Bother!

It was all fun and games on the Central line this morning.

Today, I did not oversleep (*pauses for applause*). But: I was a little slow getting out of bed. Basically, I got up with my alarm, but today is the only day I need to be up before my sister has left and she usually needs a little bit more time in the bathroom at 07:00 (when my alarm went off) - so I went back to bed for another 15 minutes. Well, it was supposed to be 15 minutes. It was more like 20. All was, however, well; but, when I had finished in the shower, I decided I probably wouldn't make the 07:44 NOR (Northolt) train. Actually, I definitely wouldn't have made that. I think I was probably working on the basis of the timetable as it is around 09:00 and imagined there would be a train around 07:54 and deduced that I wouldn't make that one. In fact, there is no train timetabled for 07:54, but there is a WOO train due at 07:52. Anyway, never mind whether my reasoning was sound, knowing there would be through trains, I decided to take things a little slow, to relax and take my time. I did check the journey planner shortly before I left and discovered that there was a RUG (Ruislip Gardens) train due at 08:00 and a WER (West Ruislip) due at 08:09. I decided to aim for the 08:09 train, but I relaxed and took my time a little too much. I thought I might have misjudged it and headed out of the house in a bit of a hurry, but the train overtook me just as I was approaching ROV and left without me. Bugger.

Still, at this time in the morning that isn't such a big deal, and I was soon on my way on the 08:14 WOO train. I changed at WOO and did have to put up with taking a full train coming down from EPP (or LOU, i don't know which). Still, no problems until we reached LEY (Leyton) westbound. We got a platforms and hold call due to a defective train at BAN (Bank). (Actually, it could have been STP (St. Paul's), the lady doing SATS at STR (Stratford) (she was very good, by the way, kept us informed) thought it was at STP; but wherever it was...) After a bit of a wait at LEY, where our train was brimmed full, we were moved up to the packed STR, where we were again held for a good five minutes or so. After that, we were pretty much rolling, but obviously we were a full train pulling into by then full platforms, so our dwell times were much longer than usual. Still, adds a bit of flavour to the morning journey.

Once eventually at LIS (Liverpool Street) and now very much towards the late end of the spectrum, I got onto an H&C (Hammersmith & City line) C stock, which - unless I'm much mistaken - is the only one now timetabled. This rarity took me all the way to King's X without any further problems.

Erm, don't think there's much to say about the journey home. Just missed a Barking train and had to wait scarcely a minute for an Aldgate service to take me to LIS. Took a HAI via NEP train to LES and changed for the EPP. Brief four minute wait for the HAI, which was the next train through WOO on the eastbound. Easy. Lovely journey it was, too, I do love pulling into STR (the first time you come out of the tunnel) in the bright sunshine.