Monthly Archives: August 2008

V2008 – (the part that wasn’t wet)

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For all the gripes I had about V2008 in my last post, in spite of the coke heads and the piss heads. In spite of the miserable weather I still managed to get a couple of photographs. Mainly from artists performing under cover, Mainly in fact from Jack Mcmanus –

I was on the barrier, It was fairly easy to shoot and it was before the rain had started in earnest and I was scared to take my beloved camera out of its bag. The rest of the day it didn’t really come out of the safety of it’s carrying case for fear the wind would somehow snatch it away from me and fill its vital parts with rain or it would get dripped on in the tents from the spray coming from the soggy masses.

You can visit my flickr for more photos of Jack (link over there on the left) and photos of other stuff too!

V 2008 – What a wash out!

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Saturday saw me attending the V festival in Weston Park, Staffs. What a waste of a Saturday – I could have been doing something interesting like cutting the lawn with some nail clippers or cleaning my toilet with a toothbrush, but instead I was battling the elements to attend the WORST festival I have ever been to!

The rain I could cope with, I had a rain jacket, even if it did make me look like a pea with legs I could cope with the cold, hey I’ve camped at festivals in worse weather. The line up wasn’t too bad plenty of bands for me to see, Even if James didn’t approve of all my choices but what absolutely drove me mad were the coked up middle class pissed tossers who couldn’t give a shit about the music and were only there to get off their faces!

Grrr!!

The day didn’t start off too badly, We saw Jack McManus in the Union Arena Tent and then the latter half of The Feelings set on the main stage before I parted company with James and made my way over to the T4 stage for a good old festival sing along to Scouting for Girls with James’ friend Ruth and her friend Becks.

There was a bit of jostling as some of the coke fiends by us barely stayed upright and burnt each others rain jackets with cigarette ends. (Cue for us to move further into the crowd) but they were good to see as it was a proper festival moment, the band look genuinely pleased and amazed at the crowd reaction and the crowd fed off their energy singing along with all their songs and generally having a good time.

Once they’d done I caught the last part of Tom Baxter’s set back in the Union Arena Tent stepping over the bodies in the tent that had collapsed through drug/alcohol abuse and at merely 6:25pm that was my bands done for the day – I didn’t get to see anyone else!!

Yes I know Amy Winehouse made it on to stage (30 mins late, I quote one friend of mine in saying “it was like watching the aftermath of a car crash) but the lure or the V.I.P area dry seating and food was more important at this point. _ The V.I.P area had Nando’s dammit how could I resist something resembling “proper” food at a festival?

Yes, Yes I know Kings Of Leon were playing – I tried to to watch them, I saw and heard none of it from behind a group of 5 of the biggest twats I have ever encountered in my life screaming and shouting and flailing about through the entirety of their set, at one point they stripped off one of the female members of their group to the waist screaming at everyone “don’t look don’t look” well I was trying to look BUT AT THE FUCKING STAGE MORONS. Unfortunately I was too short to see anything but the back of peoples heads or a face full of tit and too far back in the crowd for the sound of the band to carry above the idiots so I missed it but a few chords of “Charmer” and “On Call” – I did consider moving but a quickie scan of the surrounding areas convinced me to stay put as it was no better anywhere else, Where was I supposed to go – to stand next to the guys who started fighting behind us? The only saving grace was we’ve already bought tickets to see them again in December where I will be very carefully selecting who we stand behind!

By the time KoL had gone off stage I was exhausted and quite upset so we made our way back to the Union Arena for The Guillemots but with an hour to wait before they started I sat on the floor while the crowd sang along to Echo and the Bunnymen and ruminated about all the idiots I’d encountered during the day. Desperately tried to dry out and slowly lost the will to live looked up at James to hear him ask “Do you want to go home?”

Hell yeah I did! So at only 9:30pm we packed up and shipped out pausing only for a quick chat with James’ cousin Steve who we’d not managed to catch up with all day.

I don’t think I’m going to bother going again unless the line up is too good to miss, V 2008 sucked, V 2006 wasn’t much better and who can forget the flying torch incident of 2005?? I leave most years thinking why did I bother – so free tickets or no free tickets I think in future if one of “James’ Artists” are playing we’ll go watch them and then leave again!

Too cute

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I took this photograph and then melted into teh sofa – Just look at those fingers

There is something really magical about little babies. For some reason when ever I see a baby I HAVE to look at their hands, for me it kind of epitomizes everything they’re about – perfectly formed tiny fingers with
tiny little finger nails and little folds of skin but never really “used”.

This hand belongs to my friends 7 week old son, Samuel Adam Murphy (S.A.M. Can you see what they did there), he fell asleep in my arms and I stared at his hands long enough that I swear I felt my uterus contract and then I knew I had to hand him back or James would start panicking and run away!

Congratulations Bryan, Gemma and big sister Megan – he is truly adorable!

‘No bullet’ jibe for train row soldier

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After writing of the insults I received courtesy of a train manager on my journey south the other day (here) I came across an article in today’s Metro that sounded all too familiar. It seems Cross Country Trains managers are at it again, and not even our armed forces are impervious to their jibes

A teenage solider traveling home from a tour of duty in Iraq is removed from a train after getting irate with a smart mouthed train manager whom, after asking the solider to pay full fare quipped:

‘I don’t know what you’re complaining about. It is not as if you’ve taken a bullet or anything.’

Full Story HERE

I wonder if Zachary had encountered the same man I was I faced with, I seriously hope so as maybe this time his superiors maybe forced to take action!

A word of warning….(rant rant rant) Cross Country Train Managers are SHIT

Family, Opinion, WBIAGW, , , ,

CrossCountry trains have the most appalling train managers.

I travel by train fairly regularly using various operators but never in my life have I been spoken to with such disdain by someone supposedly working within a public domain.

The member of staff in question was rude and aggressive, he made jibes at us that as a paying customer (or as any customer) I found completely unfounded and insulting, and why? Because I made the mistake of standing (not sitting although their were empty seats) in the doorway to the First Class carriage as the rest of the train was full and I had no where else to go!

SO to anyone travelling on Cross Country Trains look out for the Train Manager called Paul – you’ll know him when you see him, He’s the miserable sullen fucker that hates his job and takes it out on his customers – If you see him avoid at all costs Do not attempt to board the train anywhere but you allotted carriage, and avoid smiling at him if at all possible, it’ll only invoke his RAGE!

On the upside the journey was the first leg of our Wolverhampton to London trip where we had lots and lots of fun, photos will be posted soon, in the meantime:

www.theblondekid.blogspot.com

The Blonde Kid beat me to blogging it, The kid is such a geek, Mommy is so proud 😀

And in case anyone was wondering what I plan on doing about the journey from hell this is an email I have sent their complaints department after “THE” journey:

“I was travelling to Birmingham New Street from Wolverhampton on Sunday 3rd August and jumped on one of your trains (the LATE 09.41). I was travelling with my partner, son and parents and I have never in my whole life encountered such a rude man as the one who spoke to me that morning.

We got on in the end carriage (along with some other people) which happened to be first class and proceeded to make our way through the carriage into standard class but when we reached the intersection a group of musicians with their instruments were blocking the way and we could see straight through into the next carriage where other people were also standing and blocking the aisles.

Despite there being plenty of seats available in first class we were very aware that we hadn’t first class tickets so my partner and father stood in the section between carriages, I stood right by the door. My young son and my mother then sat on the nearest chairs to us as we unable to proceed further down the train.

Within seconds of pulling out of the station the jobsworth Train Manager “Paul” (he refused to give us his surname) came charging down the carriage and demanded our tickets, He then demanded we move into the next carriage as this was a “private carriage” so told him I would if I could and if he’d like to ask other people to move I would gladly follow suit.

He then started shouting at me about sitting in the “cheaper seats” and shouting at me to move, at which point my partner stepped through from the intersection and asked him why he was shouting.

This Paul then asked him “What has it got to do with you!?!”

My other half pointed out that I was his girlfriend and regardless of this you could ask more politely he retorted with “I don’t need to it’s my train and I can read!!” Virtually pushed us through the door!!

I then had to stand with a sobbing 8 year old who had witnessed all this in the entrance to the toilets as there was no where else to go and listen to him remonstrate with the other passengers who remained in first class about myself and the other passengers who he’d removed whilst he locked the doors between carriages!

I was so very very angry.

I would have gladly moved further down the train had I been able to. I wasn’t freeloading in First Class – I wasn’t even sitting despite seats being available unlike other “standard class passengers”even though I’d paid the same fair. I’d merely made sure my mom and son were safe on a moving train and stood out of the way of the other passengers.

How dare a member of your staff make such presumptions about myself!

Yes I can indeed read, I read well enough to take his name and title off his name badge. How dare he think just because I have purchased standard tickets I have any less right to common decency than anyone else.

Manners cost nothing!!

I would like some feedback as to what you are planning to about this matter. No paying customer deserves to treated this way standard class or otherwise! ”

I’ve just received an email from their “customer relations team”

“Dear Ms Jennings,

Thank you very much for your E-mail received on 5 August 2008.

I would be grateful if you would send your train tickets to the following address quoting your reference number so that we can fully complete the processing of your claim. Please also provide your postal address to enable us to reply in full.

Customer Relations

CrossCountry

Cannon House

18 The Priory Queensway

Birmingham

B4 6BS

I do thank you for taking the time to write to us. We value your comments, and we welcome the opportunity this gives us to understand what our customers require from our service.

Yours sincerely

Melanie Hamilton-Smith

Customer Relations”

I’ll keep you posted with any developments!