Bear with me guys, I've not posted a trip report before! I suspect that this one will be slightly different, in that I'm not just focussing on trains, so apologies if not all of it piques your interest. No photos from me either I'm afraid... well, a couple, but none of trains. I've put a few other photos in, but they aren't mine.
Anyway, with a rare long weekend off work I fancied doing something a bit different with my time. So I did a bit of searching and it wasn't long until I'd come up with a plan - and this one seemed to fall into place quite nicely. Being an opera fan, I got a ticket for Mozart's Le Nozze di Figaro at the Royal Opera House. Since I haven't really explored London's rail network, I decided to spend some time bashing as well, although it certainly wasn't the main focus of my trip.
I decided to fly with Virgin Atlantic's domestic airline, "Little Red" from Edinburgh - I'd usually take the train when I'm travelling from Central Scotland, but when I was living up North I flew fairly frequently on their Aberdeen to Heathrow route, so I've racked up a fair few frequent flier miles that needed spent. Virgin Atlantic Little Red offer(ed) a fantastic domestic service at really reasonable fares, but sadly it was not to last. About a year ago, the airline announced that the services were being withdrawn. And by sheer coincidence I'd be returning home on their last day of service - today (25th September). So naturally I booked myself onto the final flight up to Edinburgh.
So on the 24th, I woke up early and drove myself to Edinburgh Airport for my flight down, arriving in the "mystery car park" at half six. A short bus ride to the terminal and through security with minimal delays thankfully. It's been a while since I've flown from Edinburgh, and the new security area has taken a hit in the local media, but it seemed to work reasonably well on this moderately busy Friday morning (I suspect that the Glasgow September Weekend holiday made things a wee bit busier than usual). The one thing I liked about Edinburgh was that, on leaving security, you went straight into the departures hall. Sadly, the new area has copied various other airports in funnelling all its passengers straight into the duty free shop, so I had to push through the shoppers and dodge the sales assistants trying to spray me with aftershave. I was much happier once I got through to the departures hall, and went for a breakfast at "The Gathering" which has good views onto the airfield. I had the tasty Haggis Benedict - a highly recommended take on the more traditional Eggs Benedict that I haven't seen before but want to see more of in the future!
Edinburgh's main terminal has the advantage of offering great views of the runway to keep you entertained whilst you wait (sadly if you're in the low-cost annexe it's not nearly as much fun). The airport's gone from strength to strength in recent years, and was certainly a hive of activity. Flights to Newark, JFK, Toronto and Abu Dhabi were all busy, as well as the "usual suspects" (Ryanair, easyJet, BA, KLM...). I had a seat at Gate 9, where my aircraft EI-DEI, an A320, had pulled in and before long we were walking down to the apron and climbing the steps onto VS3002. Little Red offered generous leg room for a short haul carrier, and the lovely dark red interior offers comfortable seating for the short domestic hops the planes do. The interiors were smart.
Image from http://www.jaunted.com/travel-photos/full/562/Inside+Little+Red#2, all credit to the photographer
The cabin crew commented that this was the second last day of Little Red operations and it was the last flight for most of them on board. There were tears from one of the stewards as he demonstrated the use of the oxygen mask for the last time (which probably shouldn't have been funny, but I certainly wasn't the only one trying not to laugh!). The load factor was poor: 10-15%, although it's very probably lower than it usually was since it's so close to the end of the operation. We took off into the clear skies West of Edinburgh and turned South. It was a beautiful day for flying - not even a slight bump and clear skies all the way to Heathrow. Once the seatbelt sign was off the complimentary inflight service started. As is always the case, when you're on a plane it seems to be considered acceptable to drink alcohol at 09:30 in the morning. I wasn't up for it, and just had a coke which was served with a small bag of specially branded "Plane Crisps".
Image from http://www.jaunted.com/travel-photos/full/562/Inside+Little+Red#2, all credit to the photographer
Being Tyrrells, they were excellent. Being on a plane, they were extremely salty.
We arrived in LHR and taxied past the Widebodies in T2 to our stand 225 (IIRC). Terminal 2 domestic arrivals is a breeze, having just hand luggage I was on my way to Heathrow Central in no time and onto the tube within minutes of touchdown.
My hotel was at Tower Hill station, and TfL's journey planner suggested that the tube was no slower than the Heathrow Express and tube for this part of London, so I decided not to splash out. I decided to use contactless for the public transportation in London, and having an iPhone 6 I decided to make use of Apple Pay for the duration of my trip - mostly to see how it works in practice. The phone was armed and through the gate I went. I descended into the Underground system and it wasn't long before my Piccadilly Line train arrived onto the platform. I took it to Hammersmith, and changed onto a D78 Stock District line train to complete my journey to Tower Hill. I've always thought the D78 Stock has a rather unique feel amongst Underground trains, and in a way it'll be sad to see them go. Of course, I could well be riding them in Wales if the 230s ever see the light of day!
Having left my bag at the hotel, I decided to explore London. Or rather, London's public transport network. I'd come up with a small plan. I returned to the tube, where a Circle Line train was ready and waiting to take me to Liverpool Street. As much as I do quite like the D78s, the new S stock is a vast improvement for Londoners without a doubt. Much more space for standing, air conditioned carriages and a fresh new feel. The short journey was over in a flash and I went upstairs to Liverpool Street mainline station. I'd never been to this terminus, so I was quite surprised at just how nice the architecture is. It wasn't one that I've seen being mentioned too much, but I thought it had a really nice style, and the modernisation was very sympathetic. I boarded a 315 to Chingford. It was my first time on a 315, but being no stranger to 314s they did feel unsurprisingly familiar. The units are very basic, and the pink interior is an interesting choice of colour, but they seem to do their job well. TfL have taken over the route of course, and have wasted no time in rebranding all the stations and most of the trains. I've never known another ToC to rebrand in such a speedy fashion. I chose Chingford in part because the line was described as "scenic" somewhere. Since it only goes to Zone 5, I didn't have high hopes, and I'm glad of it. The ride was interesting though, seeing the changes as you leave London's City Centre and move into the more suburban areas.
I alighted at Chingford and tapped out. I had decided that rather than doubling back on myself I should find another line to take me back, and my plan took me to the 313 bus towards Potters Bar. The bus arrived on time (a phrase I never thought I'd utter!). Tapping in with my iPhone gathered some unusual looks from the driver, but when it worked he seemed quite happy with it. The bus was something of an oddity to me, not being a Londoner. A small single decker with two sets of doors isn't something that's seen often elsewhere, and it did feel like wasted space to me. The bus had a reasonable load. Unlike up here where I'm often the youngest person on the bus by a margin of at least 40 years, the bus carried an eclectic mix of passengers. I think this is where Oyster and Contactless really come into their own - it's so much easier to catch a bus in London than it is up here (where I have to find a way of getting the exact change). The bus was delayed slightly en route by a horribly busy junction where the A10 meets the A110. Interesting driving tactics were employed by most road users, and had I been behind a wheel I think my middle finger would be getting a good work out! A took the bus to Enfield, alighting outside Chase station.
From one 313 to another now. The Hertford Loop is a line that I somehow feel very familiar with having played far too much SimSig in years gone by! Yet, this was my first trip on the line. The Great Northern 313 surprised me with its high-backed chairs, which I thought were quite comfortable. The enthusiast in me enjoyed the trip back to Central London, with good views of both Bounds Green and Hornsey depots. Some more entertainment came courtesy of a rather uncouth young gentleman who serenaded the carriage with profane rap music from his iPhone. His uppence thankfully came rather quickly; when the ticket inspector showed up he didn't have a ticket. "I need to get somewhere" is a pretty poor excuse for not paying your fare and after a rather frank exchange, he was escorted off the train at Finsbury Park. I stayed on until Highbury & Islington. The platforms here feel very much like tube lines (understandably so, given their history), so it felt a bit odd stepping off a 313. Upstairs next, and after touching my phone on the pink reader (which I don't think was necessary for my journey?), I boarded an Overground 378 around the East London Line to Crystal Palace. The train was quite lightly loaded for the whole journey, which I found surprising for what was now about 3pm on a Friday afternoon. The Overground's 378s feel similar to the Underground's S-Stock trains to me - open, with a light and airy feel to them. I'm not a fan of transverse seating on these routes, but I can imagine that the standing capacity is needed in the height of the rush hour. Another interesting journey on the old East London Line, I don't think it was overly scenic, but it's hard to tell when you've got your back to the window!
I alighted at Crystal Palace and had a wander through the park. I went to Tesco (which was filled with School brats) to pick up an Irn Bru, forgetting how far South I was so having to make do with a Coke. Back to the station, and this time a Southern 455 (another first) took me back to London Bridge station. The journey was quite nondescript, but there were some nice views of The City as we got closer to The Big Smoke itself. London Bridge was in the throes of renovation, but everything did seem to be moving quite well on the concourse.
Walked back to the hotel, and was rather surprised to see Tower Bridge rise and saw a familiar Paddle Steamer passing under. The Waverley is a familiar sight to me, spending winters berthed at the Glasgow Science Centre and Summers taking (mostly old) people "Doon the Watter" to visit some of the Clyde's tourist hotspots. I did not expect to see her in London, so it was quite a nice surprise for me!
I checked in and got changed for the opera. One of the perks of staying with Doubletree by Hilton is getting a warm cookie when you check in
My room did not have the Tower of London view that most tourists want, but offered a really good view of 30 St Mary Axe (better known as "The Gherkin", or if you're my Dad "The Pickle").
I was expecting a nightmarish tube ride to Covent Garden in the Friday evening rush hour. It really wasn't too bad. I actually managed to get a seat on the S Stock going one stop East to Monument station. I then navigated my way to Bank - this didn't look like the best transfer ever, and I can't say I'd recommend it. A long walk in a stuffy and busy corridor, but it did get me to the Central Line where i had a wait of only a few seconds for the 1992 stock to roll in. Again, I was impressed at how (relatively) quiet it was for a Friday evening - I got perched at the end of the carriage and had plenty of personal space for my ride to Holborn. I had contemplated a transfer to the Piccadilly Line for just one stop, but seeing the signs advising against it decided to alight at Holborn. I wish I hadn't. The area outside the station was badly congested and, despite the pleas littered around the station, I think they could have made it easier to find your way to Covent Garden.
I won't bore you with details of Le Nozze di Figaro, but I really enjoyed the production of Le Nozze di Figaro. Great production, great cast. If you're into opera, I'd recommend it (and it's coming to cinemas too on the 5th of October). The RoH has fantastic acoustics, and even up in the Amphitheatre, even the quietest note sung was crystal clear.
Back to the hotel to go to bed, and this time I walked to Embankment to catch another S Stock train back towards Tower Hill. After a relaxing night's sleep, I woke to find that TfL had correctly calculated my fare which was now displayed on my iPhone. Glad to see it worked!
After breakfast, and after breakfast and checking out of the room I made my way to Fenchurch Street. Another new terminus for me, another new ToC and another new unit, the Class 357. I didn't have much to say about the quiet Fenchurch Street. The 357 felt very familiar to me, although the pantographs and 3+2 seating looked a bit odd for me, being used to 170s. I had planned to go to Upminster and catch a train to Romford, however I'm glad I checked my phone as the service was withdrawn due to a lack of train crew. Poor show from TfL, and hopefully not a frequent occurrence. I changed plans on the cuff, and alighted at Barking. I had a wander around the town centre. It could be described as "multicultural", but the very busy market in this firmly working class area was great to see. Some complain that migrants are destroying the British way of life. Here, I saw mostly migrants maintaining the British market tradition that has all but disappeared elsewhere.
My revised plans saw me back in the station before long to catch the train all the way to Gospel Oak. Another Turbostar this time, and yet another new class of unit for me, the 172 was busy all the way to its terminus, with a good flow of passengers at the intermediate stations. Unusual to be on an overground train with the more conventional seating arrangement - I very much enjoyed being able to look out the window! At the end of the line, I touched my phone onto the pink reader and made my way round to Platform 1 where another 378 arrived to take me to West Hampstead. I decided to explore this area too, and it was a stark contrast to Barking. No ethnic market with knock-off goods here, instead there was a rather posh farmer's market outside the Thameslink station! I had a nice lunch of Venison Burger with Apple and Plum Chutney on-the-go, and made my way back to Central London on a Thameslink 319 (again, more new track and new stock for me). I got off at St Pancras. Another bus took me back to Holborn in the daytime, surprisingly another single decker on the 46 (although with only 2 pax, perfectly suited to its job), and I had a walk though to Covent Garden and Trafalgar Square.
Having been to these tourist hotspots numerous times before, I didn't linger on this occasion. I decided to head back to St Pancras by way of the Northern Line. I just missed a train, but luckily the insane frequencies on the Northern Line saw another pull in just a few seconds later. When I was on the train, I realised that the Charing Cross branch didn't go to to King's Cross/St P, so any excuse to add on another line! I changed at Warren Street (not a recommended interchange - long escalators up and down) onto the Victoria Line for a few stops to St Pancras.
Another new route for me was High Speed 1, and given that you can now use Oyster/Contactless if you're going to Stratford it seemed like a good idea. I sat down on 395 (again; new ToC, new route, new stock for me) ready to enjoy the view as the train rolled towards HS1. I think it's fair to say that the views on this line are disappointing unless you particularly like tunnel walls, but it does get you to Stratford in no time at all. I popped into the horrendous Westfield Shopping Centre (if it's this busy in September, I don't want to even think how bad it is at Christmas!), where I queued for a long time and handed over an obscene amount of money for some fruit juice.
I wasn't going to hang around here, and it was time to head back to pick up my bag from the hotel anyway. So I decided to tick off some more boxes and head back to London on the DLR. Like an overly excited child, I nabbed the front seat and really enjoyed the front row view as the train drove itself. On this journey, I had the first and only ticket inspection I'd encountered on my travels thus far. Or I would have had, had the inspector's machine worked. The failure caused much hilarity on the train as the previously confident inspector tried to sneak off with his tail between his legs
I wonder if his reaction would have been similar if my ticketing technology (iPhone) had failed? I suspect not. Another one of my plans went to pot here, as I found out the DLR was closed into the City 
So I reluctantly gave up my drivers-eye view at West Ham and returned to Fenchurch Street on another 357. I don't think I'd noticed on the way out, but the view coming into Fenchurch Street over the City is actually pretty good - maybe something to brighten up a Monday morning commute into The Big Smoke!
Luggage collected, it was back to LHR on the District and Piccadilly lines. Having checked in the night before, it was straight through security, and thankfully unlike most places you aren't plunged straight into duty free in T2. I had an expensive smoked salmon sandwich for dinner and headed over to Gate A24 for the last ever Virgin Atlantic Little Red Flight to Edinburgh, VS3011.
There wasn't much recognition of the event at the boarding gate, and the much healthier load of 114 pax was duly boarded onto EI-EZW for her last flight in her eye-catching red livery. The flight back was a bit of a let down in the sky, with the onboard service not available. When I asked, I was told that the galley had been stripped out in preparation for the plane going back to Dublin later that evening (a quick look on flightradar24 reveals she's actually now in Shannon). A real shame for such a great service to be let down on its last outing by a bit of cost cutting. Clear skies all the way again, and a smooth touchdown into Edinburgh. The cabin crew had some fun with their last announcements, and we were greeted with a water canon salute to mark the end of Virgin Atlantic Little Red. We were piped off the plane, leaving one bemused American wondering if they do this for every flight in Scotland
So if you're still reading, good on you, I don't think I meant to write quite as many words, and if I had done I'd have taken more photos! My thoughts overall:
Londoners, for all you moan about it, you have a fantastic transport network. There is plenty to moan about, and perhaps I wouldn't be saying this if I was travelling on the super-dense-crush-load of the Northern Line every day. But the network is extensive, easy to use and reliable. So many cities have public transport that fails to tick even one of those boxes. I think Oyster has been a real revolution in London, making it so easy to use all public transport.
Latterly, contactless has helped even more. Oyster fares available to everyone with a contactless card, with no need to buy or register an Oyster card. I stepped off the plane and straight onto the tube. No waiting in line. No negotiating ticket machines. No rummaging for loose change. No trying to convince a TfL employee to accept an RBS £20 note. Apple Pay works very well too. It has the added benefit of giving you feedback when you tap in or out - it displays on the screen and vibrates in your hand to confirm. You don't have a record of your journey unfortunately - it doesn't store a record of your tapping in and out, and the next day you get a single deduction from your account. I've not created a contactless account as I'm not often in London, but that does show you more details.
Finally, it's a sad farewell to my favourite little airline. Virgin Atlantic Little Red has been a joy to fly with. The fares were competitive. The service exemplary. The planes always immaculately turned out. The crew a credit to themselves and the airline. You could tell that they genuinely cared about the product and the service they provided. Their consistency put the Virgin EC First Class staff to shame. Virgin tried to prove that domestic flying need not be a low-cost chore and could actually be enjoyable. Sadly, the venture does not seem to have been profitable for them (in fact, it was probably haemorrhaging money), but I'm glad they gave it a go and the crew really did put their all into it. I don't see why the loads weren't better - the service was excellent and the fares very competitive. I can only suspect that the high-yielding frequent fliers were already loyal to BA and other airlines and had little incentive to switch allegiance. Indeed, they reported early on that they had a low number of connecting pax at LHR, which made things difficult. I'm glad to say that, based on the announcements I heard, the cabin crew have all been offered jobs flying long haul for the airline and I do wish them all the best. I'll likely be back onto the rails next time I go to London, but I will miss the Virgin Atlantic Little Red Service.
Anyway, with a rare long weekend off work I fancied doing something a bit different with my time. So I did a bit of searching and it wasn't long until I'd come up with a plan - and this one seemed to fall into place quite nicely. Being an opera fan, I got a ticket for Mozart's Le Nozze di Figaro at the Royal Opera House. Since I haven't really explored London's rail network, I decided to spend some time bashing as well, although it certainly wasn't the main focus of my trip.
I decided to fly with Virgin Atlantic's domestic airline, "Little Red" from Edinburgh - I'd usually take the train when I'm travelling from Central Scotland, but when I was living up North I flew fairly frequently on their Aberdeen to Heathrow route, so I've racked up a fair few frequent flier miles that needed spent. Virgin Atlantic Little Red offer(ed) a fantastic domestic service at really reasonable fares, but sadly it was not to last. About a year ago, the airline announced that the services were being withdrawn. And by sheer coincidence I'd be returning home on their last day of service - today (25th September). So naturally I booked myself onto the final flight up to Edinburgh.
So on the 24th, I woke up early and drove myself to Edinburgh Airport for my flight down, arriving in the "mystery car park" at half six. A short bus ride to the terminal and through security with minimal delays thankfully. It's been a while since I've flown from Edinburgh, and the new security area has taken a hit in the local media, but it seemed to work reasonably well on this moderately busy Friday morning (I suspect that the Glasgow September Weekend holiday made things a wee bit busier than usual). The one thing I liked about Edinburgh was that, on leaving security, you went straight into the departures hall. Sadly, the new area has copied various other airports in funnelling all its passengers straight into the duty free shop, so I had to push through the shoppers and dodge the sales assistants trying to spray me with aftershave. I was much happier once I got through to the departures hall, and went for a breakfast at "The Gathering" which has good views onto the airfield. I had the tasty Haggis Benedict - a highly recommended take on the more traditional Eggs Benedict that I haven't seen before but want to see more of in the future!
Edinburgh's main terminal has the advantage of offering great views of the runway to keep you entertained whilst you wait (sadly if you're in the low-cost annexe it's not nearly as much fun). The airport's gone from strength to strength in recent years, and was certainly a hive of activity. Flights to Newark, JFK, Toronto and Abu Dhabi were all busy, as well as the "usual suspects" (Ryanair, easyJet, BA, KLM...). I had a seat at Gate 9, where my aircraft EI-DEI, an A320, had pulled in and before long we were walking down to the apron and climbing the steps onto VS3002. Little Red offered generous leg room for a short haul carrier, and the lovely dark red interior offers comfortable seating for the short domestic hops the planes do. The interiors were smart.
Image from http://www.jaunted.com/travel-photos/full/562/Inside+Little+Red#2, all credit to the photographer
The cabin crew commented that this was the second last day of Little Red operations and it was the last flight for most of them on board. There were tears from one of the stewards as he demonstrated the use of the oxygen mask for the last time (which probably shouldn't have been funny, but I certainly wasn't the only one trying not to laugh!). The load factor was poor: 10-15%, although it's very probably lower than it usually was since it's so close to the end of the operation. We took off into the clear skies West of Edinburgh and turned South. It was a beautiful day for flying - not even a slight bump and clear skies all the way to Heathrow. Once the seatbelt sign was off the complimentary inflight service started. As is always the case, when you're on a plane it seems to be considered acceptable to drink alcohol at 09:30 in the morning. I wasn't up for it, and just had a coke which was served with a small bag of specially branded "Plane Crisps".
Image from http://www.jaunted.com/travel-photos/full/562/Inside+Little+Red#2, all credit to the photographer
Being Tyrrells, they were excellent. Being on a plane, they were extremely salty.
We arrived in LHR and taxied past the Widebodies in T2 to our stand 225 (IIRC). Terminal 2 domestic arrivals is a breeze, having just hand luggage I was on my way to Heathrow Central in no time and onto the tube within minutes of touchdown.
My hotel was at Tower Hill station, and TfL's journey planner suggested that the tube was no slower than the Heathrow Express and tube for this part of London, so I decided not to splash out. I decided to use contactless for the public transportation in London, and having an iPhone 6 I decided to make use of Apple Pay for the duration of my trip - mostly to see how it works in practice. The phone was armed and through the gate I went. I descended into the Underground system and it wasn't long before my Piccadilly Line train arrived onto the platform. I took it to Hammersmith, and changed onto a D78 Stock District line train to complete my journey to Tower Hill. I've always thought the D78 Stock has a rather unique feel amongst Underground trains, and in a way it'll be sad to see them go. Of course, I could well be riding them in Wales if the 230s ever see the light of day!
Having left my bag at the hotel, I decided to explore London. Or rather, London's public transport network. I'd come up with a small plan. I returned to the tube, where a Circle Line train was ready and waiting to take me to Liverpool Street. As much as I do quite like the D78s, the new S stock is a vast improvement for Londoners without a doubt. Much more space for standing, air conditioned carriages and a fresh new feel. The short journey was over in a flash and I went upstairs to Liverpool Street mainline station. I'd never been to this terminus, so I was quite surprised at just how nice the architecture is. It wasn't one that I've seen being mentioned too much, but I thought it had a really nice style, and the modernisation was very sympathetic. I boarded a 315 to Chingford. It was my first time on a 315, but being no stranger to 314s they did feel unsurprisingly familiar. The units are very basic, and the pink interior is an interesting choice of colour, but they seem to do their job well. TfL have taken over the route of course, and have wasted no time in rebranding all the stations and most of the trains. I've never known another ToC to rebrand in such a speedy fashion. I chose Chingford in part because the line was described as "scenic" somewhere. Since it only goes to Zone 5, I didn't have high hopes, and I'm glad of it. The ride was interesting though, seeing the changes as you leave London's City Centre and move into the more suburban areas.
I alighted at Chingford and tapped out. I had decided that rather than doubling back on myself I should find another line to take me back, and my plan took me to the 313 bus towards Potters Bar. The bus arrived on time (a phrase I never thought I'd utter!). Tapping in with my iPhone gathered some unusual looks from the driver, but when it worked he seemed quite happy with it. The bus was something of an oddity to me, not being a Londoner. A small single decker with two sets of doors isn't something that's seen often elsewhere, and it did feel like wasted space to me. The bus had a reasonable load. Unlike up here where I'm often the youngest person on the bus by a margin of at least 40 years, the bus carried an eclectic mix of passengers. I think this is where Oyster and Contactless really come into their own - it's so much easier to catch a bus in London than it is up here (where I have to find a way of getting the exact change). The bus was delayed slightly en route by a horribly busy junction where the A10 meets the A110. Interesting driving tactics were employed by most road users, and had I been behind a wheel I think my middle finger would be getting a good work out! A took the bus to Enfield, alighting outside Chase station.
From one 313 to another now. The Hertford Loop is a line that I somehow feel very familiar with having played far too much SimSig in years gone by! Yet, this was my first trip on the line. The Great Northern 313 surprised me with its high-backed chairs, which I thought were quite comfortable. The enthusiast in me enjoyed the trip back to Central London, with good views of both Bounds Green and Hornsey depots. Some more entertainment came courtesy of a rather uncouth young gentleman who serenaded the carriage with profane rap music from his iPhone. His uppence thankfully came rather quickly; when the ticket inspector showed up he didn't have a ticket. "I need to get somewhere" is a pretty poor excuse for not paying your fare and after a rather frank exchange, he was escorted off the train at Finsbury Park. I stayed on until Highbury & Islington. The platforms here feel very much like tube lines (understandably so, given their history), so it felt a bit odd stepping off a 313. Upstairs next, and after touching my phone on the pink reader (which I don't think was necessary for my journey?), I boarded an Overground 378 around the East London Line to Crystal Palace. The train was quite lightly loaded for the whole journey, which I found surprising for what was now about 3pm on a Friday afternoon. The Overground's 378s feel similar to the Underground's S-Stock trains to me - open, with a light and airy feel to them. I'm not a fan of transverse seating on these routes, but I can imagine that the standing capacity is needed in the height of the rush hour. Another interesting journey on the old East London Line, I don't think it was overly scenic, but it's hard to tell when you've got your back to the window!
I alighted at Crystal Palace and had a wander through the park. I went to Tesco (which was filled with School brats) to pick up an Irn Bru, forgetting how far South I was so having to make do with a Coke. Back to the station, and this time a Southern 455 (another first) took me back to London Bridge station. The journey was quite nondescript, but there were some nice views of The City as we got closer to The Big Smoke itself. London Bridge was in the throes of renovation, but everything did seem to be moving quite well on the concourse.
Walked back to the hotel, and was rather surprised to see Tower Bridge rise and saw a familiar Paddle Steamer passing under. The Waverley is a familiar sight to me, spending winters berthed at the Glasgow Science Centre and Summers taking (mostly old) people "Doon the Watter" to visit some of the Clyde's tourist hotspots. I did not expect to see her in London, so it was quite a nice surprise for me!
I checked in and got changed for the opera. One of the perks of staying with Doubletree by Hilton is getting a warm cookie when you check in
My room did not have the Tower of London view that most tourists want, but offered a really good view of 30 St Mary Axe (better known as "The Gherkin", or if you're my Dad "The Pickle").
I was expecting a nightmarish tube ride to Covent Garden in the Friday evening rush hour. It really wasn't too bad. I actually managed to get a seat on the S Stock going one stop East to Monument station. I then navigated my way to Bank - this didn't look like the best transfer ever, and I can't say I'd recommend it. A long walk in a stuffy and busy corridor, but it did get me to the Central Line where i had a wait of only a few seconds for the 1992 stock to roll in. Again, I was impressed at how (relatively) quiet it was for a Friday evening - I got perched at the end of the carriage and had plenty of personal space for my ride to Holborn. I had contemplated a transfer to the Piccadilly Line for just one stop, but seeing the signs advising against it decided to alight at Holborn. I wish I hadn't. The area outside the station was badly congested and, despite the pleas littered around the station, I think they could have made it easier to find your way to Covent Garden.
I won't bore you with details of Le Nozze di Figaro, but I really enjoyed the production of Le Nozze di Figaro. Great production, great cast. If you're into opera, I'd recommend it (and it's coming to cinemas too on the 5th of October). The RoH has fantastic acoustics, and even up in the Amphitheatre, even the quietest note sung was crystal clear.
Back to the hotel to go to bed, and this time I walked to Embankment to catch another S Stock train back towards Tower Hill. After a relaxing night's sleep, I woke to find that TfL had correctly calculated my fare which was now displayed on my iPhone. Glad to see it worked!
After breakfast, and after breakfast and checking out of the room I made my way to Fenchurch Street. Another new terminus for me, another new ToC and another new unit, the Class 357. I didn't have much to say about the quiet Fenchurch Street. The 357 felt very familiar to me, although the pantographs and 3+2 seating looked a bit odd for me, being used to 170s. I had planned to go to Upminster and catch a train to Romford, however I'm glad I checked my phone as the service was withdrawn due to a lack of train crew. Poor show from TfL, and hopefully not a frequent occurrence. I changed plans on the cuff, and alighted at Barking. I had a wander around the town centre. It could be described as "multicultural", but the very busy market in this firmly working class area was great to see. Some complain that migrants are destroying the British way of life. Here, I saw mostly migrants maintaining the British market tradition that has all but disappeared elsewhere.
My revised plans saw me back in the station before long to catch the train all the way to Gospel Oak. Another Turbostar this time, and yet another new class of unit for me, the 172 was busy all the way to its terminus, with a good flow of passengers at the intermediate stations. Unusual to be on an overground train with the more conventional seating arrangement - I very much enjoyed being able to look out the window! At the end of the line, I touched my phone onto the pink reader and made my way round to Platform 1 where another 378 arrived to take me to West Hampstead. I decided to explore this area too, and it was a stark contrast to Barking. No ethnic market with knock-off goods here, instead there was a rather posh farmer's market outside the Thameslink station! I had a nice lunch of Venison Burger with Apple and Plum Chutney on-the-go, and made my way back to Central London on a Thameslink 319 (again, more new track and new stock for me). I got off at St Pancras. Another bus took me back to Holborn in the daytime, surprisingly another single decker on the 46 (although with only 2 pax, perfectly suited to its job), and I had a walk though to Covent Garden and Trafalgar Square.
Having been to these tourist hotspots numerous times before, I didn't linger on this occasion. I decided to head back to St Pancras by way of the Northern Line. I just missed a train, but luckily the insane frequencies on the Northern Line saw another pull in just a few seconds later. When I was on the train, I realised that the Charing Cross branch didn't go to to King's Cross/St P, so any excuse to add on another line! I changed at Warren Street (not a recommended interchange - long escalators up and down) onto the Victoria Line for a few stops to St Pancras.
Another new route for me was High Speed 1, and given that you can now use Oyster/Contactless if you're going to Stratford it seemed like a good idea. I sat down on 395 (again; new ToC, new route, new stock for me) ready to enjoy the view as the train rolled towards HS1. I think it's fair to say that the views on this line are disappointing unless you particularly like tunnel walls, but it does get you to Stratford in no time at all. I popped into the horrendous Westfield Shopping Centre (if it's this busy in September, I don't want to even think how bad it is at Christmas!), where I queued for a long time and handed over an obscene amount of money for some fruit juice.
I wasn't going to hang around here, and it was time to head back to pick up my bag from the hotel anyway. So I decided to tick off some more boxes and head back to London on the DLR. Like an overly excited child, I nabbed the front seat and really enjoyed the front row view as the train drove itself. On this journey, I had the first and only ticket inspection I'd encountered on my travels thus far. Or I would have had, had the inspector's machine worked. The failure caused much hilarity on the train as the previously confident inspector tried to sneak off with his tail between his legs
I wonder if his reaction would have been similar if my ticketing technology (iPhone) had failed? I suspect not. Another one of my plans went to pot here, as I found out the DLR was closed into the City So I reluctantly gave up my drivers-eye view at West Ham and returned to Fenchurch Street on another 357. I don't think I'd noticed on the way out, but the view coming into Fenchurch Street over the City is actually pretty good - maybe something to brighten up a Monday morning commute into The Big Smoke!Luggage collected, it was back to LHR on the District and Piccadilly lines. Having checked in the night before, it was straight through security, and thankfully unlike most places you aren't plunged straight into duty free in T2. I had an expensive smoked salmon sandwich for dinner and headed over to Gate A24 for the last ever Virgin Atlantic Little Red Flight to Edinburgh, VS3011.
There wasn't much recognition of the event at the boarding gate, and the much healthier load of 114 pax was duly boarded onto EI-EZW for her last flight in her eye-catching red livery. The flight back was a bit of a let down in the sky, with the onboard service not available. When I asked, I was told that the galley had been stripped out in preparation for the plane going back to Dublin later that evening (a quick look on flightradar24 reveals she's actually now in Shannon). A real shame for such a great service to be let down on its last outing by a bit of cost cutting. Clear skies all the way again, and a smooth touchdown into Edinburgh. The cabin crew had some fun with their last announcements, and we were greeted with a water canon salute to mark the end of Virgin Atlantic Little Red. We were piped off the plane, leaving one bemused American wondering if they do this for every flight in Scotland
So if you're still reading, good on you, I don't think I meant to write quite as many words, and if I had done I'd have taken more photos! My thoughts overall:
Londoners, for all you moan about it, you have a fantastic transport network. There is plenty to moan about, and perhaps I wouldn't be saying this if I was travelling on the super-dense-crush-load of the Northern Line every day. But the network is extensive, easy to use and reliable. So many cities have public transport that fails to tick even one of those boxes. I think Oyster has been a real revolution in London, making it so easy to use all public transport.
Latterly, contactless has helped even more. Oyster fares available to everyone with a contactless card, with no need to buy or register an Oyster card. I stepped off the plane and straight onto the tube. No waiting in line. No negotiating ticket machines. No rummaging for loose change. No trying to convince a TfL employee to accept an RBS £20 note. Apple Pay works very well too. It has the added benefit of giving you feedback when you tap in or out - it displays on the screen and vibrates in your hand to confirm. You don't have a record of your journey unfortunately - it doesn't store a record of your tapping in and out, and the next day you get a single deduction from your account. I've not created a contactless account as I'm not often in London, but that does show you more details.
Finally, it's a sad farewell to my favourite little airline. Virgin Atlantic Little Red has been a joy to fly with. The fares were competitive. The service exemplary. The planes always immaculately turned out. The crew a credit to themselves and the airline. You could tell that they genuinely cared about the product and the service they provided. Their consistency put the Virgin EC First Class staff to shame. Virgin tried to prove that domestic flying need not be a low-cost chore and could actually be enjoyable. Sadly, the venture does not seem to have been profitable for them (in fact, it was probably haemorrhaging money), but I'm glad they gave it a go and the crew really did put their all into it. I don't see why the loads weren't better - the service was excellent and the fares very competitive. I can only suspect that the high-yielding frequent fliers were already loyal to BA and other airlines and had little incentive to switch allegiance. Indeed, they reported early on that they had a low number of connecting pax at LHR, which made things difficult. I'm glad to say that, based on the announcements I heard, the cabin crew have all been offered jobs flying long haul for the airline and I do wish them all the best. I'll likely be back onto the rails next time I go to London, but I will miss the Virgin Atlantic Little Red Service.
Shame about Little Red, but you'll still be able to ride on HSTs at full throttle past Lindisfarne for a few more years. 
