarely used-months with a K in them- so this seems rather mean. And the only way you can read the notice saying you can't use the lounge, is in the lounge, which you can't go into.

The plans for the soon to be reopened Reston Station includes a First Class lounge, open to all and a standard one, not open to First Class Ticket holders, but will be to those holding discounted First Class tickets. Except on week days.Or Bank holidays.

Social justice at last

The image is a mock up of Reston's proposed First Class Lounge

Labels: Berwick Station, First Class, National Express, Reston Station

  ¶ 9:26 PM (0) comments

  As we were feverishly awaiting the arrival of the prompt running 1141 from Embra the station master or platform crew leader announced that the next train to arrive at Platform One was on training and no one was to 'attempt to board' No sooner had it jerked to a shuddering halt when a disabled woman on crutches made a sort of dash for Coach D and hammered on the door with a crutch when it would not open.'Stop' shouted the PCL 'This train does not stop here. Didn't you hear my announcement?'Of course not' yelled the DW 'I am deaf. Aren't I' ' I'll never get to Edinburgh at this rate! .
'This is not the Platform for Embra' screamed the PCL ' This is Platform One-Edinburgh is Platform Two'

'Well why did you not say that before you silly man' And off scuttled the DW.

But the Endinburgh train had just left. And the PCL had retreated to his lair, double bolting his door. And I left on the real 1141 so I did not see the ending of this little drama.

I bet it was not very happy. That's just for Fairy Tales

Labels: Berwick Station

  ¶ 6:00 PM (0) comments

 
That's the Ticket
I have never seen such a sight before.

Three, yes, three National Express ticket inspectors (calling themselves Revenue officials) at the foot of the stairs leading to the Up and Down platforms (aka platforms 2 and 1 depending on your interpretation of Up *and Down). Every ticket and travel card scrutinised and clipped if appropriate. But the cordons were erected in such a way ensuring that the ticket lines had to be crossed to get to Costa Coffee, and then refreshment obtained, crossed again to mount the stairs. One poor Geezer had his ticket clipped and Senior (ugh) Travelcard scrutinised en route to a medium Latte. Then he half climbed the stairs, clipped again and inspected before he remembered that he had forgotten his Daily Telegraph. Back to the kiosk-click-back through the ticket line, click and scrutiny-needed second cup of coffee to dispel stress(Latte Large) Click and 'can I see your travel card'(again? Again?-yes we have our orders) -up the stairs and escape to Up or Down platforms (1141 to Kings Cross, 1142 to Embra-thats intergrated joined up transport for you) And the area at the bottom of the stairs now resembled the aftermath of a wedding.

* A spokesman for Hutton Think Tank explains:

'Up' usually means going 'Up to the capital' as in 'Up to London' But London from Berwick is clearly 'down' (check the map) Up to Edinburgh is geographically correct but not politically, as strictly speaking it only would be if you are travelling in Scotland ** Berwick upon Tweed is in England. So, according to correct English (if not Scottish) usage you should use the Up platform to go up to the Capital even if you are going 'down'. Clear? No?

Take the bus.

** Embra is the capital city of Scotland

(The image shows an anxious passenger checking if the Ticket collectors are still around)

Labels: Berwick Station, National Express, Ticket collectors.Hutton Think Tank

  ¶ 7:40 PM (0) comments