Arrived in the smoke….

Safely.

The “not quite 3G” is not too good here and the mobile signal is parked next to the chocolate teapot. South West trains arrived at my local station 3 minutes early and got to Waterloo 10 minutes late. Doncha just love those 5 minute stops outside stations with no explanation listening to antiquated bits of the train creaking and whining? In fact I live on the only line that SWT have yet to upgrade the rolling stock, so it’s the steamy , sweaty, stinky shovel em’ in and bugger it ticket in m,y neck of the woods. Honestly it’s like travelling in the 1920’s, with draughty, smelly and noisy carriages. Still, nice to see the usual train travelling basket cases are still at large. The weirdo at my local station reading a self help guide to Ju-Juitsu, wearing his combats and talking to an unfortunate woman he seemed to vaguely know. He worried me, let alone what she thought as he rambled on about wearing a gangsters outfit to a wedding, complete with ….ahem…violin case. Apparently he went to the bank first where they called the police! Apparently he was confused as to how they didn’t recognise him as “he goes in at least once a month”. Priceless! Eventually he wore me down with his bollocks stories so I moved away before I rang the police to tell them Peter Sutcliffe’s unhinged brother was boarding a train for London.

I kind of miss commuting because it is a never ending supply of stories of lunatics and sane people worn down to the edge of insanity by the sheer hell of travelling by train. Anyway, I have written this by the window of my hotel, enjoying the perfect pint of Guinness, with a near full signal (the only part of the hotel that seems to have it – am I being cynical or do these hotel have anti mobile signal technology to force you into using their phone system at £5 for 2 minutes?). Will have one or two more and then disappear into study land.

Later, Grocerjack