Day 7: Letting the train take the strain

Well, all that's left to do is go back home.

Then the Blue Star 1 bus at 15:40 back home

Well you can guess not much chance for photos, especially since the trains are so packed but here's a couple from Carlisle:

And the Carlisle (to Manchester) train rocks in on time and despite not having picked up a coffee cart at Carlisle the thirsty crew get us into Preston just a couple of minutes late.The Birmingham train is waiting - good stuff. But not so good as it slowly loses time and pulls into New Street 10 minutes late. The leaves just 4 minutes to get across platforms. It's not desperate as there is another Winchester train inn an hour but we have a good reason for trying to make the correct train - if we get the later one the pub in Chandlers Ford may be closed!

Now a few years ago we visited Tokyo on the way to New Zealand. Liz had obviously remembered the subways there and she elbowed and barged her way across New Street that would make any Japanese journeyman proud. We made our connection. Despite an interesting and somewhat weird shunting manoeuvre at Didcot which involved the driver walking the length of the train to swap driving ends (and a notice over the Tannoy requesting passengers not to talk to him or delay him in any way) we made Winchester just a couple of minutes late.

Now if I wanted to enter a contest to place a bus route as far away from the train station as possible I'd be hard pressed to beat Winchester and the Blue Star 1 route. Another hustle and bustle scurrying along surprisingly busy Sunday afternoon streets but we make it with 4 minutes to spare. And, as all week, the bus is on time.

Personally I think it a touch of class to breakfast in Carlisle and then have an afternoon pint in my local 300 miles away!