Rich Takes on the World

I have no doubt, that running a train service is no easy task and can be riddled with problems. But still find it utterly, utterly shameful that even despite having run the Thameslink service since 2006 F*ckin First Capital Connect (to use their proper name) have thoroughly failed to deliver anything other than a disgrace of a train service. My issues with the service can be listed thus: 1.        Reliability.   2.        Cramped trains 3.        Expensive tickets and the audacity to raise price well above inflation So let’s start with my first grievance. FFCC always put posters up about 98.121257864352345% of their trains were on time last year and they were the best service in or around London. Anyone with an ounce of intelligence will immediately know that the figure is just impossible. I know because every day I am delayed. I concede that 4 times out of 5 it is usually for somewhere between 2 – 8 minutes. B...

Today, officially, King Kenny was confirmed as Liverpool FC team manager on a three year contract. This is clearly no great surprise to anyone given the turnaround in the club’s fortunes since the king and his trusty Lieutenant Steve Clarke took over on a caretaker basis. LFC has gone from around a 32% win ratio under Hodgson to nearly 68%. This is phenomenal. It would be a fool who disregarded the impact of selling Torres & Babel and purchasing Suarez and Carroll, but there is no doubt that since Daglish took over, the players appear free from their shackles and are playing without fear. Previously, the team looked to Torres and Gerrard to save games and carry the team, now the team now has many options from different areas of the pitch. I can harp on about the goals from midfield that have been prevalent, the quantity of players now hitting the box, the form of the youth players getting their chances, but to some extent, I want to keep my feet on the ground. It’s far easier to...

What would be the point of a blog if I didn’t write up about my version of events of the 2011 London Marathon? So before I forget too much about the day, I thought I would try and write up about the day and my experiences with it…(The times used are estimates and maybe a little out here and there) 6.40        Wake up at my second alarm 6.45        Breakfast consisted of one huge bowl of cereal and a little water 7.00        Quick shower to a) wake me up a little, b) I can suffer from prickly heat and often I find if I shower in the mornings I can avoid prickly heat when I run.   7.30         Grab our bags and head in the car to west hampstead station. I moan that I should have gone to the toilet before we left. 8.10        Reach London bridge station and we head to find a toilet. The gents cubicles has a queue of runners who, like me, have all been caught out. I...