Once a week, I go to London for a few days, almost always by train. It costs £42 if I buy a ticket from the station on the day - or, if I book in advance at TheTrainLine, as little as £16. Tickets ordered in advance are cheaper, but it seems there is a limited allocation of each price grade - as the more popular routes quickly sell out of £8 each way tickets, then the next level up (£11.50), then the next level up (£18).
However, when I booked the tickets for last week, for the return journey on Saturday, only the £18 ones remained - but, unusually, there were still some £19.50 first class tickets left.
I'd never travelled first class before. So, I decided I'd give it a try. £1.50 isn't much to spend on an experiment.
And my conclusion is: first class equals a comfier seat and the offer of a free biscuit and tea or coffee.
Which, if I drank hot drinks, would definitely be worth the extra one fifty, at the going rate for such things.
As a non-hot-drinker, I think I about broke even with my experiment, but on a journey of more than an hour, the better seat would be well worth a similarly small price increase.
But travelling first class is nowhere near worth the more than doubling in price (£116 rather than £42) it costs if you buy your ticket on the day. That's a total ripoff.
The fun starts as we go to board the plane. It turns out I've been randomly selected to be upgraded to Business Class, due to the overbooking system British Airlines uses. Jack, who I am travelling with, raises a fuss on board the plane that I was upgraded and he wasn't, as we were travelling together - so the cabin staff rearrange people a little, and pow, we're both in Business Class, sitting next to each other.
Jack certainly has the power of the Jedi Mind Trick.
It gets more fun when we arrive. I've booked a rental car, with Jack as a second driver. I chose the 'economy' option for the cheapest cars they have. The guy in the garage says "Economy? Pick any in this row, the keys are in them".
We debate between ourselves if he really meant "any" as in the row is a rather sporty-looking Ford Mustang. We decide to give it a try, as long as Jack drives to begin with. Sure enough, he uses his Jedi Mind Trick again on the lady controlling the exit gate... and there we are in a meaty sports car we've hired for a mere £120 for the week.
It's now about 6pm local time, and about 2am back home, so I'm pretty tired. But we find the hotel after a few harrowing run-ins with the differing conventions for traffic lights in the US, drop off our stuff, and head into Palo Alto to meet up with Cedric for dinner.
And then get back to our hotel room (all three of us are cooped up in one; thankfully in separate beds) at 11:30pm, which is something like 7:30am at home. I am TIRED. A quick shower, then to bed. Tomorrow we will go and sightsee...
Thankyou to everyone who came!
And to everyone who sent me presents and good wishes from afar 🙂
The photos and videos are winging their way back; we'll link to them as and when we can.
I had a lovely time - I hope you all did, too. I'm overwhelmed by how lovely you all were!
Saturday the 4th of April is Alaric's 30th birthday - hopefully we have managed to catch everyone and inform them but I have been made awear of a few gaps in the invitations.
It is Logan's Run theme and me and Alaric at least will be in costum (but you can come as you if you want!).
It's a bring your own BBQ and as always we are happy to recieve people on Friday and loss them what ever time they want to go home even if thats on the Monday!
We've got a marquee for outside.
Al is making people hand crystals so sort of needs to know whos coming and how old you are!
Here's the form to fill in.
I'm going as Box the robot and have been papier maching away like a mad things so I hope you all appreciate the effort!
Accomidation wise there is plenty of room for tents - there is limited floor space or there are BnB's in the area.
Though I am petrified of being 30 Alaric is looking forward to it but then he runs into real problems with people not respecting his ideas as they think he is too young (doesn't help that he often looks a decade younger than he is!).
For Valentines day Jean had made some things at Pre-school which I have put up over on Salaric Craft. We also made lots of hearts which we put up everywhere that is also over on Salaric Craft.
We decorated the house and made princess cakes which will soon be up on the cooking blog. When Al came home we made a lovely dinner with heart shaped pastries which was fun - they are already up on Salaric Cooking.
Alaric, Other | alaric | 
Sun 17th May 2009 10:00 am | 
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