The Light Side

I was at the office today in London, and the Police rolled up and cordened off the area. It was all a bit weird, but apparently there was a drain with smoke coming out of it (and has been all week, apparently this wasn't the first time the police and fire brigade has turned up this week).

We weren't told anything, but they eventually packed up and left, so I guess everything was in order.

Travelled back from Macclesfield early yesterday so didn't have a book seat (but did mean I could get a direct train and home about 4 hours earlier than expected). The downside was that the seat displays weren't working properly and what I thought was an unreserved seat wasn't.

At Birmingham I had to vacate my seat for someone who had booked it to Oxford and the train was packed. So packed you couldn't move between carriages and was a general nightmare with people wanting to get passed to get to the shop or toilet. It also meant I couldn't get a seat and had to stand, and whenever people got off at a station there was a frenzy to get their seats plus more passengers trying to get on Not fun at all!

By Leamington Spa I'd had enough standing and what with looking like I was going to have to stand till Bournemouth (about 2 hours away), I complained to the train manager about the seat displays. He was a nice chap and put me in first class for the remainder of my journey, which was nice

So all was good in the end. Got home earlier than expected and travelled in comfort.

Stayed up in Manchester last night at the Jurys Inn Hotel. It's an odd place. Just off Oxford Road/Oxford Street, there's offices and large hotels and a little green coloured "traditional" pub and the canal.