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.
92 Clubs – Day 31 – Rochdale, Rotherham, Scunthorpe, Sheffield United, Sheffield Wednesday
This was an ambitious day, but I managed it.
I took the 06:17 from Euston to Manchester and then took the tram to Victoria for a train to Rochdale. It was then a taxi to see Rochdale ‘s ground which is shared with Rochdale Hornets, as the picture shows.
Rochdale's Spotland Stadium
To get to Sheffield for Rotherham, who play at the Don Valley Stadium in that city, it was back to Victoria and then another tram back to Piccadilly for a train across to Sheffield.
Don Valley Stadium
The stadium is one of the more unusual football grounds in the country, and the only one with a still-used athletics track. It also has very good access from the Sheffield Supertram.
From there is was on to Scunthorpe on one of the awful Pacer trains, to view the worst stadium, Glanford Park, where I’ve watched a Championship match.
Outside Glanford Park
The picture of course doesn’t show the fact that it is one of the worst stadia to get to from the train station. At least I had a good taxi driver, who got me there and back efficiently.
I went back to Sheffield via Meadowhall on one of the Trans Pennine Expresses. I bougth the last gluten-free sandwich at Marks and Spencer there, before taking the tram to Granville Road for Sheffield United.
Bramall Lane
It was dark by now, as the photograph shows. After this it was another tram to Hillsborough for Sheffield Wednesday.
Hillsborough in the Dark
I actually went to the stop at Leppings Lane. In the end I was back at Sheffield station, with lots of time for my train to St. Pancras.
92 Clubs – Day 30 – A Day Off
I took the day off, as I have a bust day planned for Day 31.
Is This A Surprising Omission?
With the sad passing of Sir Jimmy Savile, the UK has lost an iconic character, who gave more pleasure and did more charitable works than anyone else in recent years.
He was also well-known for his adverts for British Rail, where he promoted the iconic Inter City 125 or High Speed Diesel Train. There’s one of the adverts here.
So why has none of the nearly 200 power cars been given his name? Especially one on the London to Leeds service.
On the other hand, Sir Jimmy may have been asked and said no! Or do we not name trains, whilst people are still alive?
92 Clubs – Day 29 – QPR, Reading
I did these two clubs in the morning before going to see Ipswich at Millwall.
I started early and got to QPR using the Central line.
Loftus Road Stadium
As you can see it was rather quiet and I took a couple of photos and left.
It was rather a convoluted route to Paddington via Oxford Circus, due to engineering works, but I arrived at Reading station around eleven. I didn’t have time to try out the bus to the Reading‘s Madejski Stadium, so it was another taxi trip. But at least they’ve now got one in place, as otherwise it’s walk of over two miles.
Reading's Madejski Stadium
I was in the 11:28 train back into London. After klunch in Canary Wharf, I just about made the match at Millwall.
Was all the rushing about to get there worth it?
Probably not as Ipswich lost heavily. but I did cross two more off the list.
A High-Tech Bus Stop in Burslem
I saw this bus stop in Burslem.
A High-Tech Bus Stop in Burslem
It looks good, but as regards giving information to visitors and locals alike, it was supremely useless. Even the texting system didn’t give any sensible information. It was even more annoying, when you consider I had to wait nearly half-an-hour to catch a bus to somewhere I didn’t really want to go.
You also can’t see it in this shot, but there was a youth using the stop, as a nice place to have his can of strong lager.
It would have been much better, if they’d spent the money on a good draughtsman to make a nice map and poster to enable everybody to use the buses efficiently.
From what I’ve seen outside London, Harry Beck, would now be spinning faster in his grave than any of the basic atomic particles. And of course good well-drawn maps are as rare as hen’s teeth or elusive as Higgs bosons.
Did They Put This Up For Me?
I saw this sign as I left Vale Park.
Beware of Pedestrians
If it had been for me, the word angry would have been added.
But I do like it. After all, why a lot of people walk, is that they have a slight impediment, that stops them from driving. This might mean that they miss traffic wanting to cross their path.
A Linguistically Correct Train
This train to Manchester from deepest Wales shows the Welsh form and the English form of Manchester on the destination board.
A Bilingual Train at Manchester
I’m not going to say it’s a waste of money to make the train bilingual, but how many people in Wales know the Welsh for Manchester?
I’ve always believed that those who live in a town or city, should chose its name and I’ve posted as such before in this blog.
You have to wonder how far this could go. How about using the Essex dialect form for Southend for trains out of Liverpool Street. Or would Saafend be too confusing?
The Anonymous Widower 