I hate public transport. (Oh, and I bought a car)

[pandamonium]

As some of you may know, I agreed to buy SpottedLaurel's Bluebird. I decided to go to collect it by train, as I didn't want to ask my wife to drive me all the way from Rayleigh(Essex) to Diss(Norfolk).

I set off at 6.50 am, with my wife rather kindly dropping me off at the train station, only to find that the times given on the net were different to the timetable on the wall. Also, the one on the wall is no good as there are works on, meaning that I had to wait til 7.30 for the next train, that wouldn't even take me all the way. I would have to change at Romford and get a replacement bus to Stratford to get the train to Diss.

I arrived at Romford, and found the bus to Stratford. The driver hadn't been told that he was a replacement bus service! Anyway, I got to Stratford, only to bee told that there were no outbound trains from there, and that I would need to get the tube to Newbury, then a replacement bus to .... Romford! Then a train to Ingatestone, where I could change to the Diss train.

When I finally got to Ingatestone, I was told I would have an hour wait for the next train to Diss. The customer service lady at the station showed me to the waiting room and went into the staff room to make me a cuppa (no vending machines at Ingatestone).

She then advised that I get the next train to Ipswich, then get off and board the train to Diss, which would not save any time, but at least I'd be on the move. I arrived at Diss at 12.10pm! And the government wonders why we won't give up our cars?

In the end Nigel picked me up from the station and we went back to his house to complete the transaction (and have a cuppa!)

I couldn't resist this photo opportunity...

[mattblack]

Sounds like you had fun!Looks like it was worth the effort, tho...

[trigger]

Hey you past my front door and never said hi!.It does't surprise me with the trains though, I always seem to end up having problems getting trains to and from London, Between Stratford and Chelmsford seem to be the worse bits.The Birdbird makes it look worth it though.

[greengartside]

Nice one Pandamonium :)Yeah there's bridge repairs in Diss at the moment too, so the main road is closed! The Highways Agency are recommending a 50-mile detour...

[retrogeezer]

I was soooo tempted with this as well but I can't have two of them!

[pandamonium]

I'm so pleased with it. Drives really well, apart from a bit of vibration over 50mph (seems like a buckled wheel/ dodgy tyre). It has the honor of taking me to Newcastle tomorrow too! - the choice was 1. Chevy - @ 20mpg you have gotta be kidding, 2. Nippa - Hahahaha, or 3. Bluebird.

[wuvvum]

'S funny, last time I bought a car off Spottedlaurel (the Camry) I had problems with the trains to Diss as well - SL ended up collecting me from Norwich.I also had problems with the train getting to Stansted on Tuesday to fly out to my folks' for Christmas. I got to Norwich station in plenty of time for the 06.52 as I'd decided that if it was delayed / cancelled because of the snow I was just going to drive. The train was there though and left on time, but somewhere between Norwich and Ely it picked up a 9-minute delay, so what should have been a 7-minute window for me to catch my connection to Stansted turned into -2 minutes. And the muppet guard didn't mention anything about the delay or, Heaven forbid, ask the connection to wait for two minutes until we got in. So the long and short of it was I ended up having to get a taxi from Cambridge to Stansted as that was the only way I could be sure of getting there in time. Then of course the fugging plane was an hour late...

[pompei]

I've just come back from Sheffield on the train which was full of foul-mouthed low-life teenagers screaming at each other I also had the misfortune to look oved the shoulder of the person in front who was reading the Daily Mail - "The homeless are smelly and scary", read the title of the feature.Makes mental note to check out the cost of going first class next time.

[Tayne]

.

[Richard]

I thought you must be making it up, but no.

 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1238839/Ive-liked-homeless--theyre-smelly-scary-So-Christmas-shift-shelter-change-mind.html

[Spottedlaurel]

Glad you got back home somewhat more successfully than your journey to Diss! The problems don't seem to have been this end so much (Victoria Road is open again, complete with new bridge) as down in Essex.Thinking about that vibration, I wonder if it's the left rear? Tyre on that wheel isn't great anyway and I recall that corner clipping a kerb concealed in the snow last week. Sorry, only just twigged that and due to the recent weather I haven't been going anywhere particularly quickly.Might be worth putting the spare on before your lengthy journey tomorrow? It'd be a shame to spoil what is otherwise a nice cruiser.

[Pete-M]

the choice was 1. Chevy - @ 20mpg you have gotta be kidding, 2. Nippa - Hahahaha, or 3. Bluebird.

But, but, I thought the Nippa would do 8000000000 miles for £5? Surely it's the only choice

[pandamonium]

It definately felt like it was coming from the back. Tell you what though, I've never been in a car that felt so well screwed together and sorted.

[pandamonium]

Oh, and it took me about 20 minutes to find the A143 after getting lost on the single track roads!

[pandamonium]

the choice was 1. Chevy - @ 20mpg you have gotta be kidding, 2. Nippa - Hahahaha, or 3. Bluebird.

But, but, I thought the Nippa would do 8000000000 miles for £5? Surely it's the only choice

True, but I'd rather pay the extra petrol money than be in a car less refined than an Austin Metro City!

[FredTransit]

I don't get it? Would it be soooo cruel to ask your wife to give you a lift? My other half would have to be out of the country before I would let him off a road trip for a new acquisition.....

[pandamonium]

She's done about 10 or 11 trips in the 4 years we've been together, but this time is pregnant + full of cold so there was no way I was letting her take me.

[Mr_Bo11ox]

Pregnancy is a lousy excuse for not getting involved in a shite round-up mission! As is lack of a driving licence, timing of a career-critical exam, a hot date with Geri Halliwell or DEATH.

[babydriver]

try taking the bus!! took me over 5 hours to get my last ebay bargain in Eccleston 40 miles from Manchester, got to the garage where I was told the car was (somewhere down country roads where busses are hourly) and after walking for miles down single track lanes the geezer said 'it aint here mate its at the other garage' and 'o & so's on holiday today. After a bit of a paddy from me I was given a lift to said destination. Was well chuffed with purchase tho. By the way if you rear tyre makes you feel that you are wiggling your bum when rolling slowly it could be the tyre, this has happened to me recently as the tread started to leave the carcus of the tyre and a bulge formed taht was not obvious to the eye.Enjoy your purcahase, looks lovely

[r.welfare]

Great result for both parties here and good to see a decent motor stay in the fold. I quite like a good train journey to pick up some new shite.

[FredTransit]

Pregnancy is a lousy excuse for not getting involved in a shite round-up mission! As is lack of a driving licence, timing of a career-critical exam, a hot date with Geri Halliwell or DEATH.

Absolutely, but I may be going soft when I say I might let you off with death if it was me.....

[retrogeezer]

By the way if you rear tyre makes you feel that you are wiggling your bum when rolling slowly it could be the tyre, this has happened to me recently as the tread started to leave the carcus of the tyre

I noticed this on the 323 I had, one of the rear tyres had deformed a little and you could really feel it in the car. Got it changed pronto like.

[Spottedlaurel]

So Pandamonium, I see you've been posting since your long trip in the Bluebird, which presumably means you made it somewhow. How did it go?

[Pillock]

By the way if you rear tyre makes you feel that you are wiggling your bum when rolling slowly it could be the tyre, this has happened to me recently as the tread started to leave the carcus of the tyre

I noticed this on the 323 I had, one of the rear tyres had deformed a little and you could really feel it in the car. Got it changed pronto like.

Aye, our Saxo had a rear tyre go egg-shaped. Really odd sensation at low speed.

[pandamonium]

It went perfect. The tyre change cured the vibration, and the trip went without fault.. well.. the electrics did get drowned by the torrential downpour causing a slight splutter(sorted with a squirt of WD40). The car is the automotive equivilent to a Travellodge room. . . A perfectly comfortable and acceptable place to be - but spend more than 5 minutes in there and you are bored to tears! In other words, exactly the car I wanted to take me into the 'boring' stage of my life. I think of some of the shitheaps I've owned and wonder why I've bothered, when there are gems like this out there for next to nowt.