Weather and public transport. [Matthew's Journal]

It's snowing, and transport isn't working, in a shocking turn-up for the books. As a nation, we love to talk about the weather, but don't seem very good at dealing with it.

Notwithstanding that the trains aren't running properly today, I want to grumble a little about the lack of evening trains. I live about 20 miles from Stratford, where I am going to see a play with friends this evening. I could go on the train, and it would take a little over an hour (compared to around half that to drive). But the last train home is at 8pm. 8pm! How is anyone meant to use the train to get places if it stops at 8pm? Essentially that means if I ever want to go and see RSC productions, I'll have to drive over, since it's a bit far to cycle, really. Oxford is just as bad - the last train home is 9.36, which makes for rushing at post-committee-meeting dinner, and makes heading over there for an evening impossible without organising crash space or driving.

How are we going to encourage less car use if the trains stop so early? grr.

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Trains were spot on time for me this morning, and for everyone else I've spoken to in the office. Of course, the people who can't make it into the office are the ones I haven't spoken to, obviously. Lots of lovely white snowscapes to look at too!

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I'm working from home today because I can and because enough people aren't going to be in the office I don't see why I should be left out! Do feel free to come and stay if you can't get home tonight for any reason.

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Ours end at around midnight, and I thought that was early.

You can tell I did not go out at night when I was in England last time...

What about buses? Stagecoach seem to run two services which go between Coventry and Stratford, though I don't know if either of them are actually any use...

I should admit to a dislike of bus travel - I find it slow, unreliable, uncomfortable, and it makes me more travel-sick than any other means of transport.

The x17 only rarely goes as far as Stratford, and the last one that would get me home leaves at 7.30, involves a change at Leamington, and takes 2 hours. The 16/18 are also not hugely useful for similar reasons. Thanks for reminding me to consider buses, though!

Ironically, so many people wussed out this morning that the A14 was way better than usual Huntingdon→Cambridge. I suspect this was because it was the less competent and experienced drivers who stayed at home more readily.

(I'd have stayed at home, but we have an "important" planning meeting this morning. By which I mean it would be inconvenient if I weren't there, not that it's life-or-death.)

I live on a main line. There is a city c. 40 miles away, also on said mainline, which I regularly visit, where the last train back is about 5.30pm, and you can't even go a longer way round. (Well, except if you a. go 80 miles one way and 30 miles back the other, which I would, except they want about 3 times the normal fare to do so, or b. or wait for about 3 hours at a station in between, which isn't really practical (and then you'd be too late for a bus home from the station)). This is too early to go home from most of the things I do in said city.

I feel your pain. Our family does use public transport sometimes - 2 get the bus regularly and we do use trains when they are more practical and reasonable in cost, but I'm afraid our car is well used and nigh-on essential, and that is the way it will stay until things seriously improve.

we love to talk about the weather, but don't seem very good at dealing with it

It snows to this degree on, lately, perhaps two or three days a year; under 1% of the year. How much effort is it actually worth putting into traveling in extreme conditions rather than simply not making some journeys on those few days?

It's stretching language a bit to describe today's light dusting of snow as "extreme". We don't often get extreme conditions in this country, and in places that do – Canada, Norway, Russia – it's business as usual.

Not at all. Anyone who has encountered the concept of "context" should have no trouble understanding what is meant.

OK, it's extreme in a very moderate context.

But the last train home is at 8pm.

Ironically, you can get back to London from Stratford as late as 11pm (with a 7-minute change at Banbury, rather than nearly an hour at Leamington waiting for the last connection to Coventry!)

I think somebody assumes that theatregoers are only going to come from the capital.

What are you seeing at Stratford?

Richard III - An Arab Tragedy this evening, and then Henry VI pt 1 tomorrow evening. Some friends of mine are coming to up see those along with Henry VI pts 2-3 on Saturday; one of their number dropped out at the last minute, so they invited me along, as I can get to Stratford after work (snow permitting).

Out of curiosity I was just looking at the RSC web site and noticed that it is possible to see Henry VI part 1 on Friday, parts 2 & 3 on Saturday followed by Richard III. We saw all three parts of Henry VI last August and Richard III last Saturday. The whole production is excellent. The same company are doing Richard II, Henry IV parts 1 & 2 and Henry V later this year.

I'd be interested in your opinion of Richard III-An Arab Tragedy. I've found that Richard III adapts very well to different settings.

I hope you get to Stratford OK. We would have the same problem with public transport in the evening, but we tend to drive anyway. By the way, it is only £1-50 to park in the main car parks in the evening.

Yes, we drive to Stratford rather than using public transport. However, there is no railway station at Halesowen and to get a coach would probably take us as long to a suitable coach station as it takes to get to Straftord. I also get travel sick on coaches.

I'm hoping to go and see King Lear with

atreic a little later in the year, too.

We are seeing King Lear on 31st March having booked the tickets ages ago. Good luck with getting tickets yourself.

Yep, public transport in the Midlands leaves a lot to be desired. (Tell me about it!) Re Oxford, you're lucky; when I went there regularly, my last train was an hour or more earlier than yours. As for Stratford, I can only go when

amalion and

sigisgrim are going, as they bring me home; I can get there, but not back. But when I did jury service in Warwick, I could get home by bus, but Highlander had to drive me there.

FYI, the National Express coach goes between Coventry and Stratford. The times may not suit, but could be worth checking out.

PS There used to be a good bus service between Oxford and MK station - the same one that runs to Cambridge. Trains from MK run quite late to Coventry.

Matthew's Journal

Weather and public transport.

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It's stretching language a bit

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October