What a load of bull!

I had a better night last night.

I had a meeting in Birmingham today, but thankfully I didn't need to get up at ridiculous o'clock together and I would be able to get home at a decent time. Well, that is what I thought.

The trip to Birmingham was fine and the meeting went well, and I had time to wander around Birmingham New Street station. I didn't realise they had so many fantastic food outlets.

Anyway, the journey home was not so good and that is an understatement. 

My train should have been at 15:42, but then it got delayed by a minute and then another minute, before it eventually arrived 15:55. This meant I was going to miss my connection at Bristol Parkway, as I only had a 7 minute window to transfer trains. Whopeedo!
 
I immediately ranted on Twitter to CrossCountry Trains, as it's not the first time I've missed my connection because of them. And this is the response I got, it's certainly a first for an excuse I've seen:

"Sorry for the frustration Jamie. A train hit a Water Buffalo earlier which has caused quite a bit of delay to our services on this route. ^Peter"
 
I eventually arrive at Bristol and I'm lucky as the next train to Neath is just 10 minutes away. I get on the train, there's a bit of a delay, I even manage to drink the tea they brought round. So, I'm thinking something is wrong here and then over the tannoy they announce that the train before them had hit something in the Severn Tunnel and was now closed. This would have been on the train I would have caught if my connection had gone according to plan, so I'm kind of thinking a lucky escape. But now the train was cancelled and we were told to get off, go across the bridge and catch a train to Gloucester and hope for the best in getting back.
 
So off I tootled across the bridge, got on the train which was completely rammed. Over the tannoy they announce that there is a train just 5 minutes after we get into Gloucester that goes to Maesteg but this is only two carriages. Plus going to Maesteg doesn't get me home.

Anyway, we get to Gloucester make away across to platform 3 and then they announce that due to the disruption a special train had been put on and was on platform 1. So, a stampede to platform 1 then to get on the train. and hurrah this one is actually going to go through to Swansea and stop at Neath.
 
The train leaves Gloucester and over the tannoy they announce that this was the actual train that we got off at Bristol and they had followed us up on the other train that we were all rammed into. I mean what the hell!!!!!!!
 
Anyway, we're on our way home, by now the dark humour has kicked in and we're all having a jolly good time of it.
 
We get to Cardiff and boom they then announce that this train was now going to go direct to Swansea and not stop at all the other stations. So, we hurriedly packed everything up and rushed across to another platform now to catch a train that would get me home.
 
Thankfully it did! I eventually arrived home at 9pn. The total craziness of the train journey was peak train chaos! You really couldn't make it up. Michael Portillo never has these problems. Lol!

Thankfully I'm off for the rest of the week, so can have a lie in tomorrow to recover.

I had a good message on the way home though from my young padawan, she's now completed all her assignments for her Masters. She's on the homestretch with just her dissertation left. She's going to smash it and she thanked me for my support.

Today I am thankful for:

1.  A better night
2.  Hearing the news about my young padawan
3.  The dark humour on our dreadful train journey home