This story is not an exaggeration ….for sure…it’s all pretty true
Honestly …..for sure
The plane journey from Inverness to Manchester Airport was a delight…..though our single steward was a moody bastard.
I was off the plane first and literally 7 minutes later was walking down to the train platforms where various uninterested staff shouted over that all the trains into Manchester had been cancelled because of an “ incident”
All passengers were directed onto a unknown quantity of a Manchester tram system.
It was chaos for only a handful of people knew what to do.
Hundreds of people crammed onto the handful of trams .
I knew I needed to be at Piccadilly so rang my friend Nigel in nearby Stockport for help .
He told me where to go which was completely different to what a very loud young mother with a baby in a pram was telling everyone . She wanted to go to Preston eventually and had a big following to keep on to Victoria because she was confident and loud….she went on to Said stop , where as I, following Nigel’s advice jumped off at Market Street
It was like a disaster movie
Me and a young, sturdy legged student physio from Helsby led the charge. An Asian chap from Chester who kept saying that he was taking Tuesday off sick followed with , a retired professor from Bangor ( who had just been to Nice with her daughter ) they were then followed a couple of trendy tattooed girls who knew where they were going followed by an old rather bemused and a bit tipsy couple from Cheshire with too much baggage.
And we galloped across central Manchester for Piccadilly
It was obvious that the old couple was slowing us up , so the trendy girls and Asian chap took control of their luggage and as a group we managed to get to Piccadilly with 12 minutes to spare.
Piccadilly was in chaos
But eventually the unnamed physio, Bangor Prof Caroline, The Asian chap ( who I found out was called Sidharth ) and Hilary and Howard from Frodsham who was still helped by one unknown trendy gal with tattoos all made it more or less home .
What fun lol
People come up trumps when needed
Don’t they ?
Nothing beats a travel catastrophe where everyone pulls together. Barb
ReplyDeleteWe all love a crisis
DeleteGlad you got home in one piece. Bless all the intrepid travelers nowadays. I stay home. The furrbabies were glad to see you, I'm sure.
ReplyDeleteYes they were glad, both are lying on me as I type
DeleteSounds like a grand adventure, John. Yes, often they do come though. Often enough to trust.
ReplyDeleteIt makes for alight hearted story
DeleteYowza!
ReplyDeleteI think a large G&T is called for after that. The peace and tranquillity of Findhorn has been well and truly shattered! xx
ReplyDeleteJust googled it. Apparently a passenger was taken ill, which caused hour long delays/cancellations. Don't know what the illness was, but presumably something serious. Hope they're OK. xx
DeleteYes , thank you hooker….there was some talk about a long wait for an ambulance
DeleteThey don't seem to understand what chaos they cause when there's a leaf on the line, or they strike because their whistle is too heavy. I know the top photo, but not the bottom one; I'm showing my age.
ReplyDeleteThat would be the movie, The Poseidon Adventure.
DeleteBarb
What is the top photo I don't recognize it .
DeleteThe lady vanishes ( on a train)
DeleteThat was certainly an interesting trip home. I bet you were ready for a drink and bed by the time you got home!
ReplyDeleteI had a massive gin and fell asleep on the couch
DeleteIt always amazes me that human can be completely stand offish one moment and the next moment; in a time of crisis, or semi crisis come together for the greater good. A bit all for one and one for all.... it's great to be part of the human race. Glad you made it home hopefully to a bevvy of furry kisses and a well deserved G and T.
ReplyDeleteJo in Auckland
Good point jo
DeleteIt’s all about the shared experience
Human(s) tsk.
ReplyDeleteJo in Auckland
We all need a Nigel sometimes.
ReplyDeleteHe’s one that I would always turn to
DeleteLove your descriptions of all the people - worthy of a good book I reckon. You'll have more time for writing once you semi retire....we are all waiting for your biography!
ReplyDeleteAs you are suggesting a biography Sue perhaps you would like to write it.
DeleteOh sue, it’s not been an interesting life , believe me
DeleteI would have thought Tom’s and Rachel’s biography would be a cracking read
And they all look so familiar! (Although I thought most of them were dead.)
ReplyDeleteLol
DeleteAt least you all spoke English. I had something like this happen to me travelling alone in Germany and not speaking a word of German and having no clue as to where I was or what was happening.
ReplyDeleteIndeed I felt sorry for many french and Spanish at the airport who were trying to find out what to do, we were all in the same boat
DeleteI love it when strangers pull together. Glad you made it home safely.
ReplyDeleteIt was all a bit the spirit that won the war
DeleteYou'll have to go back to Findhorn to recuperate after all that! Now it is back to life, back to reality! :)
ReplyDeleteWell I do have three days off then I’m off to Rome
DeleteBeing from Manchester and having worked for years in the city centre I can just picture you all hot-tailing it across the streets. It's something worthy of a comedy sketch, what a fun and exhilarating end to your little break, but I bet it just felt a bit stressful at the time.
ReplyDeleteAnd the funny thing was that many of us could have worked things out being being on the tram system which only city people know, we were scuppered
DeleteYou won't forget that journey in a hurry!
ReplyDeleteIt makes a good story x
DeleteSometimes the journey is as interesting as the adventure
ReplyDeleteBoth were somewhat irritating but if it wasn’t for the delay going, I wouldn’t have seen that beautiful northern sky
DeleteAll's well that ends well.
ReplyDeleteIt was nice 5o have a lie in this morning
DeleteOh, Lord. That all sounds like way too much excitement.
ReplyDeleteWay too much
DeleteAnd you went for peace and quiet!
ReplyDeleteYes, the irony of which isn’t lost on this blog entry x
DeleteTrains are not built for disruption. Havoc pursues. Luckily you found a nice group to ban together and work through the chaos. Good job!
ReplyDeleteThe British especially seem to enjoy these kind of ww2 situations
DeleteGlad it worked out and everyone got home safely! You made it sound like fun!
ReplyDeleteArhhh the product of a storytelling mind
DeleteWow, this sure sounds like an adventure! I wonder what the incident was that caused the train not to run??
ReplyDeleteSomeone had been caught seriously unwell on one of the trains on the Blackpool line and they were waiting for the emergency services
DeleteWhat time was all this? My son was working at their Manchester office, and could have brought you back as far as Birkenhead Conway Street for a train to Prestatyn! X
ReplyDeleteI got into the airport at 7pm.
DeleteIf only you'd known in advance, he could have waited for you, he left the office at 6-30!
DeleteNext time xx
DeleteThis blog post is living proof that, "There's got to be a morning after!" (Poseidon Adventure Rules!!!)
ReplyDeleteIf we can hold on through the night x
DeleteI would have liked to see some pictures of that crew. Sounds like an interesting mix.
ReplyDeleteI love a good adventure..and friendly folk to boot. How wonderful.
ReplyDeleteBrilliant! I love how everyone pulled together and how it had a happy ending too.
ReplyDelete