The Fyra Farce Goes Worldwide
I’ve just been notified of two articles about Fyra; the Dutch/Belgium high-speed train from Business Traveller and Cleveland.com.
I’ve also had a look on the Eurostar web site. They’re saying this.
To travel to the Netherlands book your Eurostar to Brussels first and then your Thalys train from Brussels to Amsterdam, Schiphol or Rotterdam.
I suppose they’re only telling you what is possible.
Let’s face it London to Amsterdam is probably only a similar distance, as London to say Perth in Scotland. I haven’t done that journey but I know it would be one web purchase not two, as incidentally so would London to Geneva on Eurostar’s web site, changing in Paris.
It’s a complete mess and it seems to be getting worse, with little leadership or common sense being shown.
A Friend’s Favourite Food
One of my friends loves sausages. In fact, rumour or should I say their sister says, they would eat nothing else as a child.
Yesterday, when I went to the Empress of India, I visited the butcher, called The Ginger Pig, opposite and bought some gluten-free sausages. I had them for supper tonight.
Sausages For Supper
They were excellent. I did save a couple to make a sausage sandwich to play along with Danny Baker on Saturday morning.
They are actually from Yorkshire. But as a Suffolk man, who loves his Newmarket sausage, I’ll forgive them that, as they were very good sausages.
Fox Attacks Nanny’s Ugg Boots
This story from the Standard shows how confused the urban fox is these days.
Remember that foxes are not native to Australia, although they have been introduced, and I actually saw one in the middle of nowhere at Goondiwindi.
So the boots being Australian didn’t know how to protect themselves and give the poor animal a good kicking.
It’s about time we got real about foxes and realised that they are dangerous vermin.
Basil Brush has a lot to answer for!
Step Free In Name, But Not Spirit!
Transport for London is rather proud of the work it has done at Green Park station, judging by this page on their web site. Here’s a key section.
The £48m project to provide step-free facilities at Green Park Tube station has been completed ahead of schedule and under budget by Tube Lines and London Underground.
Passengers with restricted mobility, as well as people with heavy luggage or buggies, are now able to use the new lifts at Green Park Tube station to access the Piccadilly, Victoria and Jubilee line platforms.
Other work includes new flooring, ceiling, lighting, tiling and signage in the ticket hall plus new entrances and lift lobbies.
In common with I suspect many others, I rarely if ever use the station as an interchange, as to get from one line to another means a long walk underground.
I do use it though, if I want to come home from the western reaches of the Piccadilly line, as the stop for my local 38 bus is just outside the station and at most times of the day, the upstairs of these buses isn’t full. I’d far rather use an uncrowded bus, than play sardines on the Underground.
So today, as I was coming home, I decided to check out the step-free access at this important station. I arrived on the Jubilee line and wanted to use the lift to get to the surface. I found the lift easily enough on a cross tunnel between the two Jubilee line platforms. I didn’t wait long and the lift whisked me and an elderly couple up to the next level.
To get to the exit, you have to walk miles to the lifts that connect you to the booking hall. So the design fault, that I always hated about this station, is still there. My fellow passengers at this point gave up, as the lady was walking with a single crutch and returned to the Jubilee line platforms.
I walked on and eventually arrived in the newly redecorated booking hall, after coming up two levels. I mentioned to station staff, that this couple were a bit lost and one said he’d check them out on the CCTV. So at least the staff know about the problems down below.
I crossed to the north side of Piccadilly and then walked up the steps to get my 38 bus. The lift is on the south side, which is only useful if I want to catch a bus to the west, which would be unlikely in my case, because of where I live.
It may have all cost £48million, but I do think, the money for the lifts could have been better spent. Perhaps even elsewhere!
The Doors Are Open Again
I came home on a New Bus for London and was pleased to see the back doors were open.
The Doors Are Open Again
The driver/conductor told me, they’d only been shut because of the cold.
This picture also shows one of the nicest feature of the new buses. It has a vertical handrail in the middle of the open platform to hang on to as you enter or exit. It’s just in the correct place for those of all heights.
Some older buses used to have such a handle like this in the middle of the front entrance, but although it was convenient for some passengers, it got in the way of those in wheelchairs or with kids in buggies.
but of course on a New Bus for London, wheelchairs and buggies would never use the rear platform.
Graffiti On The London Overground
The trains in the United Kingdom, don’t often seem to get the awfully boring paint jobs, that you see in many other countries, so I was surprised this morning to this train at Highbury and Islington station.
Graffiti On The London Overground
i hope this isn’t an advance warning of more to come.
Breakfast At Leon
I left home to do some photography without having any breakfast, so in the end I went to Leon in the depths of Canary Wharf to have one of their poached egg pots and a cup of tea.
A Proper Mug Of Tea
How often have you had tea in a fast food restaurant in a proper china mug, that was virtually full-up? Especially, when the two items cost just £3.75 together. I took a picture of the poached egg pot in this post.
The Fountains Are Going Strong
As I passed through Victoria Park on the bus this morning, the fountains were alive with the joys of winter.
I didn’t take a picture then, as I was rather surprised to see them, but I did at Canary Wharf.
The Fountains At Canary Wharf
You’d think in this very cold weather, they’d be switched off.
Palm Trees In The Snow
I should have taken this picture of the palm trees in Hackney, a couple of days ago, before the snow started to melt.
Palm Trees In The Snow
Although, it’s cold January day, the flowers are already out.
Goats Cheese Closes Tunnel
This story from Norway, could almost be read as a classic spoof, like London bus found on the Moon from the Daily Sport. This is the first three paragraphs.
A road tunnel in Norway has been closed – by a lorry-load of burning cheese.
About 27 tonnes of caramelised brown goat cheese – a delicacy known as Brunost – caught light as it was being driven through the Brattli Tunnel at Tysfjord, northern Norway, last week.
The fire raged for five days and smouldering toxic gases were slowing the recovery operation, officials said.
I wonder if Waitrose stocks this cheese? Brunost sounds so dangerous, that it could be used as a substitute for Semtex.
The Anonymous Widower 