Galvanize
Member
This was a trip with two main objectives:
*To clear several branches in Essex required for coverage!
*Experience travelling with Greater Anglia (or Greater Angular as
I kept mispronouncing them as!!
I also wanted to clear some Wetherspoons pubs if the plan allowed!
The trip started with leaving my house at around 0750, heading down to Lewisham station, braving the slightly icy pavements after the weekends snow. I make it down to the station without any slippage, and I debate which train to take to London Bridge do I get the 0808 STOPPER to London Bridge from Platform 1, or do I get the 0811 FAST to London Bridge from Platform 3?
Well the 0808 Cannon Street is running about two or three minutes late, so I decide right, Ill jump on the 0811 Charing Cross. Looking up at the CIS on Platform 3, telling me the train is formed of 10 coaches, is a warning that the train is gonna be formed of Class 376 Cattle trucks.
I notice the delayed 0808 rolling into Platform 1, which is formed of 10 cattle trucks, and sure enough, rolling into Platform 3 is a bloody 376!! I do try to avoid travelling on these if possible, when Im travelling to and from work at London Bridge, I always plan it so I get on a Networker instead, and preferably one that runs fast!
We leave about a minute late from Lewisham, due to the signaller letting the 0808 Cannon Street out before us, over the busy junction! Still, we make good progress, as we run over the Tanners Hill flyover, onto the up fast line, thankfully our progress is not hampered that much, and I believe we may have had a clear run into Platform 6 at London Bridge! So, I alight from the sardine can, and decide that getting to Liverpool Street by bus, will be easier and less busy, than by getting the tube!
I fight my way through the crowd, who are all heading for the tube station, and I turn left into the bus station. There was an Arriva DW on route 149 loading up, but I notice how packed it is already, so I let it go! 2 minutes later, a Stagecoach Omnicity on the 48 starts up, and I consider getting on that to Liverpool Street but 30 seconds later, another 149 comes off the stand, so I board that one!
Its about 0830 as we cross the water, towards Liverpool Street, Im thinking this is a nice easy journey, takes no more than 10 minutes, plenty of time to get my tickets etc at London Liverpool Street! All very well until I hear the iBus announcer saying
This bus is on diversion, please listen for further announcements!!.
After passing Monument station, we turn RIGHT and head past London Fenchurch Street (normally only served by bus route 40, a route which by some co-incidence, is operated by Abellio!). Not only have we got this diversion (due to roadworks on Gracechurch Street/Bishopsgate), but we keep getting Taxis dropping people off in the middle of the road, and the slow bus driver not flooring it when a traffic light is still green, watching it go red, and have to sit through the whole phase again!!
Im now getting a bit anxious, as I intend to catch the 0900 Norwich service, BUT I need to buy tickets first, and I realise I might be cutting it just a bit fine! Its now just gone 0845, and Im sitting in traffic near Aldgate! Normally when you go down Gracechurch Street (I used to fancy a girl at school by the name of Grace Church!!), you go past Tower 42 and the Gherkin, so Im looking out the window, and I see both of them on my left, and I get a little bit confused. We make a right turn, in my disorientated state, I began to think that we were now going AWAY from Liverpool Street, but suddenly I realise where we are bishopsgate, and on the approach to the station! The iBus says Liverpool Street Station so, finally got there then!
Its about 0853 now, and I look on the board, the 0900 Norwich service is departing from Platform 9. Right tickets! Thankfully there wasnt too big a queue in the ticket office, I manage to get the tickets for the first part of the journey and, I get them issued in a brand new Greater Anglia wallet, which the booking clerk told me, is in Great demand!
I board the 0900 at about 0857, plenty of time, but I walk through first class to reach Standard Class, then I find a seat in coach G. Its 90004 providing the shoveage on the first part of the journey today! The first part of the journey is rather uneventful, but as I speed through the East London suburbs and out into the Essex countryside, I notice how much snow they still have, and what a wonderful sight that was, the sun shining over snow covered fields!
The trip remains uneventful until we reach Colchester, where 47828 (formerly named Joe Strummer when in Cotswold ownership) is stabled, presumably as the thunderbird! We leave Colchester on time, and I prepare to alight at Manningtree, in order to cover the first branch line. I cross over to Platform 1, where 321343 awaits my custom, for the run to Harwich Town. Where do I sit? Oh, the PMSO of course!! The run to Harwich Town is pretty sedate I found, but was quite enjoyable, running alongside the estuary of the River Stour! Crossing the River Stour on the 90 set would of taken me into Suffolk, which would of somehow spoilt the title!!
GB Railfreights 66717 was passed outside Harwich Parkestone Quay oh, sorry, Harwich International nowadays! It was on a tanker train. I noticed how long the platforms are at Harwich International, and that some of the lampposts are still painted in Anglia Railways turquoise, going back to the days when they used to run boat trains from London with Class 86s and mark 2s!
Leaving Harwich International, there are what look like wind turbines under construction, I didnt realise how MASSIVE the blades are, one blade is still an abnormal load on the back of a lorry!! And arriving at Harwich Town seemed to be a bit of an anti-climax, there was only a 6 minute turnaround, so I only had time to walk to the end of the street outside the station, and walk back, in time for the 1028 back to Manningtree!
I must of confused the conductor, because he checked my ticket on the outward run from Manningtree, and checked it again the way back, should of come up with a reason why I decided to stay in Harwich for all of 6 minutes!!
On the way back to Manningtree, I was expecting to pass another 321 heading back towards Harwich, but never saw one, then I realised that for most of the day, it seems to be a one engine in steam job, apart from the freight trains!
We arrive at Manningtree at 10:50, giving me a +3 for my next move, the 10:53 London Liverpool Street service, which I would take as far as Colchester. 90006 does the honours, and as Im only going to Colchester, I decide not to sit down, and just stand in the vestibule. And no, I didnt do heads out, as it was far too cold, and my days of doing heads out on the mainline, are over!! Quite a bit of crumpet on this train, either going to Colchester or London for the day maybe I should of sat down! This would be the last loco hauled train of the day, remainder of the day would be spent on EMUs!
I alight at Colchester, and head over to the ticket office to buy the tickets for the next leg, for the Sunshine coast line to Clacton on Sea! As I cross to Platform 2 to await the 1116 to Clacton, 90044, still in BR Railfreight grey with Freightliner branding, storms northbound on a Freightliner train, moments later, 66589 rushes southbound on a similar working!
A pair of Class 360 units produce for the 1116 to Clacton, as I board, I notice quite a strong smell of weed in my carriage well, could be worse smells than that!! We pass through the Colchester dive-under. Quite a nice pleasant run, seems the further I get, the more snow there seemed to be in the countryside, although it was beginning to thaw in some parts along the line. At Thorpe-Le-Soken, we connect with a Class 321 on the Walton service, allowing cross platform interchange for anyone who wants it!
Pretty soon we approach Clacton station, the station looking a shadow of its former self! Im sure it would have been quite a run, doing it London to Clacton on the Class 309 units, rather than on a Class 360! Instead of waiting for the unit to return as the 1205 to London, I actually leave the station, and walk into town, as per my plan. Somebody once told me Clacton is the chav capital of Essex, but it didnt seem to be so chav infested! Mind you, were only talking midday on a Tuesday!! I continue walking down towards the seafront, past the open, but completely deserted amusement arcades, where I find the Moon and Starfish Wetherspoons!
I buy lunch in Wetherspoons, and to wash it down, a pint of Westons Old Rosie scrumpy Cider! Very nice it was too! Sitting by the window, I notice various buses running past, including a TGM liveried ALX300, which Im sure in a previous life, used to run on the 726 bus route in London, from Bromley South all the way to Heathrow Airport! I also pick up a very useful leaflet, the Wetherspoons directory, telling me where all the current Wetherspoons are located, across the UK and yes, it also has a tick box to show youve been there!!
On my way back to Clacton Station, I stop by at WHSmith, and purchase the latest Todays Railways UK, and a big bar of Cadburys Dairy Milk caramel. At Clacton station, I buy my ticket from Thorpe to Walton, before boarding a 4 car Class 360 in Blue, for the short run to Thorpe-Le-Soken! Alighting at Thorpe, I have about 20 minutes until the Walton service arrives, so I have a little look round the station, walking up and down the snow covered platforms! Just after the ex Clacton service left, the 321 on the Walton-Colchester shuttle departed, as if in hot pursuit! I might of misjudged the depth of the snow, as I ended up accidentally getting snow down the back of my walking boots oh well! 321341 arrived on the Walton service, the train awaiting a connecting Class 360 on the Clacton service, before we leave for Walton.
This run seemed quite uneventful, I alight at Walton and have another brief wonder around, this time I have 13 minutes to fester, as opposed to just 6 minutes at Harwich!! I look out over the clifftop, and across the water I can see the cranes from the docks at Harwich, and in the other direction, the offshore windfarm that overlooks Clacton!
I rejoin 321341 for the return run from Walton-On-The-Naze, heading to Colchester Town, this service, unlike the fast Clacton services, actually calls at all the stations, so passed through Alresford (looks quite different to the one in Hampshire!!
) and Hythe (for Dungeness? No sign of the little steam engines
oh, wait, wrong county again!! ).
We arrive at Colchester Town (Or St Botolphs as its called in MSTS Great Eastern!) at 14:40, this is another place where Im gonna get the Wetherspoons in!! If I can bloody find it I must of taken a wrong turning I ended up walking the wrong way, past Colchester bus station I then realise that Im NOT on St Johns Street, Im actually walking up Queens Street!! Wow, the place does seem quite big, didnt realise how big it was, and how far away it is from the mainline station!! I eventually find the Spoons, The Playhouse in plenty of time, and I buy a Thatchers Gold Cider for £2.65! Not bad at all.
After that refreshing pint, I walk back towards Colchester Town station, passing various Volvo Olympians belonging to First Group and independent operators such as Chambers, and Network Colchester! My next train, is the 15:35 from Colchester Town down to Witham, in order to cover the last branch of the day, Braintree. Im expecting it to be a 4 car Class 321 or maybe a Class 360 preferably a 321! Yep, it is a 321 oh, two 321s so its an 8 car oh, hang about, thats 3 pantographs a 12 car 321, wasnt expecting that!!
I take a seat in the PMSO again, ready for a storming run down the mainline well, not so storming but it wasnt too bad. 47828 was still sitting at Colchester sidings, just as it was when I saw it at 0945! I saw Central Trains liveried 156412 at Marks Tey, on the Sudbury shuttle service. Now, the Sudbury branch was of no interest to me on this day, because it actually goes into Suffolk, so wouldnt come into the scope of the days bash and secondly, Ive already covered the branch!
I did the Sudbury branch back in the late 1990s as a small child, at the second attempt! I wanted to go there after my Granddad told me about the Class 121 bubble cars, but alas, when me and the family went there, we made it all the way to Marks Tey to be told
Sorry no Sunday service!! and the second time we actually made it, the Class 121s had gone, and were replaced by Class 153 dogboxes shame! :cry:
Oh well, back to 07/02/12, rather than 1997 or 1998 when those trips occurred, I alight at Witham, I now have a 35 minute connection for the 1635 to Braintree. In hindsight, maybe I should of got the Wetherspoons in at Witham, but looking on the map on their website while planning the trip, it looked a bit too far from the station, to be able to do in the 35 minute connection!! Now as the sun begins to set, its starting to get really really cold, I see various trains passing through, including another Class 66 hauled Freightliner.
Eventually the 1635 Braintree arrives, another 12 car Class 321. The platform staff announce that only the front 8 coaches will be going to Braintree, the rear 4 coaches not in service, so I assume the train will be splitting at Witham! Erm no, we leave with 12 coaches, the rear 4 locked out of use, due to short platforms, as I found out from the conductor! Seeing the sun setting over the snow covered fields and villages was a sight to behold, thankfully from the warmth of the train!
Once again, in hindsight I should of got the Braintree spoons in as well, but due to the fact I only had a 9 minute turnaround, and the infrequent service, I didnt include it in the plan. Whilst changing ends at Braintree, I noticed the unit on the London end was an ex London Midland 321/4, which has a declassified FC section! The run down to London was rather uneventful, as it was now dark, but the train was delayed at Witham, due to a delayed Norwich-London service being let out infront of us!
I alight at Stratford, where I change for the DLR back to Lewisham. As our service terminates at Canary Wharf, I had to change there for a Lewisham train, which, at 1830 being the evening rush hour, was quite busy! I arrive at Lewisham at about 18:40, and get home at 18:50, with the heating on, I was starting to thaw out, after a good trip!!
The trip managed to go to plan, no farces or muckups that caused the plan to change, and Im glad I managed to get everything in! Also, good job the sun was out too, otherwise it would have been even colder during the day!!
*To clear several branches in Essex required for coverage!
*Experience travelling with Greater Anglia (or Greater Angular as
I kept mispronouncing them as!!
I also wanted to clear some Wetherspoons pubs if the plan allowed!
The trip started with leaving my house at around 0750, heading down to Lewisham station, braving the slightly icy pavements after the weekends snow. I make it down to the station without any slippage, and I debate which train to take to London Bridge do I get the 0808 STOPPER to London Bridge from Platform 1, or do I get the 0811 FAST to London Bridge from Platform 3?
Well the 0808 Cannon Street is running about two or three minutes late, so I decide right, Ill jump on the 0811 Charing Cross. Looking up at the CIS on Platform 3, telling me the train is formed of 10 coaches, is a warning that the train is gonna be formed of Class 376 Cattle trucks.
I notice the delayed 0808 rolling into Platform 1, which is formed of 10 cattle trucks, and sure enough, rolling into Platform 3 is a bloody 376!! I do try to avoid travelling on these if possible, when Im travelling to and from work at London Bridge, I always plan it so I get on a Networker instead, and preferably one that runs fast!
We leave about a minute late from Lewisham, due to the signaller letting the 0808 Cannon Street out before us, over the busy junction! Still, we make good progress, as we run over the Tanners Hill flyover, onto the up fast line, thankfully our progress is not hampered that much, and I believe we may have had a clear run into Platform 6 at London Bridge! So, I alight from the sardine can, and decide that getting to Liverpool Street by bus, will be easier and less busy, than by getting the tube!
I fight my way through the crowd, who are all heading for the tube station, and I turn left into the bus station. There was an Arriva DW on route 149 loading up, but I notice how packed it is already, so I let it go! 2 minutes later, a Stagecoach Omnicity on the 48 starts up, and I consider getting on that to Liverpool Street but 30 seconds later, another 149 comes off the stand, so I board that one!
Its about 0830 as we cross the water, towards Liverpool Street, Im thinking this is a nice easy journey, takes no more than 10 minutes, plenty of time to get my tickets etc at London Liverpool Street! All very well until I hear the iBus announcer saying
This bus is on diversion, please listen for further announcements!!.
After passing Monument station, we turn RIGHT and head past London Fenchurch Street (normally only served by bus route 40, a route which by some co-incidence, is operated by Abellio!). Not only have we got this diversion (due to roadworks on Gracechurch Street/Bishopsgate), but we keep getting Taxis dropping people off in the middle of the road, and the slow bus driver not flooring it when a traffic light is still green, watching it go red, and have to sit through the whole phase again!!
Im now getting a bit anxious, as I intend to catch the 0900 Norwich service, BUT I need to buy tickets first, and I realise I might be cutting it just a bit fine! Its now just gone 0845, and Im sitting in traffic near Aldgate! Normally when you go down Gracechurch Street (I used to fancy a girl at school by the name of Grace Church!!), you go past Tower 42 and the Gherkin, so Im looking out the window, and I see both of them on my left, and I get a little bit confused. We make a right turn, in my disorientated state, I began to think that we were now going AWAY from Liverpool Street, but suddenly I realise where we are bishopsgate, and on the approach to the station! The iBus says Liverpool Street Station so, finally got there then!
Its about 0853 now, and I look on the board, the 0900 Norwich service is departing from Platform 9. Right tickets! Thankfully there wasnt too big a queue in the ticket office, I manage to get the tickets for the first part of the journey and, I get them issued in a brand new Greater Anglia wallet, which the booking clerk told me, is in Great demand!
I board the 0900 at about 0857, plenty of time, but I walk through first class to reach Standard Class, then I find a seat in coach G. Its 90004 providing the shoveage on the first part of the journey today! The first part of the journey is rather uneventful, but as I speed through the East London suburbs and out into the Essex countryside, I notice how much snow they still have, and what a wonderful sight that was, the sun shining over snow covered fields!
The trip remains uneventful until we reach Colchester, where 47828 (formerly named Joe Strummer when in Cotswold ownership) is stabled, presumably as the thunderbird! We leave Colchester on time, and I prepare to alight at Manningtree, in order to cover the first branch line. I cross over to Platform 1, where 321343 awaits my custom, for the run to Harwich Town. Where do I sit? Oh, the PMSO of course!! The run to Harwich Town is pretty sedate I found, but was quite enjoyable, running alongside the estuary of the River Stour! Crossing the River Stour on the 90 set would of taken me into Suffolk, which would of somehow spoilt the title!!
GB Railfreights 66717 was passed outside Harwich Parkestone Quay oh, sorry, Harwich International nowadays! It was on a tanker train. I noticed how long the platforms are at Harwich International, and that some of the lampposts are still painted in Anglia Railways turquoise, going back to the days when they used to run boat trains from London with Class 86s and mark 2s!
Leaving Harwich International, there are what look like wind turbines under construction, I didnt realise how MASSIVE the blades are, one blade is still an abnormal load on the back of a lorry!! And arriving at Harwich Town seemed to be a bit of an anti-climax, there was only a 6 minute turnaround, so I only had time to walk to the end of the street outside the station, and walk back, in time for the 1028 back to Manningtree!
I must of confused the conductor, because he checked my ticket on the outward run from Manningtree, and checked it again the way back, should of come up with a reason why I decided to stay in Harwich for all of 6 minutes!!
On the way back to Manningtree, I was expecting to pass another 321 heading back towards Harwich, but never saw one, then I realised that for most of the day, it seems to be a one engine in steam job, apart from the freight trains!
We arrive at Manningtree at 10:50, giving me a +3 for my next move, the 10:53 London Liverpool Street service, which I would take as far as Colchester. 90006 does the honours, and as Im only going to Colchester, I decide not to sit down, and just stand in the vestibule. And no, I didnt do heads out, as it was far too cold, and my days of doing heads out on the mainline, are over!! Quite a bit of crumpet on this train, either going to Colchester or London for the day maybe I should of sat down! This would be the last loco hauled train of the day, remainder of the day would be spent on EMUs!
I alight at Colchester, and head over to the ticket office to buy the tickets for the next leg, for the Sunshine coast line to Clacton on Sea! As I cross to Platform 2 to await the 1116 to Clacton, 90044, still in BR Railfreight grey with Freightliner branding, storms northbound on a Freightliner train, moments later, 66589 rushes southbound on a similar working!
A pair of Class 360 units produce for the 1116 to Clacton, as I board, I notice quite a strong smell of weed in my carriage well, could be worse smells than that!! We pass through the Colchester dive-under. Quite a nice pleasant run, seems the further I get, the more snow there seemed to be in the countryside, although it was beginning to thaw in some parts along the line. At Thorpe-Le-Soken, we connect with a Class 321 on the Walton service, allowing cross platform interchange for anyone who wants it!
Pretty soon we approach Clacton station, the station looking a shadow of its former self! Im sure it would have been quite a run, doing it London to Clacton on the Class 309 units, rather than on a Class 360! Instead of waiting for the unit to return as the 1205 to London, I actually leave the station, and walk into town, as per my plan. Somebody once told me Clacton is the chav capital of Essex, but it didnt seem to be so chav infested! Mind you, were only talking midday on a Tuesday!! I continue walking down towards the seafront, past the open, but completely deserted amusement arcades, where I find the Moon and Starfish Wetherspoons!
I buy lunch in Wetherspoons, and to wash it down, a pint of Westons Old Rosie scrumpy Cider! Very nice it was too! Sitting by the window, I notice various buses running past, including a TGM liveried ALX300, which Im sure in a previous life, used to run on the 726 bus route in London, from Bromley South all the way to Heathrow Airport! I also pick up a very useful leaflet, the Wetherspoons directory, telling me where all the current Wetherspoons are located, across the UK and yes, it also has a tick box to show youve been there!!
On my way back to Clacton Station, I stop by at WHSmith, and purchase the latest Todays Railways UK, and a big bar of Cadburys Dairy Milk caramel. At Clacton station, I buy my ticket from Thorpe to Walton, before boarding a 4 car Class 360 in Blue, for the short run to Thorpe-Le-Soken! Alighting at Thorpe, I have about 20 minutes until the Walton service arrives, so I have a little look round the station, walking up and down the snow covered platforms! Just after the ex Clacton service left, the 321 on the Walton-Colchester shuttle departed, as if in hot pursuit! I might of misjudged the depth of the snow, as I ended up accidentally getting snow down the back of my walking boots oh well! 321341 arrived on the Walton service, the train awaiting a connecting Class 360 on the Clacton service, before we leave for Walton.
This run seemed quite uneventful, I alight at Walton and have another brief wonder around, this time I have 13 minutes to fester, as opposed to just 6 minutes at Harwich!! I look out over the clifftop, and across the water I can see the cranes from the docks at Harwich, and in the other direction, the offshore windfarm that overlooks Clacton!
I rejoin 321341 for the return run from Walton-On-The-Naze, heading to Colchester Town, this service, unlike the fast Clacton services, actually calls at all the stations, so passed through Alresford (looks quite different to the one in Hampshire!!
) and Hythe (for Dungeness? No sign of the little steam engines
oh, wait, wrong county again!! ).We arrive at Colchester Town (Or St Botolphs as its called in MSTS Great Eastern!) at 14:40, this is another place where Im gonna get the Wetherspoons in!! If I can bloody find it I must of taken a wrong turning I ended up walking the wrong way, past Colchester bus station I then realise that Im NOT on St Johns Street, Im actually walking up Queens Street!! Wow, the place does seem quite big, didnt realise how big it was, and how far away it is from the mainline station!! I eventually find the Spoons, The Playhouse in plenty of time, and I buy a Thatchers Gold Cider for £2.65! Not bad at all.
After that refreshing pint, I walk back towards Colchester Town station, passing various Volvo Olympians belonging to First Group and independent operators such as Chambers, and Network Colchester! My next train, is the 15:35 from Colchester Town down to Witham, in order to cover the last branch of the day, Braintree. Im expecting it to be a 4 car Class 321 or maybe a Class 360 preferably a 321! Yep, it is a 321 oh, two 321s so its an 8 car oh, hang about, thats 3 pantographs a 12 car 321, wasnt expecting that!!
I take a seat in the PMSO again, ready for a storming run down the mainline well, not so storming but it wasnt too bad. 47828 was still sitting at Colchester sidings, just as it was when I saw it at 0945! I saw Central Trains liveried 156412 at Marks Tey, on the Sudbury shuttle service. Now, the Sudbury branch was of no interest to me on this day, because it actually goes into Suffolk, so wouldnt come into the scope of the days bash and secondly, Ive already covered the branch!
I did the Sudbury branch back in the late 1990s as a small child, at the second attempt! I wanted to go there after my Granddad told me about the Class 121 bubble cars, but alas, when me and the family went there, we made it all the way to Marks Tey to be told
Sorry no Sunday service!! and the second time we actually made it, the Class 121s had gone, and were replaced by Class 153 dogboxes shame! :cry:
Oh well, back to 07/02/12, rather than 1997 or 1998 when those trips occurred, I alight at Witham, I now have a 35 minute connection for the 1635 to Braintree. In hindsight, maybe I should of got the Wetherspoons in at Witham, but looking on the map on their website while planning the trip, it looked a bit too far from the station, to be able to do in the 35 minute connection!! Now as the sun begins to set, its starting to get really really cold, I see various trains passing through, including another Class 66 hauled Freightliner.
Eventually the 1635 Braintree arrives, another 12 car Class 321. The platform staff announce that only the front 8 coaches will be going to Braintree, the rear 4 coaches not in service, so I assume the train will be splitting at Witham! Erm no, we leave with 12 coaches, the rear 4 locked out of use, due to short platforms, as I found out from the conductor! Seeing the sun setting over the snow covered fields and villages was a sight to behold, thankfully from the warmth of the train!
Once again, in hindsight I should of got the Braintree spoons in as well, but due to the fact I only had a 9 minute turnaround, and the infrequent service, I didnt include it in the plan. Whilst changing ends at Braintree, I noticed the unit on the London end was an ex London Midland 321/4, which has a declassified FC section! The run down to London was rather uneventful, as it was now dark, but the train was delayed at Witham, due to a delayed Norwich-London service being let out infront of us!
I alight at Stratford, where I change for the DLR back to Lewisham. As our service terminates at Canary Wharf, I had to change there for a Lewisham train, which, at 1830 being the evening rush hour, was quite busy! I arrive at Lewisham at about 18:40, and get home at 18:50, with the heating on, I was starting to thaw out, after a good trip!!
The trip managed to go to plan, no farces or muckups that caused the plan to change, and Im glad I managed to get everything in! Also, good job the sun was out too, otherwise it would have been even colder during the day!!
(Not really, but I despise modern tosh like TOWIE.)
I could of done Southend Vic and/or Southminster yesterday, but as it was getting cold, and getting dark, didn't fancy it! Also, I had things to do at home in the evening too!!
