Happy Monday!

I’m tapping this post out at 7am on Monday morning from Bristol Coach Station, which should give you an idea of how my travel plans went over the weekend.

The plan was to go down to Sarah’s on Saturday night, spend Sunday with her and Noah and Ryan, and come back on Sunday night.

Storm Bert and the uselessness of GWR (God’s Worst Railway) put the kibosh on that. First all trains from Hereford Station were cancelled. But that was ok, Ryan dropped me at Newport because the trains were still running. The 18:33, except when I got to Newport, it had been cancelled. So I followed the advice and went to Bristol Temple Meads. Nope, all trains to London cancelled. Look, I get things happen, there was a storm, it was GWR’s complete lack of preparation or help that threw me. No one organising taxis or hotels. Nothing except a promise that GWR would pay for it!

Fortunately, I do this for my day job and I have money. Not enough to pay for a £350 taxi from Bristol to London, but enough for a hotel! I booked a room at Delta by Marriott and then a coach to London for the morning. I even sent a friend to go and pick up the wine that had been delivered to my doorstep that afternoon (it was missing but I’ll deal with that later!)

I’m lucky, I had money and credit cards and a charged phone and experience of how to cope with nonsense like this (and I still called my mum!) I also have a job where I have some person credit and great management (that have, as ever, been fantastic about me not being in on a Monday morning). 25 years ago that would not have been the case. For me, this is an annoying story, for the girl in the station crying that she would lose her job if she didn’t get home and she couldn’t afford a taxi. (Yes, I helped her book a coach and bought her a sandwich and I really hope she got home ok) it was worse than that.

I’m good and mad that GWR didn’t have a single fucking plan in place to help. It look like I’ll get my tickets refunded and possibly my hotel and coach booking too but the absolute lack of planning for an emergency was a shambles, it’s more than time to renationalise the trains.

Other than that, it was lovely to see everyone. Sarah, Ryan, Noah and bonus Elayne and Justin, who is out of hospital and grumpy so must be on the mend. Of course I got a cuddle from Fred l, ok he sat on me to make sure I wasn’t going anywhere..

We walked the dogs, in the very flooded campsite, Noah is so much like Ryan at the same age (completely nuts!)

It was a good visit, shame about the travel!

What else? Once I get home, and locate my wine, it’s a pretty standard week. It’s the last week of November, so there are two birthdays and an anniversary. I’m having lunch with godchildren and various others on Sunday because we’re at 20 years since Stef died. Yep, time piles up..

Sunday is also Advent which means Christmas is coming but more important than that, next week Ma has a birthday!

Have a good week!