Day of the Flood!

9.30am – I woke up this morning on the day I’m heading back to Tiverton. It’s a dry day today, a few puddles about. I pack some bits and head off on the train with three bags of stuff to Bournemouth station where I’m meeting Luke Baker from Cullompton who is coming home with me.

10.10am – The internet wouldn’t let me book tickets on the same train as Baker, but I got some for a different train going to the same place. I’m sure it won’t matter. Baker is carrying a heavy computer box back with him for some reason.

10.24am – The train to Weymouth arrives. We’ll be home at 2.15pm, but first we’ve got to make a few stops on the way so we’re heading to Dorchester South.

11.00am – We get to Dorchester South – I hoped to go to Upwey but the train didn’t go there – and now we need to get to Dorchester West. After a little debate on where it was Baker goes and asks for directions.

11.15am – After waiting for some bloke who was causing problems to move, we’re told that the station at Dorchester West is flooded and that we’d have to go all the way back past Bournemouth and get a train to Southampton Central. Ironically, this is the train I actually bought the tickets for. We are also told there is an alternate bus service at 1pm which is a little bit shit. I also send a text saying: “I can see the funny side in this. I don’t normally moan or get annoyed, I’m quite relaxed” which changed later that day.

11.36am – Here comes the train to London Waterloo, and it’s back to where we’ve just come from.

12.00pm – I open up my advent calendar in what I say could be the weirdest place I’ve ever opened a Christmas calendar. There is also people playing music on the ‘quiet zone’ which is just annoying, and I have a good grumble about that. I also have chocolate and lots of it, Baker says: “How on Earth do you eat so much chocolate before 12 o’clock?”

12:21pm – We’re back in Bournemouth: “I thought I’d left this place behind.” I tell my mum: “I’m going to be a little bit late home because of a puddle on the platform in Dorchester.”

1.10pm- We arrive at Southampton Central, Baker struggles with his suitcase as we have to go up and down some steps. We get a train to Cardiff Station but have a choice of getting off at either Westbury or Bristol Temple Meads.

1.40pm – The bloke on the First Great Western Service asks for EVERYTHING. He wants to see two tickets – because one obviously isn’t enough these days and it’s also the first time ever I’m asked to show my under 25s rail card.

2.10pm – We decide to get off at Westbury. One man warns: “You’re not getting off here are you. It’s a special day!” .. special? “Yes, because of all the flooding...” It’s hardly special... although I could have been home by now.

2.20pm – I go to the opposite platform but realise I read the timetable wrong so have to go back again whilst Baker has decided he can get a lift with his bag. A train to Exeter comes but it’s not going through Tiverton which is where I want to go. We’re left standing too and end up going through all the piddly places in South West such as Yeovil and Axminster. We’re also delayed thanks to another train on the line.

3.40pm – There’s lots of lakes outside in places where there wasn’t lakes before. I haven’t even seen much rain so god knows where it’s all come from. Oh well, we’re in Exeter St David’s now and are being rushed onto another train which is apparently leaving.

4.00pm – We’re being delayed again and have to travel at 5mph over the river near the Culm Valley paper factory. This is slow and the outside is again very watery.

4.20pm – Finally at Tiverton parkway almost two hours after I should have been.....