Dawn

I’m up just after six packing. The flat is still warm, but there’s a refreshing chill outside as I walk up to the station.

I pass some early morning media event. They have two presenters hanging in some sort of observation bubble hanging from the top of a gigantic crane. On the ground there’s a huge screen showing the feed from the bubble, and a small crowd of onlookers.

First train is Essen to Brussels. It starts of quiet but fills up as we pass through Aachen and Lille. I mainly doze.

There is no queue at the Eurostar, so I’m past U.K. border control really quickly, but there’s not much on the other side. I munch on a vegan sub and sup on a tin of Leffe. And then get par-boiled in a carriage with failed aircon.

In London, the passengers ooze out of St Pancras past customs, police and plain clothes “officers”. The cool air of Euston Road is like a balm and I make my way to the Northern where I’ll meet Gio.

He arrives on his trusty Brompton. I’ve only got an hour or so before my next train, but we manage to cover a lot of ground. It turns out that we’ll both be at the OOP conference next February. And then it’s goodbye.

I have a few minutes to grab some vittles at M&S and then we’re off to Scotland. I’d better not snooze through Edinburgh - this train is Aberdeen bound. So, I watch The Way Way Back, which is a fun, lighthearted film to match my exhaustion.

I hustle up the Scotsman stairs, negotiate the bridge works, and jog to the bus stop to catch the 7 that’s waiting at the traffic lights. I even remember that they’ve removed the bus stop at the Travelodge and get off at Suffolk Road.

At home, Angus is lounging in his shorts. I grab a fortifying sarnie and we chat about the week. And then to my bed and the release of sleep.