Early Saturday

An early train to work this morning.

Actually, not particularly early, but it always feels like the middle of the night when there is hardly anybody about.

The traffic was light, the road surface dry, the potholes bumpy. The station car par is almost empty.

The ticket office is open. "Good Morning, How are you today?". The coffee shop is open "Good morning, how are you today?".

The train pulls in a couple of minutes early. Oh heck, it's a slow train without wifi. Hmmm, I've left my mobile wifi unit at home. The sky will fall on my head.

Trundle, trundle. Stop. Trundle trundle. Stop. A few stops. The carriage door only opens once. There are only four of us in the carriage.

Suburbia. We stop at the Field of Dreams. The doors again do not open. Trundle, trundle. The 'Light Maintenance Depot' has plenty of trains in it clearly not needed at this time of day maybe different later

Neasden Junction. Rattle, rattle.

Trundle, trundle.

No London skyline to see. Still too dark.

Loop round into the tunnel. Out again, over the West Coast Main Line. Back in to the tunnel. Still trundling.

Out again into the dark. A few seconds wait today at the signal that controls entry to Marylebone. As is often the case, no reason for the wait. Chill.

Joy. Into a far platform ("St John's Wood South"). Chill. Oh, now every platform is occupied. Unusual. Maybe a busy day ahead? Not now.

Out under the electric sky. Gloom lifting.

Deep breath.

The day begins....