On my way home ......

.... from the Belper game - they lost 1-0 to Stocksbridge Park Steels, but more of that later ... I'm in an "internet cafe" in Buxton (Grove Movie Centre) with some time to kill before the train back to Manchester, so I thought I'd have a rant at the "Trans Peak" bus service. I got to Buxton this morning - by train - and when the TP bus arrived - it was full !!! The driver blamed the "free pass syndrome" and could only offer "There's another one in an hour" .... GREAT !!!! I got to Belper in the end by various outlandish means (been all over !!). Tonight coming back I knew that the bus would arrive in Buxton just too late to catch the Manchester train leaving me with approx 57 minutes ..... GREAT !!!

So Trans Peak - I suggest that if you're an "express bus service" you:

a) ban the free passes
b) stick to the main road instead of veering off into Taddington, Ashford etc etc.
c) time your (late)buses to arrive at Buxton to connect with the bloody trains !!!

Rant over - I'm now off to the station to catch the 2029-ish train back to Manc - which will see me back in Mossley ..... late ... I'l try to get something up tonight ... but tomorrow we're on a "big walk" which Mrs Smiffy has been sorting out today ....

Hang on - it's only 1952 - so how about another "rant" - this time to do with car insurance. Mrs Smiffy had a bit of a prang in the car this midweek - some dolt reversed into the car and gave our bumper a bit of a clout - there is a hole and a dent about 5 inches square. T'other "admitted" so our insurance kicked in - and what a bloody kerfuffle that is !!! The insurance company, the company that picks up the car, the company that supplies the courtesy car - God they're all taking a "rake off" - letters coming first class, txts coming onto mobile phones - money money money .... Mrs Smiffy said that if it had been her fault we'd have lived with it (a bit of duck tape etc etc) but once the others admit the vultures are in there big style ! They came to pick our car up at 0700 this morning after a false start yesterday - they're meant to fit in with us, but it's so bloody awkward - I don't even know if the "courtesy car" has arrived yet (hope so - the big walk is supposed to be up Yorkshire Dales way ....). Fingers crossed ....

Anyway - enough of this hi-tec internet cafe stuff (I'll be honest - I've never used one before !!!). Off for a pint before the train ... poss the Kings Head just across the road from where I'm sat !

As Aleksandr would say if he didn't say "Simples" ............................ "laters" ........

One line on the football - the team I saw today was NOT the Belper Town I've been watching this season - a very lacklustre effort indeed. More later - must go (God know how much this costs !!)
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