Woburn Safari Park

As I'm on annual leave, I have two of my kids for the nine days, so today I took them off to Woburn Safari Park, my kids thoroughly enjoyed themselves and I was lucky enough to take a few nice pictures (OK 153) along the way.

I caught one of the lioness's playing a bit of football.
I went with a friend who pointed out this little fella laying on the roof of a shelter which I'd drived passed and completely missed.
This cheeky little bugger had a free ride around the monkey enclosure. I should have asked for his ticket.
I was a bit worried that the swans had turned suicidal as these two kept trying to drown themselves.

This lovely lady just stood there perusing all the cars and probably think ... mmmm dinner.

The only worry of the whole day was when I turned around and realised my 8 year old boy had gone for a wander, for any parent who has had this happen your whole world goes into panic, luckily my son used his head and went to the Information Post and told them he was lost, a bit worrying though was he couldn't describe me (not hard a big bald bugger), he couldn't remember if I was wearing a hat or not.

When we finally left around 6pm, both of my kids were exhausted and they passed out on the drive back home.

More picture are available on my Flickr account if you feel like viewing them.

Woken Up Early

There's certain times when you don't mind being woken, normally I'm woken early by a phone call from my No2 daughter, she has a habit of calling me at strange times such as 7am when I'm on a late start of 3pm or 4pm when I'm on nights knackering my whole sleep pattern.

Today though my son woke me, how you might ask, by climbing into bed with me at 7:30 and giving me a huge cuddle and snuggling up to his old dad in bed.
Come 8am he was up and out of bed wanting to play the ps3 as usual, but no 8am is just to early so I tell him to wait until 9am instead.

I have two of my kids for the next nine days, my daughter bet that she could stay quite for the whole nine days at 20p per day (sorted) but after only 35 minutes she was back to her usual bubbly self and there went my chance for peace and quiet, oh well no lose of funds on my part.

The menu is sorted until Wednesday when we will be off to see my mum for a couple of days and the kids are looking forward to that, so time to relax and let my kids run riot for the week.

Ah That Special Sleep Pattern

I hit the sack last night before the 12am bench mark, this is very unusual for me but working over this boring and tedious weekend has taken it out of me.

Strangely I've woken up and feel really refreshed, then I think hang on whats woken me and what time is it. My eyes focus easily on the clock as I'm wide a wake.
03:22, f**k that's 78 minutes before my alarm has to go off.

I crash back onto the pillow and fall asleep once, next time my eyes open, they feel glued together and I struggle to focus on the clock, 04:04 oh bollox still to early.

I close my eyes but now sleep is not forth coming, my eyes are fluttering open every few minutes to check those little red digits ticking by.

04:30 arrives and my alarm should have sounded by now but I'm woken by the silence. Shit I forgot I set my alarm for 04:35 instead of 04:30 so being the typical human, do I get up

Do I bugger.

Finally the sweet sound of music erupts from my clock radio, and even though I'm expecting it my heart starts pounding, I'd forgotten that it was my radio alarm and not my mobile which is set at a higher decibel.

Oh well only one more early rise after today, then I have two weeks leave and have the pleasure of my son and my middle daughter for eight days.

Fame At Last

First thing this morning I had three new recruits fresh out of the school, who will be working on my group of stations for the next two weeks.

As they are fresh to the stations and as a supervisor we have the unenviable task of showing the new staff around the station or familiarisation as it's called, as I wander all over my small but lovely little station one of the recruits turned to me and asked the following question.

New person "Do all stations have these big to trains signs on them?" (see a previous blog entry called station signage)
Me "No but some stations do"
New person "Oh it just looked familiar?"
Me "Oh why is that?"
New person "Well I saw a sign like it on the web"
Me a bit tentatively "Oh yeah, where was that?"
New person "Oh on some blog I read about working on London Underground, London Life or something or other"
Me "Oh London Underground Life".
New person "Yeah that's it, do you know it?"
Me "Yeah I write it"
New person "Really"
Me "Yep"

So that was her introduction to the man behind the blog, and her introduction to LUL as a whole.

Nominate The Rail Staff

An email came out from my Group Station Manager about nominating of staff members for awards to do with the Rail Service, from front line staff to management (he even dropped a hint to me) train operators to engineers, you name it you can nominate.

After making a few enquiries I found out the members of the travelling public can also nominate, so if you have seen a particular member of staff who you think is very good at there job, always helpful, continuously happy no matter what the situation, always going beyond what they are supposed to do, excellent at dealing with the general public (or just a good blogger - only joking).

One member of our staff from the group of stations I work on won best newcomer last year.

So why not go ahead and show your appreciation by nominating them at the Rail Staff Awards.

Shell Shocked

So it's the last day of the Easter weekend and it's been nothing but boredom and tedium, at one stage when walking around the station, it was just me and the mice for company.

I wonder who in there infinite wisdom decided that it would be good to have Underground stations open so god damn early on a bank holiday because even though we are open, the staff out number the passengers by four to zero once more.
I think somebody should seriously rethink station opening times on bank holidays. Sunday times are early enough not 04:50 with nobody about, what a waste of man hours.

The only high light of the weekend was with my early turn CSA, who when I sent her off to another station to collect some ticket stock almost wet her knickers and celebrated with a double arm thrust to the sky when I mentioned who was working at the other station and rushed as quick as was humanly possible to get the tickets, now that just doesn't happen normally.

I noticed the same thing yesterday when the other SS came to my station when on his meal relief for a chat (ok gossip), but I thought I had only imagined it, but today was definite proof.

Update:
That's it I've just been put in my place by the female CSA, my colleague from the next station popped down on his meal relief again and just as the CSA was going home she spotted him and got excited once more.

When asked what it was she liked about my colleague she replied "I just like him" so messing about I asked "What about me ?"

She replied "I think we better change the subject".

So that's me told then, phew.

Shite Customer Service.

As I'm working all weekend, I asked the staff at my local station what services were running like this weekend.
I was told that all the trains were running to there normal timetabled running, so that means my first trains on Friday and Monday will be at 05:29 and 06:02 on the Saturday and that I need to drive to Bedford to catch my train to London on Sunday morning and all this over the Easter weekend as well.

On Wednesday I bumped into a DSM from my old Camden group who told me that there will be replacement buses running on Saturday and Sunday between Kettering and Bedford, as my station is slap bang in the middle of these I spoke to the station staff again who confirmed that there is no bus service and trains will be stopping normally.

However after checking the National Rail website, it looks like I do have buses running instead.

I rang East Midlands Trains customer service and was put through to the automated voice service, which went a little like this.
"Would you like Train Times ... Say Timetable"
"Would you like ticket prices ... Say Tickets"

This went on for about five minutes when I finally get told "I'll put you through to a customer agent"

Ring Ring "Hello you have reached the National Rail enquiries on an international number please call again using the UK number" brrrrrrrr click silence.

So me being me I rang back

Once more onto the voice activated prompt cuts in

"Would Like" says the machine "Human" says I
"I'm sorry I didn't" says the machine "Human" says I
"I'm Sor" ... "Human"
"I' ... "Human"

I'll put you through to a customer agent.

"Hello this is Trevor" comes a voice with a distinct Indian/Pakistani call center accent.

"Can you tell me about the train service from Wellingborough this weekend?" I asked
"I'm sorry from where?" comes the reply

It was at this point that my head hits the table in frustration.

So after spending over 15 minutes speaking slowly on the phone to the man called Trevor I finally have the details I need.

Normal train times from Wellingborough to London this weekend.

I arrived at Wellingborough station at 05:25 ready to catch the 05:29 train and feeling the joys of an early turn to see on the dot matrix.

05:50 London St Pancras ........ On Time

Hang on I don't have an 05:50 from Wellingborough to London, my first train is at 05:29 not 05:50 so where is the 05:29.

I spoke to a member of staff who told me "I don't know as it's my first day back for two days and it was running at 05:29 on Tuesday.

Well it bloody well isn't today.

God only knows what I'm going to face for the rest of the Easter.

You Sir Are A Liar

Tonight I was working at the station next door, when a man approached the gateline with a push bike an a trailer the size of a shopping trolley.

I received a call off the CSA who told me that the man wanted to get on the train to Bromley by Bow, and after seeing the size of all the stuff he had I declined him entry.

He starts muttering about the staff at my own station always letting him travel with the stuff he has with him.

I wander up to the gentleman and ask him how many times he has travelled from GPS.

Apparently he travels from Great Portland Street most days, so I turned to him and asked if he is really sure about that and he tells me that yes he travels from there practically every day.

At this point and ask him if he is telling a small little teeny tiny lie.

"No I'm not and how dare you suggest such a thing" he replies angrily.
"Well sir, look at my face and tell me if you have seen me before as I certainly haven't ever seen you before" I replied
What's that got to do with you calling me a liar" he replies.
I looked at him and in a pondering sort of voice I tell him
"Hmmm let me think, considering I normally work at Great Portland Street and I only work here once in every six weeks, I think I would remember one of my so called regular customers from my own station, wouldn't you".

A pregnant pause, a mumble and he walks off muttering to himself.

"Bye"

Pay Rise

The 2008 pay rise was announced today, my pay rise will be 4.7% so taking me over the £39,000 mark.

Just don't tell the ex-wife.

Guess What!!!

Some short arsed bint from the east end of the Hammersmith and City line and who just happens to be a close friend of mine (poor girl), plus a Train Operator to boot has decided to restart her career as a blogger.

Hopefully the old cow will stick at it this time.

Don't worry I know I'll be getting abuse via text any time soon.

What's In A Name

I've worked with a particular member of staff for around eight years and today something happened to remind me that not all staff are the brightest buttons in the box.

I was assisting a customer who's ticket had become jammed as the CSA couldn't remove it from the belts. Whilst I was doing this, the phone rang and the CSA answered it. Instead of calling to me and telling me someone was on the phone, he keeps the person on the phone for around three minutes. The fact that it was the DSM made no difference. He finally catches my eye and asks

"What's your name again"?.

Having spoken to the CSA in question many a time, I was left feeling what goes through this mans head. When he arrived in the office to book off and go home, I asked him once more how comes he couldn't remember my name.

"Oh things just go in and out of my head"

I'm now worried as he is on his way home, hopefully he remembers how to get there.

Love Is In The Air

And no it's not me.

Today my late turn CSA arrived bright and early for the start of her duty, two things I noticed

One, a huge smile on her face.

Two, the overpowering aroma of perfume.

I asked her how comes she was so happy and she replied that she is always happy, now I have worked with this CSA in the past and normally she comes across as a very timid individual, today though she has a spring in her step that isn't usually there and seems very confident.

I wonder if it could be because her beau is the night turn SS at my place.

Talking of the SS, it seems I was the only member of staff to ask him out right if it's true, the next thing I get is a very flustered and red faced SS an avoided question and a mad dash out of the office.

Hmmm.

Station Signage.

Isn't it amazing the questions you get asked on the Underground, I have a huge sign at the top of stairs at my station which as you can see says "TRAINS" and one of the most asked questions at my station.

"Which way to the trains?" Doh

Aww How Romantic

As I travelled on the train from Kings Cross this morning I spotted a loving couple staring into each others eyes.

As the train lurched from side to side the man whacked into one of the doors and started to rub his back, his girlfriend in an all concerned sort of way leaned forward and starts to rub his back as well.

As she finishes rubbing his back she leans across and gives him a nice peck on the cheek, not to be out done the man then wipes his face and promptly wipes his hand down her sleeve.

Now that's romance

How To Upset The Customers

Unfortunately for the past two days I've been in severe agony with a problem in my neck and left shoulder, so today as I've tried to carry out my normal duties, I felt I was getting shorter in my temperament when it came to dealing with people

So whilst working on the gate line a customer walks straight past me and made his way to the manual gate, in his hands he was carrying three blue carrier bags containing a minuscule amount of shopping, he looks at me and and nods his head towards the gate in the "are you going to open this or not" kind of why.

Me "Do you have your ticket"?
Him "Yeah it's in my pocket"
Me "Well you can use the gate then".

Shortly afterwards a man walks up with an absolutely huge suitcase.

Him "Will you carry this downstairs for me"
Me "No I don't think so".
Him "Why not, it's part of your job"

Wrong, we can and often do help customers with luggage, but it's up to the individual in question.

Me "Sorry I'm not employed to carry a suitcase the size of a small country".

If these two customers had asked me politely they may have got a decent service from me.

An Excellent Weekend

Once more I was due to have my kids for the weekend, however due to my youngest daughter doing rehearsals for Joseph and his Technicolour Dream coat (which might see her on TV with Denise Van Outen) and my eldest being just a pissy cow I had the whole weekend to me and my boy.

Travelling home on the Friday night I was informed, ok I was told by my son what we were going to eat for breakfast (cereal), lunch (toasted tuna sarnies) and dinner (chicken curry with my famous soggy rice) and that was just Saturday.

Sunday breakfast (cereal) lunch (pizza) and the something on the train home. Nice to know my son's getting as bad as my girls.

Saturday, because of the lousy weather we stayed in and played the PS3 all day, and what fun we had, my son running off and getting shot to pieces every few minutes and telling me to hide so I didn't get killed too, 10 hours of play and then I sent him to bed.

Today, I was woken up by my son climbing into my bed at 8am and cuddling up to his dad and falling asleep in my arms. What dad doesn't love that. A little while later after we woke up it was back to PS3ing again.

Then the long journey to Southend and back before sorting my house out again.

At least I only have to wait until the 29th before I have my son and possible my youngest girl for a whole week whilst they are on Easter holidays from school.

The only worrying thing is my ex-wife is being friendly again

Ut oh, I wonder what I'm going to be hit with this time.

Now That's Just Showing Off

So this morning my son is playing Virtua Fighter 5 on the PS3, he calls out and says "Look at me dad".

So I turned around to see my son standing with his back to the TV and still beating the living or should that be the virtual daylights out of his opponent, next thing a few seconds later he walks over to me to give me a kiss and he is still playing the game and winning.

Don't you just love kids.

Proud Of My Son

I had just picked up my son and was on the train from Southend Victoria to Liverpool Street, all of a sudden my little fella starts talking about Spurs.

Son "Dad you know why I support Tottenham Hotspur"
Me "Why's that mate?"
Son "Well when you die, I'll just take your place".

Nice to know I'm loved.

Ah The Weekend At Last

As another emotional week in the life of the Station Supervisor comes to an end, I'm looking forward to spending a pleasant weekend with my son, that's if I can keep him off his PSP the PS3 or the PC.

I was contemplating taking the boy to see a football match but typically both my local teams are playing away, sods law I guess

A Classic Moment

One of our lovely customers operated the passenger help points (PHP) and was basically asking direction to Wimbledon

All of a sudden his friend looks in the office window and sees me talking on the receiver, he looks at the PHP, then he looks at me, then looks once more at the PHP then back to me and points first at the PHP then back at me, I give him a nod and with a huge grin I get a big thumbs up.

A Hectic Night

I've finally arrived home after a long and hectic night, as I sat watching the service everything decided to fall over.

Signal Failure at Tower Hill suspended the Circle line in both directions and the District eastbound only, the District resumed (lucky buggers) but we stayed suspended.

Then I got the call, the Circle line is resuming, two minutes later, no it isn't, it's suspended again as the District controller doesn't want any Circle line trains on there side, twenty minutes later we can start the eastbound running again but not the westbound.

Another 10 mins go by and I get the call, the westbound is resuming, two minutes later, er no we're not.

25 minutes later yes we are,

LIA " Service resumed to all destinations"
Me "For how long this time"
LIA "Hopefully thats it sorted"

Five minutes later, suspended both again
One minute later

Ring Ring

LIA "Hi GPS"
Me "If your going tell me we're not suspended I 'm going to come and insert my phone into you sideways"
LIA laughing "No you're ok at the moment but services will be resuming eastbound shortly"

Ten minutes later eastbound resumed

35 minutes later both resumed to severe delays

That's how my evening panned out all night, and I had to keep the PA up to date constantly, so I'm a bit croaky at the moment and feeling tired.

Wrath Of The Scorned Woman

F**k me did I just get a severe back lash from the ex-girlfriend.

Basically we met on Facebook using an application called Zoosk, so as I was in a relationship I removed the application, however she didn't and carried on chatting with some other blokes on there much to my annoyance.

So after we split up I readded Zoosk last night as I am a bloke after all and next thing I know.

16:20 you have a go about me still having Zoosk on my page and chatting to blokes when you didn't remove it yourself.

As I explained sorry tried to explain the phone went dead.

So basically I haven't used it, I haven't touched it and the last flirt I sent was to her over 22 days ago, yet because she dumps me and I'm not bothered about getting back with her, I get accused of flirting with other women even though I deleted Zoosk off my profile.

F**k me this is a hard life.

The Monday Night Thriller

Seeing as what happened on Monday I almost forget my next conversation with the lady boy killer.

As he walks into the office to take me off so I can go home, he pulls out a loaf of Nimble bread and says,

"I'm buying this as thier is a chance of me winning a dress".

No thats not something you expect to hear from a man over 6' and in his late 50's but knowing him as everbody on our group does, he's weird.

You're Dumped

As I sat at work last night, I received a text of my other half saying "can you call me when you have a few minutes free" so me being me, I called her.

"Hi" I said

"I feel so bad for what I've done" she replies

"Why what have you done"? I asked.

"I've been a bitch".

"What have you done"?

"Well I went around to your house, and collected all my stuff as I don't think I can be with you anymore".

"Er why, whats changed" I asked.

"You're just to nice to me" she replies "I've not been nice to you and you have done so much for me over the past month".

Now what kind of a fucking lame excuse is that.

Two things about this totally pissed me off.

1, Why couldn't she do this to my face.

2, Why tell me at 17:45 knowing I still had over five hours of my shift left to work.

What does to nice mean?

Unfortunately this is the way I am, even Barry thinks I'm to soft when it comes to dealing with women.

Update: After chatting with Barry last night and something he said, I realised that this post looks a lot like I was bothered about the break up of the relationship, truth to be told, I wasn't bothered about the split, what I was bothered about was how it was done, whilst I was still at work.

Truth be told I think I'm still hung up on my previous ex (T) so I'm taking a break from the female chasing as I'm not very good at it.

Thanks for all the comments as it was very much appreciated.

Now That's Just To Much Information

As my night turn relief arrived at work, out of the blue he turn to me and said...

"It was so hot in my flat tonight, that I did the washing up naked wearing just a pair of Marigolds".

Now I know I have to work with some weird people working at my station but that was an image I just didn't need.

A John Cleese lookalike naked wearing washing up gloves ... shudder...

Highlight Of The Shift

Well it's back to work time for me and after spending a whole week away, I came back to find I was working with the gentleman of the group.

As a conversation took place he asked the following question before answering it himself.

"What should I do now? I know I'll wash my cup up".

This is how enthralling my day has been.

Repeat TV

I was wondering why you always get the repeats of the same old crap comedies on tv, Only Fools and Horses, The Good Life, My Family and other such nonsense, why can't they bring back a classic like Green Wing.







I must admit that the last one is for all the pervs who read my blog (Doobrie).