Your Challenge Nigel, If You Are Prepared To Take It …….

With our regular visits to Evesham about to begin, we decided it was time to set Nigel the ultimate of ultimate challenges ……

…… getting to Evesham all by himself, as it isn’t really necessary for us always be there at the same time!!!!!

It was a mission, on it’s first undertaking, not for the faint hearted, as it not only involved one bus and also three trains, but Nigel, without hesitation, was up for it!

So yesterday, tickets duly purchased, Darrell prepared Nigel a mahooooosive pile of sandwiches for sustenance on his most epic journey and a flask of coffee………

……. and then Nigel was on his way, telephone in one pocket to keep us up to date on his progress, tickets in another and carrier bag full of aforementioned sandwiches and coffee, clutched firmly in his hand.

Well, the first leg, catching the bus into Wolverhampton was no bother, as it was a journey Nigel did every day when we were at work, however, he did text that he kept finding himself patting his pocket where his train tickets were, just in case.

Arriving at Wolverhampton Station there was no time to pose on the platform, Nigel’s first train was in, so it was a case of just getting on …..

…… but not getting too settled, as he had to get off at the next stop, but he said, it didn’t stop him checking the rolling screen just to be super certain that he was heading in the right direction…..

….. which indeed he was.

However, Smethwick Galton Bridge, is not the easiest station to find your way around, especially as it involved taking a lift to get to next platform for Nigel’s next connecting train…..

….. followed by more double checking to see that there were no delays and he was in the right place at the right time.

Nigel’s next port of call was Worcester, Foregate Street (and NOT Worcester Shrub Hill as Darrell had stressed about a million and one times)

….. and there was a little wait, Nigel decided that it was probably an opportune time to avail himself of his mahoooooosive pile of sandwiches, which were beginning to burn a hole in his carrier bag!

And then, when he was safely on the train bound for the aforementioned Worcester Foregate Street, he decided it would be OK to drink his flask, as he had positioned himself near to the “facilities”, just in case.

There was a little time to watch the world go hurtling by before Nigel’s next stop.

But there was no time for a breather when he got there, as the train to Evesham was in and Nigel had to run, which although stressful, was also a little romantic, as people, Nigel said, are always running for trains in films, in a romantically urgent sort of way!

And finally, in just under two hours, Nigel had arrived at his destination, he had made it ….. and at the other end of his text messages Darrell and I  were feeling very robustly proud!

There was light refreshment available for all four footed passengers, but Nigel would have to wait until he reached the warm welcome of Tom, The Lovely Laura and Baby Iris at Snake Mountain………….