Glasgow where the guy pointed out that a return ticket to Mallaig was cheaper than the single I'd asked for.
Dublin where the clerk asked if the two of us were married? Anxiously, we told him "No" (this was 1980's Ireland), He said, "Look, say you are married and I can sell you a 'Family Ticket', it's cheaper". He sold us a "Dog, Bicycle or Pram" ticket for the tandem too.
Just today, in Cheltenham, I went to buy a ticket for a trip to Exeter. The guy cheerfully offered me a ticket to Exmouth via Exeter for £6.50 less.
Thursday, 12 February 2009
Wednesday, 11 February 2009
Another seasonal tale
Lucy finished changing out of her dancing clothes into her warm tracksuit and wandered back into the main hall. She looked around hoping to see the tall man who was a newcomer to the class. After all it was only polite to be welcoming to a stranger!
She found him buttoning himself into a very substantial winter coat. "Good coat" she said, "especially with all the snow that's fallen this evening"
"Thanks!" he replied, "I did come prepared - very prepared"
And with that, he took her hand and walked her out into the car park to his car and opened the boot.
Lying there was large sledge. "Help me lift it out!" he said and the next thing she knew they were trudging up the slope at the back of the hall dragging the sledge behind them.
At the top of the slope, they both got on the sledge and rode it down the hill in great style finally hitting a large snowdrift. Lucy allowed him to brush the loose snow off her before helping him put the sledge back in the car.
"Right" he said, "I must dash! Thanks for helping!"
Lucy was caught off guard, "See you next week?"
"Expect so! Bye" he said closing the car door.
They never met again.
Maybe they didn't need to.
She found him buttoning himself into a very substantial winter coat. "Good coat" she said, "especially with all the snow that's fallen this evening"
"Thanks!" he replied, "I did come prepared - very prepared"
And with that, he took her hand and walked her out into the car park to his car and opened the boot.
Lying there was large sledge. "Help me lift it out!" he said and the next thing she knew they were trudging up the slope at the back of the hall dragging the sledge behind them.
At the top of the slope, they both got on the sledge and rode it down the hill in great style finally hitting a large snowdrift. Lucy allowed him to brush the loose snow off her before helping him put the sledge back in the car.
"Right" he said, "I must dash! Thanks for helping!"
Lucy was caught off guard, "See you next week?"
"Expect so! Bye" he said closing the car door.
They never met again.
Maybe they didn't need to.
Saturday, 7 February 2009
Bob's Breakfast
It wasn't really light when Bob awoke. He rolled over and was relieved to find the airbed had stayed up. Peering out of his sleeping bag at all the other sleeping bodies in the church hall he decided it was much too early to get up. Besides, he'd done a lot of drinking in the student bar last night. Then his knees reminded him about the dancing. It was his first time at any sort of festival and he'd had a lot of fun.
Then he noticed a girl of about his own age holding a coffee-pot. Seeing him she shook it and mouthed "Do you want a cup?" He nodded and she gestured to an older guy who added an extra scoop of coffee beans into a grinder. Then Bob noticed the two camping stoves - one with a kettle and one with a frying pan. A little later he was breakfasting on bacon, eggs and fresh coffee with his new friends.
Suddenly, a nearby heap of blankets disgorged a white haired lady "I've got the strawberries somewhere" she announced, "and the bubbly". Soon a punnet of strawberries was being handed round and Bob found himself volunteered to open the champagne. The "pop" of the cork sounded deafening and was followed by the sort of silence you only get when everyone stops snoring.
After several paper cups of champagne, Bob went back to sleep. For the rest of the weekend, he kept an eye open for his breakfast companions and although he thought he caught a glimpse of them now and again, he wasn't sure and started thinking it must have been a dream.
A few weeks later, his flatmates took him on one side and told him they were fed up with the stink of his rucksack that was parked in the hall. So he took it into the garden to unpack. Out walked three very sweaty T-shirts. The third one handed him a champagne cork.
Then he noticed a girl of about his own age holding a coffee-pot. Seeing him she shook it and mouthed "Do you want a cup?" He nodded and she gestured to an older guy who added an extra scoop of coffee beans into a grinder. Then Bob noticed the two camping stoves - one with a kettle and one with a frying pan. A little later he was breakfasting on bacon, eggs and fresh coffee with his new friends.
Suddenly, a nearby heap of blankets disgorged a white haired lady "I've got the strawberries somewhere" she announced, "and the bubbly". Soon a punnet of strawberries was being handed round and Bob found himself volunteered to open the champagne. The "pop" of the cork sounded deafening and was followed by the sort of silence you only get when everyone stops snoring.
After several paper cups of champagne, Bob went back to sleep. For the rest of the weekend, he kept an eye open for his breakfast companions and although he thought he caught a glimpse of them now and again, he wasn't sure and started thinking it must have been a dream.
A few weeks later, his flatmates took him on one side and told him they were fed up with the stink of his rucksack that was parked in the hall. So he took it into the garden to unpack. Out walked three very sweaty T-shirts. The third one handed him a champagne cork.
Link
Tuesday, 3 February 2009
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