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(Before you ask GHU means God Help us).
Weather in Scotland appalling, but I'm aiming firstly to clear Scotland's rail network that I have not covered so far over the next four days. Tiredness and other factors have meant that I am a few days behind but......... I have been using my phone to record notes, some photos for myself and when edited for yourselves.
The purpose of this trip is to try to clear as much of the UK rail network as I can that I have not covered before. It's not about train classes, pubs and food eaten etc, but about successes and frustrations on a planned journey made in Malaysia during my work breaks in October/November 2015 and that I am now hoping I will be able to complete. So far I am have completed the third day of my travels starting in Euston, to get to Glasgow for the start of my "epic" journey. So Here is the start of Day One from Euston to Alloa! Later a few added extra's and photo's and a few personalities I have met so far. I do have to say it has been mostly successful a start with some bonuses and a couple of minuses in spite of the dreadful weather. so here is the start of day One.
Day One Start
Having made my way from St. Pancras through the windy streets of London to a busy Sunday evening at Euston my first activity is to get my UK rail pass authorised by the staff at the ticket counter. No problem. No need to show ID, Passport, proof of residence in my home in Thailand. Then with a few hours to kill before the sleeper departed, I tried to find the entrance to the first class lounge. All I could find was a nasty set of stairs. No fun for the disabled, wheelchair users, those with a lot of baggage. Just about to give up and I asked one guy coming down stairs if there was a lift to the lounge. Yes, he told me, over the way by the entrance to platform (whatever). At platform (whatever) I could find no lift, no signage at all. Then walking back to the stairs I spotted a smallish Virgin line poster and the entrance by elevator to the lounge. Not recommended for the faint of heart. Its small there and would be a struggle of any wheelchair user to get inside. The journey up and down is very slow. Then there is the extra struggle to enter the lounge itself. PUSH THE BUTTON TO ENTER says the sign. Then someone has handily written (Its behind you) on the sign. Once youve entered, you are in for an even bigger shock. Its like an Indian Airport First Class lounge. Dreadful furniture, in need of a good clean up, and re-decoration. Whats on offer as food and drink and its presentation is not even worth a mention. In fact its a disgrace to London, and Euston as a name as a major world terminus. I left as soon as I could figure out how to get out. Im not surprised that there was only one customer sitting in there. OK It was a Sunday evening at about 8PM but hey that is no excuse for the state of the place or what is there as a First Class lounge.
So I hung around the station until about an hour before the departure of the Sleeper to Glasgow. I was in Carriage B and as my luck turned out I was at the front end of the train out in the open cold and slightly drizzly rain. The sleeper attendant was ready and welcoming. And within 5 minutes I was in the apartment with my baggage and took the opportunity to take a couple of photos. Back in the train, I opened my celebratory bottle of champers using the plastic cup so kindly supplied by the sleeper company. Having disposed of the fizzy alcoholic beverage, out came my earplugs and I settled down for hopefully a good nights kip. I could hear a few more passengers boarding and felt the train move out of the station and then oblivion hit me.
Next thing I knew was the attendant waking me up with my breakfast. Somehow they had changed from a pleasant blondish petite Scottish gal into a Black man. Now I know we are all supposed to take trans-genderisation as a done thing these days but that one surely takes the biscuit. (Laugh you pedantic fools)
As it turns out we were at Kilmarnock, stationary. I opened my mobile phone to my realtimetrains app and found we were on time, and actually passed through the Northampton loop which is one of my goals during this sojourn. Bonus Point No. 1! I had expected to be running through the GSW route so Bonus Point No. 2! The Realtime app makes a point of Lugton as a stop???? But nothing happened. The breakfast was really good. The Sleep was excellent, but the champers, the 2 day journey from Malaga to London (see another thread) could have been a factor to deep sleep.
Arrival in Glasgow Central on time. Disembarkation smooth, I dropped my luggage at the Left Luggage office as my hotel was not going to be ready for me until after midday, and took the bus using my Britrailpass to Queen Street to start my clearance (sorry Blindtraveller) of the ScotRail) system over the next 4 days by riding to Alloa and back. More later.
Weather in Scotland appalling, but I'm aiming firstly to clear Scotland's rail network that I have not covered so far over the next four days. Tiredness and other factors have meant that I am a few days behind but......... I have been using my phone to record notes, some photos for myself and when edited for yourselves.
The purpose of this trip is to try to clear as much of the UK rail network as I can that I have not covered before. It's not about train classes, pubs and food eaten etc, but about successes and frustrations on a planned journey made in Malaysia during my work breaks in October/November 2015 and that I am now hoping I will be able to complete. So far I am have completed the third day of my travels starting in Euston, to get to Glasgow for the start of my "epic" journey. So Here is the start of Day One from Euston to Alloa! Later a few added extra's and photo's and a few personalities I have met so far. I do have to say it has been mostly successful a start with some bonuses and a couple of minuses in spite of the dreadful weather. so here is the start of day One.
Day One Start
Having made my way from St. Pancras through the windy streets of London to a busy Sunday evening at Euston my first activity is to get my UK rail pass authorised by the staff at the ticket counter. No problem. No need to show ID, Passport, proof of residence in my home in Thailand. Then with a few hours to kill before the sleeper departed, I tried to find the entrance to the first class lounge. All I could find was a nasty set of stairs. No fun for the disabled, wheelchair users, those with a lot of baggage. Just about to give up and I asked one guy coming down stairs if there was a lift to the lounge. Yes, he told me, over the way by the entrance to platform (whatever). At platform (whatever) I could find no lift, no signage at all. Then walking back to the stairs I spotted a smallish Virgin line poster and the entrance by elevator to the lounge. Not recommended for the faint of heart. Its small there and would be a struggle of any wheelchair user to get inside. The journey up and down is very slow. Then there is the extra struggle to enter the lounge itself. PUSH THE BUTTON TO ENTER says the sign. Then someone has handily written (Its behind you) on the sign. Once youve entered, you are in for an even bigger shock. Its like an Indian Airport First Class lounge. Dreadful furniture, in need of a good clean up, and re-decoration. Whats on offer as food and drink and its presentation is not even worth a mention. In fact its a disgrace to London, and Euston as a name as a major world terminus. I left as soon as I could figure out how to get out. Im not surprised that there was only one customer sitting in there. OK It was a Sunday evening at about 8PM but hey that is no excuse for the state of the place or what is there as a First Class lounge.
So I hung around the station until about an hour before the departure of the Sleeper to Glasgow. I was in Carriage B and as my luck turned out I was at the front end of the train out in the open cold and slightly drizzly rain. The sleeper attendant was ready and welcoming. And within 5 minutes I was in the apartment with my baggage and took the opportunity to take a couple of photos. Back in the train, I opened my celebratory bottle of champers using the plastic cup so kindly supplied by the sleeper company. Having disposed of the fizzy alcoholic beverage, out came my earplugs and I settled down for hopefully a good nights kip. I could hear a few more passengers boarding and felt the train move out of the station and then oblivion hit me.
Next thing I knew was the attendant waking me up with my breakfast. Somehow they had changed from a pleasant blondish petite Scottish gal into a Black man. Now I know we are all supposed to take trans-genderisation as a done thing these days but that one surely takes the biscuit. (Laugh you pedantic fools)
As it turns out we were at Kilmarnock, stationary. I opened my mobile phone to my realtimetrains app and found we were on time, and actually passed through the Northampton loop which is one of my goals during this sojourn. Bonus Point No. 1! I had expected to be running through the GSW route so Bonus Point No. 2! The Realtime app makes a point of Lugton as a stop???? But nothing happened. The breakfast was really good. The Sleep was excellent, but the champers, the 2 day journey from Malaga to London (see another thread) could have been a factor to deep sleep.
Arrival in Glasgow Central on time. Disembarkation smooth, I dropped my luggage at the Left Luggage office as my hotel was not going to be ready for me until after midday, and took the bus using my Britrailpass to Queen Street to start my clearance (sorry Blindtraveller) of the ScotRail) system over the next 4 days by riding to Alloa and back. More later.