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I gave two non-driving, train-using friends a lift to Heathrow from Coventry on Friday. Took less than 2 hours each way and £26 total in fuel. They never usually travel by car and I will be expecting a phone call if things are as bad as last week when they return.

I used to use 4 trains and 3 buses a day in the West Midlands to commute. 'Use public transport', 'Use public transport', CoVID, 'Don't use public transport'. So if you abandon the car, the government will screw you by cutting services and enforcing muzzles to make going to work intolerable...

This is probably just the excuse they've been looking for to shut them all for good. They're pretty grim now anyway.

One indication (perhaps): Ticket inspections seem way down recently. I use Avanti twice a day and you could expect one at least once a day in 1st. Can't remember the last now. Tea and coffee is much less likely too.

Anybody amused that the quiet coach is next to the loco on Chiltern's silver services??:D

The zones are not a series of circles centered around Brum. My all zone nnetwork card lets me go from Coventry to Wolverhampton (1 hour) but not to Kenilworth (6 minutes away). I can also travel to Rugeley (2 hours) but not Bedworth (10 minutes).

The Bullring want people to walk through their shopping centre and I believe the plan was to close beggars' alley completely. But yes, BCC and the WMCA will need to do something about that disgusting underground hole.

I walked through the tunnel on Friday as I do every day, and was greeting by a homeless man urinating in view of everybody thinking it funny. The smell under there is vile and we know what that is. It doesn't paint Brum in a good light if you arrive there on Chiltern Trains for a day out...

Think I might pop in the Woodman after work. The shiny new diggers have moved a fair bit of dirt around recently.

Yes, but on RTT today, platform 4 proper is not used again until 0830 when the Euston bound train leaves (presumably the one mentioned earlier). When I go home at night the pendolinos are always at the extreme A end of the platforms, regardless of platform number.

Here's an odd one: The Avanti ex-Euston to New St service which arrives at 0745 on platform 4. This train (a Pendolino) now travels right up to the B end of the station meaning the stairs nearest 1st class are actually now at that end, unless you walk all the way back and then up towards the...

Catch the 3/3A from New Union Street if you don't fancy waiting ages for a train to the Ricoh. 5 min walk towards the city centre.

Chiltern reduce the cost of their 'Business Zone' if the small wooden crates of apple juice and pet food bars are not available, from £27 to £10 if I recall. If Avanti run out of The Times papers in the morning, tough (not a complaint, sometimes there are dozens left!). However, I am thinking...

There should be a 'retain the Uglies' campaign. Who cares about seat selectors.

Will class 1.5 be an overflow for 1st? 9 coach pendolinos are full during peaks in both classes as it stands now - take the 1650 from New St to Euston for example. There is simply no room on these trains for any additional class whatsoever unless seats are fitted by the toilets or the driver, so...

Pendolinos are great looking machines. I remember being with friends heading down to Euston, them fearful like rollercoaster riders when the tilt got going properly. With the right wind, I can hear them leave Coventry station with the noise of the electrics and fans kicking in. Far better than...

The sugar in the bowls in 1st class has even be rebranded!!

The more recent uniform design was very popular among staff, as it was highly optional (apart from gateline staff in the obvious red): skirts, trousers, grey, red, black.

There were very clear announcements made this morning about tickets not being accepted at Coventry between TOCs. Seems VT et al getting fed up with it.

Chiltern state: 'First class season ticket holders have complementary use of the Business Zone'. I've not seen one of these trains in over 2 months now - just the short-formed heritage 168 stock. On Friday an ex-Marylebone to Snow Hill train had only 2 coaches. London. To. Birmingham.