So, my trip was 11th, 12th & 13th of this month and I discovered just how little of the original 1981 trip I actually remembered, that a stabled Colas 70 apparently left with it's engine running for almost 48hrs turns me into a grumpy old man and that watching trains without any clothes on.....ahem.....quite liberating!
I set off a lot earlier than I initially planned so that I could travel into Liverpool Street, rather than the usual & quicker KX, and spend a bit of time spotting around London.
From there I went out to Stratford and then after 90mins moved on to see how the building work at London Bridge was going via the Jubilee Line. I wasn't there long before I scuttled round to Waterloo East and then onto the main station to catch my train to Eastleigh.
As requested, I had a room at the front of the hotel, on the top floor, with a fantastic view over the station. The Travelodge isn't quite up to the standards of the Marylebone Landmark, but was perfectly adequate for what I needed.
Everything you could need - supermarkets, banks, pubs, Fast food outlets and restaurants - is less than five minutes from the hotel. I don't really like Weatherspoon's (next to the hotel) but I managed to find a pub just round the corner that had Summer Lightning on tap which was a real bonus!
On the Wednesday I went to Brighton chasing the Southern 313's. The day was almost ruined when I made the school boy error of leaving my keys, with bottle opener attached, in the hotel room which meant I couldn't open the bottles of ale I bought from M&S for the return journey!
But that just meant I enjoyed the Summer Lightning all the more when I got back to Eastleigh and overall I had a great day.
Thursday was a bit more hectic. First off was a visit to Southampton Central and then a quick sprint across to Portsmouth and back. There appeared to be some delays into London so set off back home earlier than I had planned. But everything ran smoothly (typical!) so I hopped off at Clapham Junction for an hour and a half.
Made my way back to KX, via Victoria, before nearly choking on my ale for being charged £5 a pint in the Parcel Yard! Luckily I did have my keys so was able to re-stock at M&S for the journey home.......especially as a lady decided to pull the emergency cord (or equivalent these days) while we were in Gas Works Tunnel when she realised she was on the wrong train!!!
So, overall, a really great trip out. Not quite as many 50's or 33's as back in 1981, but I did see a number of 73's!
Thank you for the advice and comments before I set off.....very much appreciated.
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