44076 – 06:57 Friday 25rd April

44076

Friday, Friday, so good that day, especially for the trains as all the fair-weather workers have started their long weekends and consequently aren't taking up any precious space in the carriages with their wheelie suitcases, folding Bromptons and rucksacks. Staying true to my mantra of it can only ever be Carriage A for my morning journey I was at first dismayed when capturing the number of 44076 at Paddington as this seemed very familiar and I at first suspected that I had claimed my first duplicate number. But serendipity was with me and a quick check of the blog shows that whilst I have travelled on a couple of carriages in the 440xx series, 44076 is a nice new victim to add to the list.

It should have been an excellent journey as the reduction in travelling numbers had resulted in a double seat and a window berth for yours truly even after stops at Theale (PAH!) and Reading. (I can thoroughly recommend a massive moustache for keeping people away.) But alas I have to report that a weasely phone user disturbed the silent nirvana not only with a ridiculous ring tone but also a lengthy conversation. Well, I say lengthy conversation but what made this disturbance all the more annoying was the fact the bloke in the carriage was certainly the passive participant in the conversation as all he was required to do was say “Yeah….” at suitable pauses so it would have seemed really churlish to approach the man and ask him to shut up. But (and this is the final but) he was winning no fans at all by making each one of these “yeah…” s as annoying as possible by yawning as he said it, or lengthening it to a stupid “yeeeeeaaaaaaaaah” or even doing it in a variety of daft accents.

Anyway, the lovely Jo of @FGW Twitter fame will now be able to enjoy her mid-morning frothy latte all the better now that not only does she know what the heck I’m going on about but also knows that I didn't already have 44076 in the stamp album…….Yeeeeeaaaah!