National

1. The wild weather doesn't appear to have stopped my train from leaving so up at six, taxi by seven, well on the way by eight.

2. There's a slowing down at Shap, but things come to a dramatic halt when someone throws themselves onto the line at Leighton Buzzard (I've never written that before, so no idea if that's how it's spelled). After 20 minutes at Rugby, it becomes clear that I'm not going to make it. That in itself is a relief. There's nothing I can do.

3. Plans changed I plough on. The ripple affect of this, just in our little section of the train is startling. People's lives interupted. It's an odd shift in everyone's plans. It unites us all a little and someone always reminds us that it could be worse.

4. I have an interesting mix of being spectacularly late and spectacularly early. What I am there for goes ok. I think. Well, maybe. Who knows? A good thing to do, I have no doubt.

5. The long journey home starts. And goes on and on. I spot this train at some point on the journey and think how cheerful it looks and makes me smile. Not as much though as the sight of three friends being reunited on the platform at Carlisle. Young guys, running shouting to scoop up their friend. They bounce up and down on the spot hugging. One of the best things I've seen so far this year.