JUst to clarify, there was no first class service (i.e. drinks of any sort - on a very hot day - or food/snacks). There was first accommodation. There was also no sign of the train manager and no ticket checks and no barriers - so as I said, I could if I had a mind to, reuse the first open ticket.
I will however be complaining to EMT today:
In First Class you can also enjoy a range of complimentary refreshments Monday to Friday.
No, there wasn't! So they have failed to deliver on that commitment.
And in their passenger charter:
If the advertised catering service is not available, we will do our best to let you know before you join the train
No they didn't. No doubt they will use some weasel words to avoid having to do anything on the basis it says "do our best", I simply won't accept that they didn't know before the train departed that there'd be no first class service - at the very least the train manager could have said something just before the train departed (in which case I'd have got off and waited for the other Nottingham train ten minutes later), but no - rather sneakily he waited until the train was on the move to make any announcement.
So, in respect of the complaint I'm going to make - if they appologise and do something about it, I'll let it go. If they reply with words to the effect of "tough luck" I might just consider reusing the ticket
Andy