It could be heaven, it could be hell

...only kidding, it's the Nike outlet store in Swindon designer outlet centre!

And what, might you ask, was I doing there? I blame my student S. He is obsessed with Nike shoes. Ever since I mentioned the Nike store at Gloucester Quays, then realised it wasn't there any more, we've had a plan to go to Swindon, to McArthur Glen (as a Scot, I feel this should be renamed Glen McArthur, and should be famous for either:
A) being the site of a famous battle
or
B) the scene of some shady goings-on in a novel by one of Scotland's writers of tartan noir, maybe Ian Rankin or Denise Mina).

But I digress. S and I went to catch the 12.30 train, via Savers, because S has a plague of houseflies AND also has OCD. Bad combination. We bought a can of Raid there. Back at the station, there was no train to be had, because the drivers were on a work-to-rule, and many trains had been cancelled. S and I went to Home Bargains, and then to lunch at Falafel Mama.

I now realise I should have tried to explain, when S said they he still wanted to catch the 3.3O train, that we'd be better off postponing the trip, but I believe in letting people learn by experience and I didn't have anything pressing to do. We amused ourselves in Greater Stroud until 3.3O and then went to catch the train. I'm surprised that we all managed to board it without actually being pushed on! Schoolkids, business folk, leisure travellers, commuters, Uncle Tom Cobleigh all crowded on, with standing room only for most of them. Pleasant it was not!

Once in Swindon, we legged it to Glen MacArthur and the Nike store. S returned a pair of shoes he'd bought online, and we went to peruse the aisles. To my great surprise and dismay, there was nothing that S liked! There were no Pegasus running shoes in acceptable colours for me, either (not that I run anywhere, but I'm partial to a pair of Pegasus). We left with only six pairs of posh socks for S.

It was the same in Clarks. I did find some shoes I loved, but they were not available in my size AND preferred colour. Nothing really thrilled either of us apart from the unobtainables. I feel there's a parable in here somewhere....

Then we legged it back to the station, as S was offended by my telling him that he runs in a very camp way (dear Me, there are worse things one can do!)

When we got to the station, with minutes to spare, we were fretted by further delays and broken-,down trains on the tracks. It was after 7 when we finally set off.

We did have a laugh, and I did come away with a bottle of delightfully fragrant shower gel (satsuma). I'm only sorry that getting to Heaven for shoe fetishists was such an ordeal. I will not travel by train again on a day of industrial action, and hopefully not at all until I can get a senior Railcard. That day will come soon enough.