(signal) Failure
It was all going so well. I'd arrived in Paddington (my favourite gateway to London) on time. Despite some confusing signs, I'd not taken long to get the Hammersmith & City line, and I didn't have to wait long for a train.
Although the train terminated at Whitechapel, this was perfect. Coincidentally, my friends from Bath who were attempting to break the record for visiting all of the Underground stations in the fastest time were also headed for Whitechapel. I was on course not only to be on time to visit my friends in the East End, but also to say hi to the attempted record breakers as well. As I passed through Farringdon, a text from the guys from Bath confirmed that our paths would indeed cross...and then the train ground to a halt.
Eventually, citing "signal failure" the train was terminated at Moorgate. Nothing was heading east and I had to head to the Northern line and change. The platform was rammed and as I waited seven whole minutes for my train I felt the whole plan crumbling.
We could have instead coincided at Bank/Monument but didn't. I was late arriving in the East End.
Thankfully a man on the District Line brightened up everyone's day by boarding the tube carrying a massive plant. I'm not sure what it was; breaking with tradition it had black leaves rather than green ones, and being straggly and prickly, the guy needed to warn people to "mind their eyes". Maybe you had to be there but it was quite comical.
My friends did not, as far as I can tell, break the record but they did raise a lot of money for Children in Need.
I had a great evening with my friends in the Eat End, so all's well that ends well.
Although the train terminated at Whitechapel, this was perfect. Coincidentally, my friends from Bath who were attempting to break the record for visiting all of the Underground stations in the fastest time were also headed for Whitechapel. I was on course not only to be on time to visit my friends in the East End, but also to say hi to the attempted record breakers as well. As I passed through Farringdon, a text from the guys from Bath confirmed that our paths would indeed cross...and then the train ground to a halt.
Eventually, citing "signal failure" the train was terminated at Moorgate. Nothing was heading east and I had to head to the Northern line and change. The platform was rammed and as I waited seven whole minutes for my train I felt the whole plan crumbling.
We could have instead coincided at Bank/Monument but didn't. I was late arriving in the East End.
Thankfully a man on the District Line brightened up everyone's day by boarding the tube carrying a massive plant. I'm not sure what it was; breaking with tradition it had black leaves rather than green ones, and being straggly and prickly, the guy needed to warn people to "mind their eyes". Maybe you had to be there but it was quite comical.
My friends did not, as far as I can tell, break the record but they did raise a lot of money for Children in Need.
I had a great evening with my friends in the Eat End, so all's well that ends well.
Comments
As it happens, we were almost an hour down by that point, and we were nowhere near the record. Here are a few selected departure times:
Fenchurch Street (on the BR): 6:10'16"pm
Upminster: 6:42'07"
Barking: 7:02'20"
Whitechapel: 7:29'39"
Surrey Quays: 7:37'37"
New Cross Gate: 7:52'47"
Whitechapel (again): 8:07'42"
Aldgate East: 8:10'24"
Tower Hill: 8:14'09"
Monument: 8:16'49"
etc