A fairly low-key couple of weeks went nuclear as the week drew to a close, with amazing weather, a whole bunch of travelling and familiar faces turning up left right and centre.

After a failed attempt to meet Lucy back in the first week of the break we rearranged to meet up in Nottingham on the Saturday of the final week. We chose Nottingham because by train it’s about an hour for each of us, so a suitable half way point. So, dutifully, I booked my train tickets, opting for off peak tickets because they’re cheapest. So my ticket there only worked on a train leaving Worksop at 9.38am on Saturday. Remember this, it’s important for later.

However, on Thursday my friend Fay asked me if I’d like to come to a gathering at her home on the outskirts of Doncaster on the Friday, adding that I’d finally get to meet all of her friends. I’ve heard about her friends, met some of them, and encountered almost all of them at some point in cyberspace, so the prospect of meeting them all for real, and all at the same time was irresistible.

I had to give tours in Sheffield on Friday afternoon, and I worked out that I could easily get from Sheffield to Doncaster by train. However, getting back from Doncaster late would be difficult without my car, which I wouldn’t have if I arrived by train. Luckily, Fay solved this problem by offering to let me and any of her friends that needed to stay over. This sounded great, so I decided that this is what I’d do. But, remember that train ticket that only works on a train out of Worksop at 9.38am?… Well, hold that thought.

So, I got to Sheffield early on Friday and got some work done. Then I gave some undergraduate tours, finishing just after 3pm. My train to Doncaster wasn’t until after 5pm so I had time to meet up with my medic friend Sarah for a lovely chat over a coffee revolution mug of tea. Then I dashed of to the station, caught the train and was at Fay’s by half past six. I got to meet her friends, and her sister, and I think a fun night was had by all. But what about this train to Nottingham leaving Worksop at 9.38am the next day?

Well, with the help of Fay’s local knowledge we worked out that the only way it could be done would be to catch a bus into Doncaster at about 7.30am, then hop on a train to Retford at about 8am, and then catch another train from Retford to Worksop arriving within 10 minutes of the train I needed to be on.  If just one of these trains or buses was late, I could miss the train I need. Surely that couldn’t be done?

Oh Yes! It could, and was!

I was arriving in Nottingham at 10.44am, where Lucy was already waiting for me. I don’t think I’ve seen Lucy since Nikki and Leila’s leaving party, so we had plenty to catch up on. After a quick cup of tea we struck off to Nottingham castle, where there is currently and exhibition of costumes, props and set pieces that were used in the new Ridley Scott Robin Hood movie. The weather was absolutely perfect, and the views from the castle were definitely verging on sublime.

Then it was off back into the city to get some lunch. We found a nice Yates, and I had an impressively sized all day breakfast. After this we just had time for a ride on the temporary London-Eye-esque big wheel in the city centre, before the afternoon was all used up. It must have been fun because it flew by. We parted in the station, and I jumped aboard the train for what was my 8th journey on a public transport vehicle in 48 hours.

Today I was at work, and after this I’m going to go through all my work and make sure I’m ready for the new term starting tomorrow. This term I have two presentations, I have to lead a seminar, I have to write three essays, prepare my conference paper begin work on my MA dissertation. It’s not all doom and gloom though, there are some other quite exciting (socially speaking) things in the pipeline! Kenton and Jane should be back in the UK by Tuesday, and I’ve arranged to meet up with my old friends Sally and Izzy tomorrow after class.