Notes from a train journey

I'm currently making very slow progress back from the Harrogate knitting and stitching show. Update about that later. The exciting bit is that I'm actually posting this from the train as National express have introduced free wifi on their train. Its just a pity they can't run the services to time, have decent heating or introduce the concept of manners or reading seat reservations to some of their passengers.

When I got on as is typical, some woman was sitting in my seat. On my last train journey with Virgin trains, they caused mass confusion by turning off the power to the displays with the seat reservations and carridge letters, then turning them on again at the next station so all the passengers could have a mass game of non musical chairs. Anyway when I found my seat today, I politely asked the lady to let me have my seat and she started to whine about her laptop and how she needed the seat for the plug. Which was exactly the reason why I had booked that seat and after again politely explaining this, she grumped off to another seat, moaning all the way about how she had only just decided to bring her laptop. Okay that is really not my fault plus why do these people never read the blooming reserved seat tags. One of the national stereotypes of the British people is apparently politeness but it was obviously not decided by anyone who travels regularly on British trains.

Somewhere around Newcastle, the heating seems to have been turned off and mysteriously the train staff are nowhere to be seen to ask them to do anything so its coats, scarves and gloves for the passengers. The absence of the train staff is probably also due to the fact that we should have been in Glasgow 15 minutes ago but are still nowhere near it as there is line problem which means the train has to make a bit of a detour.

Still I've got free wifi and the internet to amuse me for how ever long it takes.