March 5th, 2022.
In a change from my usual political letters from the North, I thought I would relate my travels from Friday.
With the gradual freeing up of the UK from restrictions I have managed to start returning to some semblance of normality and resume business meetings and visits. On Friday I had to attend a business meeting in Exeter.
Exeter is an ancient city, having been a military base in Roman times. During the Middle Ages it developed into a religious centre and in 1050 building of its Gothic Cathedral commenced. It still has some old buildings to be admired although much of the old city centre was destroyed in the second world war.
Anyway, back to the mundane. My day started with the early morning train to London, stopping at Exeter after 2 hours. The station is a throwback to older times, with GWR signals and a signal box, surviving most modernisation plans over the years. The visitors describe it as half modern and half quaint!
Shown in the picture is a cross-country train, probably from Penzance to Newcastle, and one of the freight trains carrying China clay to the local port for export.
It was a filthy day, about 5 C and torrential rain. As I crossed the Brunel Bridge into Devon it was difficult to see the road bridge adjacent to the rail bridge. As the train pulled into Plymouth the rain eased and the sun struggled to make its presence felt.
The last part of the journey ran along the sea wall past Dawlish but visibility was still hazy with sea mist rolling in. Finally, after 2 hours I reached Exeter and went off to my meeting. The sun had come out and the spring flowers were in evidence. It was wonderful to go to a meeting in a part of the city called Southernhays which comprises a wide boulevard of old-style buildings mostly populated by solicitors and accountants. It made a refreshing change from the glass and concrete structures found in commercial parks where professional firms are often found.
A short walk from Southernhays brings us into Cathedral Close where we find the Gothic Cathedral.
I enjoyed the meeting. It was nice to get back to proper maskless meetings and unrestricted public transport to and from the venue. It just brought home to me how much I had missed a “normal” business life. Perhaps I will soon be able to resume my international work – I have a two-week assignment in The Gambia coming up when international travel settles down a little.
After a couple of hours of being a tourist it was time to get the train back home. By now the rain had disappeared and it was a typical English early spring day, cold but with clear blue skies. I was able to enjoy the views as the train sped along the seawall as we travelled Westwards.
After 2 hours I reached home. The train had come from London and as we crossed the border into Cornwall it gradually disgorged its travellers, mainly young tourists coming down for surfing, sea, sand and whatever else youngsters do these days. The train was packed, almost like Friday afternoons used to be in pre-Covid days. Most of these trains are express to Plymouth and then they stop at every dog kennel and halt to Penzance, as it becomes a local stopping train.
All around, a successful day. Forgive me for the indulgence, but I just wanted to give a flavour of England as things gradually return to “normality”.