A Ground With Its Own Station
Exeter play at St. James Park.
St. James Park Station
It’s even painted in the club colours.
An Annoyance of Bicycles
Look at this picture, I took at Kings Cross.
An Annoyance of Bicycles
I quite like cycling, but why is it, that bicycles are often parked, where they become a hazard to pedestrians?
Getting Between Kings Cross/St. Pancras and Euston
London’s three major stations that serve the North and of course the Continent; Kings Cross, St. Pancras and Euston, are all close together on the Euston Road.
The first has been superbly rebuilt, the second is approaching the end of a major redevelopment and they now share probably the best Underground station in London. But Euston is rather isolated from the other two, with several ways to get between them.
- You can take a rather unpleasant walk along the busy Euston Road.
- You can use the Metropolitan or Circle lines, but this means a walk to or from Euston Square at the Euston end.
- You can dive into the Underground and take the Victoria or Northern lines, but it is not step free at the Euston end, and not recommended with a heavy case. Both deep stations are also easy places to get lost or confused.
- Going from Euston to Kings Cross or St. Pancras is quite easy by bus 30, 73, 205 or 476, which you catch in front of Euston station, but the reverse journey means you have to cross Euston Road twice.
- There are of course taxis. But not everyone can afford them.
As I had time to spare at Kings Cross, before I caught my train to Hartlepool, I decided to investigate and found a map which showed there was a fairly simple direct walking route that avoided the pollution and traffic of the Euston Road.
I started by walking through St. Pancras station and exited by the cab rank onto Midland Road, with the intention of going down Brill Place.
Crossing Midland Road
There is a light controlled crossing, but it is rather blocked by badly placed railings and the cab rank. Brill Place, which is the start of the road to Euston is on the left.
Brill Place is flanked on one side by the new Francis Crick Institute and on the right, there is a small pleasant park, which could provide an oasis from the crowds in the stations.
Brill Place
Brill Place itself, is not a grotty dusty road lined by parked cars, but a wide tree-lined avenue that leads on to Phoenix Road.
Towards Pheonix Road
At the end of Phoenix Road, you just cross Eversholt Street on one of the two pedestrian crossings and you walk down the road to Euston station.
The advantages of the route are as follows.
- The route is virtually flat.
- It would be easy trailing quite a large case.
- There are only two major roads to cross and both have light-controlled pedestrian crossings.
- There is the park, which would as I said before, be a better place to eat a packed meal than the station.
- You do pass a few shops and a reasonable-looking pub.
But there are disadvantages.
- The route is not signposted.
- The barriers at the St. Pancras end are wrongly placed.
- The side entrance to Euston station could be better.
So how would I make it better, so that in effect we had one super station for the north.
- I’d start with sign-posting. The posts are there at the St. Pancras end already.
- Perhaps, it should be marked on the ground, as a Kings Cross/St. Pancras to Euston walking route.
- You might even provide some eco-friendly transport along the route, like an electric shuttle bus or bicycle rickshaws.
- A couple of suitably placed Boris bike stations would help too.
- Shops and cafes should be developed along the road. There are some already.
To me though, this is one of those things that will happen. But probably first in a very unofficial way, as how many of those that work in the Francis Crick Institute will commute into Euston and walk there? It won’t be a small number.
It took me about fifteen minutes to do the walk and I just got a 205 bus back to Kings Cross for my train from the front of Euston station.
Walking Around Hartlepool
I didn’t have much time in Hartlepool, but I did have time to walk around the town centre, the quay and to the football ground.
You will notice the absence of steep hills, which because of my hay fever is very much to be welcomed.
92 Clubs – Every Station Needs More of These
This is only one of the standard railway information boards you get on British stations all over the place.
Information Display at Hartlepool Station
The difference about this one is that it is in the carpark at Hartlepool station and easily visible to anybody rushing to get a train. In this case, it might just give you a chance to get a swift half in at the Rat Race Ale House, if you are early or your train is running late.
The London Overground and some stations have some of these remotely placed displays, but surely a few more in strategic places might well take a bit of the strain out of the train journey. If I take Ipswich station, which I know well, one on the walking route from the town centre and some of the car parks would very much be welcomed by me, as I rush to the train after a home game.
The further I get into my trip around the UK, the more I find that maps and information are variable. In Bournemouth, Bury, Exeter and Hartlepool, they are excellent, but in Blackpool, they are absolutely non-existent.
They Don’t Make Pubs Like This Anymore
In Hartlepool station, there is the Rat Race Ale House micropub.
The sign says it all. Note the barrels and the absence of the bar. As I said before, every station needs one of these.
92 Clubs – Week 2 – 18 Clubs – 36 Trains, 2 Trams
Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 Week 5 Week 6 Week 7
Day 8 Day 9 Day 10 Day 11 Day 12 Day 13 Day 14
As with last week I can also add several Underground and Overground trains and lots of buses.
It was an easier week, that Week 1 and I got home to my bed every day. I’m now having the weekend off, as the hay fever is driving me nuts. On Monday, I’ll go to Hereford, Huddersfield and Hull and on Tuesday, I’ll be in my seat at Portman Road for Ipswich against Portsmouth.
Here are the awards.
Heroes of the Week
This week, I’ll award it to all of those who’ve contributed. Some people, who I’ve never met have given a pound for every club. I hope I’m living up to their hopes for me!
There was also the taxi driver in Liverpool, who just wanted the money for his diesel.
Most Surprising Stadium of the Week
There have been several that were not what I expected like, Bury, Exeter and Hartlepool, but I also revisted some where I have been in the past, so these didn’t show me anything I didn’t know.
Best Stadium of the Week
It just has to be Chesterfield. Everything is there and they are working about making it better.
Best Signposted Stadium of the Week
Hartlepool is well-signposted and still has four large floodlight towers to guide you.
Worst Signposted Stadium of the Week
I’ll give this award to Coventry, as there are no details at the station and it’s a long walk to the bus station, where it’s not obvious where to go. At least I found a quicker way back using an express bus.
Welcoming Stadia of the Week
As in the first week, many stadia were visited in the dark or when no-one was about. I was however, very well welcomed at Chesterfield and Exeter.
Best Town of the Week
Hartlepool by a country mile. Politicians and officers from many of the places I’ve visited could learn a lot by just visiting the town.
Here’s a few things I liked.
- The rather decripit railway station has been transformed into one of the best small stations I have seen in the UK, by a fair bit of imagination.
- The art gallery, which doubles as a tourist information centre in a church in a central point in the town.
- I didn’t have much tie to visit the museum, but it was one of the best small museums, I’ve found.
- It would be a difficult town to get lost in, as it is well-signposted and you seem be able to see the main landmarks from everywhere.
I have been to many places, where a lot more money has been spent or is available and they are worse places to visit. Especially, if your time is limited or you have a simple objective, like visiting a football match.
Best City of the Week
Exeter impressed me, with good signposting and an easy-to-find ground marked on all the maps.
Dump of the Week
When I looked at the list at the start of the week, I thought that there would be a lot of candidates.
In the end it was Gillingham, which was just a run-down town, with a rather tired stadium, without a roof for visiting fans. But I’ve also had comments on this blog saying they didn’t like the place either.
Sign of the Week
This has to be the display in the car park at Hartlepool station, telling you how long you have until your train arrives. Every station should have more of these.
I may still be a few stadia behind, but I’m enjoying the trip.
Here’s to next week.
92 Clubs – Day 14 – Gillingham, Hartlepool
It was quite an early start to get a bus to London Bridge for a train to Gillingham. I t was almost still dark, when I arrived and I followed the signs at the station to the Priestfield Stadium. It is only a short walk.
Gillingham's Priestfield Stadium
As you can see it is rather tucked away in the houses and the away supporters have to brave the weather.
I then took one of the Class 395 or Javelin trains back to St. Pancras.
A Javelin Arrives at Gillingham
I then had a couple of hours before I took the 11:23 Grand Central service direct to Hartlepool. I used the time productively to have breakfast in Carluccio’s, buy myself some sandwiches for the journey and investigate a walking route between Euston and Kings Cross/St. Pancras.
I arrived at Hartlepool on time in a station, that was totally unexpected.
Artwork at Hartlepool Station
I know the area well from my time at ICI and visits later and have actually travelled to London from the previous station on the line, Eaglescliffe, in the 1970s. Everybody, should note how with a little artistic creativity, some common sense and not vast amounts of money a dingy station like Hartlpool, can be made totally acceptable to anyone who wants or needs to travel by train. I think too much, we concentrate on the trains, when for many journeys we spent quite a bit of time in or around the stations.
It was just another well-posted short walk to the ground.
Inside Hartlepool United's Ground
I then explored the town, of which I will post more later, before I ended up in this micropub on the station.
Rat Race Ale House, Harlepool Station
The Rat Race Ale House was well worth a visit and say if you are a supporter, who travels to the ground by rail, it is a place to at lest try for a pre-match drink. But don’t go if you drink chemical lager!
Every station should have one!
It had been a day of contrasts, a southern town and ground, that needed to be lifted up and a northern one, that had suffered a lot of unemploymemt in the 1970s and 1980s, that had pulled itself off the floor in style.
Just as I said with Exeter, I hope Ipswich draw Hartlepool, one day in a cup. The town is well worth a visit. I know it’s a long way from the south and if you don’t book early it could be expensive on the train, but give it a try!
No Times in Gillingham
Gilli ngham was beginning to get on my nerves by the time I left this morning. I tried to buy my daily copy of The Times, but one shop didn’t have it and the other two didsn’t accept my voucher. W H Smith was closed.
It didn’t seem to be a town worth a second visit, especially as the away supporters didn’t have the luxury of a roof.
I was glad to get on my way to St. Pancras.
Gillingham is certainly in the running for this week’s prize dump.
92 Clubs – Day 13 – Exeter City, Fulham
It wasn’t a particularly early start, but I was on the 11:06 to Exeter from Paddington.
The main station is at the bottom of a steep hill leading into the city, with the club on the other side of the centre. so as I had plenty of time, I walked it and didn’t get lost at all, as it was very well-signposted. The only problem was that Marks and Spencer didn’t have any gluten-free sandwiches, so I had to make do, with crisps and a Coke on the way home.
Exeter‘s ground is best described as compact and the staff were certainly friendly.
Inside St. James Park
This picture was taken by the receptionist and she certainly did her job well.
Let’s hope Ipswich get an away tie in a cup there at some point. I shall certainly go!
It is an almost unique stadium in that it has it’s own station, so I took the train down the hill to St. Davids to get back to London. It’s probably better to take the train on the way to the ground and walk down the hill on the way home. Although, this may play havoc with some people’s drinking habits.
After I got to London, I took the Underground to Fulham. The ground was deserted, as this picture shows.
Craven Cottage and Johnny Haynes
The statue in the picture is of the great Johnny Haynes. Luckily, I couldn’t find any other statues.
Getting back from Fulham wasn’t the easiest, as I ended up on a bus that got stuck in a jam at Hammersmith, caused mainly by roadwiorks. Eventually, I managed to cross the road to the Underground station and eventually got to Monument, where I got a bus home.
The Anonymous Widower 