Tag: bad commute

April 4th – Well, I wasn’t expecting snow. Up early, I looked out of the window just as the white stuff started falling. I’d been expecting a foul commute, but in reality, it wasn’t too bad. It was cold, and damp, but a lot less so than if it had been raining. The biggest hazard was the slipperiness of the roads – not due to ice, but due to weeks of tyre rubber, spilled diesel and silt building up on the road surface without rain to wash it away. In the meltwater, it became a black, slippery goop, just aching to take the wheels from under the unwary cyclist.
The snow was certainly a shock, though, and amongst the spring blooms and blossom of Telford’s roadside verges, the patches of snow made for an unusual, slightly sombre sight. 

November 11th – Another frustrating day of bad rail travel to Leicester. The day was also largely grim and overcast, but dry. Escaping work at 2pm, I didn’t get back to Lichfield until 4:30pm, when it was getting dark. A mooch round the city provided loads of great photo opportunities, but only a couple came out well. It’s been a truly rotten week for commuting, and finding photos to take has been hard, but rewarding. It really does bring brightness to often rather miserable days….

November 9th – The start and end of the rail journey to Leicester today. When I arrived for my train at Lichfield, the information sign showed that the preceding Virgin express was running very late and was due to call just before my train. For a while, the sign showed the later train as coming in first, even though the timings on the sign meant that was impossible. 6 minutes late, after the express had hurriedly called, my train limped up. In the mean time, it had disappeared off the sign completely, with the train I was to catch completely absent from the system. I think they do it just to frighten us…

At the other end, it appeared that an all night party had been occurring in the shelter at South Wigston, chip papers were scattered throughout the platform. Sometimes I think we get the rail service we deserve.