The Long Journey

There was an unofficial strike on Southern Line (my line) due to a long running dispute on flexible rostering, resulting in cancellation of trains and long delays in the ones that were actually running. For example, on Saturday when I went to Charlton Station I found a crowd of people on the platform, which is most unusual at that time on a Saturday morning, and as usual when there are `problems’ there was a dearth of British Rail employees!! However, I eventually managed to track the only one on duty down in his little room underneath the station. He said the Guards at Slade Green (further down the line) were taking unofficial action and five trains had been cancelled in a row. The people then began to get annoyed and many asked for their ticket money back. This took quite some time but quite a few stop when a train suddenly arrived, taking everyone by surprise. “Where the hell did that come from” said the ticket collector. Anyhow, we piled on and took our seats and I though, even though I’d lost the train from Paddington I was booked on, I’d only be an hour or so late. The journey from Charlton to Charing Cross takes 25 minutes – normally. However, on this particular day, due to `vital engineering work’ at the Borough Junction, trains were NOT going direct to Charing Cross but were being diverted to Cannon Street, from where we had to change to a `special train’ to complete our journey. In theory this should have only added an extra 15/20 minutes on to the travelling time, making it a 40/45 minute run at the most, but in the event it actually took us 2 ½ hours to get from Charlton to Charing Cross because of a very slow journey up, due to frequent long waits at signals, and an extraordinary long wait at Cannon Street on the (Special Train’. When I joined it on Platform 7 I had a job to find a seat, as it was already quite full of people who had been there for “at least half an hour” according to the lady I was sat next to. After I had been sitting for about 10 minutes or so, we heard one of the speakers informing us that: -

“The Train on Platform 7 will not now be calling at Charing Cross and will all passengers for Waterloo and Charing Cross please join the train on Platform 5”

You can just imagine the frantic scrabble that then ensued. Anyway, I eventually arrived at Mum’s (Bristol) at about 7 pm, thoroughly worn out and as I had to leave again just after 6 pm on Sunday I really did have the energy to do much else. Since then, I have been SO busy, working a 13 hour day, plus the travelling time, making a 15 hour day – So I have virtually been getting up, going to work, coming home and going to bed, with no real lunch breaks, taking sandwiches in with me.

Today is Jonathon’s 7th birthday and I am supposed to be going to Orpington. I must go over as I have his birthday card, but I have `the runs’ at the moment so have to wait for things to settle down before I dare start off on the journey, as it takes me two hours to get there, and I heard from mum this morning that Alan and both boys have gone to the Dr’s as they all have bad colds!!

With all the frequent trips to the loo I have forgotten about the cheque business with the bank. This was a combination of circumstances. Firstly, my January salary was paid in for me by the Office Manager when I was off due to the breast operation earlier this year, and unfortunately, he not only filled out the wrong form (a Barclay save instead of a Credit Paying In Slip) he also managed to get my account number wrong, the result being the Salary cheque was in suspense for some time until it was discovered floating round the system. Normally this wouldn’t have caused too many problems as I had a good relationship going with the Bank Manager, but apparently he retired at the end of last year and the new one is “a new broom who is sweeping clean” and the man now in charge of our accounts is also a new man – a young `Whiz Kid’ in his 20’s who is trying to `prove’ himself to the new Manager. When I got back to work I had a meeting with this new young man and he is very `cocky’ and is trying to emanate Margaret Thatcher. He was SO patronising he put my back up. I explained the £400 cheque WAS in the Bank at the time and it wasn’t my fault it hadn’t been credited to my account, but he said if there is no money in the account they are unable to accept cheque written on the account. He is expecting to see my next two salary cheques paid in, as he said “On the correct Paying Slip under the correct Account Number”. So I didn’t argue with him anymore, I just transferred all my dealings to the other account (with a different bank), which I had opened in 1981 on the principle that it is not wise to have all your eggs in one basket.

Grace Russ - 31st March 1984

The Non Journey

I never did get to Alan’s. In the end he phoned to ask if I was all right and when I told him of my problem he said he had been to the Dr himself, and taken both boys with him as they were all down with a virus. Anyway, he came over to me in the car and we had a little chat – about the Chinchilla I am getting for my birthday.

Grace Russ - 2nd April 1984