Blog - Journey Back From Aberdeen (2010-02-02)

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Journey Back From Aberdeen (2010-02-02)

Category: Diary. Posted: 2010-02-08 00:12:41 GMT. Updated: 2010-02-08 23:51:00 GMT.

When I checked into my cabin, the host told me what time I'd be getting breakfast, he didn't ask me what time I would like to have breakfast. He said he would bring it between 06:30 and 06:45. I got up at 06:30 and started looking for my T-shirt. The host brought my breakfast just as I was bending over wearing only a pair of pants. Still, at least it wasn't the sexy Christmas pants that Fiona had bought for me! That reminds me - I got funny looks when I got changed at Bird's Spa last Sunday, because I was wearing the Christmas pants.

The train wasn't due in until 07:30, so I had plenty of time to get ready and finishing preparing for my meeting. I went to the back of the train with my camera to get some good pictures, but, of course, there was nothing to see, because it was still dark outside. The train actually arrived ten minutes early, so I was one of the last people off the train. Knowing where it was this time, I went straight to the First Class Lounge to have a shower. Once I'd had my shower, I dropped my two panniers off at Left Luggage (after a very stringent search), and went back to the First Class Lounge to drink more tea, have a few biccies, check my home e-mail, check my work e-mail, surf t'internet, and watch BBCNews 24. Using Google Maps, I found out it was only a few miles to the office I was working in (I should have known that, having cycled there before), so could have walked it if I'd realised in time. Still, it was snowing, so maybe I wouldn't. As I walked out of the First Class Lounge, I asked the lady whether she knew where to go for a swim. She didn't, but said she'd find out for me. She said she'd leave a note with her colleague because she would finish at 1PM. Now that's what I call excellent service. With all my gimmering, I lost track of time, but got into a taxi at 08:40, so still arrived at the office on time.

There was a break during my meeting with our customer, so I went for a quick swim. There were three lanes (slow, medium and fast). I've only seen thee three lanes at the outdoor pool in Holborn, where the slow lane should have been renamed the stationary lane! I went into the slow lane in this pool expecting the same thing to happen, but found that I couldn't keep up, and one person even switched into the medium lane as soon as I started swimming! It didn't help that I got confused between clockwise and anti-clockwise when I turned around!

After the meeting, I considered walking into town, but caught the bus instead. It was the wrong time of day to catch a bus, with the bus being getting caught in the middle of a school snowball fight. In the centre of Aberdeen, a kind lady suggested walking through the shopping centre to get to the station, so that I wouldn't get wet. I walked past a mobile phone accessories stall, so thought I'd find out whether it sold replacement covers for a Nokia 6230. It did, but the bloke running the stall told me they cost £7.99. I was willing to pay up to a fiver to avoid having to gaffer tape my phone, but no more. I was surprised he didn't reduce his price when I said it was too expensive, but he didn't.

I went to the First Class Lounge. The lady from this morning had finished and her replacement knew nothing about her search for a swimming pool. I wasn't going to go for a second swim anyway, but I wanted to know for next time. I spent a bit of time surfing t'internet (including looking for swimming pools in Aberdeen), checking e-mail (work and home), drinking tea, and watching BBCNews24. Having enjoyed the East Coast First Class service when I caught the 18:15 last time I was in Aberdeen, I'd booked myself and my bike onto the 18:15 this time (although I didn't need the bike reservation). I still had time to waste, so went to potter around the shopping centre. I went into Clinton Cards and bought some thank-you cards, some moving house cards, and some Valentine's Day cards. I wrote my Valentine's Day cards in the shopping centre, and found a post box on the High Street (thanks to the totty with a dog for trying to direct me to W H Smiths).

Back at the station, I collected my panniers, and went back to the First Class Lounge to have a shave, a shower, and some more tea. There was no information about my 18:15 train until about 18:00, when the display said that it had been replaced by a bus service! The bloke at the desk said that there were signalling problems at Montrose. I had two choices - get on the bus, or wait and hope that I could get a train later. I decided to get on the bus. It was a good job I didn't have the bike with me. Every seat on the bus was full, and the bus had to stop twice during the journey so that the drunks drinking Stella at the back of the bus could wee. Every time the bus door opened, it took several tries for it to close again. It was only supposed to stop at Dundee and Edinburgh Waverley, but, as well as the wee stops, he stopped at Edinburgh Haymarket too. The whole point of the bus was to connect with the 21:00 York train, but the bus arrived at 21:03. I'd have had a proper rant if I'd wanted that train.

It turned out that the signalling problems were only on northbound trains, and that the 18:15 had been delayed on its journey north. It wasn't actually cancelled, and left about an hour late. If I'd known this, I would have waited at Aberdeen, and travelled in the First Class carriage of a train drinking tea, surfing t'internet, and updating my blog. Instead, I got crammed onto a bus (although the lady sitting next to me was very nice to talk to).

At Edinburgh station, I checked that the signalling problems wouldn't affect the sleeper, but the bloke I asked didn't know. I therefore went in search of a curry house. I walked past the Light of Bengal Bay of Bengal that I went to before, but couldn't find another Indian restaurant, so went back to that. There was a large group in there, but there were a few tables free. I couldn't remember what I ordered last time, but I was sure that there was something I didn't really like about the restaurant. All I could remember from last time was that there was totty eating on her own. I saw mattar panneer on the menu, but it was a main course and made with chick peas. I thought it was worth asking if they would do it as a side dish and with green peas. The waiter said they couldn't do it as a side dish, so I didn't even bother about asking for green peas. Maybe that's what I didn't like before. Also he didn't pour my beer when brought it to me. Still, according to the window, it was established in 1978, so it can't be too bad.

[2010/02/02 22:15 - the service has been pretty slow, but that's to be expected when there are two big groups in, but a bloke in the large group reckons he knows where the red light district in every town is!]

[2010/02/02 22:17 my food's arrived, and the bloke said that one of the red-light district hotels is called The Swallow Hotel, that made me smile]

The food was OK, but it was a bit difficult ordering another beer. Once I'd finished my food, the owner came over (I assumed he was the owner because he looked scruffy) and asked if the food was OK. Despite the lack of mattar panneer, I was happy with the food, so I said it was. He then offered me a complementary drink to celebrate their 30 years in business, so I asked for a Bailey's. The waiter then offered complementary drinks to the large party. It took a while for them to decide, but one bloke kept on asking for a port, despite the waiter saying they had none left. The waiter eventually found a bottle with enough for a single glass in it. The manager then brought my Bailey's to my table, and suddenly "port boy" and several others decided they wanted Bailey's. I then asked the manager about the 30 year birthday celebrations, and he admitted they'd been celebrating for the last two years. I'll have to have a read of my blog to see if I had a complementary drink when I ate there before.

After leaving, I went into the Malt Tap for a pint of 80 Schilling, but was told it had just closed for the evening. I hadn't realised it was 22:50, but I also didn't realise that Scottish pubs observed licensing laws! The barman and a bloke propping up the bar suggested some alternative pubs, including a few by the station next to a little-known side-entrance. I considered going in for a pint, but thought that I'd find out what platform the sleeper would be leaving from. It was already "ready for boarding", so I got on. I asked for breakfast at 06:00 because the train got in at 06:40, but changed it to 06:15, because I remembered that the First Class Lounge doesn't open until 07:00. I packed all my stuff into the two panniers, and then went to the bar.

On the journey up, the woman serving in the buffet car asked if I wanted to start a tab, so I asked the bloke whether he minded me starting a tab. He replied, "I don't, but I will". Not wanting to correct his English, I thanked him. He seemed happy enough to run tabs for his mates who came in later on, but made a big point of thanking the man sitting opposite me for paying for his drink! I was also amused by a conversation that he had with somebody who came up and asked for a take-away tea:
Him: Are you in the seats or in the sleeper?
Customer: Neither, I'm the driver.

I then supped a few Stellas while updating my blog. It was a bit difficult to concentrate because there were two blokes talking relatively loudly complaining about EasyJet. Well, if EasyJet is so bad, then don't fly with it. It's quite simple.

[2010/02/02 23:41 - The train's just left. I'll have another Stella and write up last week's blog while putting up with the two blokes, who've now moved on to criticising Germans and Islam].

[2010/02/02 23:43 - I'm not sure, but it might be John Humphrys sitting in front of me. Shouldn't he be presenting the Radio 4 breakfast programme tomorrow? Second thoughts, I think he presents PM, which I doubt is a breakfast programme].

[2010/02/03 0:07 - they gone onto comparing the McCanns with PADI diving. I think it's time to call it a night!]

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