Archive for the ‘transport’ Category

« Older Entries

King’s Cross Station street food market

April 19, 2024

On leaving Mare Street Market and Netil Market, I headed to the street food market outside the front of King’s Cross Station.

I always get to King’s Cross Station early to allow time to wander around the market. I had hoped to visit Caravan and Redemption behind King’s Cross Station, but no time.

It used to be the people who owned the businesses manning the stalls. Now I never see the same people twice.

One stall had music blaring out. Not acceptable. Whoever is responsible for the market needs to deal with this.

I noticed at least two stalls had the Great Taste Award consumer scam black stickers on their stalls. I queried this with one stall. The unpleasant woman manning the stalls turned very nasty, refused to answer my question on the pie I was pointing to, then snatched out of my hand what I was about to buy. Rip off on bottles of water, £1-50, elsewhere 50p.

I mentioned her action to another stall. He said it was not acceptable behaviour. He’d been happy to talk to me earlier.

Tags:, ,
Posted in food, London, transport | Leave a Comment »

Train service cancelled

March 7, 2024

Thursday morning two weeks ago,  Premier Inn Gatwick North Terminal whilst having breakfast, double check train times.

I find my train cancelled. Maybe I can catch an earlier train. But pushing it, had  I checked earlier, I would have time, now lucky if I make it, everything a rush.

No, I don’t make it.

But why is my train again running, when I check on line service cancelled. I double check with station staff. They assure me, the Thameslink train is running.

I pass through the barrier, change my mind, will grab a coffee from Black Sheep kiosk.

Gatwick has no ticket office. A disgrace. The queue for the ticket machines stretch back into the terminal..

Sunday of this week, train fares hiked.

I know at Black Sheep kiosk to go to the counter, not use the touch screens. The guy serving  remembers me, from when I flew to Athens a couple of weeks before. We have a brief chat about the coffee scene in Athens. I apologise, have to go else I will miss my train.

Guy at the barrier remembers me, lets me through the barrier. I don’t want to risk losing my ticket if I use in the barrier.

The train is packed into London. I think the train is from Brighton. Once through London, heading North to Cambridge,  the train is empty.

I change at Stevenage, for the LNER Azuma train, King’s Cross to Lincoln.

Alight at Stevenage, to find the LNER Azuma train King’s Cross to Lincoln cancelled.

Station staff advise, catch train to Peterborough,change for the EMR train to Lincoln.

I check again at Peterborough, LNER officious staff demand to see my ticket. I’m told, no, can’t travel by EMR, my ticket states the train that was cancelled. I will have to catch the next train to Newark, then catch a bus.

I change platforms for the EMR slow train, to ask the crew. No crew to ask I ask of an LNER official. He tells me to get in the train, it’s due to leave for Lincoln.

When my ticket is checked, no problem.

Tags:, , , , ,
Posted in Lincoln, London, transport | Leave a Comment »

Grind St Pancras International

February 5, 2024

Late May Bank Holiday I could not find, today I found, close by the public piano, near the lift.

House Blend I am familiar with.

I expected something akin to  Notes or Caravan, especially as open until late.

Takeaway only.

Which cup size? There is only one size, the correct size.

Flavoured beans. Yuk. Cannot be taken seriously when offered flavoured beans.

I added two boxes of capsules to my order, house blend.

Pleasant ambience, even though only takeaway.

Tags:, , , , , ,
Posted in coffee, London, transport | Leave a Comment »

LNER ticket collectors Stasi trained

February 5, 2024

Sporting body cams, patrolling the train, scrutinising every ticket, harassing passengers.

No ticket, fare dodging, no, wrong train, wrong time.

When I travel by train, my ticket does not state the train, the time. But that is when I buy a ticket at the ticket office. Book using the LNER website and it specifies the train.

Tags:, ,
Posted in transport | 3 Comments »

Ten minutes queue for ticket machine

February 1, 2024

It beggars belief , brainwashed people dta no ding in a queue for a ticket machines when they could have bought a ticket from a human in the ticket office.

Use the ticket office, not the machine.

I had no choice. Twenty minutes on the not fit for purpose LNER website, to then be directed to a train station to collect my tickets from a ticket machine. It would have taken no more than a couple of minutes to buy from the ticket office.

RMT went on strike to safeguard train stations. The least you can do is use them.

Tags:, , , ,
Posted in Lincoln, transport | Leave a Comment »

LNER profiteering and misleading posts

September 29, 2023

LNER website is a pain to use, their posts on social media are misleading, they are engaging in massive profiteering.

LNER: No booking fees.

There are no booking fees if buy a ticket at a ticket office.

I decided to pay a visit to the York Food Festival, questionable at best, but it was going to be a pleasant day for a trip to York.

Early hours of the morning I checked the train times and prices. The single fare to York was what I expected, the fare from York over ninety pounds, with a warning the train was to be very busy. I’d this an example of airline profiteering?.

I decided to check with the ticket office, a split ticket via Doncaster, Railcard 1/3 discount Cheap Day Return £27-85.

I checked for the following week, the single fare from York £23-50.

Unfortunately I missed the train from York and had to catch a train an hour later. Chatting with a fellow passenger, she said she found a price difference when she checked with the LNER website and the LNER app.

Tags:, , ,
Posted in Lincoln, transport, York | Leave a Comment »

St Pancras Station nightmare

May 29, 2023

Thirty minutes to change trains from King’s Cross to St Pancras. Doable?

Climb up steps to the entrance. Walk in. No information, no staff.

Take a lift to a lower level. None the wiser.

Take lift back up. No not working. Eventually it works.

Ask. Told go back down to lower level. Lift not working. Find another lift.

Platform I require, long walk, a lower level.

I arrive to find train departing.

Tags:, ,
Posted in London, transport | Leave a Comment »

No 259 Bus to King’s Cross

April 29, 2023


I noticed No 259 passed by every 5-10 minutes. Lunch at Pizza Pilgrims, although the trip was longer, it was going to be  easier to hop on and off the bus and avoid the hassle of the Underground.


The bus was direct to King’s Cross. I alighted earlier, walked to find Coal Drops Yard and  Redemption.


An interesting area, recently renovated, very few people around.


Redemption on the bottom level of Coal Drop  Yard.  Outside a bonus, a street market.


It was then walk over the canal to King’s Cross Station. I noticed Caravan was nearby, but no time to visit. Nor time for the street food market at the front of King’s Cross Station.

Tags:, , , ,
Posted in London, transport | Leave a Comment »

Puccino’s Stevenage Station

March 23, 2023

Wednesday a week ago, train journey Gatwick Airport to Lincoln via Stevenage.

Whilst waiting at Stevenage, where it was very cold compared with Gatwick, I popped into the waiting room to get out of the cold.

The waiting room was also a Puccino’s kiosk.

I ordered a cappuccino. It was undrinkable.

Tags:, , , ,
Posted in coffee, transport | Leave a Comment »

Gatwick to Lincoln by train

March 22, 2023

Wednesday of last week, after landing at Gatwick the evening before and staying overnight at Premier Inn, train Gatwick to Lincoln via Stevenage. A new route for me.

Nightmare booking the tickets on-line the night before, to then collect the tickets from a ticket machine.

Gatwick has no ticket office.

A long queue at the ticket machines.

Website and tickets said train 1049. Train departed from Gatwick Airport at 1046.

Passes through London Bridge, St Pancras International then on to Stevenage where change for LNER Azuma to Lincoln.

At Stevenage, fellow passenger, do you not want Stevenage? We are at Stevenage. I thanked her, grabbed my stuff and jumped off the train.

Stevenage very cold compared with Gatwick.

Waiting room was also a little kiok. Coffee undrinkable.

On LNER train I explained to pig ignorant fat female guard their website not fit for purpose and have wrong train times. She did not want to know.

Later the guard changed. A pleasant black female. I explained again. She said she would raise with LNER.

As far as Grantham, a lovely Bengladeshi girl manning the buffet.

At Lincoln, a not very good cappuccino from 200 Degrees. But at least drinkable, unlike the undrinkable coffee at the kiosk Stevenage.

Tags:, , ,
Posted in Lincoln, transport | Leave a Comment »

« Older Entries