Back from a trip to Birmingham for that rarest of events in the business world, a meeting that both achieved its aim and was enjoyable too.
I made my travel booking last week at the height of the airport security business so decided to go by train instead of my usual plane. This was a good decision. Although it took a bit longer it was much more enjoyable – the trains clean, smooth, not too busy and on time. When you add the ‘ancillary time’ taken by flights getting to the airport, going through security, waiting in the lounge, etc etc, the time was only about 90m longer. I was able to enjoy music on my mp3 player – from Neil Young to Wagner – do some exercises in my ‘learn to read music’ book, and enjoy 44 Scotland Street, which is superbly funny. Against this leisure pleasure was the nagging feeling that terrorists would now strike the railways and Birmingham New Street was a likely target – clearly the influence of the media on the reactive mind. The same reactive patterns that fill me with a certain nagging loneliness when I travel, a feeling that is unpleasant and craving for a short time (like this one) but which, after a few days, can become strangely sweet. Hard to explain and perhaps I shouldn’t try.
Back into Waverly at 9:30 and the bus got me home about 10:15.