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?
At Last A Decent Map Of Manchester!
After asking about six Mancunians, where Spinningfields was on Day 26, so I could have supper in the Carluccio’s there, I was finally directed to this map by a young Polish woman.
Manchester City Centre Map
I thought all my prayers had been answered. Until I realised that the You Are Here sticker is in the wrong place! I mean if the Council mapmakers don’t know their city, how can the good people of Manchester get to know it? On the other hand, they perhaps don’t walk at all, except to get into the car!
After an excellent meal, I then had the problem of finding Piccadilly station. There are quite a few finger posts, but none indicated the station where most people arrive at and leave the city by train.
Perhaps, it’s a rather dark plot to entrap tourists and visitors, so they have to spend a night in a hotel!
Luckily, I found a couple of policemen in Piccadilly Gardens and they showed me the quickest escape route to the station. When I said that I found Liverpool so much easier to visit, they both agreed with me!
Nottingham’s Pedestrian Unfriendly Streets
This picture is typical of many I could have taken walking between Nottingham station and the two football grounds and the cricket ground.
A Typical Nottingham Pedestrian Route
It would appear that little has been done to create a safe walking route to and from the city centre for pedestrians. I couldn’t find a bus either.
When I got to the station, I asked a policeman as to his views on walking to the grounds. I won’t repeat his answer here.
To be fair, there is a map in the station. But it doesn’t show the football and cricket grounds in the list of important places!
Let’s hope when they finish the development of the station and the trams, that it will make the journey easier!
Or they could perhaps use the Nottingham Canal as a walking route, as it goes roughly the right way.
What’s This Train doing At Norwich Station?
I saw this train at Norwich station, apparently working a service to Sheringham.
A Lost Welsh Train at Norwich
So have they moved Sheringham to the other side of Offa’s Dyke or have they run out of paint. You’d think as the train is almost in Ipswich colours, they would have repainted it as quick as possible.
Norwich Does Have Good Maps
I found this map of Norwich outside the station at Norwich.
An Understandable Map at Norwich
Even the most stupid, who could read a map would be able to find Carrow Road on this map, as it’s marked with as a black and white football.
Where are maps like this in places like Blackpool?
A Clock in Norwich Station
I took this picture of the clock in Norwich station.
An Inaccurate Clock in Norwich Station
Nothing wrong really, except someone in the station, put it back an hour a few days too early. I never knew that people in Norwich were ahead of their time!
92 Clubs – Week 4 – 11 Clubs – 18 Trains
Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 Week 5 Week 6 Week 7
Day 22 Day 23 Day 24 Day 25 Day 26 Day 27 Day 28
This was a rather poor performance on my part, but it had got off to rather a bad start on Day 22 and I did take three days off.
Here are the awards.
Heroes of the Week
These have to be Peter, who at 84, guided me across Manchester to Oldham and the unknown driver of the 14:06 out of Paddington to Penzance, that I took to Plymouth.
Most Surprising Stadium of the Week
It has to be Port Vale, as it shows how a small club can create a stadium of whom any supporter can be proud.
Best Stadium of the Week
I’d give this to Port Vale as well, if it wasn’t so difficult to get to. I might give it to Norwich, but then I can’t, can I? Both the Nottingham clubs have good stadia, which are easy to get to, but the others with the exception of Peterborough, are public transport nightmares. So I think I’ll leave the award! in a few years time or on a match day, it will probably go to Port Vale.
Best Signposted Stadium of the Week
Portsmouth virtually has its own station at Fratton and even has separate signs to the ground for Home and Away Supporters, so it wins by a country mile.
Worst Signposted Stadium of the Week
Peterborough virtually lacks signposting and as it is fairly close to the station, some signs would help. But as I said on Day 27, the stadium is very much a work-in-progress, so perhaps it will be very much better in a few years time. I think I’ll give it to Northampton, as with a bit of thought, they could probably make a nice walking route to the ground.
Dump of the Week
After a couple of near misses Manchester finally gets the rewa4rd it deserves. It is a city with bad maps, no information and a completely indecipherable bus system. Perhaps some of the billions, they are spending on the new trams could be used to make sure the buses work or that the maps are correct.
Sign of the Week
It just has to be the one at Port Vale.
Best Train of the Week
The High Speed Train to Plymouth, where I sat on on the floor.
Worst Train of the Week
The two trains to Oxford, where there was no tables in the back of the seats in front. How can I do my Sudoku?
Worst Bus of the Week
The one I took from Boundary Park to Oldham Bus Station. If you were in a wheelchair or had a baby in a buggy, you ewouldn’t have been able to use it.
This was rather a dissappointing week, in that I could have done much more. I could make the excuse of my hay fever! So I will!
The Anonymous Widower 