Race For Life

Three of the staff at Camden Town are running in the Tesco Race For Life. If you feel like sponsoring these lovely little ladies for a good cause feel free to look at the sponsorship form.

A Night Of Beer

Well after a night on the beer with the Station Master, It's now 02:25 in the morning and my self and the Station Master are both pissed.

We were wondering where were the rest of the London Bloggers who fancied a beer or three.

Yes we are both trousersed and we were waiting for Annie Mole to arrive at our local beer up which we both fancied meeting.

We had a great night and surprisingly I can actually spell, and many a beer did flow.

After getting home, myself and the SM tucked into a Vodka Smirnoff Black, and after drinking a few to many I actually hurt the Station Master whilst playing knuckles, damn them beers are good.

It's a good job he took his Special Constable Test on Tuesday as I hurt his poor wee handies.

He let me off with a caution threatening me with a pepper spraying, god I'm kinky and pissed.

First Managerial Rant Of The Year

I have only been at work for less then 30 minutes, when I end up arguing with a Cleaning Manager from our so called cleaning company.

Why is it that these contractors have a habit of putting in crap cleaners, and then get upset when a Station Supervisor has a pop about them?.

At present at my station is going through a refurbishment and my normal cleaner, who is very good is fighting a losing battle, she is off to another station to give her batteries a re-boost.

So as I have the Cleaning Manager on site I asked her as I have a decent cleaner now can I have a decent replacement.

Basically i was told you will get who is availiable, I told the Cleaning Manager that if i got the same useless bint as before, I wont be allowing her to work at my station.

After a few brief words back and forth. The Manager fires in "Shall I go back outside and come back in again"

I looked the Cleaning Manager straight in the eye and replied "No you can stay where you are thanks"

Which went down like a lead balloon.

It seems that our Cleaning Manager can dish stuff out but can't take it.

I'm Confused

I just checked out my sitemeter and I'm seriously wondering how someone did a Google search and got from Fridge Freezer Problems to my Blog.

I noticed some of the searches before on Google and my Blogs been mentioned on Dogging, Cottaging and Toothing which I can except, but fridge freezers. Confused yes, so am I

Nice and Easy

I had a fairly quiet day today, the only thing really to report is that I saw The Station Master about 10:00, I got in early as he had his fitness test with the Met Police today, he will fill you in on the details.

Anyway we had a decent chat and he was in a much better frame of mind now that he has decided to blog again.

The only disturbing bit of news, is that I'm single yet again, (woman sheesh!!!). What a nice call that was.

Also I believe that The Station Master and I will be out on the lash and the pull this Thursday in a pub called The Rocket somewhere between Euston and Kings Cross.

So if you see a big bald drunken man and a smaller drunk, that's us being daft.

Return of SM

The Station Master has returned to blogging, it looks like my mouldy kipper threat worked.

Welcome Back Big Boy.

Nice Weekend

I had a good weekend with my kids, and spent loads of money I haven't got, thank god for pay day on Wednesday.

I love having my kids and luckily I'm also on leave over Easter so I can have my kids for the week.

Whilst I've been away, I noticed that my colleague and next door neighbour had decided to quit blogging.
So I called him today to find out whats going on and to give him abuse for quitting. I'm also wondering why he's quitting too, but alas I think I was unable to alter his mind, The thing is with my colleague he is very set in his ways, and once his minds made up he doesn't change it.

Oh and back to work tomorrow.

Ho Hum!!!

Last Late Turn Only One Shift Left Though

Well after a long and sometime, ok mostly tedious week of late turns, they will finally finish tomorrow with a spare duty which lasts only 6 hours.

Its been a different sort of week and the only good thing about it is giving the Station Master grief all week and talking generally bollox all week (in a northern accent of all things).

So I travelled home and when my train arrived at Luton the rear 4 cars wouldn't open so we sat at one of the crappest towns in England for an extra 15 minutes.

The best thing about tomorrow is that I'm off for the weekend and looking forward to seeing my 3 kids. i only get to see them once every six weeks, and now that i'm thinking about out, I might change that so I get to see them every 3 weeks instead. It all depends on my ex-wife, but I can see her saying yes as it gives her more freedom away from our kids.

Oh well time to get myself a beer. Which is something I've been doing everynight this week.

Also I've been having extremely late nights watching the Commonwealth Games, so I've been going to sleep around 4am every morning, and waking up at 9am. But not tonight as iI'm at work at 11am instead of 3pm

Why is it!!!

Just as i was leaving work tonight, the driver of a train decided to stop in my platform and open his doors.

Confused, let me enlighten you.

My station closes at a certain time each night, well before the normal stopping time for the train service.

When I see off the trains, I open up the Station Closure Boards and switch on the Hazard Lights which indicates to the trian Ops that the station in closed. I also isolate the Correct Side Door Enabliser switch (CSDE).

Now a train pulled into my platform with the the lights flashing and the CSDE isolate and stopped, the Train Driver moves the the other side of his cab and over-rides the CSDE from his drivers cab.

Hey Presto, the train doors open. Luckily nobody gets off the train. I came out of the office and told the driver to close his doors and bugger off. Unfortunately I now had to inform the Line Controller, which I hate doing as I don't want to get a fellow member of staff in trouble, and before you say why didn't I keep quiet, I'm not getting my arse chewed out of somebody else mistake.

Secondly, tonight (and I might remove this part tomorrow), one of my colleagues got some bad news today. His wife works in a hotel as a chambermaid, and whilst she was cleaning up a room, she was pricked by a needle which belonged to a resident who suffers from diabetes, after going to her doctor, it appears that she may have contracted Hepatitis B, and my colleague will also have to have tests just in case he has caught the virus from his wife. Hopefully all is ok with both of them and they both get the all clear.

Thirdly, you might have noticed that I've been fart arseing around with my template, to tell you the truth I'm not very computer literate when it comes to this sort of thing and I thought to myself, I hope I haven't cocked it up, but guess what I was lucky. Phew

Early-ish Home

After one of the most boring weekends I've had for a while, I finally got home about 00:15, which will be the earliest time I get home all week.

I was reading through one of my old comments from New Years Day and I realised 3 of the 5 resolutions have almost failed.

I noticed that, yes I have learned to count and yes I have found a lovely woman who makes me very happy.

I also noticed that I had almost lapsed at the gym and blogging when last month I had some annual leave and everything went pair shaped.

My biggest disappointment is my diet, I had done so well but these past 3 or 4 weeks I just haven't been able to get back into it.

Tomorrow is a new day and I will start my diet again. So heres hoping.

In Quiet Desperation

I was chatting with my colleague The Station Master about life and how lonely he is, and the fact that he needs a woman in his life.

So come on ladies Email him. he is not to desperate but he needs some loving.

The Long Trek Home

I finished and ultra boring day at work with the knowledge that i was coming home to a nice warm flat.

I left work at 22:30 and proceeded to Kings Cross Thameslink for my train home to Bedford, And my drive home from there.

I arrived at Kings Cross to find that the 22:48 train had been cancelled, I thought never mind I was going to get the next one as it's a semi fast to Bedford. So I wait on a very cold platform and the 23:03 arrives on time into very congested station and the train is only 4 cars long.

I scrambled to a door and I'm wedged in beside a ton of people.

Now I'm quiet a large fella and this poor young woman in front of me was worried as this monster of a man leans over her as I'm being shoved from behind.

The train sets off and the next stop is Kentish Town, more people get on, I am now near to this poor woman and unfortunately look down and all I see is clevage. Do you know how hard it is to look anywhere else on a train when your thrust up against a lovely looking lady who against me looks petite.

Well I did. I counted windows, doors, other passengers, even the the handles on the carriage.

At West Hampstead, A few people got off the train and I saw a bit of space, which i made a beeline for. I reached the space by barging a drunken fool out of the way.

I had a seat by St Albans, when all of a sudden over the PA we are told "this train will now terminate at Luton, and replacement buses have been supplied to get you to Bedford.

At 12:01 I arrive at Luton and get crushed onto a bus and we depart to Bedford.
Great replacement bus as the driver then proceeds to get us lost between two stations.

I finally arrive at Bedford at 01:00 and i know that I have a 30 minute drive home and that my heating will have gone off and my flat will be cold.

Oh Joy and I have to do it again today but hopefully without all the hassle getting home.

Happy St Patricks Night

The one thing about working on St Pats night is, I feel jealous as I come from Irish parents and follow the Irish code more so then the English. So I celebrate Paddy's Day but can't as I'm working.

You will find a lot of Irish decendants are the same, especially tonight. Even English people go out and celebrate it, which always makes me wonder why you never really see and good celebrations on St George's Day.

But back to my day at work.

I entered a nice office only to find that the early turn had only thought of himself and not worried about the rest of the day.

I have a member of staff who is on bereavement leave after his mother passed away.

So instead of trying to arrange coverage for the late turn, he sat on his fat arse and did sweet F.A.

I spoke to the main group station, who said they don't have any coverage. So I rang the DSM afterwards and told him I need a member of staff.

Me: We Have no late turn staff for the gate line.

Him: Can't you cover it.

Me: No, how can i run a station from the gateline.

Him: Well what do you plan on doing.

Me: Plunge the gates after the other SS has finished at 18:30 and leave them open until we close.

Him: Let me look into it.

15 Minutes Later:

Him: Right CSA ***** ***** will be down from 17:00 to cover your gate line.

Why do I have to end up threatening management with opening the gates up before we they make a decision.

But apart from that the day ran fairly smoothly until 19:30 and when the Circle line broke down with a security alert at Blackfriars. How ever this was short lived (10 Minutes) and normal service was resumed by 21:30.

Tomorrow and Sunday, because of Engineering works, I don't have any service, so i will be bringing in my pipe, slippers and sleeping bag.

Uneventful Shift

Well I'm back on lates and only 8 0f them to do. The best thing is that as the end i get to see my kids for the whole weekend.

Yes I know my ex was being stubborn last time and gave me a load of grief but I asked her the other day if i would be allowed to see my kids for the whole weekend, and she has now agreed.

Any way back to work, apart from a little glitch with the Met line, all was quiet, and it went swiftly by.

Surreal Conversations

Last night (I) had a few surreal conversations with the Station Manager, the main one being that as i was on the phone the contractors started drilling on the wall next to my office.

dddddrrrrrrrrrrrrr mah numma nunna.

Apart from that it was a quiet night and the contractors behaved themselves. So alls fair in love and war.

Chocolate Machines

As some of you might have noticed the chocolate machines on all Underground stations have been out of service.

However last night the Cadbury's Mechanic was on site fixing the problem that caused the trouble in the first place.

All machines will have a few parts replaced and when LUL give permission all will be switched back on.

Eye would just like to point out one other fact, whilst chatting over night with my colleague The Station Master, he told me he hates my spelling as i have a tendency to use i instead of I. Please let me know if this bothers other readers and i will try to rectify the problem almost immediately

Pleasent night

Well after resuming to 2 nights of a night shift, I had a fairly pleasent night.

Apart from the usual night contractors who were all off site by 3:30 everything ran smoothly until 3am when i had the missfortune of locking myself out of the Supervisors off, luckily the night turn DSM was on duty and he has a spare key (What are DSM's there for after all).

I opened up the station as usual and at 6:30ish the job fell over with a signal problem in the Aldgate area and the service being suspended between Moorgate and Aldgate. So P.A's made and a phone call from my relief saying he is stuck on a train in the Aldgate area.

I got away at just after 7 and because it was my first night back i actually went to bed straight away.

Oh well only tonight left and then 2 days off. Roll on tomorrow.

Back To Business

Well after almost 10 days off i'm back to work tonight.

I've had a good time off and spent some good quality time with my girlfriend, I feel relaxed and rested and the only unfortunate thing is i have to do 2 nights work before i'm on rest day again.

At least i will be able to have a good chat with the Station Master, and get all the gossip whilst i've been off.