Today is our last day in Poole. Our train leaves for London (strikes and other unknowns permitting) at 14:40. We must pack and be ready to leave the apartment by 10 am.

Leaving the apartment

We in fact left at 8:50, having deposited our door keys in the key-store in the entrance hall. As we cannot leave our bags for safekeeping, we have to take them with us.

The Museum

To help pass the time, we thought to visit the museum but when we arrived, it had not yet opened.

The Custom House

We walked round the block and passed the old Custom House.

The Fisherman Cafe

We discovered the Fisherman Cafe and went in.

Inside the Fisherman Cafe

We ordered a fried breakfast, which made a change from our usual croissants and coffee.

Sunshine

We returned to the museum and the sun began to shine but for how long?

Examples of Poole Pottery

The museum opened at 10 am and we went in. They kindly locked away our bags during our visit. Poole Pottery is famous but, sadly, is no longer made in Poole.

Cushioned beams

The museum has ceilings supported by beams low enough to hit your head. Over passageways, the beams are cushioned. And, yes, I did hit my head – several times.

Binnacle

Poole is a seafaring town and many exhibits reflect this, such as the above binnacle from the 19th-century brigantine Lady of Avenel.

Footage of wild birds

There was looping film footage of the local wild birds, particularly waterfowl.

A starling visits

Reclaiming our bags, we walked down to the quay and had refreshments at Oriel. We sat outside and there were starlings about, one of which visited us at our table, albeit briefly.

Aboard the 1

It started to rain and so Tigger came up with a Plan: we would take the bus to the bus station, walk to the nearby Dolphin shopping centre and sit in the public library which is in the centre. What could possibly go wrong?

Costa Coffee

What went wrong was that the library was closed! We had to fallback on Plan B which was to come to Costa Coffee instead.

The Delfino Lounge

At 1 pm we thought we had better see about lunch. Not wanting to traipse far in the rain dragging our suitcases, we returned to the Delfino Lounge where we had lunched on our first day in Poole (see To Poole).

Lunch at the Delfino
Photo by Tigger

We both had vegetarian macaroni cheese. Tigger had a veggie sausage with hers and I had green vegetables.

At the station

After lunch, we walked to the station and, because it was raining (despite intermittent sunshine), we took refuge in one of the shelters on the platform.

Forbidden territory

Our train arrived on time and we went aboard. We found seats at a table. This carriage has both first-class and “standard” (i.e. not first-class) accommodation. Our seats are next to the first-class section. (On British trains these days, there is very little difference between standard and first-class seating. I suspect that people who pay extra for first-class do so, not hoping for luxurious accommodation but merely to be segregated from us, the common herd.)

Running through the countryside
Photo by Tigger

The train runs through open fields, woodland, villages and towns, rolling an ever-changing landscape across the windows.

Waterloo Station

More or less on time, our train pulls into Waterloo Station and the familiarity of the place is almost like a welcome-home kiss.

The bus stop under the bridge

We leave the station and go to the bus stop under the railway bridge. There are already other people waiting: will the bus be full; will we find seats?

Aboard the 341

When the bus comes, there is plenty of room and we find seats with space for our suitcases. Breathe, relax, watch London – familiar London – unfurling to our gaze as the bus threads its way through the streets.

The Angel Crossroads

We arrive at the Angel and home. The scene is sunlit as if to welcome us. Poole is now a dream and London embraces us.