I went into WHSmith and flicked through the craft magazines. Nothing new there, and all quite expensive. None of them had a ‘free’ gift attached which would have made a purchase more worthwhile.
So then I went and checked the progress of friend’s train [good move – it was arriving at a different platform than first stated]
Then I saw a sign pointing to “Chaplain’s Office”. I had received a letter from the London City Mission on Saturday, asking us to pray for the railway chaplains, and I have never met one. So I knocked on his door! Stephen Rowe was a very gracious man and told me all about his work.
The chaplains are there for the staff, their families and the travelling public, offering help and a listening ear. They do a great job – and it was lovely to be able to meet Stephen in person.
The BodyShop store on the concourse had “Almond Body Butter” reduced to £5 a tub. Good name, I thought, being the possessor of a small Almond Body. I tried some of the tester on my hands. They smelt like weird marzipan for ages. Not buying any of that then!
I still had a few minutes left, so sat and read half a dozen pages of my Montalbano novel. I dreamed of being in the Sicilian sunshine, enjoying a bowl of pasta [lightly dressed with olive oil, garlic and anchovies] and a really good cup of coffee…
Then the train arrived and we went to the committee meeting together.
I’d made a new friend, and met up with an old one – and felt the time had been well spent. What do you do on railway stations if you are forced to wait around for a while?
You did have an interesting wait. I know that airports have chaplains, but had no idea that railway stations also had them. What a good idea. There must be so many weary people, maybe a little lost, arriving on big city stations.
ReplyDeleteVery profitable use of time! Like you I usually pack a book - just in case there's time to open it. I sometimes take some knitting too - all guaranteed to ensure there's no time to either knit or read. Sometimes a little time doing nothing except people watching or thinking is just the job. Vee x
ReplyDelete"Homeward Bound" was played on Navy ships' tannoys after a long deployment (six months), as the ships entered British waters.
ReplyDeleteTrain travel here is different from how I remember it in the UK. You check in, the porter takes your luggage, passengers are called to the train. I've only traveled once by train here, in twenty four years.
Jane x
That's really cool about the chaplain! I didn't know that, but it makes sense! You made good use of your time. I tend to sit and read, have a mooch around any station shops (WH SMITH is a classic) and my FAVOURITE thing of all is to play the 'Highest price' game. You find a ticket machine that no one else is using (caution- do not play this game at peak time if you don't want to be lynched!) and then go to the A-Z finder and try to find the most expensive fare you can! This is more fun with a friend as you then have more of competition! This has kept me entertained at Stratford Station late at night on platform 8 for many minutes!!! I think my record is £535!!!! x
ReplyDeleteA knitter here who waited at Victoria Station on that same Monday morning for a friend, her train was delayed for nearly an hour so much knitting and people watching was done. On meeting up we took a taxi to Euston, where luggage was deposited before we joined third friend and lunched in British Museum Restaurant. We caught up on events over the past year, more knitting done by me at the same time and on my journey home from Waterloo. What does one call a collection of stations?
ReplyDeleteI thoroughly approve of all that knitting! Not sure about the colelctive term for stations. I do know that STATIONMASTER is an anagram of TO STEAM TRAINS though [I have spent too long doing crosswords whilst waiting on platforms]
ReplyDelete