I’ve already heard a few in the messroom, so looking forward to reading a few more 😉

You know, it’s an absolute triumph of American cultural influence that the musical Hamilton plays each night in London to thunderous applause from a packed theatre that’s less than a mile from both the Houses of Parliament and Buckingham Palace. You can’t argue with that.

Today was a code black day and for the worst of reasons. 💔😔

Been waiting to hear of the date of GTR’s nationalisation (out of pure self interest for the most part) and now we have it as being the last day of May next year, after the DfT let it slip out quietly last night.

What with today being the railway’s 200th birthday, I wanted to share something of the dawn of rail where I am. This engraving, from November 1840, commemorates the opening of Brighton station by the L&B Rly, and its first train - to Shoreham - in May of that year. #Railway200

Loud honk from the driver and some animated platform staff if they tried that here.

The cast of “STAR WARS: Episode V – THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK” Harrison Ford, David Prowse, Carrie Fisher, Kenny Baker, Peter Mayhew and Mark Hamill attend a publicity event outside the Savoy Hotel in London, 19th May 1980

Made it to Copenhagen on Tuesday despite the drone issues on Monday night and since then, I’ve pretty much existed on a diet of beer, herring and open sandwiches. Managed to take the train from the airport too. All the food here tastes so good - thoroughly recommend!

I’ve been put into a different boarding group to my wife for absolutely no reason for our flight to Copenhagen on Tuesday, despite us sitting next to each other on the plane. Just for the lols?

Downstairs loo in the new place has a beautiful 1970s pink bathroom suite. Thinking I might lean into it…

Cinema’s changed. Sofas and a glass of fizz now instead of a sticky floor and a small Coca Cola for £4.99.

A combination of a night turn and the Brighton side of Victoria being shut today means it is simultaneously true that I’ve advised thousands that they’ll need to pay London Bridge a visit, while having been asleep in bed all morning. Small things for small minds I suppose 😅

Next Toy Story sounds crap

What’s with the full body deodorant thats suddenly everywhere? Just have a wash.

I should be on nights this week, but instead I’ll be ripping out carpets in the new place and figuring out what’s wrong with the dishwasher. At least there will be beer in the evenings.

On the door of the library loo…

My fave bit of today was getting a message to say all had gone through and then less the 10 mins later - track defect Earlswood. This after my wife woke up and messaged that we’d be homeowners today - less than 10 mins later - track circuit failure Horley. Frickin railway determined to ruin it. 😂

Well I’m a homeowner at the grand old age of 37. Move is tomorrow so frantic last minute packing ensues tonight!

“Er…do any of you chaps know which frequency the local signal box is on?”

Getting the keys to the new place tomorrow. I’d be excited except my current home still looks like Chernobyl.

Well this is a first…

12 hours of it today - thankfully the railway gods have been benevolent thus far.

New fear unlocked

I come back after a week’s leave and the control point now has a fridge and a shiny new phone to the signaller (covered in large yellow stickers with big black block caps to tell me who’s on the other end). The phone has a hold function. I really hope the hold music is the Thomas and Friends theme.

Have you ever noticed that the man on the ‘men at work’ sign and the red/green man at pedestrian crossings IS THE SAME GUY? Where would we be without this helpful little guy offering instruction on how to behave safely in the public realm?

It’s an ‘as ordered’ week. One week in every five I get four turns that could be anything depending on rostering requirements. I get given nights almost always, but this week in a surprise twist, I’ve been given lates. Feeling chipper to say the least.

Concrete grey seems to be everyone’s favourite new car colour now. It’s like people have had all the joy sucked out of them.

ChatGPT can’t really do kits. It makes Umbro, who have been making excellent stuff recently, look as uninspired as Nike.

Stoats Nest Junction needs mending tomorrow. Kind of important one and it’s going to sever the Brighton Main Line for a day. What this means in practice is that many foreign visitors arriving for London, are first going to learn of the existence of East Grinstead.

Who is responsible for procuring and installing CIS? It appears more standardised than 10 years ago, when it varied wildly by TOC.

Something we can all be thankful for. www.bbc.com/news/article...

There’s a lot of talk online about how to conduct romantic relationships and how they should be conducted these days. It’s as if this era of humanity is on one huge relearning exercise. I do wonder what it says about how fit for purpose sex and relationships education is.

The conversation in slightly nicer restaurants frequented by middle aged couples is astounding. Last night, one man was talking to his wife about the Gestapo, another about man boobs and various other men in their 50s jovially asking the young waitresses where they were from.

Another landslip on the BML. Horley this time, which seems like an odd place for one given the local geography. Nevertheless, only the slow lines are available through Gatwick and that won’t be fun.

Bank note redesign? Paddington Station on the £20 note.

I feel like I’ve really earned the glass of Bordeaux this week.

The BML sort of, broke a bit today

‘Adult’ sometimes just means boring.

I want to see this formalised in delay attribution on Darwin please

Late turns this week so good morning from the coffee tin.

My wife is on the beer. That’s how I know it’s really hot out.

Only mini milks left in the freezer. I fear I will look ridiculous with one, but I don’t want to walkto the shop.

Imagine the size of the ‘straight pride’ parade the knuckle draggers are going to need now

I am grateful to Network Rail for my air conditioned box in times of high heat, even though I know it’s for the benefit of all the machines in the room rather than me.

She left for dinner and drinks with friends at the fancy new steak place 90 mins ago. I was doing bedtime when she left. Still doing it. 😭

There’s an amazing deli/gelato place five minutes walk across the park from my new house. I do a sitting down job, so thank goodness my wife pointed out there’s a PureGym five minutes walk away too. What would we do without spouses?

Currently belting down the Brighton Main Line, post a final night turn, on this sunny Friday morning with the big refrain from The Planets: Jupiter in my ears just as we charge over the Ouse Valley Viaduct. Permit me some sentimentality, for it was marvellous.

I see the WCML is utterly borked again.

Flashback to Glastonbury 2023 when Dave Grohl and his fellow Foo Fighters rode the rails from London to Bath before catching a minibus to the festival. Dave, by the way, is the one on the left, and he's clearly over the moon to be meeting @gwr.com member of staff Brendan Cropper.

Rectum is in the arse end of the Netherlands