92 Clubs – Day 34 – Stevenage, Stoke, Sunderland
Stevenage should have been easier than it was, but the siugn-posting was a bit patchy and sent you the wrong way on the way from the station.
Stevenage Town's Lamex Stadium
Typically, too, as Stevenage is a new town, cars come first and pedstrians nowhere. I did see the odd bus stop and a few buses, but there was no information of any use. At how many places could I have said that? Perhaps, it would be better to ask at how many places were the buses understandable to a visitor?
I lost a few minutes waiting for the train back to London, but I made the time up by catching the 11:00 at Euston, which stopped en route at Stoke-on-Trent for Stoke City. I took a taxi to the Britannia Stadium, as I’d experienced Stoke’s buses before and only a local or a determined masochist would have enough knowledge or fortitude to attempt the journey by bus.
Outside Stoke's Britannia Stadium
I do hope they run a shuttle bus from the station on match days!
I struck it lucky on return to Stoke station, in that I was on another Virgin train immediately to Manchester. But as ever, I was let down in Piccadilly, by their stupid train display and missed the next train to Newcastle by about a minute. So it was change at Leeds, where they have displays that work.
Sunderland should have been easy from Newcastle Central, as it has its own station at Stadium of Light.
Stadium of Light Station
But as to the stadium it was out there somewhere in the dark.
The Stadium of Light is in the Dark Somewhere
As it was chucking it down, I decided that as it wasn’t signposted from the station, as far as I could see, that this would have to be the end of trying to find the Stadium of Light in the Dark.
Perhaps I should have risked pneumonia.
By 18:00 I was on the train going home Kings Cross. Sadly, it was half-an-hour late into the capital.
92 Clubs – Day 33 – Shrewsbury, Southampton, Southend
The easiest way to get to Shrewsbury is to go via Crewe and that is what I did.
Outside Shrewsbury's Greenhous Meadow Stadium
Coming back was a bit of a problem, as I had to wait an hour for my connection to Crewe. Normally, the frequency is two trains an hour, but at some times, there is only one. It was rather disappointing to have to spend an hour on the station, as I only missed the previous train by a minute or so.
The journey back to London wasn’t too bad, but my train to Southampton from Waterloo was a few minutes late due to traction problems becaise of the bad weather.
Outside Southampton's St. Mary's Stadium
You can see the rain outside the Southampton Megastore at St. Mary’s stadium in this picture.
The train back to London was almost an hour late and it was a rush to Liverpool Street to get the train to Prittlewell for Southend.
The Gates at Roots Hall
The picture shows the gates at Roots Hall.
of the three stadia today, only Southend was walkable, although I have walked Southampton in the past, but not in rain like we had on this day.
92 Clubs – Day 32 – A Day Off
Day 31 was rather tiring, so I needed it.
The Anonymous Widower 