Farciful is the word I'm thinking of GNER's efforts with this evenings 17:03 to Leeds.

I arrived at Kings Cross somewhere between 16:45 and 16:40 to a mass of people outside platform 1, 2 and 3. I looked at the departure board and the 17:03 was allegedly on time. Arseholes was it! It was due to leave in just over 15 minutes and they hadn't even announced the platform let alone let the hoards on.

At 16:56 they announced the train would leave from platform 2 and the stampead began. Why people at the front of the que have to sprint up the platform as if the everyone behind them were a Zulu warrior intent on disemboweling them is beyond me. I was very near the front and strolled up to carraige C and virtually had the pick of the carraige. It's a good job the face isn't so descriptive that we can all read each others minds because all the sprinters would see on mine as they ran past would be the words YOU WANKER, in beg black captals.

Needless to say though the train did eventually fill up to overflowing and left nearly 5 minutes late. As we pulled out there were still a number of people wondering up and down looking for a or their seat. Suddenly a lady with a strange south africanish voice announced over the tanoy that because the train was late into kings cross the buffet wasn't ready to open yet and they trolley was still being replenished.

Not too bad I suppose. But it got worse. That Lady came again with another announcement - Unfortunately there was no coach F on this service afterall. Customers with reservations in coach F would find their reservations in coach H if you were in seats 1 to 41 or coach D if your seat was 21 or above.

This initiated another stampead and I'm told (but didn't see so take it with a pinch) that when these people with reservations for coach F got to their seats they found somebody occupying it becasue the train had left and they were empty. Arguments flared and the guards had to deal with the resulting flack and flying insults.

A short while later we all noticed the train had slowed down. A few minutes later still we'd stopped. The same lady as earlier came on the tanoy and told us what we already knew - we were running late. On the plus side, and I might add unusually for GNER, she did offer to ring through to Gratham, Newark or Doni (can't be sure which) if anybody was worried about missing connecting trains.

So all in all another crap day for me on GNER.

Night folks.

ps. Wish they had a spell check on this thing.

Another bad start for me this morning but at least a third of my trouble were of my own making.

Firstly 07:20 was 5 minutes late arriving into P'boro and 4 minutes late into kings Cross. Not too bad I agree but late all the same.

Secondly it was particularly busy this morning and for the second time this week, there were no seat reservations. Aparrently the printer broke down. I got a seat without any problem so I wasn't too bothered however had I been one of the few season ticket holders with a reserved seat who didn't manage to grab one, I would not have been as understaning and forgiving as they were.

Finally, because I wasn't sat in my usual table seat and there's less room at the double seat with the fold down tables, I knocked my cup of tea off the little fold down table thing with my newspaper and soaked myself good and proper. As I did it about a half dozen people around me went Oooooooo, in sympathy which even at the time I found quite amusing just to hear the Oooo's. Thankfully nobody else got a drop on them otherwise my embarassment would have increased ten fold. Thanks go to Steve and his emergency pack of tissues too.

I must have had a good nights kip because I was able to look on the bright side even at 7;45 in the morning. I'd still make it to the office on time despite the train running a bit late, I had a seat despite GNER's best efforts and despite my own best efforts I'd and because it's a nice sunny morning, I'd dry off on the walk from Kings Cross to the office.

And that my friends, is the end of this mornings tale.