Treherbert
Treherbert was my first destination and is probably best described as a small town that has seen better days.
One of my reasons for choosing Treherbert was to take stock of the town before they electrify the line to Cardiff.
It is certainly a town, that needs something to stimulate business and employment.
I certainly hope that I am able to return to the town in a few years time in a smarter electric train.
The tea room has only recently opened and I hope it succeeeds, After all, if say you came up to Treherbert like I did out of curiosity or perhaps to have a walk on the hills, you might like to get some refreshment before returning down the valley.
From Cardiff To Treherbert
After the match, I could have come home directly in the morning, but I wanted explore the Valley Lines.
I started by going to Cardiff Central station, where I got a train to Cardiff Queen Street followed by one from there to Treherbert, as for no better reason, than it was the first that turned up.
The pictures tell the story of the very scxenic journey up to Treherbert and down to Pontypridd.
As befits the UK’s stereotypical view of a wet Wales, the stations seem to be well sheltered and generally in good repair.
The Class 142 on which I travelled, was one of the better Pacers that I’ve ridden in and was reasonably clean and tidy.
Cardiff’s Bus Information
My hotel needed a bus to get to the City Centre, and as I like to use buses if I can, I took a few pictures of the information.
If it wasn’t for a stop outside of the hotel, which showed all buses went to the City Centre, I doubt, I’d have actually managed the buses though. As an example, if you turn up at Cardiff station, there is a long list of buses, which is useless in finding the stop for a particular number bus.
As in many places in the UK, Cardiff buses are impossible to use for visitors.
Around Cardiff City Centre
I took these pictures as I walked around Cardiff City Centre.
I didn’t see too many clocks and statues weren’t that numerous, but I did like the fact that a large area is pedestrianised.
Match Thirteen – Cardiff 3 – Ipswich 1
This was very much the case of the unlucky thirteen.
Cardiff 3 – Ipswich 1
We played well to get a first goal and then probably threw it away.
Mick McCarthy wasn’t pleased.
Watch Your Step In Cardiff
The route from my hotel to the City Centre of Cardiff was like this for a lot of the way.
Watch Your Step In Cardiff
The lights that controlled the crossings weren’t good either.
My Hotel In Cardiff
I’m not going to name it, as I’d probably think about using it again, despite its problems.
It was a bit out of the City Centre and I was able to walk there easily.
But it was a bit down-market for my tastes and I can’t remember the last hotel, I stayed in with only a wash-basin in the room.
It was comfortable and clean, but in some respects, I think the hotel had another purpose, as the television was showing a gay dating site, when I switched it on.
I can understand why I prefer ladies, as middle-aged men can be so ugly, especially if they’re carrying a few extra pounds. Switching away was the problem, as the remote control needed new batteries and was rather unresponsive.
But then what can you expect for £31.50 in cash?
A Big Lith In Cardiff
I was greeted by this large lith at Cardiff Station.
A Big Lith In Cardiff
Every main station and bus station should have one.
To Cardiff In A Factory Fresh Thirty Year Old Train
All of the InterCity 125 trains, that fly to the West, are over thirty years now. But on my trip to Cardiff in First Class for the princely sum of £24.25, I got one fresh out of the factory, with technology and style, that wouldn’t be out of place in a five-star hotel.
The wi-fi system was supposed not to be in operation, but I’m pretty certain I freely linked to it all the way to Wales, except for the Severn Tunnel.
As an experiment, I’ve just tried to book a train to Cardiff and back on the 29th. Return with my Senior Railcard, leaving afer 09:00 and returning after 18:00 would cost me £63. Incidentally, t would be around £90 without the Railcard.
The driving distance is 151 miles both ways, so surely you’ll be slower by road.
And you won’t get free glasses of wine to help the journey go by!
Getting To Paddington Station
Over the last couple of weeks, as I’ve been taking my Before Crossrail pictures and going to St. Ives, I’ve been going to Paddington station, rather a lot.
If I haven’t got tickets and I’m going to say Reading or Slough, I always go via Dalston Junction to get the tickets in the machine there, as I get the best price that is otherwise only available with the hassle of queuing up at a Ticket Office.
Transport for London’s recommended route says get to Highbury and Islington station and use the Victoria and Bakerloo lines to get to Paddington. It suggests a time of just over thirty minutes.
But there are some problems with this route, especially if I get a bus to Highbury and Islington.
- There is as much walking, as going to Dalston Junction.
- The ticket machines at Highbury and Islington don’t issue tickets from the Zone 6 Boundary, so I have to pay for an unneeded journey from Paddington to West Drayton.
- In the rush hour or at busy times, this route is horrendous, due to the inadequate Victoria line.
- Sometimes, buses to the station are hard to find, due to heavy traffic on the Balls Pond Road.
It may be the quickest at times, but it is never the easiest.
I tend to go one of two routes.
- I often use the Overground to Whitechapel and then the Hammersmith and City line to Paddington. This route has the advantage that it is air-conditioned all the way, but it takes about a dozen minutes longer, than the recommended route.
- If I take a bus to Kings Cross and then take the Hammersmith and City line, this can be around forty minutes.
But if I want to go on a main line train out of Paddington, it puts me at the wrong end of the station, unless I have a booked train.
Today, I’m going to Cardiff on the 13:45 train out of Paddington. As I’m taking my own gluten-free sandwiches and I won’t have to buy a drink, I shall use the Whitechapel route, leaving before 12:30.
Crossrail will change all this in that I’ll still get to Whitechapel in eight minutes and then it’ll be thirteen minutes to Paddington. So it should be under half-an-hour between the two stations and we’ll all probably be delivered to the convenient end of Paddington.
It is interesting to apply my mother’s rule of two minutes a station and five minutes for an interchange to the before and after Crossrail routes via Whitechapel.
Before Crossrail – 35 minutes
After Crossrail – 23 minutes
It’ll be fascinating to see whether the twenty-three minute figure is regularly beaten. Hopefully as the interchange at Whitechapel will be quicker, Paddington station will be much easier and the trains on Crossrail will be very frequent, this will be the case.
The Anonymous Widower 