Mother, busy roads and overcrowded trains

7 March 2013

We're running a tad late today seeing as we have been shopping and visited mother on her 87th birthday.  I didn't recognise her when I first looked into the room where most of the residents were sat.  It was a relief to find her looking so good, and not only that but she actually knew who we were.  Last time we went she didn't have a clue who we were.  Of course she didn't have a clue it was her birthday; well, that's OK because she also didn't know who she was and we had to keep telling her what her name was.  I suppose she had forgotten we had been there with her within a couple of minutes of us leaving.  From there we drove to the Anchor for a pint of Abbot - very nice too.

Have you been watching the TV show about the railways?  If not I would advise you to have a look.  One guy showed a 12 page booklet listing all currently known reasons for trains running late so that blame can be laid at the door of the right company.  The whole industry is now being run to make money and not get clobbered when things go wrong.  British Rail had masses of problems and needed sorting out but privatisation has been a disaster!  The railways should never have been sold off!  Of course when it comes to common sense and political dogma, common sense goes out of the window.  Now we have a fragmented service doing as little as possible and charging the earth for it. 

Another guy was interviewed on the day that Liverpool and Everton were playing in the FA cup Final.  Virgin had managed to insert five extra trains in an already overcrowded schedule  to help relieve the crowds somewhat.  The guy then said that he wished he could just open a cupboard door and there would loads of extra trains he could pull out and use.  But hang on - what none of the train companies seem to accept is that if they added extra carriages to the current stock a lot of the overcrowding would be removed.  The problem with that is the newer style of trains are sold as 'sets', that is, two engine cars with 7 or 8 carriages between them.  This started to be seen in the 1970s when the old 125 trains came into service.  there are no extra carriages that can be inserted between the engines.  That was one thing they just didn't think about - or did they and went ahead anyway.  And don't forget folks 0 we tax payers are still subsidising the railways to the tune of billions of £s each year!

Someone has been working hard in Warwickshire again.  The A444 is a major route through Dorktown with one 300 metre stretch being one of the major route in and out of the town.  This nameless gnome has decided that it will good to close that stretch of the road for two weeks later this month!  I wonder who one can get such a job where daft decisions are made and get paid for doing so?  I wouldn't mind a job like that!              

As it happens I have a shot of that road ready for posting as today's photo ... 

the A444 heading into town.

And a funny ...

A friend of mine just started his own business.
He's making landmines that look like prayer mats.
It's doing well.
He says Prophets are going through the roof.