Mum's Passed Away.

After my christmas do, I stayed at my mum's for the night and when I woke up around 9:30, I made my way out of my bedroom and noticed that my mums curtains were still drawn and that there was no sign of her.

I walked down to her bedroom and saw the door was shut, now my mum is 73 so i started to worry.

I knocked on her door, no answer.

I knocked again, still no answer.

I opened her door and looked at her lying in her bed with her back to me, she was very still and I couldn't see any movement in her chest area/back area.

"Mum" no responce.

"Mum" still no responce.

I'm standing there thinging, Oh shit no.

I moved towards my mum and leaned forward on her bed and a bit louder "Mum".

Still no responce or reaction.

I leaned slowly forward and touched her hand that was visible. It felt cold.

The worst possible thoughts were flying through my head.

I shook my mum gently, once again saying "Mum" loudly.

Still nothing.

At that moment i thought my mum had died peacefully in her sleep, and I can remember, who do i call first, what sister.

I tried once more "Mum" very loudly this time.

My mum turns round and says "Morning"

The relief swept through my whole body and I hope I never have to go through that again.

Nice Night For A Beer

I went to my Christamas do, and to tell you the truth I enjoyed it.

We went to a greek restaurant and had the Meze, which is a combination of 20 greek dishes.
From Taramasalata to Lamb Shanks, copious amounts of beer were consumed and a good night was had by all, even by the 2 managers who were out with us.

Between the meal and the alcohol the bill came to just under £210 and considering there were only 8 of us and the meal was only £14 that was a good amount of beer.

So hopefully this years Christmas drink up will be a lot sooner then last years.

Christmas Drinks

I'm off out on my Christmas do tonight.

Yes that's right my Christmas do, I know your think. Bloody hell that's early.

But alas it's not, this is my 2005 Christmas do, as TFL have told our GSM's that they will give £20 a head towards the drinks/meals.

This was kept generally quiet as we only found out earlier this month, and the time limit expires on the 1st Oct 2006, so a hastally arrange meal and beer were arranged.

So if your in the Kings Cross area around 11pm you might just see a pie eyed Station supervisor walking through the station on the way home to his mothers.

Good job she lives in London.

Ah a fry up in the morning to look forward to. My mums the best.

Strange Voices

Once again tiredness caught me cold last night and i was thinking of my rest days from Friday.

I feel asleep on my sofa and woke about 10 pm to strange voices, as i slowly returned to consiousness, I began to wonder what these noises were.

The voices were coming from outside so I opened my front door and looked outside but no one was visible, then I realise (still being half asleep) that the singing was coming from next door, one of my neighbours friends was getting out of his car and explained to me that my next door nieghbours father had died, and that he was holding a wake.

This I understood as my ex-wife is Ghanian and my nieghbour is Nigerian, and I have been to numerous Ghanian wakes.

He asked me if it was to loud, to which I replied that i understood what was occuring and to carry on.

The singing finished at 12:30

No Service And Proactivity

This morning there was no service on the westbound, anti-clockwise and inner rail Circle Line service.

This sounds like a major set back to the service but incredibly it is only one line that is down, as all three are the same service.

The Hammersmith & City and the Metropolitan lines held up there end on the bargian and ran fairly smoothly during the morning peak, with no customer complaints recieved what so ever.

So thank you to my understanding customers.

After all my bitchin and ranting last year, I've actually become more proavtive during my own shift as self admittedly I was a lazy bugger, and during my morning and evening peaks I spent as much time between service disruptions, contractors and the day to day running of my station being visible to all and sundry by helping out in the booking hall area off my station.

A large amount of customers (mostly female for some strange reason) actually say hello to me.

Horrid Sight

I arrived bright and early at work this morning, as I let myself into the office I came face to face with the night turn SS, having fallen asleep in the chair, with a big lump of drool on his chin.

Now that's not a good way to start an early turn.

WTF Is Going On

When I woke up this morning at 4:30, after starting to run my bath, I made my way downstairs (wow I slept in my bed last night) and switcched on the kettle and started to make my breakfast.

45 minutes later I'm heading off to work, as I got into my car to drive to the station, I looked around for my reading book, which I had purposely left on the passenger seat from the night before.

Guess what.

No book again, so I'm now sitting in my car thinking, where the hell did I put that.

I got out of my car and went back into my house in case i had brought it back into the house.

But i know for a fact that i took the book out of my back pocket and left it on my passenger seat the night before.

When i opened my front door which leads directly into my living room I also notice that one of my sofas has been moved, and it's not the sofa that i sit/sleep on.

I might have to call in Ghostbusters, as thats 4 strange experiances in 3 weeks.

And before you think someone could have taken it from my car, I'm the only one who has the keys plus my mp3 player was still in the car door, and I live alone.

So to recap, I've had
2 books go missing.
1 sofa moved.
1 female voice.

Ohh Mother.

One Long Shift

I did a 16 hour shift yesterday, and thankfully I had a quiet one.

I only dealt witrh a few contractors and no customer complaints (I love days like that).

I caught the 15:00 train out of St Pancras home and was asleep before the train left the platform. A little while later my eyes flew open as I pulled into a station, panic set in, phew I was at Luton, they closed again and opened at Bedford, now for the stuggle.

I forced myself to stay awake, by looking out the window and counting the 1/4 mile stones between Bedford and Wellingborough.

Sad I know but it kept me awake, it took the train on average 13 seconds between each 1/4 mile marker.

By the time I got off the train and made my way home I actually felt wide awake.

I arrived home and played a video that i had taped from the night before. Googlewacked by Dave Gorman. As I watched chuckling to myself and even laughing out loud, I watched until it came to the end of the show, only for my bloody video tape to end before the performance did (swear mutter curse).

After that i watched a bit of M.A.S.H, yes I still watch the reruns on the Comedy Channel, during this I fell asleep but luckily this time I only slept for an hour.

At which time i hit the sack for good and got a good 7 hours sleep in, first time this week.

Whoops I Made A Boo Boo.

Firstly.

I'm covering a night turn tonight as well as my own duty in the morning. So a nice 16 hour duty to look forward to.

As one of my duties are to see off the last trains, I made a bit of a mistake tonight.

I read the last train times wrongly, and sat in my office whilst my last eastbound Circle Line train sat in my platform for 7 minutes. Oops.

My phone rang and I had LIA on the phone asking me whats wrong with the train, good job he did too as the train might have sat there for another 20 minutes, it has been noted so now I'm just waiting for a call from one of the managers.

Oh Dear.

Secondly.

Tonight after locking up my station, which means plunging the UTS gates and pulling the big heavy gates across at the entrance to the station, something I always do on nights, is get myself a pint of milk to drink.

As I made my way back into the station the security guard for the contractors asks me if the station is closed.

I replied "No I always close my gates when I have trains running, what do you think".

I couldn't believe I was asked such a stupid question.

Tired Eyes

I spent an uncomfortable day at work rubbing my eyes.

Lack of sleep meant that my eyes felt like somebody had thrown sharp sand in them, and then spent the whole day rubbing them down with glasspaper.

I really must get an early night as I'm wearing myself down to the bone.

Copious amounts of coffee just isn't working.

I think the reason for the lack of sleep, is for various reasons, I'm severely stressed out.

However I only have 2 weeks left before I'm on leave again. So looking forward to resting then I hope.

Richard Hammond

It's good to see that Richard Hammond is starting to make a recovery, as he is now out of intensive care.

Yes like many a bloke and quiet a few woman too, I do watch Top Gear and it well worth watching just to see him put Jeremy Clarkson in his place.

He did a show peice about a car that if I had the funds availiable I would go out and buy one, and the best thing is it's completely road legal.

This Is Why

I Hate Earlies.

Because I'm up at stupid o'clock.

Why Do People

Get upset when you don't let them travel for free.

Take this morning, I was summons to the gateline as the CSA had a slight problem.

I wandered up to find a member of the public trying to gain entry to the platforms, can I help you I asked calmly.

He shows me a letter from the Home Office and says he can travel home. I ask if he has a ticket, no he replies as revenue have confiscated it, why I asked, oh only because I have a zone 2&3 pass and I'm travelling in zone 1. So i asked if he has any money.

No

Oh dear.

Well if thats the case then "NO"

Why not he asks, er because you've had your travelcard taken away and you don't have any money.

I want to get home he says, where do you live I asked, Seven Sisters he says, well if you go to Euston you can try there for the Vic line. I want to go to Aldgate East he says, why I asked. He replies as I live there.

So now I'm confused, hang on where do you live.

Aldgate East but you teld me Seven Sisters. No I didn't he says

I thought oh dear here we go a right chancer.

Well after another 2 or 3 minutes arguing, I fanally told him that no he wont be travelling from my station, end of story.

He stands and sulks and gives me calves eyes, the only people top get away with that are my kids.

Off he wonders, only to reappear 10 minutes later demanding to be let through.

So I lean over and say you have 2 choices, either leave the station or wait for the police who will help you leave.

30 seconds later he is still standing in the same spot, i calmly reach for the phone and turn round to a vacated spot.

Amasing what a phone call can achieve.

My CSA then informs me that the letter from the Home office was his deportation papers.

Not his lucky day I guess.

Strange Sounds.

I fell asleep on the sofa again last night, I must remember to make it up my stairs tonight and get it into my comfy bed, however I did have a good sleep and woke up at 4am feeling pretty refreshed.

I got up and as I'm on an early start thought that I might as well have a bath and wash my hair, ok shave the hair as most of the time I'm bald as a koot.

I was in the bathroom shaving my head and all of a sudden I heard a womans voice and a murmur.

As I live alone, I was left wondering what had made the noises.

Is my house haunted I fecking hope not.

It was bad enough living with my ex-wife without living with a woman I can't see.

Excellent Part ii

AHHHH Rest Days.

Thank God.

At last after a totally exhausting week, I have 2 days off and so far I was woken up at 11:05, and that was only after a so called friend called me on the phone (no friend of mine anymore).

I feel refreshed after getting a good sleep, the first one all week really.

I was covering a stupid inside early turn, so everyday I was up at 8am (I know late by some peoples standards), at work by 11am and on the way home by 7pm and home by 8pm.

I hate this duty, especially when there is a payday in the middle of it, as you can't do anything, apart from work, home dinner, sleep.

At least I have these 2 days off though so relax time. Pay a couple of bills and go to the gym.

I went back to Weight Watchers (or fat club as I call it) last week as I haven't been since May, I'd gained 20lbs (argh all that hard work gone out the window), time to crack on again, and get motivated.

Talking of motivation, after all the hard work myself and my colleagues have put in over the past 18 to 24 months because of refurbishment works, we were informed last week that a new roster will be in place by next January, 1 of my fellow SS will be losing his position and it will be covered by the bigger station next door, talk about a kick in the bollox, however we are trying to fight it as why should our little minion station lose an SS when the SS at the bigger station next door keep all there staff and actually gain a new member of staff, and this member of staff isn't going to be an SS.

YIKES!!!

I left for work this morning about 9:30, after joining the M1 at junction 14, I accelerated to a certain rate of knots, at junction 13 a Police Galaxy joined the M1 and sped off into the distance, no blue lights no nothing.

I was half way between junctions 13 & 12 when all of a sudden I came across an obstruction laying slap bang in the middle of the fast lane (starts singing life in the fast lane to myself).

About another half a mile down the road I noticed the police cruiser reversing frantically back up the motorway.

On arrival in london, I heard on the radio that one lane was closed between junction 13 & 12 because of debris on the motorway.

It looks like the police didn't reverse in time.

WOW

One of our sharp eyed CSA picked took this off a passenger on Thursday.

Yes I know it's a tube map, but this one was produced in 1978, and the CSA who collected it from the passenger was only 1 year old when it was produced.

Feeling Sentimental

When I arrived home tonight I read some of my favorite blogs, and I noted that pixeldiva has posted a picture of her 3 day old niece.

As a father it brought back loving memories of when my own kids were born, and for some reason actually brought a tear to my eye.

I was thinking about the moment when 2 of my kids were born. If anyone knows the UCH in Euston, the ceilings in the maternity birthing rooms are fairly low. That's where my youngest 2 were born, and during their births I got an injured.

The first was a head injury (probably explains a lot), my ex wife decided that she wasn't comfy lying on her left side and said she needed to swap round to her right side, and could I move the gas and air around to the other side of the bed, as a loving partner (at that time any way), I duly agreed, just then

CLANG went my head off the overhead light, low ceilings and tall men don't agree it seems.

Then just after my ex wife had given birth to our son, I was holding him in my left arm, cuddling him into my chest (yes I am a very gentle man at times) my ex asked if I could open the window slightly as she was baking hot, as I popped the window open, I rested my right hand on the window frame, and a gust of wind slammed the metal framed window straight down across my fingers.

The pain was excruciating, my eyes watered and the window had drawn blood.

I spent 15 minutes with my fingers trapped in the window, waiting for the midwife to come back into the room, as my ex wife had just given birth and couldn't get out of bed and my other arm was holding my son.

Oh the pain and anguish those kids have caused me since. But I still LOVE them.

Smiler

As I walked out of the office at my colleague's station having sent him for the bacon sandwiches, I almost bumped into a lovely looking young woman , who gave me the biggest smile I've seen in a while.

It was only then i realised I had walked out of the office without my trouser on.

It actually made my day to geta smile instead of a grimace from a customer.

Would You Like Salt with That Sir Part ii

I arrived at my colleagues station to give him his meal break again. He popped over to Benjy's in Tottenham Court Road, we had some lovely bacon sandwiches and then tucked into some lovely jam donuts, as we both licked the outsides of the donuts, we looked at each other and thought.

WTF.

He looked at me, I looked at him.

The lovely looking donuts were covered in SALT.

Now I don't know about you but salt and donuts for some reason just do not mix.


UPDATE:

I took the donuts back to Benjys, and when I walked in and explained about the salt on them.

Me "I bought these donuts and they are covered in salt"
Them "Salt"
Me "Yes salt"
Them "Did you buy them from here"
Me "No I always carry round donuts in a Benjy bag"
Them "When"
Me "About 20 minutes ago"
Them "And what do you want me to do about this"
Me "A refund or some new donuts"
Them - blank expression
Me "Er are you going to do anything"
Them - blank expression
Me - looks toward ceiling and rolls my eyes

All of a sudden the manageress arrives

Them "Whats the problem"
Me "these donuts are covered in salt"
Them "Salt"
Me - here we go again "Yes SALT (I say slowly)
Them "Did you buy them her"
Me hmpf "Yes"
Them "do you have a reciept"
Me "Its here in the bag"

I produce the reciept

Them "Here's your money back"

As Monty Python once said "if you want to get anywhere in this world today, you have to say "niggit niggit niggit"

Midland Mainline Services

I must be in a pissed off ranting mood tonight, as here comes another one.

This is a compliant that I wrote to Midland Mainline tonight,

I was on the 16:30 from London St Pancras, and as I season ticket holder I do appreciate that trains are sometimes cancelled especially when defective.

However one thing that really gets on my nerves about Midland mainline is that for some strange reason Bedford Customers are allowed to reserve seats on your trains and that Midland Mainline also seem to give priority to Bedford Customers, if any of there trains are cancelled an alternative service will stop there instead, ie tonights 17:00 first stop Wellingborough.

Why should this happen when the Bedford customers have a choice of 2 services FCC

I have noticed that if I travel into work on nights that if the 21:08 is cancelled does Midland mainline stop the service that runs through 5 minutes earlier. NO

It passes through the station and we are left to wait for a later service.

Can someone from management please let me know why this happens as we seem to suffer yet Bedford passengers don't.

Pissy I know but at least I feel better for ranting off.

Slack Parenting

As a parent I feel I'm pretty strict with my kids.

But on the journey home on the Midland Mainline train tonight, there was this shit bag of a kid who just ran riot over his/her/its parents, and ran up and down a full carriage.

Mum sat there as if in a daze, whilst dad was in a wishy washy voice "oh don't do that".

To tell you the truth it came to the satge where I was about to say to the parent "don't you have any fucking control over your brat". If I was on the outside seat I know one brat who would have tripped on my foot.

The other passengers around me were also thinking the same thing, as you could tell by there expressions being mostly stressed out.

I know that might sound harsh but I travel on this journey everyday and I also take my 3 kids on this journey, but there is no way i would let my kids behave that way.

The worst thing was that when I was getting off at my station, this blood family got off too, with shit bag pressing each and every button, and when dad picked it up as there is a large gap, it goes into freak out mode, screaming blue murder and shouting for mummy.

As I left the train, I thought please please please let it fall down the gap.

Would You like Salt With That Sir.

I arrived at my colleagues station to give him his meal break again. He popped over to Benjy's in Tottenham Court Road, we had some lovely bacon sandwiches and then tucked into some lovely jam donuts, as we both licked the outsides of the donuts, we looked at each other and thought.

WTF.

He looked at me, I looked at him.

The lovely looking donuts were covered in SALT.

Now I don't know about you but salt and donuts for some reason just do not mix.

Some Mothers Do Have Em

I arrived at my colleagues station today as I was covering the meal relieves.

Beep, beep,beep went the pager. Ring, ring ring went the phone.

"Hi this is LIA (Line Information Assist), services are being held up at Liverpool Street because a contractor has decided to go for a walk down the tunnel and the little men in white coats are on the way".

"What"!!! I replied.

That's right a contractor decided he didn't like working for us anymore and went for a walk.

Oh well.

Now Reading.

Seeing as my book has vanished, I decided on some light reading to ease away my stress, so I am going to chill and read in the garden and just relax.

Only joking, but I've lost book 4 of the series, so thats something to purchase on payday, which is Wednesday, thank god for that I'm back to normal wages.

The past 3 months have been grim as I have had deductions of £900 a month coming out of my pay, this was because i asked the company for a loan to help with my renty, did i struggle, to bloody right I did.

Nice Weekend So Far.

Well apart from a manic Friday doing housework, ironing, washing and hoovering (the joys of living alone you know).

I've just chilled out and dossed for the past 2 days, what a waste of time i've had, I still haven't found my book, so I'm a bit peed off with that as i could be out in the garden reading.

The only thin I'm happy about, is the fact unlike some of my colleagues I'm not working, however back to the rat race on Tuesday.

I must rememebr to bring in a certain CD for the Station Master.

Strange But True...

I arrived home last night and as I have the weekend off and know I don't have to put up with any engineering works, I thought about getting an early night for once.

But no luck there I still went to bed at 2am, which is early for me as I've been getting to bed around 4 this week.

As I made my way up to my bed, I thought I would just get my book and read for a little while.


I've now been searching on and off since 2am and i still can't find my book. I brought it in from the car, I'm sure I did, but so help me I can't find the thing.

And the worst part is, it's part 4 of a series of books.

I Might Be In Trouble...

We had some new lockers delivered last week, and as one of my colleagues was on duty at the time, he swiped the top locker, but as he is quiet a bit shorter then me and needs a box to stand on to open it (joking), I got hold of the spare keys and put all his stuff on the bottom locker.

Before you ask did I take his old one, No I didn't I just moved his stuff as a prank.

I will eagerly await his email on Wednesday.

I Spoke To Soon...

Just as I pressed publish post, the Bakerloo line service fell over too, with a suspension between Elephant & Castle and Lambeth North because of a security alert.

Someones Pressed The ARGH Button

I've had a fairly peaceful shift, that was until my colleague and his mum showed up to say "HI".

My colleague even asked if I was having a quiet day.

Fatal Error:

Firstly at 19:25 the Hammersmith & City and Circle lines fall over with a signal failure at Edgware Road westbound, then 10 minutes later the Metropolitan line comes out in sympathy and suspends itself between Baker Street and Aldgate, so that there aren't to many trains running through the city.

The District then thinks hang on, them other lines are having fun so why can't I, and promptly goes into delay mode between High Street Kensington and Edgware Road.

Not to be out done Queensway closes and suspends the Central line between Marble Arch and White City, The Vic line then joins in to with minor delays because of a signal failure at Seven Sister.

And this is all within 25 minutes of each other.

So what with the Jubilee Line affected early in the day, as of 20:00hrs only 4 lines out of the 12 lines are working with a good service.

About Last Night.

As I walked in my front door last night, I thought what the hell am I still doing on this job.

I'm fed up of coming home to an empty house at god forsaken hours.

Most of this week I have got home at 12:40am then I wake up in the morning, amd get ready to go to London and work.

As I've just done nights and now straight onto lates, my house is a tip, I have a pile of ironing to look forward to, and the worst of it is that I have a whole weekend off coming up. and what will i do.

NOTHING.

Life is just so tedious at times.

Holy Cow

I was in bed, sound asleep, when a persistent noise slowly entered my subconscious, I toss and turn thinking whats that noise, then it clicks, someone is calling me, even though I have all my phones on silent, I can still hear the base station downstairs.

I slowly stretch across from my big comfy bed and slowly pick up the phone.

In a drowsy voice I said.

"Hello"

I get a reply from an old lady.

"Is that the milk dairy"


AAARRRGGGHHH!!!

Excellent

I do like this site

Noise, Clutter and Smell

As you can see lots of work are taking place at my station this weekend. The sweet smell of diesel hangs in the air, the racket and din vibrate through the station, I will be gald when Monday arrives, as i have more of the same today.

Isn't It Strange What You Find Out On A Train Journey Home

I finished nice and early last night, with my night turn colleague arriving at 9:30 so I could get my last train home at 10:10, yes that early on a Saturday night.

I was chatting with an old acquaintance who used to work for Midland Mainline, but now works for FCC.

After a while he pulls out a magazine (no not one of those mags, you filthy readers), now I have heard of Train spotters, Eddie (Eddie Stobart) spotters, Plane spotter and even Bus spotters, but the one thing I have never heard of is a ferry spotter.

At one stage he started chortling away to himself and shows me a picture of the Manx ferry and the difference between standard and deluxe class.

When he got off the train at Bedford, I was left with the feeling, well each to there own.

What's The Use Of Having A Union

My local TSSA & RMT are crap

We found out this week, that god sorry my GSM is putting a new roster into place. So because of this new roster we are are loosing a supervisor at my station.

To say I am unhappy about this is an understatement.

One of the Station Supervisors, not me I might add, is to loose his job, so that the BIG station next door can have a new Control Room Assistant, this will mean that the SS from the BIG station will now cover part of the duties that we once did.

However if management think carefully why should they touch my station, when if they look at the BIG station and the Supervisors there (who I might add are on the higher wage bracket) they can make the cuts there.

I know this might look a bit selfish but it has now really effected moral on my station.

So thanks to my GSM and my so called union reps not even consulting with us properly, we are once more being shafted by the company.

I know one member of staff who will not be doing any more overtime, or swapping shifts to help out on my group.

If I have to close for my 30 minute meal relief I will.

I will also be sending an email to my fellow station supervisors about it.
There is only one money grabber on my station that will have to be brought into line.

Two Very Quiet Days.

Apart from two little brain farts, my last two days at work have been reasonably dead.

Both nights at 9:05pm I have had 2 eastbound signal failures. My station starter signal (this means the red and green signals on my eastbound platform has stayed at danger.

What this means is that I actually have to do some work.

So I wander out onto the platform, make my way up to the drivers cab and after making sure the platform is safe, I give the driver permission to preceed past a red signal. Once the doors are closed, the train pulls forward at caution speed, where it is tripped by the train stop on the res signal.

Atfer the train operator resets his trip cock on the front of his train, I then check the train is still clear of passangers and tell the train op to proceed once more, and off the train goes at caution speed.

I know we don't call it caution speed any more, so don't go and try and point it out, this is an easier way for readers who aren't versed in underground terminology to understand.

WOW terminology where the hell did I get that word from at this time on a Saturday morning.

For the next two days my station will be closed as i have planned engineering works being carried out in my platform area, so noise and dust will prevail.

Christ I've swallowed a dictionary.

I'm going to take my camera in today and take some photos of the works, so you can see what happens, during track works.