03/11/25 Travel Tribulations

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Well I'm not very happy with Avanti West Coast Railways. Twice now I've booked my seat reservations with them and ended up travelling backwards at 300kph in a 'window' seat that doesn't have a window. I will write them a strongly worded letter addressing their sin of running train carriages with small windows. It is unforgivable and they should take lessons from Switzerland. Or Germany. Or France. Or any other railway that has big windows.

Early in the morning I spent a couple of hours returning the hire car: catching the shuttle bus, walking back through the Manchester Airport, and then catching a train back to Wilmslow where Roger had spent the morning lolling around and drinking cups of tea. I bought a coffee while waiting at the station and it was truly the worst coffee I've ever drunk, and I regularly drink instant coffee sachets provided in motels so my coffee bar is very low.

Manchester Airport's walkways were still purple.

We walked to the Wilmslow train station (deja vu for me) and caught the small-windowed train to London Euston. 

From the train. A sliver of window was still viable for photos.

London Euston hadn't changed in 8 days. The crowds still gathered in suspense to find out what platform they would leave from, and the public address system still pleaded with them not to run in the minuscule minutes they were given to catch their train.

Sunday's crowd was smaller.

I left Roger and Steve to the mercies of the Tube on their way to Roger's medical review, and jumped with all our luggage on the wrong train to my hotel. I found out I was on the wrong train and quickly jumped off again, did a bit of fancy train switching and found myself in Monopoly land at Bond Street. All this train jumping happened while wrangling our luggage and dodging the glut of schoolchildren clogging the Tube and buses at 3pm, but at least it wasnt rush hour.

All of that brought me back to the Ibis Budget Heathrow Central Motel where, oh tragedy, our 2nd floor room gave no view of landing planes whatsoever. I took myself out for a Tesco Express dinner and met Roger when he arrived, feeling somewhat like human toothpaste after squeezing himself and Steve through the rush hour Tube.

Look at me, all Grumpy Grandma over what was really quite a good day. I think I'll put myself to bed with a nice cup of tea now.


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