Saturday 13th December

Unlike the song I haven’t been on Planes and Boats at all just Trains and Trains and more Trains.

Wednesday evening – to Walton, to check on the house, pick up some post etc: (2 hours on the train) Good job I did as I had to pick up a package at Frinton Post Office.  It was a CD box-set of Joni Mitchell – 4 cds she recorded in the 80’s but with 3 new tracks (hardly worth buying as I already had the four albums but when you are an obsessive completist…..)

Thursday I set out at 6.50 a.m. and walked to Walton train station.  No trains – signal failure at Thorpe Le Soken….aaargh.  So had to walk the three miles to Frinton to pick up my box-set.  It was very cold but I soon warmed up as I walked and it gradually got lighter.  At Frinton the 8.00 train was running thank goodness, so I made it back to London (1.75 hours on the train and 0.75 hours on DLR).  Home and got washed and changed and packed for the visit to my son’s.   He lives at Alfreton and despite having two cars there was no way he could find time to deliver Christmas presents so the one car free person in the entire family had to lug stuff up to him.  (0.75 hours on DLR and 2.75 hours to Alfreton, change at Nottingham).  Had a very pleasant time with my granddaughter and son and his wife.

Friday left Alfreton at 11.00 bound for London (2.5 hours on train, change at Chesterfield, and 0.75 hours on DLR).  That makes 10 and a quarter hours out of the last 48 spent on trains and trains and more trains.  No wonder I am going off the rails…..