Trainspotting – live reporting by Froggee (paterfamilias)

[freckles]

@Froggee, maybe we should petition for reintroduction of the ducking chair – i can think of one or two Scotswomen (and indeed Englishwomen) who have offended…
.

Must be nearing the big smoke by now.

[elguiri]

Can’t catch me!
Out of Marylebone on Chiltern railways and just stopped at Haddenham and Thame Parkway. Haddenham is of course famous for it’s ponds, which were used to breed Aylesbury ducks. I don’t believe the Scots ever owned it, but maybe they tried the ducks?
No trolley to offer anything at all, but in a moment they will announce the arrival at the next station in Arabic, Mandarin and Japanese.

[Froggee]

Approaching London Kings Cross – on time which is a win for LNER (and my poor buttocks)

Nothing further to add other than I really, really hate train toilets. I lasted four hours but needs must. It’s a miracle that I didn’t miss the bowl given the jiggling. The seat was up when I went in so it remained up but I feel very sorry for people that pee sitting down, like Freddo. And particularly those in long flowing skirts. Luckily I didn’t wear my kilt today. As for the taps – they seem designed to send water flying everywhere. If you can get any water out of them at all.

I am having dinner with my former best friend Mr McToadrick who I am sure will be waiting for me at the station platform with a carnation between his teeth. I had better be able to charge the dinner to my room as otherwise I will be short of spend total for Accor Platinum.

I am very much looking forward to flying home from London City tomorrow. It should hopefully be less than four hours from restaurant in the City to dinner table at home in Edinburgh despite not having my car at the airport. None of this four hours and 39 minutes in stasis nonsense.

Right, where is the Pullam St Pancras at?

[Super Secret Stuff]

Froggee wrote:

I just saw a solar farm. Seems ambitious. Is Nottinghamshire still in the North or is it midlands?

If you take the most northerly point of England (Berick upon tweed) and the end of Cornwall (Lizard), the north / south divide is about Hereford to Ipswich. So it’s north.

(Runs for cover)

[ChrisBCN]

I’m loving the new HfP live blog!

[yorkshireRich]

Absolutely loving this thread. I quite enjoy the LNER train. For us it’s only 2 hours to King’s Cross, and I much prefer it to BA.

Anyway as we are reminiscing somewhat, this could be a good time to mention the other week that I boarded the LNER to London. Before Doncaster however my wife rang me to tell me that I had took her only car keys and she was stranded on the station with our child.

I got off at Doncaster and as it was the weekend that the train strikes got called off at last minute, it took me 2 hours until I started at my original point.

How everyone else laughed. My missus not so much when I told her I had also left the phone charger on the train, so had to go to Argos on Cromwell Road to buy another one. I have full faith Frogee that you are not as useless at travelling on your own.

[The Savage Squirrel]

Froggee wrote:

Right, where is the Pullam St Pancras at?

Sorry as you’ve already been bored for 3 hours, but … I have stayed there exactly once. There was absolutely nothing bad about it (as that would have been memorable), it was just the most bland and boring hotel I have ever been in. Literally the only thought I can recall abut the stay is “this is grey”. Some dodgy plumbing or a mouse in the breakfast would have at least have provided interest.

Another fan of LNER here and less than 2 hours nonstop to Kings X on the right train. Probably because the departure station has 3 pubs. Now that I know I can legally crossbow anyone who nicked my seat when they got on at Edinburgh, that’s even better.

[elguiri]

There’s quite a nice view over the British Library if your window points that way. And at Christmas they have nice decorations up.

[Froggee]

And good evening from the very bland Pullman St Pancras. As you called it @The-Savage-Squirrel. The bar/restaurant was okay and even glam if you like although the food was a bit meh.

Dinner should have ticked me over to Platinum unless they don’t give the correct number of points like the Sofitel at Heathrow. That would be annoying.

A very lethargic receptionist went though the motions and told me to download the Accor app when I asked about my welcome drink. As I was waiting for the lift I heard her complain to a colleague about a 13 hour shift so fair enough.

She neglected to tell me about the double upgrade to a deluxe room. Boy is it bland. I could have done better. The extra space the room has is filled with an emptiness that is eating into my soul. The blue accents only serve to make me realise that they have failed to unbland it.

The highlight is the courtesy minibar which is empty. So the sign explaining I can help myself is placed over one of the two free bottles of water.

The only ostensible upgrade to a normal room appears to be a Nespresso machine. So I have instant and capsule coffee I won’t be drinking.

Good night all. Although there is little point in me trying to sleep given that I will be expecting to be murdered in my sleep which is protocol for the first night in a new hotel.

[strickers]

Look on the bright side, you don’t have to endure LNER home tomorrow. Unless of course it’s foggy and your flight is cancelled? At least by being awake all night you’ll have time to plan ahead.

[John]

I’m probably the only person who finds the LNER seats very comfortable. I would sit in them all the way from Aberdeen to Kings Cross, and did do so once when I got a ticket for £30 while all flights were £150+.

The only reason other than price I’d choose to fly to EDI over the train is if I need to be there before 8-9am and couldn’t go the evening before (or similar issues with timings, such as during engineering work).

[CJD]

NorthernLass wrote:

Similar to how the Scots got Orkney then – the dowry for a Norwegian princess never materialised so the Scottish king at the time decided he’d have a few of her family’s islands instead!

Not quite.

Orkney and Shetland were given by the King of Denmark as security for the dowry for Princess Margaret, who married James III. As said dowry never materialised, Scotland kept the land.

[Froggee]

For completeness, I left Bar Douro at Finsbury Avenue Square bang on 2pm today. A leisurely stroll to Bank station saw me catch the 2:22pm DLR which arrived at London City station at 2:45pm which, by London City Airport standards, was obscenely early for my 3:40pm flight. No wait at Security and a new water machine has been installed since my last visit – yay.

The flight was raring to go and took off at 3:48pm, and landed at 4:42pm. I was in the terminal at 4:55pm and, because times are tough in the Froggee household, I paid £5.50 for a single on the overpriced airport bus, got off at the west end and walked home from there, arriving at 5.56pm. This saved £30+ vs a taxi.

I could have cut the DLR a wee bit finer and saved almost half an hour by taking a taxi home but even so it was less than four hours door to door. That compares very well to yesterday’s 5 hours 15 minutes, particularly given that I chose my hotel because it was adjacent to Kings Cross which left me with a 40 minute walk to Bar Douro today.

A bargain for 4,750 Avios + £17.50

And British Airways have original Coca-Cola rather than adulterated Pepsi.

The end.