Those of you who are ‘friends’ with me on Facebook will know that I often post ‘Tales from the Rails’ when I am on my travels around the Connexion by train. Brief stories of my journeys, the people I meet, the things that happen. Snaps from the window of the passing landscape.
This morning my husband caught the 6.51 from Tiverton Parkway to Paddington and was in London pretty much on time. The train had apparently been in the station all night. I decided to travel earlier than I had planned and arrived at Tiverton for the 9.06, only to discover that no trains were able to get from Exeter to Tiverton, and so a bus had been laid on to take passengers to Taunton. We travelled to Bristol Temple Meads and changed there for the final leg of the journey to Paddington.
All this chaos was triggered by Storm Angus, which has left the Westcountry flooded in many places. I was amused that when I emailed the other members of the MWiB executive to let them know of my progress up to London for our meeting tomorrow, autocorrect wanted to render ‘Westcountry’ as ‘Wetcountry’!
Carolyn has not managed the trip from her home further down into South Devon. Her journey is longer and more complex than mine! She has sent notes of what she would have wanted to bring to the meeting, and the rest of us will gather to cover the business at The Highbury Centre all day tomorrow. I have been able to catch up with a friend at the South Bank this afternoon, and to wander through the Christmas market stalls and appreciate the Christmas lights along the Thames.
As so often happens these days, as people have commiserated with me on my ‘terrible journey’ I have thought of those refugees whom I met in Greece back in May. Many of them had made treacherous journeys from their homelands and have probably still not yet arrived anywhere they would call ‘home’.
I love this Celtic Blessing used by the Northumbria Community:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you,
wherever He may send you.
May He guide you through the wilderness,
protect you through the storm.
May He bring you home rejoicing
at the wonders He has shown you.
May He bring you home rejoicing
once again into our doors.
