Circumstances Beyond Our Control

That’s most definitely what today could be entitled.

Woke up with everything aching after a couple of hours moving around and adding the last bits to my backpack I tried it on and my body said are you insane I’m not walking to the station so took up Cat’s offer of a taxi. Having got to the station I waited in the waiting room for the train.

Tickets were scanned before boarding today and we were off. Totally on time.

First circumstance was less than 20 minutes later I got a NHS message I couldn’t access because we were in a low signal area, then the Trainline app said we would be 4 minutes late at Doncaster as at first no one seemed to be coming I got my bag down from the shelf and because I was panicking nearly came a cropper then the booked assistant arrived and took the bag and got me across and I had chance to check the time and we’d arrived on time not late.

The Doncaster wait is short (under 10 minutes) and my wonderful helper got me on.

I soon had my LNER banquet (a bit of déjà vu same as when I went up to Cleethorpes) and my ticket scanned. After eating I decided to check the message notification it was about a new NHS appointment… neurology 2 weeks before my birthday.

Then after Scunthorpe my speedy LNER train slowed down to the Trans Pennine Express speed for a while apparently a slow train was ahead of us and was shunted onto the first available siding but we would be 7 minutes late giving us 2 minutes to change trains at Stevenage. There was no one to meet me so one of the train staff helped me off and a station staff member walked straight past to go speak to the train driver, there was a train opposite was that mine? Too late if it was as it started pulling away. I managed to get my backpack on and since I couldn’t see the orange hivis of station staff I wandered down the platform… no staff on my platform… I turned round and walked back along the platform…

The staff member who passed me was coming back and I found out several things:-

1. Stevenage which is a 4 platform station has 2 people for Passenger Assistance.

2. There were 2 people on my train needing assistance and we were at opposite ends of the train.

3. Just before my train pulled in the station had a trespassing incident to deal with (which was what the station staff member was speaking to the driver about).

4. The other dedicated passenger assistant had taken the other passenger needing assistance to catch their train. So the one I was speaking to took me to the waiting room and said his colleague would be with me shortly.

5. When he came he had 2 blind people with him (they were going to a blind tennis tournament in WGC) and we were all going on the same train (which was actually my train running late).

6. The other assistance member came to check how things were going because he needed to go help someone on a different platform and the one helping us said Welwyn North hadn’t answered his call and I said it’s unmanned from lunchtime until the rush hour but it’s okay I can get myself off there.

Well our helper got us on the train. And a member of the public helped me with the trickiest bit opening the door.

I thought I was home and dry as I started walking the last leg… until I had to negotiate a maze as they had closed off the the way home on Hertford Road to cars and built a marvellous rat run for pedestrians.

Anyway I finally arrived home to have my cats shouting their displeasure at me going away for a week. Willow has gone to silent sulking, and Sparkles shouts every time I leave the bedroom.

I’m so tired it’s going to be an early night.

Until next time