Was it ever thus?!! Can you believe that commuters in Europe suffer the same frustrations and pitiful excuses for delayed trains as their beloved British cousins?!!
We're just pulling out of Newark Station right now and in front of me are a couple of total railway anoraks who are gushing at the sight of freight trains in the sidings. They're trying to engage my in a conversation about some of the new rolling stock on the East Coast Line! I'd rather poke my eyes out with knitting needles! In fact, I'm trying to avoid eye contact altogether!
Mind you, it is a delight to be riding on a 21st century train which has wi-fi, power points for your mobile phone and laptop, comfortable seats, a food trolley and a small cafeteria, and even toilets! It's a far cry from riding cattle class with Southern Railways which is like travelling in a bygone age.
Last weekend, as it seems most weekends, there were major engineering work on the line. It meant shuttle buses were running between Eastbourne and Lewes. One of my friends was travelling to Brighton. The double decker bus pulled into Lewes Station and just as the passengers stepped on the platform amazingly the train pulled away.
Fair play to my friend who harangued a beleaguered guard to ask what bit of Southern Rail's mealy-mouthed brain had disregarded common sense and customer convenience by letting the train go? "Oh, we have to stick to the timetable," was his pathetic reply. A timetable which was totally skewed where the rail operator still had the temerity to charge dissatisfied customers full fare for a sub-standard service. Disgraceful!
However, fair play to the Southern Railway guard last week who was excellent when the guy in front of me on the train back to Eastbourne went into an epileptic fit. We managed to ensure the guy was in a safe position while he fitted by lying him across some seats, and an ambulance was called. The guard was very good, and the guy soon came round seemingly as if nothing had happened.
I WILL be leaving newspapers next month to take up an exciting challenge working for a charity. I will be working for Hearing Link who I have been involved with for the past year as part of a campaign about hearing loops.
The Eastbourne Herald has joined forces with the charity to promote the "Let's Loop Eastbourne" campaign which is striving to create Eastbourne as the best looped town in the UK. The idea is to encourage shops, businesses and public buildings to be fitted with working hearing loops to help hearing aid wearers.
I am really looking forward to working with the charity - a move which will also enable me to move closer to my family.Last Sunday, I pitched in to help Hearing Link when a film crew from BBC TV's Breakfast Time came to Eastbourne to film a piece on hearing loops. I set up the interviews for the film which took place in the 19th century Devonshire Park Theatre, which has had an impressive state-of-the-art hearing loop fitted.
The film crew also interviewed the amazing Walter Wigfield, a former doctor and now an active auditor of hearing loops for the charity. He was wandering up and down the High Street wearing his yellow jacket and carrying various bits of equipment checking out the various loop systems in shops. I was tempted to ask the Beeb whether Walter, who is a pensioner, should check out Ann Summers' loop system!!
It was a long six-hour day, but the filming went well. However, as someone who works to the tightest of deadlines in the print media and online, I am amazed how it is possible to take so long to film a two-and-a-half minute video. It's equivalent to one of our reporters taking a whole day to write a 300-word article. We'd never get a newspaper out that way.
Even so, the BBC did Hearing Link proud and the clip was shown on Breakfast Time today (Friday). It makes for great viewing and is a shot in the arm for Hearing Link and its campaign.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-24076383
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