Thanks everyone. I've had quite a random and unexpected day. First I was going to go to Edinburgh with Marcia, but then she had to have an important job interview today so I set off on my own instead. I bought a first class ticket and was all set to go to Scotland in style while working on my laptop... only there were no trains heading north of York because some power lines were down (which of course is bollox, it was either terrorists or aliens, always is, and they always say it's power lines or a fault with the points no matter what the problem is), in fact they still haven't fixed the problem now like 12 hours later, power lines my arse! Anyway, determined to get a fairly long train journey somewhere and being very limited with not being able to go north and all the trains coming from the north not being able to get to York, I cashed my ticket in and went first class to........ Birmingham! It doesn't have as many interesting point as Edinburgh, some would argue that it has none at all, but it does have historical significance to me as I used to travel there all the time about 20 years ago. Well there's not much to say about Birmingham but shops, lots and lots of shops. The place is a shoppers' paradise, you emerge from the station into a shopping mall, which was the same last time I was there, without ever having to see any sky. On the way back they decided to make our train stop at all the stations to pick people up who'd missed all the trains that had been canceled because of the alien incident, so the journey took over 3 hours instead of 2 and the train looked like the weekly express to Calcutta is was so packed. I luckily got a seat before anyone else and watched Hot Fuzz on my laptop and smiled smugly at the first class ticket holders who stubbornly stood in the first class coach rather than look for a seat with the 'others'. :smile:
Yeah, happy birthday Mal! I got a free first class ticket from Virgin after the trains fucked up around new year (which I'm now going to blame aliens for) Unfortunately, I need to use it before the end of march. And I only have one. As much as I'd like to let ella travel with the scum in standard, and spend a relaxing few hours living the high life in first class, i would doubt she'd speak to me much again after that. In the end, I gave it to the mother in law so she can come and visit us, thereby earning lots of brownie points!
Happy birthday Mal... One thing I do know about Birmingham is that no matter how what the population of Birmingham no one will say they come from Birmingham. Apparently the people who live in Birmingham are all secretly living somewhere else just so they can tell others that they don't come from Birmingham. ...or everyone in Birmingham is an alien and they're the ones messing with the trains and powerlines...
Happy belated birthday, Mal Aliens, eh? Here, whenever there's a problem like that, it's either the current or the previous government's fault for not investing in the railroads. Or the people on top stealing all the money. How mundane. England sounds so exotic! :wink:
Belated Happy Birthday, Mal! I'm glad you managed an epic journey, even if it wasn't the one you'd intended.
Happy Birthday! so many friends having birthdays just now, I hope you are safe and happy and have a whole lot of fun this year.
Happy (more-than-quite belated) birthday Mal. But... You went to Birmingham on your birthday? :sad: No, I can't talk at all, all I've ever seen of it is the coach station, several times, always around 4 in the morning. Enough horror to fuel a lifetime of ill feelings towards the entire city, and all cities beginning with B. in the world.
Happy the most belated birthday wish on this page. I rock. As do you Mal because it's your birthday, or was anyway.
