Christmas In Cleethorpes- part 3

It was time for my journey home.

We got to the station early enough to visit the prom and see the “sea”.

Yes I’m very aware the Humber is a tidal estuary so not the sea.

The wind was bitingly cold and I was only gloveless a short time as I’d just taken a few photos… but I was feeling the cold. It used to be my body was like a furnace so even in winter I overheated in a light coat… now I’ve noticed that my former comfortable room temperature of 15°C feels cold, and thanks to MS kicking my behind and messing with my mobility I feel like I’ve become an old lady overnight hence me calling myself “old lady cold”.

We left the prom said goodbye on the station concourse. My daughter went home, and I entered the waiting room to wait for my train to Doncaster.

The assistance to get on the train was excellent and I listened to my book as I gazed at the blur outside the window.

It felt almost like no time before I arrived in Doncaster where I had an hour to wait. Listening to the end of my book in the waiting room made the wait feel short.

I always feel guilty having the assistant carrying my bags, but they always do so cheerfully.

Luckily I was soon out of the biting wind and safely on the train.

A slight panic was had when my phone informed me I’d left my iPad in Doncaster… then I realised I hadn’t charged it when packing before leaving my daughter’s and the low battery had probably become no battery… phew!

Now to choose my lunch I opted for the Christmas Dinner Croque (though I didn’t know what a Croque was), and the Orange Frangipane Mincemeat Tart (I had no idea what frangipane was either).

I was pleasantly surprised with my cheese topped toasted sandwich, and sponge filled pastry… and thoroughly enjoyed my late lunch.

It wasn’t quite such a pleasant surprise to learn a fault on the train out of Stevenage meant it couldn’t stop at my station, since I could use the same ticket to get out at the next station I decided that a 15 minute longer walk would be better than waiting half an hour for the next train. So got on the train anyway.

I got out at the station further from my home and planned to take a familiar daytime short cut through the one way system of my hometown’s business centre.

But first a selfie with a dog made out of Christmas lights in the town’s shopping centre… oh how I wish I could have seen I was still wearing the icing sugar from the frangipane between my upper lip and nose before I took the photo.

Well I left the town centre and after the well lit areas I ventured deep in the business centre where though the roads and their signs were comparatively well lit the pedestrian paths were not!

In daylight this route is straight forward… in the dark with my night blindness made worse by the lack of street lights it was disorienting (and made the journey about 10 minutes longer than the 35 minutes it usually takes).

I trusted my long white cane and stubbornly, but carefully placed one foot in front of another… until eventually the street lights returned as I reached the residential area and was nearly home.

I enjoyed looking at the Christmas lights as I neared home just few minutes before I would have if I’d waited for the next train

Why didn’t I wait for the next train I hear you ask?

Because it would have given me time to get anxious enough to have a panic attack. Where keeping moving keeps me constantly working out my next move and stops me feeling out of control even if it doesn’t go exactly to plan.

What stops you panicking when things feel like they’re getting out of hand?

Of course I did regret not checking bus times as I left town as a bus left my last stretch home as I entered it. That could have made things easier and quicker.

Hope you had a good Christmas and may you have a happy 2026.

Until next time.