Tag: Reading

Travel

North to south

Posted on by insightndes

Another trip south by train, this time with bike. Arrived at the station to meet the train to Inverness. It was windy.

And sunny.

Very sunny.
Big blue sky with turbines in the distance.
Loch Fleet
River Oykel
Snow on the hills
Coming into Inverness

Getting on to the sleeper.

Breakfast
Solar panels next to the railway line.

The sleeper was not taking its normal route meaning it arrived 40minutes later than normal. Much of the extra time was spent manoeuvring through London.

Wembley stadium in the distance.

A ride through London taking 19 minutes to get from Euston to Paddington, five minutes of which was spent stationary at traffic lights.

Green Oxfordshire.
Didcot.

Oh dear, the English and Union Jack Flags being inappropriately displayed in Didcot. Very disrespectful! What can be more disrespectful than cheap Chinese made flags looking scrawny and scruffy.

From bright sunshine and blue skies in the far north to cloud in the south.

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Travel

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

Posted on by insightndes
Off on my travels again.

The problem with catching the late afternoon train in autumn is that it’s dark. No views.

Onto the sleeper at Inverness.
The breakfast has improved.
Wembley
Arrival at Euston
A quick ride

The ride from Euston to Paddington was less affected by the traffic lights than normal. As a result I managed to catch an earlier train to Reading.

Then on to Mortimer.

Geese on Wokefield Estate
Mortimer Station – it’s short
Reading Station

What a smooth journey, all the trains on time. No overcrowding. I had slept very well on the sleeper. A good journey.

And then……

On to the train at Reading to Manchester Piccadilly. It was rammed. Totally overcrowded.

Things started going really wrong and confusing as we went to Oxford. Announced that we would have to change trains. Then announced we would not have to change trains but we needed to go past Oxford into a siding and then come back. A long wait in the siding then back to the station. Then it was announced we would have to change trains after all.

There was a signal failure near Banbury.

We crossed Oxford Station and caught a train towards Hereford, changed at Worcester, heading to Birmingham. This was bad as now I was due to be in Manchester two hours late.

Worcestershire Parkway
Birmingham

Change at Birmingham New Street. This is a very badly designed station. The signage is poor. Very confusing, The ugly side of architecture.

More delay due to trespassers on the track. The train had to go slow as a precaution.

Late!
Manchester Piccadilly two and a half hours late
Premier Inn Room
View from the eighth floor.

The Premier Inn is a quarter mile from the station.

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Tourism, Travel

Surrey and beyond

Posted on by insightndes
It’s green next to the railway lines
Interesting location for a coffee.
Debenhams demolition in the distance
The worst cycle infrastructure on Epsom Road in Guildford.

The cycle lanes marked out in Guildford are beyond useless. No segregation, suggesting a totally inappropriate position for the cyclists to take on the road. I would cycle at least at the line. I actually cycled in the mostly in the middle of the lane to take the decision away from the drivers, so they did not attempt to overtake at the frequent traffic islands. Of course I was hooted at, but ironically I was going faster than the motorised vehicles. Guildford suffers from pollution,

Clandon

There are plenty of stations in the commuter belt.

Delays

Someone had pulled a communication alarm on a train causing all the trains to be delayed.

Heading into Guildford.

Two days later headed back to Oxfordshire. Dodged the rail replacement buses by travelling from Farnborough.

Farnborough
Change at Basingstoke
Church spire Mortimer
Approaching Reading from the south
Boats at Goring
Boats on the Thames at Goring
Thames near Cholsey.
Bromptons
Didcot – another change
Cholsey
The Thames at Wallingford – The Boat House.
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Travel

North to the south

Posted on by insightndes
Heading off in the sun.
Bromptons
Blue skies and a few clouds heading south.
River Helmsdale
Helmsdale
Beach near Helmsdale
Dornoch Firth

Changed from the far north line to the sleeper at Inverness.

Speeding away from Inverness.
Near Kingussie
Breakfast going through Birmingham

Not sure this breakfast looks appetising. It tasted ok. A few issues on the train. The lock on the cabin was not fully functioning, no pull out table in cabin, coffee machine in buffet car not working. There are some maintenance issues it appears.

Aston
Canal in Birmingham
Euston

Arrival in Euston is 20 minutes late due to work in the line. I had been forewarned by text.

Cycled over to Paddington.
HS2 works
Oxfordshire

Then headed back east

Boats on the Thames approaching Reading
Reading station

I witnessed an old couple falling over on the escalator just after getting on. while they were heading up. I was heading down. A woman at the top shouted for someone to hit the emergency stop. A hapless woman holding a dog appeared transfixed and unable to hit the button. After what appeared to be an age someone finally hit the button. Chaos. No staff about.

Change trains
It’s sunny again
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Ash
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Farnham
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Tourism, Travel

Reading to St Pancras via Didcot

Posted on by insightndes
Reading… again

A detour to Didcot.

Near South Morton
Reading
District & Circle line tube station Paddington

Arrived at Paddington and to the closest tube station with a branch of the circle line. No trains running. Backtracked to the other circle line branch and finally caught the tube. It’s far simpler and quicker on the bike.

St Pancras
Premier Inn room
And view
Canal near London Zoo
Getting late
Feed
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Travel

UK north coast to South coast and back a bit

Posted on by insightndes

The far north is a joy when the views are clear and the days are long.

Iconic view from far north train.
River Helmsdale
Looking across the Moray Firth
Beach near Brora
Looking towards Nigg
At Invergordan
Boarding the sleeper- but no bike.
View from the sleeper near Tomartin
Early near Atherstone
Breakfast

The breakfast did leave me hungry.

Mist approaching Rugby
It’s green near Buckby
Arrival at Euston
Waterloo

15 mins of delay at Waterloo due to incoming train being late, there was an obstacle on the line.

Long train

I had to get myself into the front five carriages as the train splits at Bournemouth.

More green landscape near Hook
Poole
Arrived at Wool
Barriers going down
Train arriving at Wool

I am about to start my minor backtrack.

Southampton 





Near Otterbourne





Change at Winchester





Reading station





Reading Ibis






							

							

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Travel
					
Inverness to Didcot
				Posted on  by insightndes
	

	

					

				

Breakfast on the sleeper- it’s dark outside 





Euston 





Passing through Reading with a mosque visible 





The Thames





Arriving at Didcot.





The journey was in bright sunshine and blue skies.

							

							

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Travel
					
Den Haag to Didcot
				Posted on  by insightndes
	

	

					

				

Den Haag HS





Christmas decorations are up.





Appeared to be no luggage racks on the train.





Typical countryside near Delft





Near Schiedam





Hollanders Diep





Breda station





Breda station is poorly signposted plus two platforms are missing. Very confusing for a visitor.





Passing Antwerp





Arrived in Brussels.





I had a little time to look around Brussels





Cartoons are on some of the house walls.. Rue des Capuchins 





More cartoons. Rue Notre Damme  de Graces.





View across Brussels from Palais de Justice.





At Judgy Vegan cafe










In the cellar of the Judgy Vegan. 





A cartoon at Brussels zuid midi





Kerfuffle at the border control. I was asked if I have a flick knife. Turns out to be a multi tool in the bag.





Due to congestion at the Eurostar terminal we leave late. Eurostar, you have something to work on. The whole process of passing through border control is hectic and disorganised with lots of pinch points.





It’s turned to dusk as the Eurostar sets off. It’s dark by the time the Eurostar has a pause waiting for permission to enter the channel tunnel.





Pause near Fréthun, 





Then it’s down into the tunnel and onto England.





Platform for Eurostar at St Pancras.





I unfolded the Brompton to make it easier to move with the luggage. A mistake as it turned out. I was directed to the lift which is tiny and therefore has a long queue of people with large amounts of luggage, push chairs and one bike. I am second to last in the queue. Poor design!





Tiny lift at St Pancras.





I am the last to leave.





When previously passing through Oxfordshire on the train I had spotted that the train line would be closed between Paddington and Reading due to HS2 workday, but it was possible to get to Reading using the Elizabeth Line. So I cycled to Tottenham Court Road to catch the Elizabeth Line. I discover that the Elizabeth Line in the central area of London is not running. I am directed to take the District Line to Ealing Broadway to catch the Elizabeth Line. It is chaos at the tube station.





The District Line has small, noisy and very warm carriages. It is an old line. The tube train is crowded.





Change at a busy Ealing Broadway.





On the Elizabeth Line.





The Elizabeth Line has modern rolling stock. Nice and quiet but nowhere to put rubbish.





Reading- Elizabeth Line train across the platform.





The journey from St Pancras took far longer than normal so by the time I reach the Premier Inn at Didcot the kitchen is closed. So an emergency Macdonald’s it is.





Soggy burger and overly salty fries,





Premier Inn room.





The room has seen better days. One light out and sink plug jammed. Welcome back to the UK.

							

							

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Travel
					
November travels- far north to the south
				Posted on  by insightndes
	

	

					

				

Setting off on the afternoon train with a grey sky.





It was already getting dark. A downside to traveling in November.





Inverness





This is the standard cabin on the sleeper 





The standard cabin has no ensuite, you don’t get breakfast and cannot use the sleeper lounge.





Arrival at Euston 





Paddington 





Google maps appeared to put me on the wrong train so I potentially could have ended up in Taunton rather than Didcot. Ticket man pointed out the error and I was able to change at Reading.

							

							

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