The train that never existed...

Bad start to the week on East Coast trains.

Arrive at Peterborough station at 8.10. Plenty of time to get my ticket and catch the London-bound 8.33.

No worries. Wait patiently on the south-bound Platform 2.

The announcer tells us the next train on Platform 2 is the 8.33...

Reassuring.

But then he adds that it's going to Lincoln.

Not so reassuring.

No mention of my King's Cross 'service'.

So where's my train?

One of the three ticket stampers at the barrier at first denies any knowledge of such a train as the 8.33 to London.

He produces a sheaf of papers which is apparently his print-out of the timetable.

"There is no 8.33 to London," he confidently declares.

"So it's cancelled?" ask irritated commuters.

"Not cancelled," he insists. "As I have already told you, there is no 8.33 to London. We have an 8.33 to Lincoln..."

When other commuters point out to Jobsworth that they've been catching the 8.33 to London for years, he offers: "Ah, yes sir, but we're operating a revised timetable today and as I say, there is no 8.33 to London."

He then causes more grief with his warning that the next East Coast 'express' will be 'exceedingly overcrowded'.

He advises catching the next First Capital Connect train instead.

But he doesn't mention that this is a 'slow' service which stops at every lamp-post including Huntingdon, St Neots, Sandy, Biggleswade, Arlesey, Hitchin, Stevenage, and Finsbury Park...

Of course, no mention of cancellations earlier when I parted with my £87 for a ticket...And no mention that the next 'express' to London that actually did exist would arrive late into Peterborough...

But of course, when you operate a 'revised' timetable, and don't tell the paying customers, there are no delays or cancellations...

So, not the four hour marathons twice experienced trekking to London in last week's snow, but every bit as frustrating!

Sh*tbucks comes to Peterborough...

Snow-slow drive to Peterborough this morning after digging my car out of the drive, so miss my usual London bound train, and watch the next one pull out while I queue for a ticket.

At least the trains seem to be running pretty much to time despite the first snow and cold snap of winter...whatever happened to Global Warming..?

Info board says next train due in 20 minutes, but updates say it's going to be 8 minutes late, then 20 minutes late and eventually over half any hour late...so have any overall wait of any hour trying to keep warm.

Fancy a hot drink to fend off the cold, and keep my hands warm. Decide to give 'Pumpkins' coffee a miss and plum instead for the new outlet on Platform 2.

Should be a treat. It's Starbucks. Order a 'hot' choc and hand over my dosh. First sip reveals it's only mildly warm, and so down it in one.

Yuk.

It's stone cold and hasn't even been stirred.

Nasty after-taste.

It's easy for anyone to make a mistake when you're new and busy and, like the choc drink, er...cold.

What's amazing is the reaction of Starbucks staff when I politely point out that their 'hot' choc is anything but.

No reaction at all!! Not a word of apology, refund or fresh drink. Just blank faces..

Astonishing.

My reaction to being blanked is to start loudly advising others in the queue that the 'hot' choc isn't.

Still no reaction.

Someone at Starbucks clearly missed the 'have a nice day' training course in customer relations.

Surely the American coffee giants Starbucks would appreciate knowing they are getting it wrong in Peterborough.

Faith restored somewhat when I ring Starbucks in London and I am able to regale my story to a pleasant young? Lady with a warm American drawl who apologises for my bad experience with Starbucks, promises refund in the post and wishes I have a nice day.

Get the late train which has just come to a juddering halt after a few miles. Guard just announced a pipe has broken.

Ah, that old excuse.

Must be the wrong kind of snow...

Maybe i should have stayed in bed...hope to be inching towards London soon and hope to get there in time to come back...

UPDATE 11.52 Just passing Knebworth, Guard says pipe fixed but slow now because there's congestion ahead and snow blown onto signals means Driver having difficulty seeing them.

I need a hot drink, but now feeling rather sick after my Starbucks Experience...