Friday, July 29, 2011

Buxton Bound - 28/7 arrived!

It's just gone 10pm and we're settled down in our flats at the uni. For the sake of the narrative I will back track to the landing at Manchester.

David was snap-happy all the way down (I was thinking of telling him to stop as the wheels touched down in case he bashed himself in the face with the camera) so hopefully there's some good shots there. Coming down I recognized a Class 170 and a Class 185, which got me all excited. As we taxied in we saw some sort of observation point with a mini-museum attached - a Concorde in a building, and a Nimrod and something else outside. Must go check that out.

Getting off the plane was a pain in the neck, the business class people just didn't seem to move! Or maybe it just seems like it because we're tired and want to get out. Manchester Airport is quieter and less commercialised than most, it makes a pleasant change.

We had just missed our Route 199 bus from the Airport to Buxton, but that was OK because we had to find a money machine, a water fountain and open wifi, and of course take a gander at the 156 and 185 sets at the station. We also swapped over our SIM cards, and discovered that they'd been cancelled. So quite possibly our phone numbers are going to change. But I'll sort that out at Manchester tomorrow.

We got our bus, paid our £8.40 return fares, reacquainted ourselves with Stockport's massive bus station and railway viaduct, tried to tune out the conversation of a couple of drunks, and arrived in Buxton about 80 minutes later - much better than the two hours I estimated. Off-Peak traffic does make a difference.

The staff here at the uni greeted us with "Ah, three from Australia? Yes I have your keys here", and showed us to our rooms with zero fuss. I like working with competent people. We're all in rooms looking out over the railway viaduct, so my Class 66 alarm clock is (probably) back in business.

Right now I'm lying on my bed with Clippy on my lap, having peeled my socks and shoes off and opened the window to let out the noxious gases contained therein. I will now turn in and wake up at whatever time I feel like it, and hopefully adjust my body clock to this side of the world. Have fun!

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