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perfect wagnerite
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« Reply #7395 on: 13:39:34, 12-09-2008 » |
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I am slowly gathering up the denuded energy to describe my journey back from Brussels last night and this morning ... watch this space, as grumps go this is going to be a good one.   |
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At every one of these [classical] concerts in England you will find rows of weary people who are there, not because they really like classical music, but because they think they ought to like it. (Shaw, Don Juan in Hell)
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Milly Jones
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« Reply #7396 on: 13:41:49, 12-09-2008 » |
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I am slowly gathering up the denuded energy to describe my journey back from Brussels last night and this morning ... watch this space, as grumps go this is going to be a good one. Oh dear. Were you supposed to be coming via the Tunnel? I've just read that it is probably going to be out of action for at least 10 days. They've only just managed to extinguish it! That's at least the third fire in there that I've read about. The last one caused billions of pounds worth of damage. I don't fancy it myself at all! I'll opt for the ferry thanks. |
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We pass this way but once. This is not a rehearsal!
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Ian Pace
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« Reply #7397 on: 13:41:55, 12-09-2008 » |
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I wonder if I could beat your grump, pw, if I described getting a coach from London to Devon last night from 11pm until 5:15, then finding absolutely nowhere to go in Totnes until 8am (and haven't signed the contract on the new place I'm renting there yet)?
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'These acts of keeping politics out of music, however, do not prevent musicology from being a political act . . .they assure that every apolitical act assumes a greater political immediacy' - Philip Bohlman, 'Musicology as a Political Act'
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perfect wagnerite
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« Reply #7398 on: 13:58:06, 12-09-2008 » |
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Oh dear. Were you supposed to be coming via the Tunnel?
Oh yes. I wonder if I could beat your grump, pw, if I described getting a coach from London to Devon last night from 11pm until 5:15, then finding absolutely nowhere to go in Totnes until 8am (and haven't signed the contract on the new place I'm renting there yet)?
Possibly; but you'd need to field a motley cast of non-existent Eurostar customer services, rapacious Brussels hoteliers, inept corporate travel booking services, even more rapacious airlines, and severe turbulence over the North Sea ... oh, and my car is still at Ebbsfleet. Which as far as I can tell is in the middle of the public transport Bermuda Triangle. I never thought the day would come when I would say this, but, by God, I was pleased to get to Heathrow. It was that bad. Ah, that looks like the grump complete, more or less. The worst thing was that the Eurostar staff at Brussels did ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to help last night. Utterly useless. |
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« Last Edit: 14:02:28, 12-09-2008 by perfect wagnerite »
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At every one of these [classical] concerts in England you will find rows of weary people who are there, not because they really like classical music, but because they think they ought to like it. (Shaw, Don Juan in Hell)
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A
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« Reply #7399 on: 14:08:42, 12-09-2008 » |
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A,Your English is really good.
Thanks t-p , praise indeed A |
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Well, there you are.
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Ron Dough
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« Reply #7400 on: 14:17:29, 12-09-2008 » |
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PW and Ian, Sounds horrendous in each case: the collapse of the Excel group of travel/tour companies means that there are about another 90,000 people in similar (or, dare one say, worse) situations to you. Not a good day for travellers.... http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7611639.stm |
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richard barrett
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« Reply #7401 on: 14:19:32, 12-09-2008 » |
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a motley cast of non-existent Eurostar customer services, rapacious Brussels hoteliers, inept corporate travel booking services, even more rapacious airlines, and severe turbulence over the North Sea ... oh, and my car is still at Ebbsfleet. Which as far as I can tell is in the middle of the public transport Bermuda Triangle.
I never thought the day would come when I would say this, but, by God, I was pleased to get to Heathrow. It was that bad.
Ah, that looks like the grump complete, more or less. The worst thing was that the Eurostar staff at Brussels did ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to help last night. Utterly useless.
I am very sorry to hear that... particularly as I'm supposed to be taking the train to Lille on Sunday for rehearsals that start on Monday morning. The Eurostar site is presently saying there won't be any trains on Friday but beyond that they are saying nothing. |
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richard barrett
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« Reply #7402 on: 14:22:48, 12-09-2008 » |
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A,Your English is really good.
Thanks t-p , praise indeed  ¿Que? |
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perfect wagnerite
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« Reply #7403 on: 14:32:05, 12-09-2008 » |
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PW and Ian, Sounds horrendous in each case: the collapse of the Excel group of travel/tour companies means that there are about another 90,000 people in similar (or, dare one say, worse) situations to you. Not a good day for travellers.... http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7611639.stmIndeed, Ron. My credit card may have taken quite a big hit in all this but at least it was a work trip and I'll get it all back. It's much worse for holiday travellers. |
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At every one of these [classical] concerts in England you will find rows of weary people who are there, not because they really like classical music, but because they think they ought to like it. (Shaw, Don Juan in Hell)
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Milly Jones
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« Reply #7404 on: 14:52:55, 12-09-2008 » |
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Some of the things I've been reading lately have put me right off going on holiday! I've been lucky up to now, but there are thousands of people stranded due to the collapse of XL - in Africa, America - all over. 200,000 others have booked holidays that now won't materialise. Will they get all their money back I wonder?
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We pass this way but once. This is not a rehearsal!
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brassbandmaestro
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« Reply #7405 on: 14:58:14, 12-09-2008 » |
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I had my day off last tuesday and have to wait till next wedsneday for my next!!
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Ron Dough
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« Reply #7406 on: 14:59:31, 12-09-2008 » |
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If they booked through ATOL agents and/or paid with credit or visa debit cards they will, Mills. Those who paid by cash, cheque or Switch have no such guarantee.
The CEO was quoted as saying that it would require the world's biggest-ever airlift to fly everyone back, since there's very little spare capacity on commercial flights. EasyJet are offering replacement flights to those that they can carry for a flat fee of £75.
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Milly Jones
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« Reply #7407 on: 15:06:54, 12-09-2008 » |
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Ye gods! I've just read that there were 300 - yes 300!!!! firefighters trying to tackle that blaze. It's a wonder there were no fatalities because there were noxious gases too and smoke. It's a miracle there were only minor injuries. People on the train were having to break windows to get out because train carriages are sealed nowadays (whose stupid idea was it to seal carriages then?) and then it was into a smoke-filled area. Oh bugler that for a game of soldiers! I'm NEVER going down it. I shall stay above and take my chances with a choppy English Channel.  |
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We pass this way but once. This is not a rehearsal!
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brassbandmaestro
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« Reply #7408 on: 15:10:57, 12-09-2008 » |
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My sympathy always goes out to those poor travellers in this kind of situation. Surely, their travel insurance would deal with that?
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Mary Chambers
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« Reply #7409 on: 15:15:30, 12-09-2008 » |
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Some of the things I've been reading lately have put me right off going on holiday!
I'm inclined to agree - and from my own experiences (nothing like as bad as these) of airports, trains or even motorways, I'm beginning to think home is best. The West Coast Main Line allows an unbroken journey only if you're lucky, and only very rarely at weekends or holidays, never at Christmas. My belief in public transport is being shaken. Don't even mention the London Tube. |
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