It's the Journey, not the Destination

 That was the reason for this little tour. 

It was all about first-class rail travel.

The travel cost on a Rail Rover with Senior Railcard amounted to about 30p/mile, maybe less once I claim for a couple of very late trains. 

All the free refreshments greatly cut down on my food and drink extras to just over £20/day. 

Accommodation was by far the most expensive, as one would expect when staying in city centre hotels: around £145/day.

Was it worth it? Yes, it most certainly was. 

I may well do something very similar next year with, a few tweeks.

Red = Hotel to hotel. Green = Day returns

Homeward bound

 Train arrived Leeds on time, it turns round here. My reserved seat is backwards facing but a nearby forward facing seat doesn't appear to be reserved so I took it. A little later my original seat was taken by another passenger. 

Good seat, great view, for last leg of tour

They are only servings breakfast on this train so I could be hungry when I get home.

Breakfast ordered, served,  eaten and cleared up within 20min of departing Leeds. 

My phone data just ran out. It's 2GB per month, and there's were 17days to go,  so renewed it early.

Now at Doncaster and running 3min late already. Not far from Doncaster we're doing 125mph so probably back on schedule soon.

Scenery is zooming past too fast to take photos with the phone... but not fast enough, now 5min late.

Arrived Kings Cross on time, walked to St. Pancras for the ThamesLink train to London Bridge. Just missed one so had a long wait.

The last first-class of the tour, and probably the worst.

Not long to wait at London Bridge for a Ladywell train. (Lewisham station is closed today for engineering work.) Only a minute to wait for the bus up the hill but the last 50yds felt twice as steep as usual in this afternoon's 27degC heat. 

Liverpool to experience rain

 This morning's forecast was 50% chance of rain in Liverpool, haven't seen that for weeks.

Just moving out of the station and the refreshment trolley arrives.

coffee

We've passed Huddersfield and travelling west. I'm on the north facing side of the carriage and for miles we've been along a valley with great views out of the other side of the carriage but only steep hillsides on this side.

Diggle canal, Saddleworth

Slaithwaite

While stopped at Manchester Victoria a hugely long freight train went through. All the wagons were attractively painted to look much like a passenger train. The logos on the side were Drax and Northern Powerhouse. Google it.

They don't seem to be serving lunch on this service although the menus were here on the tables, but they are serving alcohol, so red wine for me. 

These TP first-class carriages (class 802 train) tick all the boxes for me, not in order: 

• coathooks, 
• window blinds,  
• good size tables for all, 
• comfortable seating  , 
• air conditioned, 
• easy to read reservation signs that  update automatically,  
• GPS
• WiFi very good. 

Ticket was never checked on the train. 

Liverpool station, Wetherspoons at end

Encountered an unusual problem in the first-class lounge in Liverpool Lime Street. 

I was asked what train I was getting and replied Leeds showing my All Line Rover ticket, only to be told the lounge was for Avanti customers only. So I went to a neighbouring standard lounge and booked a seat on an Avanti service to Crewe. Returned to the lounge and entered easily, there's no one in here at all. 

No one came into the lounge for an hour and a quarter, not even staff. Helped myself to coffee and cakes. Eventually another staff member came in and challenged my ticket she also said Avanti only, I said I was and so was allowed to stay. I stayed there over an hour and a half and no other passengers arrived. The lounge was empty (not even any staff) when I left. 

Postscript: After the holiday I asked the Transport Watchdog about access to First Class Lounges.
A few days later they replied "... you held an All Line Rover, which should have been accepted."

View from first-class lounge

The Avanti I booked on is now cancelled , maybe I can claim delay repay.

Postscript: My Delay Repay claim was accepted and I received a £17.50 refund.
I wouldn't have had to claim if they'd allowed entrance to the lounge!

A named train

Class802 and it's wet outside

There has been rain here while I was in the lounge. But very little. 

Exactly the same seat on return so no different photos.

No meal, just snacks.

Great sign, shows how many steps

TP train cheeseboard

With only 20 minutes to my station I received a cheeseboard for a meal but no crackers. And red wine too but too late for photo. 

The two bars outside hotel are very busy 4:30pm

That was my last daytrip of the holiday, I'll have to go over this blog to decide which, if any, was outstanding.

To Hull and back

Although the same physical building it took me 15min from my room to the departure gates, then another 5min to get to platform 11b.

Leeds station

 

TP train first-class

There are at least 2 pubs in Leeds station, The Beer House and... Wetherspoons. I found an entrance to my hotel inside the station, almost directly opposite Wetherspoons. I must try that entrance when I return this evening 

River Ouse, Selby

Wressle castle

Train left on time and arrived Hull a minute early. The nearest pub to the station is in fact a hotel: The Admiral of the  Humber, a Wetherspoons no less. It's packed because its lunchtime but I found a table when a family left. So it's a pint and  fish and chips for under £8.

Admiral of the Humber

Just made the return train - it started moving before I sat down. This time I got some photos of the Humber bridge when we passed it. 

Humber bridge

Another TP train

Am returning to Leeds early, will arrive 3pm, so I'll look into going on another trip this afternoon. The hotel entrance in the station saves nearly 5 minutes. Having reached my room I realise how tired I am, I feel as though I could sleep for a week.

What surprises me is that I never saw any of Hulls white telephone boxes.

Still undecided about tomorrow: Liverpool as planned or maybe Redcar?

To Leeds

 Another slight change of plan, and good reason to have a Rail Rover ticket. I will not change trains at Edinburgh onto a CrossCountry train but stay on the LNER train all the way to York where I'll get another for the one stop to Leeds.

An hour to wait for my train

Original reserved seat

Final seat in next carriage

Slight problem with my reserved seat, it's reserved by someone else from Berwick. Ticket man said to look in next 2 coaches before it fills at Edinburgh. I am astounded at how full this train is. Not one first-class seat is available and there are over 100. Found one marked 'May be reserved later' in next coach so that's where I  am  now. Window and facing, so excellent. 

Tay rail bridge

There's a really bad poem by William McGonagall about the Tay bridge disaster, well known by all in Fife and Dundee.

Had bacon roll and coffee,  hopefully lunch later. 

Managed to grab a couple of photos on Forth bridge. 

Pilot boat

container ship

Now we're past Edinburgh due in Berwick in half-an-hour.

lunch

Just finished lunch, much the same as Tuesday on the way to Edinburgh, but wine today instead of beer. Newcastle in half-an-hour and York an hour after that.

Newcastle and River Tyne

Alnmouth

Now on the train to Leeds, just one stop. 

TP Express, same as when returning to Manchester from York

York is a big station, it took me a full 10min to change from platform 3 to platform 10. At Leeds it was a long walk to get out of the station to find the hotel. When outside in the pedestrianised road, looked around and thought that (opposite) must be it, but when I got nearer I stopped and looked around and saw my hotel is part of the station. The entrance is next to one of the station exits. Like Charing Cross, Glasgow Central, Newcastle and so many others.

The first hotel named their rooms, all on the first floor. At the other three hotels 4th floor was favourite, here I'm on the 7th (of 8) with a city view, yes I paid a little extra for that.

View from my window

 I've only spotted two lifts so far and they are very slow to respond, I suppose that's to be expected if there are 20+ rooms on 8 floors. 

Apologies to all you folk in the 30degree heat of today but I have found the air-conditioning controls and set it down to 22degrees. The breeze is wonderful.

I'll have a quick look to see if there's any nearby theatre with something interesting on. My grandmother worked in a large theatre here as a theatrical seamstress. She met Morecambe & Wise when their stage names were something like Bartholomew and Wiseman. There's nothing on that I fancy any of these three nights.

Tomorrow's plan is Hull. Never been there. 

Then Saturday's plan was Liverpool but I don't fancy a city in the expected 30degree heat so I'll look for somewhere else to go on a first-class train from here.

Inverness for lunch

 Decided to go for an earlier train from Dundee to give me more time in Inverness for lunch. While waiting the longest-journey (Aberdeen-Plymouth) train came in

Aberdeen to Plymouth

My train to Perth is delayed but that's not a problem. Train had plenty of seats. Only 20 minutes to Perth so I  declined a drink. 

All modern recharging facilities

Scotrail Mk4 coach, very comfortable

A very grey overcast day today . Let's hope we get some sun through the Highlands. 

River Tay

Perth

Waiting for the Inverness train on platform 7 which is the widest platform I know. 

Perth platform 7

Train might arrive a minute or two early.  Yes, it did, 3 minutes early. Got a good seat and put the phone on charge. 

Another similar coach

Just left Pitlochry, gateway to the Highlands, and there's been no evidence of a refreshment trolley. Previous passengers don't have cups etc. So maybe not. Amazing! As I was writing the previous sentence I was offered a coffee. No snacks though. 

Dalnaspital summit

River Garry

My ears were popping and we passed the highest point on British rail. Now changing down the other side past Dalwhinnie the highest station and distillery. 

Approached Aviemore at 100mph at one point. There's a mountain to the east that, for the last 50 years of passing it, has always had snow on its peak, but not today .

Now downhill

Just stopped before Carrbridge not sure why cos this is still single track. After Carrbridge is the Slochd summit which is just over 400m then all downhill to Inverness. 

Had to go at walking pace over a bridge which had a vehicle stuck under it.

Bridge strike?

Near Inverness, Kessock bridge

Tomatin bridge

Arrived at few minutes late and found somewhere for lunch that isn't a weatherspoons, although I stayed in a very good one here recently. 

starter

Venison starter then smoked haddock quiche (it's a lunchtime special) washed down with Loch Ness lager.

main

Now on the return journey sitting on the same side of the train as on the way here so no photos of the magnificent Culloden viaduct,  better than the Glenfinnan in my opinion and they don't charge the earth just to cross it. It has 29 arches and is the longest in Scotland (look it up).

It was a strike, now repaired

Just had a bit of a problem. Internet connection suddenly lost and it took me three quarters of an hour to rectify it. Missed lots of photos so I'll just have to come back next year. I change trains in 20 minutes. 

At Perth now. It's a large station, only 7 platforms but over a large area. It took 9 minutes to walk from platform 4 to platform 2 and now I have 40min wait for the next train with first-class accommodation. 

Dalwhinnie

Loch Insh

A train arrived for Arbroath, with Dundee second stop but it is classed as standard class only. Then I noticed the very small first-class area at the front so I thought I'd get it. However all seats were taken, some by railway personnel so I didn't and there wasn't time to walk to the last carriage if it also had first-class. Now I have 18min to wait for my train. 

Another Mk4, free refreshment point at back

WiFi and Internet connection are excellent here in Perth station, I think there must have been a problem with the on board Internet. 

Train is scheduled to stand here for 12min then it's 20min to Dundee and finish this.

Tomorrow I go to Leeds for the last three nights of this tour.