Back home - eventually

I knew it would be tricky to get back from Euston to Birmingham International to retrieve my car and get home.

There was no obvious solution - all involving at least one bus replacement service from different stations - or heading over to Paddington for a completely different route and then various possible ways from Reading, Oxford or Coventry. 

I had a lovely breakfast (complimentary I’m delighted to say) and got to Euston just after 8.15 to ask for advice.

None of the information guys could come up with a clear answer. The information board suggested one way, with just one bus. I asked in the ticket office and was advised to go via Nuneaton and then have two different bus changes !!!

I couldn’t imagine very much worse than being stuck in Nuneaton waiting for a (maybe non-existent) bus to Rugby. So I did what looked safest from the boards. It did agree with one of the websites.

So I took a long slow train to Rugby (with some lovely equally frustrated ladies). 

There I saw for myself the chaotic cottage industry which is the replacement bus business.

Lots of people looking lost. Lots of buses in all shapes and sizes from a range of companies small and National. There was a huge guy in Coventry with a flashy jacket proclaiming he was the Replacement Bus Controller !

I was assured that my bus, leaving after 45 minutes was the express bus heading for Birmingham International. 

He got a bit lost and apologised to us but by that time we were all just glad to be within a few miles of the NEC complex. Bless him.

Nearly five hours, would you believe…..instead of just over an hour in normal circumstances (which these days occur rarely. )

Anyway, I got there, retrieved my car and headed home to face a rather annoyed Suki. 

She’s fine. She’s fed and duly sulking.  

So my blip is a remaining pair of Cosmos.