Aboard the 30

The first bad news was that our train has been cancelled. We have to find an alternative. We boarded a number 30 bus to Euston Station (our original point of departure) to see what is available.

Euston Station

We reached Euston Station and sought information. Our travel card normally allows us to travel only after 9:30 but because our train has been cancelled, we are allowed to take the 9:10 – bonus!

Aboard the 9:10

We walked down to the front of the train and entered the second carriage. Here we found two seats that were not reserved. We are supposed to reach Glasgow at 14:02, a long journey.

On our way
Photo by Tigger

Lunch!
Photo by Tigger

About midway through the journey, Tigger visited the buffet car and bought us lunch.

Crossing the Lancaster Canal
Photo by Tigger

Arriving at Glasgow Central

The train was late arriving at Glasgow (despite having been early at intermediate stops) but we are finally there.

Glasgow Central Station

Glasgow Central Station is familiar to us. Today it was crowded.

Cool and wet

We went out into the street. It was raining and the temperature was around 15°C – quite a change from London.

Aboard the taxi

We took a taxi as the hotel is not that close to the station,

The room
Photo by Tigger

This is possibly the worst hotel room we have ever had. It is tiny, has no furniture apart from the bed and just a hook for clothes. The bed is too small for me to stretch out full length. There are no shelves, apart from the window sill. We have to spend four nights in this inadequate room.

St Aloysius’ Church

The room is not s place to hang out in so we went out, looking for an early supper aka comfort food, We passed St Aloysius’ Church and…

Bank of Scotland

…a Bank of Scotland building.

Sauchiehall Street

We walked along the famous Sauchiehall Street.

Souvenirs and gifts

We looked at, and in, some shops, including this one where Tigger bought fridge magnets. (Our fridge is gradually disappearing behind a carapace of magnets.)

Tuk Tuk Indian restaurant
Photo by Tigger

We looked around to find somewhere to have a meal. Although it was still early in the day, a lot of places were closed (some permanently) or would open only later in the evening. We eventually plumped for Tuk Tuk which offers Indian “street food”.

Inside Tuk Tuk
Photo by Tigger

They had just opened for the evening session and we were the only customers at first. We chose a selection of dishes to share.

Dishes to share
Photo by Tigger

We also had a jug of salty lassi to wash it down. (Lassi, being a yogurt drink, helps take the sting out of spicy food.)

Mackintosh at the Willow-

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Famous architect Charles Rennie Mackintosh designed the groundbreaking Willow Tea Rooms in 1903. Those tea rooms no longer exist in their original form but the building was bought by The Willow Tea Rooms Trust which sought to restore the tea rooms and run them in the spirit of the original. See here for more details of the tea rooms and their history.

The National Piping Centre

The typical musical instrument of Scotland is, or are, the bagpipes. The National Piping Centre was built in 1872 and continues to support and promote the playing if the bagpipes. For a history of the Scottish bagpipes see this page.

After a little walk in the rain, we preferred to return to our room, cramped and unattractive though it be. Perhaps the weather will be better tomorrow (though the weather forecast is not optimistic on that point) and we can go out and about.

We return to London this afternoon but we can spend the earlier part of the day in Brighton. We have checked out of the hotel but left our suitcases there till later.

Steine Lane

We set out in search of breakfast, first walking through Steine Lane, heading for an area with cafes.

A glimpse of the sea

Although it was 9:30, Brighton seemed only to be slowly waking up. Many places were still closed or sluggishly preparing for the day ahead – the Sunday Effect, perhaps.

The weather is cloudy and the temperature moderate – rather a relief after the recent heatwaves.

Coffee and croissants
Photo by Tigger

We found a branch of Caffè Nero and ordered our usual coffee and croissants.

Seafront and pier

We went to the seafront near the Palace Pier. The sun was trying to shine and managed to do so occasionally.

Beach and pier wreck

This view shows all that remains visible of the poor old West Pier, destroyed by fire, possibly deliberately. It is missed by those who remember it kindly.

British Airways i360

Where the West Pier’s entrance used to be there now stands this curious structure, called British Airways i360. The tower is 450 feet tall.

The viewing pod

Attached to the tower is a doughnut shaped pod which collects passengers at ground level then rises not quite to the top of the tower.

Regency Square

We came into the beautiful Regency Square and sat for a while in its central garden waiting for the pod to rise.

The pod rises

This distance shot gives a better impression of the height of the tower. Symbolically, it it supposed to represent a “vertical pier” to replace the original horizontal one.

Sparrow
Photo by Tigger

There were sparrows in the square and this one came to visit us, no doubt hoping we had food to share. We had to disappoint him.

We sat for some time in Regency Square. That’s not surprising because I enjoy being in Brighton, my once home town, and always feel a little sad when leaving.

Caffè Nero
Photo by Tigger

In this warm weather you need to stay hydrated and so we eventually set off in search of refreshment. We reached Western Road and there found a Caffè Nero.

Coffee
Photo by Tigger

Tigger had iced coffee. I wanted tea for a change but they informed me that their hot water machine was broken so tea was off the menu. It had to be coffee!

Billie’s Cafe

For lunch we went to Billie’s Cafe. I had my tea this time – Darjeeling, no less.

Lunch!
Photo by Tigger

We had a fry-up style cafe lunch.

A familiar figure

After lunch we started back to the hotel to collect our bags. We followed a zig-zag route through the backstreets. A familiar figure appeared at one point.

Narrow lanes

We followed some narrow lanes where you probably wouldn’t want to go if you are claustrophobic.

The Clock Tower

We passed the clock tower so, naturally, I stopped to take a photo!

Brighton Station

Having collected our bags from the hotel, we caught a bus to the station. Here we settled to wait for our train to be announced. (The photo shows a rare quiet moment at the station!)

Joining the train

Ours is the Cambridge train which conveniently stops at St Pancras on its way. (The rubbish bag indicates that the train is still being “fluffed”, that is, cleared of rubbish from its last trip.)

Aboard the train
Photo by Tigger

On our way
Photo by Tigger

The train brought us safely to St Pancras but before rushing off to catch a bus

EL & N

…we stopped off at EL & N, for a last coffee.

A little while later, we caught a 214 bus for home, ending our short but intense trip to Brighton.

Tomorrow we…, no not yet! Tomorrow will come in its own good time and I will tell its story then.

We are off on a short overnight trip – at least, we are if the railway strikes permit.

Aboard the 214

We took a 214 bus to St Pancras Station.

Eurostar departures

We entered the station by the Eurostar departures and, as you can see, it was very active. No strike here, at least!

EL & N

No prizes for guessing that we stopped off at EL & N for our traditional coffee and croissant breakfast.

No Thameslink

When we went for our train, we found that Thameslink was closed by strike action. We were told we could catch a train to Brighton from Victoria.

We caught a bus

Tigger doesn’t like the tube so we went out onto the street and took a bus.

Victoria Station

There was a train to Brighton leaving in a few minutes. We hurried to the platform but just missed it.

The train on Platform 14

The next train was at 10:29, leaving from Platform 14. We went there and…

Aboard the Brighton train
Photo by Tigger

..,boarded the train. We were soon on our way.

East Croydon Station
Pboto by Tigger

Our train paused at Croydon, a town familiar to us from our previous visits there.

Plane landing at Gatwick
Photo by Tigger

We passed through Gatwick and saw a plane coming in to land. Where from, I wonder?

Arriving in Brighton

We arrived in Brighton after an uneventful journey. There were very few passengers on the train perhaps because people are avoiding travelling today because of the strikes.

Gardner Street

We walked down from the station through familiar streets, including the famous Gardner Street.

The Royal Pavilion

We of course paused to take a photo of the lovely Royal Pavilion.

The familiar entrance

We at last reached the familiar entrance (familiar from our previous stay). Once the Royal York Hotel, it now belongs to the YHA. We were too early to check but were able to deposit our bags in the luggage store.

Coffee and ice cream
Photo by Tigger

Having done that, we retired to the hostel cafe for coffee and ice cream.

The Black Cat of Old Steine

After our coffee break, we went out, photographing the black cat on the way past.

Aboard the bus

We then boarded a bus. It was quite busy but we found seats.

Beautiful scenery

It was a long ride but we could enjoy some beautiful scenery.

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Beachy Head

We finally left the bus at Beachy Head. This is a famous clifftop site with splendid views over the sea and along the coast. It is also a well known spot for suicides. There was apparently an airshow in progress – hence the crowds – but as my distance vision is bad at the moment, that was of no interest to me.

From the tour bus

Buses from here are very infrequent. We would have to wait nearly two hours for the next one. When a tour bus came by, we asked if it would take us to Birling Gap. They charged us £3 each but we thought that better than waiting two hours for a scheduled bus.

Birling Gap

We chose to come to Birling Gap because we knew there is a pub here and we thought we might have a late lunch there. And of course, the pub turned out to be closed!

A view from Birling Gap

Birling Gap is famous for its eroding cliffs. One by one, the houses built on the clifftop fall onto the beach below as the cliff edge retreats,. We returned to the bus stop and prepared to wait for the next bus back to Brighton.

We waited and waited, long past the advertised bus time. We had given up hope and were using our phones to look on the Internet for nearby taxi companies.

At this point, a bus arrived but it was full. The driver told us that there would be another bus but he could not say when. So we settled down to wait once more.

A bus at last

At last, a bus appeared. It was empty and we gratefully climbed aboard. We could now relax pending our arrival back in Brighton. Some people originally waiting with is had given up and set out on foot. Some of these were at bus stops along our route and joined us on the rescue bus.

Arriving back in Britain

The bus finally deposited beside Sea Life aka the Aquarium. The illuminations in the background belong, of course, to the Palace Pier. We went straight to the YHA to check in and transfer our bags to our room.

Purezza, vegan restaurant
Photo by Tigger

Then we went out prospecting for supper – all the more important because we had missed out lunch.

Pizza and smoothie

We had a pizza and a smoothie each, both chock full of many ingredients.

A view from the bed

We returned to the hotel and made tea. This has been a day of travel and frustration but we are now comfortably installed in our room and, quoting Shakespeare, “all’s well that ends well”.

We are off to Nottingham today. We haven’t met up with my son and his wife since before the pandemic and we have arranged to meet halfway between our respective home towns. Nottingham is about on that midpoint.

Pentonville Road

We set off on foot down Pentonville Road, heading for St Pancras Station.

The two stations

We reached the bottom of the hill at the two railway stations, King’s Cross (right) and St Pancras.

Crossing through King’s Cross Station

The UK is currently facing a series of rail strikes. That is why King’s Cross Station was virtually deserted when we passed through. There were more station employees than members of the public in view.

St Pancras, busy as normal

By sheer luck, the line that we need, East Midlands, is not on strike today. As a result, St Pancras Station looks about as busy as usual.

Eurostar queue

The Eurostar was also operating and there was the usual long queue to check in.

EL & N

We went to EL & N for breakfast.

Aboard the 9:35

We went up the the upper level and joined our train. These trains are quite compact like a budget airline. Fortunately, the journey lasts only an hour and 39 minutes (if it runs on time).

On our way
Photo by Tigger

It’s another day of heatwave, expected to rise to 33°C later in Nottingham. It’s cool in the train, though, so let’s enjoy it while we can!

Arriving in Nottingham

We reached Nottingham a few minutes late but not enough to bother us.

Hop’s cafe

We paused at Hop’s Cafe for a drink and to work out how to meet.

Aboard the tram

We boarded a tram for Phoenix Park and got front seats. There is a park and ride there where our two can leave their car. It seems a convenient place to meet. Did I mention that we like trams? 🙂

Arriving at Phoenix Park

We arrived at Phoenix Park and looked for a suitable place to wait.

Beefeater

We found a Beefeater restaurant, ordered coffee and sat down to wait.

Old and new at Old Market Square

We all took the tram to Old Market Square where we looked for lunch.

Falafel

We found lunch at a restaurant called Falafel.

An old Burton’s store?

We spotted this building that, by the look of it, might be an old Burton’s store. (You perhaps remember that we “collect” old Burton’s shops.)

Aboard the southbound tram

We boarded a southbound tram as being somewhere to sit and talk in relative comfort on such a hot day. Unfortunately, the aircon was not working and it was very warm.

The Toton Lane Terminus

The tram terminated at Toton Lane. We got out and enjoyed the breeze. Our tram departed and we let it go, hoping that the next one would have a working aircon.

We were lucky: it did!

Costa Coffee

We travelled back to Old Market Square and went into the branch of Costa Coffee there. Here we stayed until it was time for us to start back to the station for our train.

At Nottingham Station

On arriving at the station we had a little time to spare so we had a little look around. The present building dates from 1904 and would deserve a more in depth survey. We saw only some of its attractions.

Art Nouveau ironwork

We did see these gates, designed in Art Nouveau style.

Platform 6A

We went down to Platform 6A, from which our train was to depart, and settled down to wait.

Our train – cancelled
Photo by Tigger

Then we received bad news: our train, the 16:12, had been cancelled. We had to transfer to Platform 7 and board the 16:50. Because this was not the train for which we had tickets, we did not have reserved seats. Fortunately, we found a pair of seats that were not reserved.

Aboard the 16:50 to St Pancras

All we have to do now is relax and wait till we arrive at St Pancras.

Evening sunshine
Photo by Tigger

Sun over water
Photo by Tigger

The return journey always seems longer than the journey out.

Arriving at St Pancras

We arrived at last at St Pancras and made our way through the ticket barrier.

Carluccio’s

Before continuing home, we stopped off at Carluccio’s restaurant for supper.

A view from the terrace

Leaving Carluccio’s, we first went out onto the station terrace and admired the view which includes King’s Cross Station and its clock tower.

Then we went down there and joined the mêlée, catching a bus which carried us up the hill to the Angel and home. Thus ended today’s outing.

Tigger had suggested I meet her after work and I was happy to do so. It would make up for the annoyances suffered earlier in the day (see previous post).

Here is my bus

Timing is everything and I left in good time to make up for any unexpected delays along the way.

Aboard the 153

I caught the trusty 153 in St John Street. This took me to All Hallows Church in London Wall where,…

Aboard the 100

…within one minute, I caught a number 100. The tide is running in my favour today and I will be early at the rendezvous!

The temperature has hit 28°C but it is now 5 pm , which is the hottest moment of the day, and it will begin to cool now, even if only slightly.

St Katharine Docks

Leaving the bus, I walked down to the dock as I usually do. If I was hoping to see waterfowl, I was again disappointed.

The atrium

It was very warm still so I entered Tigger’s office block where it is cooler. I have photographed the atrium before but, rising so high, it always impresses me.

When Tigger joined me, she came bearing ice cream. So we sat in the atrium and consumed it.

Old Spirit Quay

When we went out for the bus, we saw there was a while to wait so we walked down to the bus stop before our usual one. I had time to take some photos of what I think are fragments of an old system of docks. The one above is called Spirit Quay.

Hermitage Basin

This stretch of water is called Hermitage Basin. What goods were loaded or unloaded here in the days, now long gone, when the docks were vigorously in action? In the photo you can perhaps make out what looks like a collection of junk in the middle of the water. It’s not junk: it’s a…

A coots’ nest

…coots’ nest! An adult pair has painstakingly collected items from here and there to make a water-level home where they can rear their young. You can see that one is sitting on the nest while the other keeps a watchful eye on the environment. I like coots: they are very active and keep busy. For their size they can be very aggressive towards other birds (coots or other species) they think are invading their territory.

Artwork – no details

Beside the basin is this artwork. It looks like a loop of cable of the sort for typing up big ships. I could find no information about it, though.

Aboard the 153

A 100 came and carried us to Liverpool Street Station where we changed to a 153. The bus was at the stop while we were still some way away. We waved and hurried and caught the bus. London bus drivers will often wait for you like this – it is one of their more endearing qualities.

Back at the Angel

And here we are, back on our familiar turf at the Angel, a place I have grown fond of and am happy to call home.