Dramatic Train Journey. Part 2.

This blog may switch from past to present tense as I am half writing it whilst on my train journey, so please bare with me!

After a lovely day with my Mum and Duncs, visiting a falconry centre, eating a hotdog, visiting my friends Mark and Vanessa, and finally dinner, Mum and Duncs were driving me to the train station so I could begin my journey back home to Lincoln.

I told Mum and Duncs that my train would leave the station 5 minutes earlier then it would just to make sure I got there on time. After my farewells at the Banbury train station, I only had a short wait until I would catch my train to Birmingham, and then change there for a train to Nottingham.

Surprise, surprise, I get on a majority quiet train, and coach, to find that my booked seat is sat on already, and not by me. Even though there is a sign above it stating that it is reserved. Every time I book a train journey, my seat always seems to get sat in, even though it is clearly reserved! Dead annoying! Then it is a 50/50 percent chance that when I ask the intruder to vacate my seat, they either do so politely and apologetically, or rudely make a big fuss of it all.

Like my trip down to Banbury. Was fine in terms of people sitting in my seat. The lady was polite so I didn't make her move. I sat next to her instead. No big deal. She was getting off the train after me anyway so it worked out best for the both of us.

So yeah, given the train was almost empty, I was expecting this chap to not cause too much fuss. He looked the type of gentleman that would abide by a certain set of standard customs with grace and respect. So I said to him "Hi there. You are in my seat. But don't worry, I'll sit in the other booth as it is quiet." To which he replied rather sarcastically "I'll move now, just in case it 'gets' busy, I don't want to have to move later." He said this in a doubtful, grumpy manner with an awful attitude I did not care for. I couldn't help feel bloody pump furiously to my face, making my cheeks flush. I was annoyed. How dare he give me that kind of attitude. It was my right to that seat, seeing as I had booked it over a month ago. Like I have ranted before, if you want a particular seat, book it. Like you are supposed to. Don't leave it to chance. I don't moan when I don't book and can't get a decent seat. I take what seats I can get, and quite often on these occasions, I don't get a seat at all.

I'll be travelling to Edinburgh and London soon via train, I better not get these same types of problems! Cuz it is really going to wind me up beyond measure!

I'm beginning to really dislike trains. I mean really dislike them. When I got to Birmingham, I nipped to W H Smiths to get myself a couple of drinks and chocolate bars for the long 4 hour journey. My Grandma had given me a tenner on Saturday when I went for dinner at my cousins Becca's. When I fished in my bag for the tenner, I couldn't find it any where. Swallowing my rage I told the guy at the counter to serve other people whilst I checked all my bags for it. Nope. Nothing. So I had to reduce the drink and chocolate amount to one each as that was all I could afford on my card. Thoroughly embarrassed by the ordeal, I hurried away to wait on my platform.

The train to Nottingham is quiet. But yet AGAIN, there is someone sat in my seat. But in all fairness, no-one has marked it as reserved, and I can't be bothered to move her, so I sit opposite her. Which is a mistake. She keeps coughing. Loudly and really annoyingly. Really looking forward to this journey being over!

Girl coughing loudly, frequently and without covering her mouth, so spreading germs too! Great!

So the final part of my train journey really improved! A lovely old man, 79, boarded the train with his handsome golden lab, 9, called Chubb. Very obedient good dog. I spoke to him and told him he has a beautiful dog, and that I have a golden lab myself, that lives at home with my mother back in Oxfordshire, and we engaged into a conversation about our pets and what they mean to us.

The picture attached to this blog is of Chubb, the 9 year old golden lab. Cute isn't he? My golden lab, a female called Tarka is now 14 an a half years. A very good age for a Labrador dog. You can tell she is old. Most of her hearing is gone, her back legs aren't what they used to be, but she is still very well spirited and still trots along happily and a good walk with her 'sister', Ruby.

It was such a nice change to have a friendly fellow engage in conversation with you. It's not often you get strangers willing to talk to you. People seem to fear too much strangers nowadays, I do understand sometimes for good reason! There are wackos out there, but that is only a small minority. I've noticed this in cities and towns mostly, that people are more reserved. As you know, I grew up in a remote little village. Everybody knows everybody. A new neighbour moves in, everyone rushes to greet and welcome you to the community. It's a shame society now shys away from communicating much with one another. I hope this changes sooner rather than later. We are social beings after all.

Dramatic Train Journey. Part 1

So I am currently travelling down to the Oxo-shire to visit family and for my Mother's birthday. Her birthday is on Monday, but she works weekdays, do visiting the weekend before was the only option.

This morning, my journey began from Lincoln Central train station which would then take me to Sheffield, and then from Sheffield to Banbury, where I would walk to my Dad's house and wait for my Mum or her partner Duncs to pick me up and take me back to Shenington, the village I grew up in before I moved to Lincoln.

The journey from Lincoln Central to Sheffield was basically, I eventful. I was quite content having my nose stuck in the book "The Hunger Games". Yes, that book by Suzanne Collins that a bunch of whinging trolls on the Internet claim to be a direct copy of the graphic novel "Battle Royale". I can't actually judge this myself as I've read neither the graphic novel or seen the film, compared to having seen the film of the "Hunger Games" months ago and now just reading the book. But I digress.

As soon as I step off the train and onto the platform of the Sheffield train station, my instant instinct is to headroom Burger King for some much needed food. I had snacked on some cheese triangles on the way, but I needed something with a little more substance. I checked which platform I needed to be at for the Reading train that would drop me of at Banbury on my way to the fast food shop.

With burger and fries in tow, I retreated to platform 6, where I parked myself on one of the many benches and snacked on my lunch greedily. It was delicious as always, and a little more so after having just haggled a 20% discount when they wouldn't take my vouchers.

The train soon arrived at the platform and I headed straight or coach 'f' and located my seat. As usual, someone was sat in it. But it was no big deal as the seat next to her was available. I asked her where she was getting off, and she explained to me it was the stop after mine, so I told her not to move, as I got off sooner. All was fine.

The train was fairly busy, and this other young, really skinny woman with a baby in tow had sat in several peoples reserved seats. She then struggled to find a seat for herself and her baby, who was in a car carrier. Eventually, she felt she had to air her opinion on the matter. "People just have no consideration these days. No-one will give up their seat for me and my baby. I had the exact same problem when I was heavily pregnant. It's ridiculous."

She made me mad. I held my tongue though. I thought, no, I won't say anything back to her. I'll save it for my blog, and possibly a YouTube video. So my exact thoughts are these. Cheeky cow. She never asked ANYONE on the train to give up their seats. Secondly, if she wanted to guarantee a seat for herself and her baby, she should have booked seats. Like everyone else has to. Just because you have a baby, and couldn't keep your twiglit legs shut, doesn't give you any more superiority to seats on trains. This might be different on a bus. But not a train. I booked and planned my journey over a month ago. Why should I move and be inconvenienced because your flutter brain didn't think to take 5 minutes on a computer to book your tickets?btell me the whole train load of people are inconsiderate? Take a look at your own reflection silly cow.

I'm not being harsh here. It's not the whole story. She did manage to point out in her glorified speech that there were seven spare, unreserved seats available. But singular. So she could have seated her baby if she wanted to, it just meant she would have to stand with the baby, or, stop being a lazy bitch, and take the baby out of the seat carrier and held the baby and tuck the seat carrier away like any other sensible person would do. It's not rocket science. She seemed like the type that probably didn't have any GCSEs though - ok, that was harsh of me. But c'mon!

Her stop was one before mine, and it transpired in the last 10 minutes of her departure off the train, she was intact with her partner, who was in a seat, with a seat spare next to him. So what was stopping HIM giving up his seat, sitting next to someone else, and allowing her to sit in those two free seats with the baby carrier and all?

Really, peoples ignorance and stupidity amaze me.

She left the train still rambling, loudly, on her phone this time, about the train full of people's disrespect for not giving up their seats for her. So I whispered under bated breath, loud enough for those sitting around me to hear, but not loud enough for her to hear "Should have booked a seat then love, just like everyone else has to."

And that be the end of my rant. So apart from a couple of minor dramatic incidents, I got to Banbury no problem. Walked to my Dad's until Mum's partner, Duncs, picked me up and took me to the beautiful village of Shenington. Where I grew up.

Madness in the Meadows

Less then two weeks until I am off to Edinburgh! My train is booked, my hostel is booked! I'm so excited! This will be my first time ever visiting Scotland. Also, my first holiday alone too. As in, no family or friends accompanying me! The people I will meet are people that I've only known via Facebook. It's a lot less dangerous then it sounds. Honest.

So 'Madness in the Meadows' is pretty much the same as 'Summer in the City' But in Edinburgh not London. It will be my first ever YouTube gathering so I am very excited about that too! Finally meeting people with the same interests as me! As in videoing yourself talking to no-one and plastering it all over the Internet.