One Wheel On My Wagon...

Well the time arrived.. our last sunset in Budleigh for a little while.
And a very colourful display it was too. Next day off to Exeter
Stationwith almost our total allowance...wheelie luggage is the
new travel.
Well it was for the want of a nail. Turns out that the lift at Exeter
station was out of order, as a special widget had broken and
they were calling a guy out of retirement to tool-up and
machine a new one. But until the forge had poured the metal we
were out of luck... so a professional chap with a UHF radio and
a orange jacket got us lined up behind the yellow
line at the end of the platform, when he said go we raced
across the tracks..except one of the wheels got stuck.
No risk of derailment, but our journey
had only just started.. about 50 yards of wheelie into it.
Never mind one wheel standing.monocycle luggage...
train boarded next stop reading
...not via Yeovil but Taunton and then Wiltshire valleys,
so stops at Taunton havent been there since I was diverted
because Westbury was closed for lost snowploughs on the tracks
back in the big chill of nineteen seventy eight...,
wont stop at Frome neither (population 20,000) but stops
at all those little first class carriage villages (pop less than 500)
on the way to Newbury, where the tow-path falls away into
the canal villages. I venture to think the locals dig the tow paths
up and the approach roads for that matter!
Even my GPS cant find them..or even Banksy?
Dont think you can alight here without the right ticket,
indeed the grass IS greener here, even the cows have
green envy, how do they do it!?
Village envy..never its just not somerset.
Time to snaffle our boots meal deals as we press our noses
to the windows and look on at green wellie brigade cleaning
up their horse manure in their bespoke villages where the train
can stop with the wonka golden ticket.
After Newbury we spot an enclave of what appear to be
resistance postal workers. If that was the special-delivery Harley
hardtail motorbike with leather panniers they promised you,
I'd be striking too.
French posties have proper mopeds with headlights and chrome
exhaust pipes and stuff!
Next stop Reading, and this game hasnt changed in 30 years,
up the stairs, over the ramp, down the stairs, along abit and
hard right onto the little Gatwick train with no room for luggage.
The inspiration for Hogworts express no doubt.
Actually 2 seats have been removed to allow placement of
luggage in the aisle so everyone else can steeplechase
or Quidditch?
We then went along seeing lots of greenery outside
the M25 toward Guildford via deep dorking and shallow grindstead
and such fictious places. Muggle towns maybe.
Finally we got into serious commuter belt stuff..
and there we were Gatwick
just the sort of place youd spend a day of your holidays
travelling there. NOT!
After all that these heavier-than-air machines better be worth it!