Rail Strike

I am still at my temporary haven of rest at Eltham Park. I am quite comfortable there and get on very well with the `Lady of the House' so have had no reason to move on as yet.

What about the weather lately eh? What a good job I have some Eskimo in my blood or I would never have survived! I found I have lost the skill for igloo making though - Still, I suppose with a bit more practice it might come back? I have been wandering around wearing my normal clothing, plus my trousers; a think cardigan; my winter boots; my fur hat; scarf; gloves and fur coat, and I have kept as warm as toast - In fact sometimes I have felt almost too warm and my butter has started to melt!

During the rail strike last week and the week before, the Bank put on special coaches for us. This meant an early morning start, as I had to get the coach at 7.30am. Out of the four days they ran, I only missed it once - the last day. Not a bad average for me. I quite enjoyed the journey into the office on that day. I went down to get the coach as usual and arrived at 7.40 - just in time to see it pull away - so waving goodbye to my colleagues as they all disappeared into the rising sun I turned on my heel and went back and enjoyed a good breakfast, after which Mrs Waddingham very kindly gave me a lift into Sidcup where I hoped to pick up a 21 bus straight through to Moorgate. However, because of the rail strike there was so much extra traffic on the road and this caused a really heavy traffic jam in the Old Kent Road so that the earlier 21s that had gone up to London were held up and weren't getting back. I had to wait almost an hour for a bus, and when it did eventually turn up it was only going as far as Lewisham. The rest of the queue, all tinkling like a chandelier with the icicles hanging from various points of their anatomy, and me, now like a lukewarm piece of toast, all climbed aboard and spent most of the journey to Lewisham exchanging topical jokes and having a good laugh. When we arrived at our destination I followed the crowed around the corner and we all lined up at another bus stop. After ten minutes or so a single-decker Green Line bus pulled up, the driver looking wide eyed with fear when he saw the multitude waiting to pile on his little bus. As soon as he opened the door a woman at the front jumped on and said "This is a Hijack, take us to the Elephant" (Elephant and Castle). As it happened, the bus was going to Victoria and went past the Elephant anyway, so we were all right. From the Elephant I caught a tube straight through on the Northern Line to Moorgate, arriving at the office at 11.57. It had cost me 33p from Sidcup to Lewisham, another 33p from Lewisham to the Elephant and 25p on the tube to Moorgate - totalling…. let me see…. just talk among yourselves while I work this out a minute…33p and 33p is 66p right? And 25p added on to that is 91p. Right? Well, it cost me 91p to get into the office that day because I missed the coach but I was able to claim it back from the firm as `Expenses incurred due to the rail strike'!

One thing I did notice about that morning travelling up to London was the Wartime spirit that seemed to abound everywhere. People all being in the boat were `mucking in together' and telling jokes and even at one stage having a singsong. Yes, I really did enjoy travelling up that day, even more than usual.

Grace Russ - 29th January 1979