Actually, my trip to finally see The Walkmen was an eventful one

I was going to book my coach tickets but Cherry Berry was on the National Express website at the time and said, “I get an NHS discount, I can book them for you!”

Very kind, I thought. Thank you.

Travelled up from Bournemouth, finally saw the band, the gig was loud - one of the loudest I’ve been too actually and when I left, my ears were ringing. I could hear nothing else.

I looked at my phone, I had 5% battery left. I’d need to save this ready to show my ticket when I got to Victoria, so I switched off my phone. Got to Victoria at 11.00pm, coach is at 12.05am - I get a coffee and wait.

At about 11.55, I look at the departure board. Hang on… there IS no 12.05 back to Bournemouth. The last coach left five minutes ago! What??? I switch on my phone, battery draining, look at my ticket… Cherry has accidentally bought me a return ticket for the following night! I use the last of my battery to call her. “What are you going to do?” she asks. “I’ll have to sleep in the station, or outside it, I don’t know. I don’t get paid until tomorrow and I have no battery to book anything…”

“Hang on,” she says. “I’ll sort it.”

Two minutes later, she calls and says she’s booked me a Premier Inn a short walk away in Victoria. I check the map on my phone, get the directions just before my phone dies. I walk up to the Premier Inn, somehow find it without a map. I go to the reception and try to check in - ears still ringing with deafening rock and roll.

“I’m sorry,” says the receptionist. “It looks like your wife has booked you a room for TOMORROW night.”

FFS.

There were no rooms left that night. Receptionist felt sorry for me and let me sleep IN THE RECEPTION, she brought me coffee and her phone charger. Absolute hero. Managed to sneak onto another coach at about 6.00am the following morning.

Posted By: tim berry, Nov 2, 12:31:57