Hi all,
Thanks to Barrowjack's recent post on his report thread, I remembered my 15 year ago trip with the college that involved an unplanned Euro bash. I'm pretty sure to this day I've never shared the details, so let's do it now! Note that this was well before I discovered the railway, and I really can't remember exactly when this was. Details will be brief in places as a result!
2001/2002 - College trip to Futuroscope
So, whenever this trip was exactly, it all started with a very early morning departure from the college on a coach. So early that it was still pitch black for hours after we set off. Now I don't know how it all worked out, but we picked up a group from either somewhere near Swindon or Oxford. I'm 99% certain it was Oxford, but that's not important. It does play a role later in the trip...
Eventually we arrived at Cheriton and joined the Euroshuttle to France. I don't remember much about the experience, although it was all off the coach once on the train. I seem to remember we all just sat around, no idea why but that's just the way it was. Into France and it was back onto the coach for the long drive to Futuroscope.
For those of you unfamiliar with it, this was essentially a cross between a theme park and a technology museum. Again, I don't remember much at all about it, so I could be wrong but that is my memory. As this was still the 35mm film era, and my photographer's eye hadn't yet been born, I have virtually nothing from the place.
Anyway, the reason for discussing this trip started the night before heading home. I suspect I'll never find out exactly what happened, but from the rumours a fight happened between the two groups, and the lot we picked up were not allowed to travel home with us. They took the coach and my group had to find another way home! This ended up with us all getting money together for a number of taxis after the tutors had frantically got ringing around for transport options.
Taxis took us to Poitiers station, and it was a rush to board a TGV to Paris. As it was before my enthusiast life, I don't know exactly which way we went or anything, but I have since been told we would have gone to Paris' Austerlitz station. Of course, we still had to get to Gare du Nord, and originally we got on a bus before alighting a few stops later and joining the Metro at an unknown stop. My only memory of that is at an underground station and being on a train that had stainless steel panels. Whether that is accurate or not, I have no idea!
Eventually we found our way to Gare du Nord, and we were on another TGV. Me and a few others had sat on some cream seats seemingly at the back of the TGV from Poitiers, and I suspect there is a photo of us somewhere buried in a box. I suspect these were First Class seats, even if the ones we had were transverse! On this second TGV, I was sat in an airline seat with brown covers, and it was another fast non-stop run which took us to Lille Europe.
We did the platform to platform transfer between the high speed platforms to the regional station in a good few minutes, and bear in mind none of us had had a clue where we were going whatsoever! I don't really remember much about the next journey which took us to Calais Ville, except it was a yellow train on a long and slow journey. I do remember moaning near-ish the end of this run about the journey, although I suspect I wasn't the only one unamused. Just I was more vocal!
Eventually we made it to Calais, and initially we were going to get taxis to the ferry terminal. That is until me and at least one other person spotted it was just a few minutes walk away, so we all marched downhill and joined the ferry to Dover. By now I think it's fair to say we were all ready to get home. I remember nothing of the ferry crossing, but a coach was found for us for the 180 or so mile journey home.
That is, until it refused to start! So me and a few others got out to push-start it. It wouldn't move and it was a few minutes before the driver realised the handbrake was still on! Shortly afterwards the engine came to life and we jumped on quickly to get home. Bear in mind by now our journey had already taken up nearly 10 hours, and it had been a bit stressful on everyone. Some hours later, we all got back to Hereford for very gratefully accepted lifts home.
So that was that, a very unexpected end to our trip but one that will always live on in memory as quite an adventure!
