Hi Girls, sorry no blog yesterday but things did not go according to plan! Mother was going to Devon to stay with brother and family for the holidays and this time we decided that driving was too stressful for her so we chose for her to take a peaceful train journey, Reading to Totnes. Probably, with hindsight, we should have recognised the flaw in this plan as there is nothing peaceful about Reading station. But first things first. I set off at 10 am and arrived at Mother’s to find her walking dog, one forgets how slowly old people do things so the whole loading car process took a while. Then off to Reading with dog, case, handbag, holdall, walking stick and huge present for her granddaughter. Roads were jammed with last minute shoppers so journey time was tight. Found parking space in 30 minute drop off car park (this is very relevant to story) and as I had so much to carry I just stuffed mobile and £10 in my pocket, allhands and shoulders free to carry, pull, push items of travel! Found lift and we all squeezed in. By the time we reached platform, dog was reaching levels of fear that needed constant stopping and reassurance. Actually mother was requiring same amounts of cajoling. 6 mins to train but, according to departure board, there were 2 trains beforehand and so my brain started to assimilate this information and realise that there was going to be maximum of 3 mins loading time. Trying to appear calm, I asked for the stopping point of coach G and a very brusque platform manager (a new title for people in orange jackets who work for BR and wave plastic lollipops similar to ones used by aeroplane landing staff). So you get my drift, these were very important people who did not want to be questioned by mere passengers albeit slightly stressed ones! I informed said person that I was loading my 85 year old mother on next train and jokingly said please don’t leave with me on train – no humour or indication that they might assist me. So after quick briefing of mother, giving her the barest of facts in order to keep her as calm as possible, we watched our train draw in and behold coach G stop in front of us. Yes it’s going well but suffice it to say that this was the last thing that did go well. I got on with all luggage, both wheelie and hand and left mother and dog by door. Then I battled down the carriage to find reserved first class seat only to meet a wave of people who were coming other way because they had got on at first available door, not prepared like us. Asked belligerent man in orange jacket where seat was and got very gruff answer questioning my ability to read! Found seat and returned for mother and dog who had boarded so we appeared to be ahead of the game! Dog not happy but this was least of my problems. Led them to seat whereupon man opposite reacted as if I had brought on a rabid wolf. Mum seated with all luggage piled on top of her when the whistle blew so quickly kissed her goodbye and ran for door which was shut so leant out window to open door whereupon, men in b****y orange jackets (again) pounced on me shouting to leave door alone and I had to remain on train. With a tone of slight panic, I explained I was not a passenger and they said I was now as they could not open the door! I then espied the belligerent orange coated gentleman of earlier encounter being let off a carriage further down – “aargh”, I screamed, “look he is disembarking” but my pleas were rebuffed and the train departed. I returned to mother who was perplexed that I was still with her and her fellow passenger, who had moved my mother to another seat so that dog was not licking his feet, announced that my day was about to get worse as next stop was Taunton.
So there I was, 3 days before Xmas, no presents wrapped, with son’s birthday next day and cake to bake, and feeling a little jaded from Husband’s birthday celebrations the day before, on a 4 hour round trip train journey and a 90 minute wait in Taunton for return train. My only tool of defence was the mobile phone which I used to call youngest daughter and asked her to phone Reading station to beg that they did not clamp my car (see why you needed to retain the parking info). £10 served me well as I bought a bacon baguette for mother’s lunch (she gave half to hyper-ventilating dog which was a great tonic) – the buffet car had run out of all other foods as they had not been able to load any more food at Reading as the turnaround was so limited – tell me about it. However my knight in shining armour arrived in the form of Train Manager, Andy Robbins, who was sympathetic whilst probably thinking what a plonker, and gave me a piece of paper with following instructions:
It looked like I was Paddington bear and all I needed was some marmalade sandwiches!
I then decided to call my neighbour and friend who is chief executive of Network Rail and told him of my dilemma, his words of consolation were not calming however he offered to stop the train so that I could disembark however, as I was now in the middle of the Somerset countryside with only £4.80, it was not greatly appealing and my fellow passengers might have lynched me for the unscheduled delay! At this point trolley lady (I am sure she is now called Refreshments and Beverage manager in this new p.c. age) tried to confiscate my phone and even though I told her I was talking to CEO of Network Rail she told me she didn’t care if it was the Fat Controller I still could not use a mobile. He then sent me a text saying “Do come to drinks on Xmas Eve if you make it back from riding the Great Western Railway. Love from the Fat Controller”. I laughed!! And Mother and I had an extra special two hours together courtesy of British Rail and I got home some 8 hours after I left whilst Mother was safely with brother, feet up, by the fire with cup of tea in hand, before I had even left Taunton!!
P.S. The number on the ticket is for Customer Assistance which can be booked 48 hours before journey – who was to know about this service? An absolute necessity for all future journeys as clearly people in orange jackets will not be kind, courteous and helpful unless booked!!
Merry Christmas to one and all (apart from Platform Managers on platform 4 of Reading station) and a special hug to Andy Robbins and the Trolley lady (she came around to my dilemma) who helped my mother, her dog and all the luggage off the train at Totnes into the arms of my brother xxx