For God's Sake

Arrived at Liverpool St 6:55pm Friday night, there was no flash mob action so I cruised to the 7pm train. Unaware there were any issues I boarded to first class and made my way towards standard class. After a short while it was clear there was a build up of people - and then I noted an increasing amount of people crossing paths within the carriages - not ideal.

I gave way to a gent from behind who overtook me which was really bad form so _with the confidence of wearing headphones and listening to the new prodigy album (thanks to Anthony at M4DC) I said "for god's sake" without restraint. The man who overtook me looked back and knew I had an issue with him, well he was rude....but despite this I secretly knew he was a train tourist, it wasn't really his fault after all so I was prepared for banter.

Moments later we came to a total standstill. The train was gridlocked then we learnt from a seated man that there was a problem with the 6:30pm so the 7pm was mad. It sure was. Anyhow the gent who I'd fallen out with and his friends turned out to be men of motorcycles - we traded advice, they went home assuming I earnt a crazy amount of money to make my travel into london worth it...... oh how they were wrong....

THIS IS THE SHAMBLES OF OUR TRAINS:

"well i dont know what you are going to do because im not paying"

a very brisk walk got me to liverpool street so i could make the 6.30pm-fighting to get to ipswich to watch fight club at the cinema. Scribbling some notes down for walk and aware there wouldnt be time 4 pick n mix i thought it prudent to invest in a can of adnams and a cheese sandwich. A lively ic3 ticket inspector came rd and asked a well spoken 50something women for her ticket. My attention had already been drawn to her as she was using a massive keypad phone which bleeped everytime she typed a character. The ticket inspector advised the lady her ticket was not valid for journeys between 4.30pm and 6.30pm. She challenged him and said she was on a 6.30pm service and it was now well past 6.30pm,he advised she would have to pay 4 another ticket which was to be £22. The lady refused and the inspector took her ticket advised he would "come back" and went off to check more tickets. Somehow i doubt the btp or the massive security guards at colchester were going to be on stand by for her when she got to the station-maybe if she was a young chav there would have been...?

as inevitable as death itself

the morning after the production show, a few shandies were consumed. Met up with old friends including the second jon o'conner i know and the man responsible for the sound on bbc's dragons den. Always a pleasure to catch up with craftsman, altho hearing about the 'good old days' of production when u earnt big bucks is never easy. I hit the station confidently striding towards the norwich train. Before id even got on the platform i had to do a double take but according to the display screen all trains were operating on time, incredible. So im on the platform and walking towards me in a daze is none other than my good friend and colleague matt eaton. Mildly hungover we were walking in opposite directions as he wanted a knee2knee touching seat on the clacton train. I was in a dilema as the clacton train is prone to lateness but something inside was telling me matt needed an extra 20 zzz's. Mind made up we departed and i hit the norwich train and like death itself i knew before stepping on the train it was inevitable i would be standing.

Caught in a Flashmob

Liverpool Street with 3000 people raving:

Toilets not fit to have a sign enticing "gents"

I took this picture at Gidea Park. I don't think these toilets are fit for anyone let alone gentlemen:

"Excuse me do you have permission.........

to take photos here"

A man in a hi vis jacket stormed towards me as I was taking photos of the moon just outside Spitalfields market. I pointed out that you needed permission to take photos of the estate and that the building he was guarding had lots of 'high class clientele'. I still have no idea what the building was - it didn't look like a hotel or a place that would be occupied at 11pm on a school night (I'd just been to Brick lane for a curry).....

Anyhow I advised him I was walking home and just fancied some pictures of the sky. I walked away and then turned around and got some snaps of his building. Muppet.

Snow and Signal Failures

It started snowing in Colchester about 3pm yesterday I was digging a pathway in my garden doning my favourite Russian hat and sweating...

Serious snow fall over night and I awoke to the radio citing severe train problems. Joy. turns out trains from London to Kent weren't operating at all but to my amazement our Colchester trains weren't too bad.

I got on a delayed Clacton train, intentionally hadn't consumed any coffee and fell asleep. Only to be awoken by the man with the loudest voice in East Anglia, whom was determined to keep his employer updated with his movements whilst informing everyone on the train....

There was a signal issue along the way and a journey which would normally take 1 hour took over 2. Pretty views along the way mind you, even if I did half cook my ankle on the radiator....