I'm back and I love my commute, though FGW have nothing to do with that

Firstly I have to apologise for my long absence, though given how long it's been since my last blog, I'm not sure who'll read this one.

I have been working away from London for part of the year, enjoying the sights and sounds of the North and Scotland. I even tried a deep fried Mars Bar for the first time...probably the last too, each to their own.

Now I'm back and perversely despite the consistently delayed and poor service finding my commute more enjoyable than it was. And this has absolutely nothing to do with anything FGW have done...well they do a little bit, as I'll allude to later.

How you may ask?

Well first of all there are the views of the Thames Valley between home in Cholsey and Maidenhead. The sun rises can be spectacular.

As can the sun sets, like one I caught between trains at Reading station.

However the greatest reason is that I have discovered the joys of the various Twitter accounts which 'monitor' and comment on FGWs service. For example I'm proud to be part of #Teamhipflask as I follow @FGWKMC (FGWkickedmycat.) Also others like @LastWorstWestern make me chortle.

And to be balanced, here's where FGW come in, the genuine @FGW team are good sports, with the likes of the legendary Ollie, Elias, TJ, Heather and others willing to enter into a bit of fun when it all goes Pete Tong, which it often does. A fellow travel weary commuter @the_bald_man and I have passed many a journey in the evening with a session of #askOllie. We cover a range of very important issues, like "Cheese & Onion or Salt & Vinegar?" 

I still write to Mark Hopewood, when journeys are particularly tedious, and now have the joy of following him on Twitter too....he likes posting pics of a nice cooked breakfast.

Now this doesn't make me a fan of FGW, far from it, however I am sharing the joys of social networking as it may well ease the sense of ennui of a delayed or even cancelled journey of a fellow commuter or two. Who knows one day you may well Favourite or RT a comment by @dougprop as part of a #Teamhipflask thread. 

Happy commuting people...now I'm back don't expect the happiness to last, normal ranting blogs may well resume

What's another year?

Firstly apologies for my absence, I hope everyone had a great Yuletide and Hogmanay. Due to a combination of events I didn't have to travel much on FGW in December.

I did have the misfortune of travelling between Christmas and New Year when overrunning engineering works caused delays, however that's  Network Rails fault to FGWs.

Since returning to work proper on 7th Jan I have noticed that by timetabling my usual morning train to leave Cholsey a minute later punctuality has improved. Well done FGW.

However it is still always late into Ealing Broadway...maybe the arrival time needs changed there...I'd suggest to 8.21am as that's the most consistent time of arrival (always happy to offer solutions me.)

Tonight has been an unmitigated disaster. Having left Paddington at 8pm I hoped to make the 20.53 connection home. I was therefore less than delighted when we pulled in just after 8.30 (why do these journeys take longer at night) to see it was cancelled and I'd have to await the 21.23. I was even more delighted when that train was subsequently delayed. We eventually left reading at 21.28, and I finally got home at 20.12. Not bad when t'interweb thought I'd have been home by just after 9pm.

I have of course written to my good friend Mark Hopwood, MD of FGW, though I must confess having wished him a Happy New Year I have then been more than a tad critical of his firm, and less than constructive.

Last time I wrote to him he didn't actually respond himself....hope I've not caused offence. He did get one of his minions to send me some rail tickets by way of compensation. Just have to decide where to go with them now.

Well it's getting late for a school night so time for a night cap and then bed methinks.

Safe travelling everyone.