Reading station, with reflections

...and snazzy new waiting rooms as part of the refurb. I am in Walthamstow. More anon.

... I caught the train up to London in lashing rain. The ticket machine on Stroud station had been vandalised, so the queue was long and tempers short. However, the journey was unevenful. The sun came out around Kemble, but I did not manage any good shots. Fields had turned into floodplains, but the train proceeded, and I pleased to see that progress has been made on re-doubling the railway line between Kemble and Swindon. It was reduced to single track status in the 1960s as part of the Beeching cuts, so this stretch had become the weakest link, with frequent long waits around Swindon or Kemble. In 2011, after years of political wrangling, the go ahead was finally given for redoubling, and the work is due to be completed around April this year. This will significantly improve the journey time for commuters and other travellers.

In London, I tubed up to Walthamstow. This area was last seen in my blips in May 2013. I went to stay with a friend, Anne, prior to attending a lunch party on Saturday. We passed a pleasant evening: she needed a massage on her arms, so I obliged, and then we had fish and chips from the takeaway. We watched an old episode of Pointless Celebs, and suddenly it was about midnight and time to go to bed...