Today began with me being stuck on the train for nearly three hours at a red signal just a few hundred yards from Sheffield Station; very frustrating. Listening to the local news at seems that there have been major signalling problems all day. Thinking about it now I reckon that this has been my longest ever train journey, when measured by time.
When I'll be filling in my delay compensation claim form tomorrow I'm going to add a recommendation that Gary, the train conductor, be considered for some sort of company or industry award for excellent customer service. Throughout the morning he was regularly updating us about the situation and suggesting alternative plans for people. As it became obvious that some passengers would be very late arriving at their destinations unless something was done he started making phone calls to arrange a minibus to take people to Manchester Airport, and a couple of taxis to take people to the football match at Blackburn which was due to kick off at 12:30. Tickets were also re-issued or validated for travel on any service without restrictions and a formal document was provided to a couple of people who would had already missed some important meeting that they needed to attend in Sheffield.
Of course by the time I finally reached Sheffield I had to change my plans. When I got to the bus station passengers were already boarding the 272 service to Castleton, so I got on, and twenty five minutes later I arrived at Fox House, at 11:20. When I'd sat down on the bus I noticed people looking at something high up so I moved closer to a window ans noticed a tightrope walker. A few seconds before I'd taken this photograph he lost his balance and fell off, fortunately he was attached to a safety harness.
I walked down the road at Fox House and got onto the moors at the earliest opportunity, at first walking along the wide well-maintained track, but then across open country, quite often boggy.
I walked to Hathersage via Mitchell Field Outdoor Centre and Scraperlow, a crenellated country house.
In the village I noticed something new, this small tractor in a field of large pebbles; I think it might have been placed there to prevent people from parking.
I turned right and walked along Coggers Lane, which in its upper reaches is a 'quiet lane' whatever one of those is meant to be. Looking at this sign it seems to be anything but quiet, with all that traffic on it.
The next section of my walk was across the fields to the bus turnaround at Bamford, there were some lovely views, but it was getting quite misty, and I was wary of the time, and so didn't bother to take any more photographs.
The bus arrived on time, but when I got back to Sheffield Railway Station there were still a lot a delays and cancellations.
I found today a bit difficult; I couldn't concentrate on the walking - I was, and still am, more concerned on what I'm going to write when I submit my claim for compensation, in particular how to word my praise for Gary, the conductor...a job well done!
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