Day 5 – Twitter Digest

Day 5's journey from east to west, Peterborough to Swindon, and then south to Andover.

• So with last night's change of accommodation, my first bus today isn't until gone 9pm. Having a bit of a lie in and a bath. 7:21 AM
• Where 9pm is equal to 9am. 7:21 AM
• Music to accompany breakfast: Just A Fool To Believe on panpipes. 8:25 AM
• Total Eclipse Of The Heart on panpipes. 8:28 AM
• http://twitpic.com/3tjap - Peterborough bus station - X4 at ten past nine. 8:59 AM
• http://twitpic.com/3tjt3 - We're heading cross-country. 9:18 AM
• Question: can you buy the version of the Dayrider Gold ticket that is valid on the X5 on the X4? Answer: yes we can. 9:20 AM
• A bit of an overcast day so far. Maybe the run will burn off some of the clouds later on. 9:30 AM
• So last night, after getting the wrong bus and being generally late, I arrive at the B+B to find no-one answering the door. 9:33 AM
• Both of my mobiles are low on juice, but I manage to contact the owners eventually. They are fully booked and think I am due 2mrw. 9:35 AM
• With my phones about to expire, I am left to find somewhere else to sleep. B+B opposite looks to have vacancies but no one in. 9:37 AM
• The hotel in town is fully booked because of horse trials in nearby Belton. The Best Western is full too. 9:40 AM
• Chap at the BW finds there are rooms at the Ramada, but I'm on foot and it's out in the sticks. I set out, past the station. 9:42 AM
• I decide to see when the next East Midlands Train to P'bro is - 30 mins. 9:43 AM
• "Sack this: I'm going to P'bro to try my luck at the Great Northern opp the stn." So I do. I am in luck. 9:45 AM
• And that is the tale of woe from last night. At least I had a later start this morning and no dodgy connection this morning. 9:48 AM
• "Sack this: I'm going to P'bro to try my luck at the Great Northern opp the stn." So I do. I am in luck. 9:49 AM
• http://twitpic.com/3tkq4 - Make or break: pensive on the way to Peterborough 9:54 AM
• A happy bus full of villagers heading into Corby for shopping. 9:56 AM
• Home of the trouser press. 9:58 AM
• http://twitpic.com/3tl1a - New rail station at Corby 10:07 AM
• New driver in Kettering. Greets the lower deck with a hearty "Morning". Wearing a red rose. Happy St George's Day. 10:38 AM
• I've been following bad clip art lady who seems to appear on the back of all the local buses. 11:04 AM
• She's carrying a bag of groceries and has a look on her face that is a combination of surprise, shame and secret gratification. 11:08 AM
• http://twitpic.com/3tmzm - Northampton's gloomy undercover bus station 11:38 AM
• http://twitpic.com/3tnhr - The bus is often overtaken. Here it overtakes. 11:58 AM
• http://twitpic.com/3toj3 - Milton Keynes 12:34 AM
• I come from a New Town, and I've been downtown in the US. None of that prepared me for Milton Keynes though. 12:40 AM
• This place feels totally alien after having traversed several hundred miles of "organic" town planning. 12:42 AM
• I'm on the bus again -X5 to Oxford. Leather seats. Plush. Gonna try out the wi fi. 1:46 PM
• Plug socket? Check. Wi-fi access? Check. We have lift off. Brilliant! 1:54 PM
• http://twitpic.com/3trvo - Recursion. 2:05 PM
• Yesterday's delayed Twitter digest: http://is.gd/u4Xm 2:18 PM
• So using wi fi on the move was fun. Possibly not enough legroom for putting on lap, but is reasonable enough on adjoining seat. 2:44 PM
• On the outskirts of Oxford now. Never been here before. Never really wanted to: my heart lies with Cambridge ;) 2:46 PM
• http://twitpic.com/3tugh - Another bad clipart lady. 3:01 PM
• http://twitpic.com/3tvet - Lots of bikes. Everywhere. 3:18 PM
• Guess who's on a bus again? That's right, me. 66 to Swindon. Photos may not be forthcoming - the windows are slightly murky. 3:48 PM
• This route's been a little disappointing so far, sticking to the main A420 and not taking any amusing diversions down unsuitable roads. 4:06 PM
• Finally. Taking a trip into the heart of Kingston Bagpuize. 4:09 PM
• We avoided Hinton Waldrist though. Boo. 4:15 PM
• http://twitpic.com/3tzj7 - Which bus stop does it go from? 4:27 PM
• Have I ever seen a branch of Budgens before? Well, I have now anyway. 4:30 PM
• http://twitpic.com/3u0ou - Top secret MOD training facility. 4:45 PM
• "...and when I think of Swindon I think of sun, and I'm finally going to Swindon" #songinmyhead 4:50 PM
• Major excitement - just traversed the Magic Roundabout - 5 mini roundabouts making up one big one. 5:00 PM
• http://twitpic.com/3u2d3 - Swindon rush hour. 5:11 PM
• Last bus of the day already. 1715 to Marlborough, service 70, which runs through to Andover as service 80. 5:18 PM
• Heading for Lawne and Coate. 5:31 PM
• Wowzers! Bus of the day here. Small, winding roads, thatched cottages, some brilliant place names ahead. 5:51 PM
• Draycot Foliat. Check. 5:52 PM
• Ogbourne St George. Check. 5:54 PM
• Ogbournes St Andrew and Maizey. Check. 5:58 PM
• http://twitpic.com/3u5ya - Marlborough 6:04 PM
• Lot of teenagers upstairs for the route on to Andover. 6:05 PM
• One of the girls has a piercing tone of voice that suggests she may have a pony. 6:12 PM
• Collingbourne Kingston and Collingsbourne Ducie. 6:26 PM
• Arriving in Andover now. Apparently the town is situated in the Test Valley. 6:43 PM
• Anybody out there who lives in Andover? Am in the John Russell Fox making use of the wifi. Fancy a pint? :) 8:21 PM