grumpyf1

#NorthernFail It isn’t hard to imagine a conversation taking place at beleaguered train operator Northern, sometime in the depths of winter, that went something like this: “Passengers want more trains!” “Fine – give them more trains.” “What, really? Won’t we need loads more staff to operate them?” “We can worry about that nearer the go-live date.” “But, surely we’ll need time to employ them, train th....” “Shhsh! Stop worrying. It’s cold in here. Chuck something else on the fire.” “How about this large box of customer complaints?” “Perfect – we’ve got loads of those we need to get rid of!” OK, that’s made up, but there is more than enough anger and frustration amongst let-down passengers that it wouldn’t have surprised many of them if it were a true story. Northern have removed 165 services every day until nearly the end of July, as they struggle to cope with an expanded timetable. Some of these are the Lakes Line, running to and from Preston, Lancaster, Oxenhol...

(Incandescent rage not pictured.) Few things annoy me more than suddenly finding myself in an unexpected traffic jam. True, we’re pretty lucky in much of Cumbria – miles of lovely roads with scenic views, beautiful villages and relatively light traffic. Of course, that doesn’t always apply. Every town has it’s queues, and when the tourists show up, it can get particularly frustrating. I’m lucky enough to have a cross-county drive into Ambleside to work. Mostly, it’s a delight – Windermere glistening on my left, the mountains rising in front of me as I arrive at the office. Heading home at night is mostly good too, but half-terms, bank holidays and the summer can easily add half an hour to my normal 50 minute drive, as I struggle to even get across Ambleside, whilst the seasonal visitors make their way back to their temporary homes after a grand day out. When the tourists aren’t about, preparations are made to ensure everything is nice for their next arrival. This regularly ...