Trains and boats and...

[huggermugger]

Oh alright, just trains then.

Yet another milestone - my DS (Third Form) has announced that he wants to come home on the train next leave weekend. He says there will be a few of them going the same way (pupils not trains ) and at least one who will be going to the same station. That's not our nearest but it's actually easier to get to by train and reduces the changes to just one & at least he doesn't have to go via London.

I know a lot of them do this although mostly older, I think - anyone got any insights to offer? I have to admit to a bit of apprehension but I guess there's safety in numbers and at least they have mobile phones...

I suspect this post will prompt tales of ridiculously long journeys by 11 year olds many years ago & maybe you'll all think I'm neurotic. I probably am a bit but Fings Ain't Wat They Used To Be. And it would be this week that I heard a tale of a child being robbed/beaten up by a group of kids whilst all the passengers on the bus looked the other way...

[huggermugger]

Actually, I might spare a thought for the other occupants of my DS's carriage. He will no doubt find the whole thing very exciting and his voice gets louder directly in proportion with his excitement

[lonelymom]

Oh huggermugger, I don't know what I'd do if I was in your position. On the once occasion my daughter went by train (actually it was her first ever leave weekend) she went to Victoria with the other CH kids, then changed and got on another train with one of her friends from house (and the other girl's grandad, who met them at Victoria). But she found that by the time she got on the second train it was rush hour, the platform was chaotic with people pushing to get on the train, and she had to stand most of the way home. However, she has actually said she'd like to do it again!!!

[englishangel]

If he wants to do it, I would let him, it is those lacking confidence who generally get into trouble.

I remember the first time my daughter said she would go to the local store to buy the milk/bread/newspaper at the age of eight. I waited until she was round the corner then crept out to follow her.

What did she do?

Instead of walking along the main road on a wide pavement to a light controlled crossing she crossed at the zebra crossing on a 40mph road and disappeared into the wood (a very small one) taking the footpath through it (not even a short-cut). I am surprised I didn't have a stroke, I don't think my heart-rate returned to normal until she appeared at the front door.

[Vonny]

I remember the first time my daughter said she would go to the local store to buy the milk/bread/newspaper at the age of eight. I waited until she was round the corner then crept out to follow her.

Yep - did the very same last year when my (then) 9 year old insisted on popping down to the little Tesco.

[englishangel]

ours is now a little Tesco but it wasn't 10 years ago

[Vonny]

Ours is a Tesco come Esso petrol station. Only became a Tesco about 2 years ago. A bit off topic but it annoys me that they charge more in there than at the bigger supermakets

[englishangel]

I have just remembered that about 3 years ago a couple of girls from the local school (just behind the aforementioned wood) were "flashed" by a youngish man in the wood. My daughter and her best friend were all for going out and 'hanging around' to catch him.

I dissuaded them as there was a serious danger that if they had he would never have walked properly again.

[huggermugger]

Well, I wouldn't hold him back; he is very independent & in fact he knows I will worry so he tends to reassure me by talking through what he will/won't do. But trains can be so unreliable. I will take him back on the Sunday as I can't abandon him to the vagaries of Engineering Works.

I'm not sure about the independent ones being more sensible, though. When I was about his age I used to travel with my younger sisters by coach from London to West Wales (used to take a ridiculous amount of time). We stopped around lunchtime in Cheltenham and we used to dump our luggage on some kind looking lady and go gallivanting around the shops, all unbeknown to my parents... we were too blooming independent for our own good.

[huggermugger]

Oh huggermugger, I don't know what I'd do if I was in your position. On the once occasion my daughter went by train (actually it was her first ever leave weekend) she went to Victoria with the other CH kids, then changed and got on another train with one of her friends from house (and the other girl's grandad, who met them at Victoria). But she found that by the time she got on the second train it was rush hour, the platform was chaotic with people pushing to get on the train, and she had to stand most of the way home. However, she has actually said she'd like to do it again!!!

Gosh, you were brave - crossing London is a nightmare even for adults. Having a handy Grandad is useful! But I suppose there are a lot of them who do it. (Pupils, not Grandads..) I understand they used to have to wear their uniforms on the journey home & I think in one way this was a very good idea as maybe it made them really visible and therefore less likely to get lost or worse... dunno.

Do they get accompanied up to Victoria? I think I've picked that up somewhere. Aren't there some pupils that go home on coaches? Or have I imagined that?

[lonelymom]

Yes, they are accompanied on the train to Victoria. But it is a public train, there aren't separate carriages for the pupils. If the train is busy they have to walk through the carriages to find a seat, which means they might not be near the supervising adult, although there are lots of older pupils who will keep an eye on them. The coach is for the return journey, and leaves from Victoria. If your DS wants to get the train this leave weekend you'll need to let his housemaster know asap because he'll need to sort out his ticket

[Vonny]

I used to catch a coach to Waterloo from Dorset then cross London to Liverpool St to catch the Hertford train. Mostly I was accompanied to LS Station but I do remember doing this trip on my own in the last year I was at Hertford. When we moved to Horsham I used to catch the train from Dorset, cross London to Victoria, then catch the CH train. I only ever remember doing this journey alone and it wasn't a big deal for me. But I guess things were different then. I don't remember there ever being any supervisig adults on the trains but that doesn't mean there weren't any!

[huggermugger]

The coach is for the return journey, and leaves from Victoria. If your DS wants to get the train this leave weekend you'll need to let his housemaster know asap because he'll need to sort out his ticket

I went online, booked it and it will be sent to him in the post! Coach is no good to us as it would take as long to get up to Victoria from here as it does to drive to CH.... He will change at Redhill & I'll just have to hope that's it's an easy one but as I said he will have some friends with him who have done it before.

[Momto2]

The coach is for the return journey, and leaves from Victoria. If your DS wants to get the train this leave weekend you'll need to let his housemaster know asap because he'll need to sort out his ticket

I went online, booked it and it will be sent to him in the post! Coach is no good to us as it would take as long to get up to Victoria from here as it does to drive to CH.... He will change at Redhill & I'll just have to hope that's it's an easy one but as I said he will have some friends with him who have done it before.

I was going to say, I wouldn't trust that particular HM to do something as taxing as getting a train ticket but I see you have done your own thing - very wise move

xx

[lonelymom]

He'll be fine, huggermugger , but I think you already know that really, otherwise you'd have just said 'no, no, no' when he suggested it