So here I am at Stoke rail station again, waiting for a train over an hour away. Why? Because Newcastle United are playing at home.
I do so wish I had a car. I would certainly save a lot of hassle. It would definitely lead to me being less tired!
I taught today. It’s not the first time: it’s just the first time I’ve mentioned it here. It didn’t go terribly badly, there was still a lot of criticisms but I’m still learning. So despite being catastrophically tired, it’s all still good.
Well that was a rather good weekend: Newcastle United won! Our injury problems deepened once again though, with even Kinnear requiring treatment. Thankfully he is ok though and hopes to be back for the Everton game.
I started my voluntary work on Friday. It’s been ok so far – I haven’t been able to be too active so far in my project but I’ve made a start on my plan.
Tomorrow though I’ll be going down to Kent… “for one night only”! Same old dull train journey though, which is a bind, but it’s all in necessity. Let’s hope I can achieve everything I set out to…
After lectures on Friday, I headed straight to Cheltenham by train for the first part of a job application. It’s a long train journey: stopping at Durham, Darlington, York, Leeds, Wakefield Westgate, Doncaster, Sheffield, Chesterfield, Derby, Birmingham New Street and finally Cheltenham Spa four and a half hours later.
Staying overnight in a Travelodge on a Friday night I have learnt — which seems obvious now — is a bad idea. The walls there are rather thin. This problem was further accentuated by the inability to shut any of the windows. I did manage to get quite a bit of sleep though, thankfully.
It was a gruelling schedule of tests that day: a one-and-a-half hour mathematics exam designed to stretch the most seasoned of mathematicians; a one hour exam of intense comprehension of certain systems; followed by about half an hour completing a test designed to analyse your opinions and social behaviour. I felt this test was fairly pointless: it can’t have painted a complete picture of myself, and their reasoning behind it leads me to suspect an ulterior motive.
Perhaps the worst part of the weekend was coming back — the train I caught passed through Birmingham and Derby at what would be rush hour on a weekday, but being a Saturday it became the train-run home for away football supporters. The Spurs’ supporters were particularly brash after beating Derby County 3-0, and routinely chanted for much of the journey to Darlington.
Our train was delayed three times; twice by those of dire intelligence (smokers) who refused to stop smoking to point that the British Transport Police were twice called upon the train to remove the offenders. The third delay was caused by, apparently, Newcastle Central station having a single platform in operation (out of 14), which was taken for a continuous period of 20 minutes.
Get a car.
Love at first sight. Does it really exist? Wouldn’t it just take the piss if it did happen to you, and you saw your one true love whizz by on a train going in the opposite direction?
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