The joys of train travel

Well Gemma loves trains. She finds them really exciting even (i was going to say 'interesting' but she thinks 'exciting' is more betterer). But I don't... they make me sick. But thats almost irrelavent to our eventful train adventure north to the Lakes District.

We set off from Euston station about midday on Wednesday. The train departed on time but only made it about a minute out of the station before stopping for 15 mins. The lady on the voiceover explained that this was due to a different train hitting a tree!! (How this is possible i don't know, it must've jumped out and surprised it). Then a line fault meant we were diverted through the midlands rather than up the main line. Then, yes there is more, there was an electrical fault on the line so they had to get a diesel engine to tow us (slowly) along. We had to wait for ages for the diesel engine to arrive and get attached and at the other end had to wait for it to be de-attached. Then, since we were so late (like 2.5 hrs by now) they needed the train back in London for the next service and so they booted us all off at Crewe (3/4 of the way) so we had to rush to catch another train! We almost missed it and we all just crammed into the little exit/entrance way between carraiges. Fortunately some nice person gave Auntie Kath a seat but Gemma and I took up 2 persons worth each standing with our packs (so we just hung out in the exit).

In the end the train was 2.5 hrs late and so we missed getting our rental car because the shop had closed for the day! But we managed to get a taxi the rest of the way to Uncle Harry and Auntie Dots house and Pam and Andrew gave us a lift to our hotel.

Train travel is fun eh.