Monday 7th October 2019

After a weekend at home. And a few days last week, I was on my travels again. I had to meet with the minister doing Mum's service, and then on Tuesday, meet the solicitor again.

So after comparing the costs, and although hiring a car or even better, borrowing Jen's would have been cheap as chips. It would have meant me driving up the M20, round the M25 and then up the A12.

Going on the train was £79 and would take about four and half hours, and be there in time to speak with the minister to discuss the service on Friday.

So, that's what we did.

I booked up train tickets at the weekend, went to pick them up, so on Monday morning, Julie could drop me off in town again to kick my heels until I could catch a train that would get me into London after ten, when the rush hour had finished and so tickets were cheaper.

There were three cruise liners in, and one tied up near the new Prince of Wales pier, so I walked down the promenade and then down the pier to get a good look and be able to take a shot.

It was like a block of flats laying in its side; it was huge, and not the slightest bit appealing to me. I, and a couple of others looked in whilst the ship woke, up, some passengers were jogging round the top deck, and others were getting ready for a trip, as a fleet of buses was arriving to take then to Canterbury or London.

I walked back to shore, then through town to the station where I took a seat on the platofrm even though I had an hour to wait, but I had The Secret Commonwealth to keep me occupied.

I took the 08:58 to Ashford. It was busy, but not overly so. However, we were held at a signal just short of the station, and the minutes began to tick by, and this businessman started having a go at the guard. Like it was his fault. I'll miss my connection he blustered. Same for most of us, fella. I wish I would have said something, but didn't.

Anyway, we made it into the station, had 5 minutes to get over to platform. 5, where the train was full of babbling schoolkids, on a trip to London. There was no seats, but for a half hour trip up to Stratford, I would survive.

I stood in the doorway and watched the countryside slip by, as usual. We arrived in Stratford on time, and I had 40 minutes to kill. So I walk through the soul-destroying shopping centre, along to the regional station, going via the underpass where there is a Middle-eastern snack bar, where I get a spicy lamb samosa and a coffee to have before the train pulled in

On the platform there was lots of passengers, and I began to think all the seats would be taken. People began to muster near the platform edge as arrival time drew near. I then realised that standard class would be at the far end of the platform, so I walk up, dodging the raindrops, so when the train arrived, just two of us got in the front coach, meaning we have the choice of dozens of seats. I pick on in the middle of one of the large windows, and settled down to enjoy the journey to Norfolk.

I have always loved looking out of the window on a journey.

The train lurched out as the couplings we made tight, then we quickly accelerated out of London. Through Ilford, Brentwood, Shenfield, stopping at Chelmsford, Colchester, Manningtree, Ipswich and into deepest Suffolk then to Norfolk.

Is this Diss another passenger asked. Yes, dis is Diss, I replied.

And from there it was a 20 minute run into that fine city, Norwich.

I had 20 minutes to kill, and I was all excited at the thought of riding in one of the new class 755 FLIRTs, but when the train pulled in, it was a dreadful single coach 153. Would we all get on?

Yes we would, but the train rattled and shook and smelt of diesel fumes. Just horrible.

But it got me to Oulton Broad, rattling over the fens and marshes to the coast. It has rained much there, and the land was in a state of confusion whether to stay as land or become a lake. Dozens of waders and gulls sat around in the cold water.

I got off at Oulton Broad, I had half an hour to kill, time enough to take some shots and walk to the hotel to meet the minister.

It looks the same, Bridge Road, but the shops are all different, mostly fast food places, and nothing open at this time of day. It looks so sad. Along there, there used to be butches, a wet fish shop, Fish Fayre, a deli that sold proper fresh yeast, a bank, building society, a motel and so on. All gone now.

Wine bars and hairdressers.

The Wherry is still there, as it has been for over a century, but it is now just a hotel and restaurant. It used to have a disco back in the 80s, and my friend Simon and I once and failed to get drunk on Cinzano.

As you do.

Anyway, I sit and wait for Sue, the minister to arrive. I people watch, and a party of women who lunch staggered out, giggling from one bottle of prosecco too many.

Lucky them.

Ann arrives, I get a coffee each and a slice of "any kind" of cake. But I had to choose, so I picked cookie dough cheesecake, which was sweet and lovely.

We talk about Mum, my life, her life, Mum's life and all sorts of other stuff. We talk for two hours and she has all the info needed.

Even after the cheesecake, I was hungry, and the carvery was open. So, once we had parted, I paid for a meal and a pint of Wherry, and went to have two slices of beef, a Yorkshire pudding, roast potatoes, chipolatas, vegetables and a huge ladle of gravy.

I made short work of that, and felt much, much better.

I texted a friend, who I was due to meet, and he would be in the pub next door at half six, giving me 90 minutes to check in and lay on the bed reading for of The Secret Commonwealth.

At half six, with dusk falling, I walked to the Commodore, got a pint and sat down at a table to wait for Andy and his wife to arrive.

I have known Andy since our first day at primary school in 1969. Once we left school, he bought a starter home near Mum, then moved away. He then moved further away. To Perth. Australia.

This would be the only day I could be in town the same time as him on this trip, and who knows if he will come back home again?

They arrive, we hug and I buy them drinks.

More friends arrive, so there were six of us.

We talk, drink, talk some more, drink some more.

It was a fine evening. We leave at ten past eleven. I walk to the hotel to try and make a cuppa and munch on the ginger nuts room service left.