I was awake at 7.20, when Lynda brought me a cup of tea. I had a piece of toast for breakfast and was ready to go at 8.30. Dave dropped me at the park and ride to the north of the city and I got the bus into town. I asked at the bus station about left luggage and they didn't have any facilities, so I walked (with my bag) to the tourist office and they said the only left luggage was at the train station. I checked out their brochures then had a walk (with my bag) to have a quick look at King's College and the backs. After that, I only had time to go to W.H. Smith to get a Cambridgeshire road atlas before I had to hightail it back to the bus station. I ate a muesli bar, went to the toilet, and got on the bus. I got the second seat on the left, but moved behind the driver after St Neots, when a woman got off there.
The bus went via Bedford, Northampton, Coventry, and Daventry on the way to Birmingham. Bedford looked much smaller and more ordinary than I had imagined; Northampton was just uninteresting. Coventry was a bit weird with church spires sticking through a predominantly modern landscape and sad bag ladies walking on roundabouts. Daventry was so forgettable that I can't remember much about it.
The bus pulled into Birmingham bus station at about 3.45. On the way in, I had thought that it didn't look too bad - nicer than Manchester anyway. The bus station was open at each end and deathly cold. It was also very ugly and full of strange people. I got on the Birkenhead bus at 4.15 and drove through the maze of overpasses and underpasses and the foul industrial wasteland that is the north. No, I don't want to live in Birmingham.
We stopped in Stafford, which didn't look too bad, and Crewe, which also looked quite good. I had only ever had one quick trick to Crewe train station. The bus arrived in Chester quite early at about 6.40 and Derek came along a few minutes later to pick me up.
The bus went via Bedford, Northampton, Coventry, and Daventry on the way to Birmingham. Bedford looked much smaller and more ordinary than I had imagined; Northampton was just uninteresting. Coventry was a bit weird with church spires sticking through a predominantly modern landscape and sad bag ladies walking on roundabouts. Daventry was so forgettable that I can't remember much about it.
The bus pulled into Birmingham bus station at about 3.45. On the way in, I had thought that it didn't look too bad - nicer than Manchester anyway. The bus station was open at each end and deathly cold. It was also very ugly and full of strange people. I got on the Birkenhead bus at 4.15 and drove through the maze of overpasses and underpasses and the foul industrial wasteland that is the north. No, I don't want to live in Birmingham.
We stopped in Stafford, which didn't look too bad, and Crewe, which also looked quite good. I had only ever had one quick trick to Crewe train station. The bus arrived in Chester quite early at about 6.40 and Derek came along a few minutes later to pick me up.
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