Going to Cornwall for a week to visit friends and family.
OH took me from Pembrokeshire to Carmarthen station to catch my local train to Swansea. We had a red light stop after 20 mins while another train went by. Carried on then another stop and silence. Then told we were returning to Carmarthen because of flooding and a bus would take us to Swansea. It was all downhill from there!
Minibus to Swansea. Of course we had all missed our connections. Fresh itinerary printed out. I should have changed trains at Bristol Parkway but we all had to continue through to Bristol Temple Meads! Once there we were told we might be able get a coach to Taunton and then may be another coach to Exeter. All this was caused by the severe flooding in Somerset, mainly between Taunton and Exeter and the crowds were massive outside the station waiting for the coaches. Much worse when I was there than was shown on TV in the evening.
By this time it was 3.30 pm. I had been travelling for 6 hours and was just getting that feeling of falling apart! Son rang to see how I was getting and suggested phoning J & B (lifelong friends living in Bristol) - which I did and they took me in for the night!
DAY 2 - Thursday
B took me to the station. I had checked there might be 3 out of the 20 or so trains still running down to Penzance but on arrival there was nothing but a train to Taunton. I noticed TV cameras filming the chaos again; but it wasn't. It was the Queen, doing part of her Jubilee Tour. A couple of us thought she might make room for some of us on her huge train, but there was no offer!!
On the train to Taunton. At last I am getting somewhere! At Taunton station they had us very organised - with fleets of coaches down to Exeter. This fleet had obviously been running all morning and there was a continuous cycle of coaches between Taunton and Exeter down the M5. Ghastly weather, massive flooding of fields. No sheep or cattle - just swans and ducks. I even saw some flamingoes. (honestly!).
Got to Exeter. Bit of a wait on a freezing platform for the train to Penzance.
Finally on my last train, which was itself held up by flooding on the rails and lots of slow travel.
Got to Penzance to see the welcoming face of my son who took me to my sister's where I was staying.
"Where have you been?" she said.
"You're 24 hours late!"
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Hope your weather disruption hasn't been too bad.
~
Ann x
