I.A.M. Musing About…

So… the rest of the journey went swimmingly. Expected to be a problem was the collection of pre-booked train tickets at Paddington, what with the need to find a machine where a reference number of at least six characters would be typed in following eight screens of unfamiliar terms for familiar concepts (‘please enter your Start-A Numba for your Off-Peak Flex-o Card — good for any trip routed through Bollinger-in-the-Skirting — unless you have pre-registered for Limited Use Round Journey Fare using HHRF discount card or HP Brown Coupon Loyalty Point Programme chits…’). However, it was far easier to get the right bits of card than could be imagined:

1. stuff visa card in slot

2. collect two tickets in bin at bottom of machine

3. do not forget to take back visa card, which was spat back out almost simultaneous with tickets below.

What could be easier? Other than being handed a nice cup of tea along with the rest of it?

The trickiest bit, really, was getting the luggage across the gap and then up eight inches into the rail carriage. I even got on the Bakerloo Line headed in the right direction the first time! When I got to Marleybone I had a bit of a moment when I couldn’t figure out what platform the Birmingham-bound train would be leaving from, but this was easily explained as it hadn’t been posted on the Departures board yet. After the nice West Indian young fella explained that would happen in about ten minutes, relaxation reigned.

Listening to Pete Townshend’s album White City whilst moving through the back-bits of North London as the last bits of twilight glimmers adds an apt verisimilitude to the maudlin narrative of the work’s narrative, let me tell you…

As we worked along the route towards Warwick I watched a panoply of cultures and classes pass me by, all in seeming harmony. The cynic in me suggested that it was more a situation of people operating under an un-spoken arrangement of ‘how things are done’ which had been established since the year dot. Whichever it was, there was certainly no breath of acrimony apparent, and I was at least half-way watching for it.

The interior of the car was very much like SkyTrain, though, so seeing people in comfy coach seating with little tables — with additional pull-out leaves — fixed between pairs of seats was a bit of a surprise in that all-too-familiar setting; seeing someone gulping down red-wine from a bottle without any shame or surreptitious looks of judgement from others was fair bit of a jolt, though. I almost wished I had stopped at a wine shoppe myself, and had seen one in Paddington at least…

Arriving in Warwick was a relief, as I knew that a bed and a pint was near-to-hand (although not in that order). First, though, remained getting from station to hotel. After reminding myself that ‘private hire vehicles’ meant ‘taxi’, I enquired about Castle Cars selling me transport, but the nice man in the little room said the soonest he could manage a vehicle to the station was 15 minutes, and admitted that I could probably manage that on foot. Thinking to myself that the walk would both do some good as well as earn the justification of an extra pint into the bargain, I wended my way through the high street of the town and was reminded that not only is England not entirely flat, maps do not show elevations and grades unless they specifically mark the topography.

I ended up having three pints.

After a massive serving of Cod and Chips with salad and a bucket of lemon, cider vinegar, and brown sauce, some energy and a feeling of humanity returned. I then had a wonderful conversation with the charming young ex-Royal Navy bloke behind the bar, discussing a wide variety of topics. How wonderful.

We came to an agreement regarding the provision of food and liquid, and — as the pub was now closed — I retired to Room 5: the ‘Richard III’ room. Really; it says so right on the door. Befitting his seemingly lonely countenance, it sports a single double bed, en-suite wc, and little else. Perfect for me, really. One couldn’t ask for more.

This really is becoming the trip I wished to have a year ago, at long last. Huzzah!

Today’s (Sunday’s) experience shall have to wait for later.

This entry was posted on Sunday, October 12th, 2008 at 2:01 pm and is filed under BLOG-O-RAMA. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.