Not the best start to a journey...

...but it's worked out OK so far.

My Editor and I are off to Toronto tomorrow - the first time since early February for her, the first time for me for...5 days!

Anyway, we're due to fly from London Gatwick tomorrow, so we'd booked seats on the 16.00 train today from Newcastle to Kings Cross (the train originated further north, in Edinburgh). Messages kept appearing to explain a delay (initially of 5 minutes), as a result of "signalling problems" (that ubiquitous excuse). The delay kept getting longer...and then they added a warning  that  between Darlington and Northallerton (about 40 miles down the line from us) there would be a further delay owing to cows on the line! (Sounds like Thomas the Tank Engine!) Then they announced that the train was about to arrive (great!), but a minute or two later that it was cancelled.

We would be allowed to join the next train, due to arrive soon at the same platform...oh no, a different platform across the bridge. There followed a mass movement of passengers and then a scramble to get seats on an already fairly full train.

Fortunately we did get seats, opposite a very nice lady who was travelling from Edinburgh all the way to London, so in fact we had a very pleasant journey after that. We had to change in London to the Thameslink train from St Pancras to Gatwick, so we finally arrived about an hour and a quarter behind schedule - so being over an hour late we should get "delay repay" compensation amounting to the full ticket cost. Not so bad then!

We were glad not to be catching a late evening plane today otherwise it could have been a bit stressful - as it happens our plane tomorrow is at 12.40 so we can have quite a leisurely morning.