Spending a Penny

For those who are not familiar with the term ’spend a penny’, it was the cost of going to the toilet in a public place. That is, usually more for the women than the men - don’t know why that was, maybe the cost of the flush, don’t know!
However, go into a London [...]

Get a huge Grant, buy some land near a Motorway, an Airport and the Med, build a Golf Course, put an enormous Housing Estate around it and move the Brits in.
Well, from two recent visits to Spain, that’s the impression I get. At least it seems to have done away with the dreaded ‘timeshare’ schemes!
The [...]

You may think by now that I do harp on a bit about the trains, I do!
But it’s not so much the train service, but those who get on them. All I want to do is have a pleasant journey in relative peace and ponder on my thoughts or read something good.
But no, you aren’t [...]

I was going to Southampton for a few days. Normally I either get a lift or take the bicycle with me, but times of the day etc. gave reason to take the bus instead.
Luckily the bus stop is up the end of the Lane, a mere 80 yard walk or so. I walked up to [...]

You’re a fairly responsible and sensible person. You occasionally use the trains as alternative transport and like to plan ahead.
The problem is you aren’t on the Internet - and not everyone is.
So, at some stage you’ve gone down to the Railway Station and picked up the Train Operating Companies most up to date timetable [...]

Studying genealogy, it was not that long ago that some people were entered in a Census as ‘imbosil’ and riding my Moped 14 miles from Ashford to Canterbury almost every day, I think some could be, and should be, classed as just that again.
I can guarantee that on a weekday, any car which overtakes me [...]

I know I harp on about the railways at present. I guess it’s those years of saying the right thing and following the party line etc.
On Wednesday I awoke at 0600 to a very cold morning and made made a decision that going to Canterbury (14 miles) on the Moped was perhaps a tad dangerous. [...]

Having worked on the railway and travelled on the trains every day along with now making trips to here there and everywhere, I find myself having to pass the time away.
I’ve never been a one for reading on a train, neither can I sleep usually and I certainly wouldn’t find a Laptop or MP3 player [...]

‘On-Train announcements’ is another way of saying ‘PA Announcements’. Having worked as a manager on the railway for a few years I know how the terminology changed after privatisation ie Guards became Conductors, Buffet services became On-Board Services, passengers became customers and I became crazy !!
It seems that some things have gone from one extreme [...]

I was spending Boxing Day with my daughter and her family in Southampton. I thought a couple of weeks before that I ought to check the trains are all OK for that day, so I dutifully went to Ashford International and asked “Is there a service on Boxing Day?” - “yes, but a reduced service, [...]