Wasted Journeys

Once travelled down to Newport for an evening kick off in the 70s to watch the reds play rained all the way down...on looking out of the misty window I glimpsed the players coach on the opposite side of the dual carriageway heading out of Newport back north...no one on the official supporters coach believed me when I announced what I'd seen...that soon changed when we got to Newport and they let us see the pitch.....it was covered in about a foot of water.....they'd had a cloud burst on top of 2 days of continuous rain....game called off

The other notable wasted journey 2 days before Christmas in the early 80s was when I worked for Yorkshire Traction and went up to Leeds for 3pm to do National Express work ..known has being spare... you were there along with other drivers and their coaches to cover late and overbooked services from London...as usual I took my overnight bag in case it meant I had to stay over somewhere ( a little trick I learnt)... take the over night bag inform the duty inspector you were prepared to stay overnight he then held you back until about 5.30pm when without fail he'd announce you were not required and were free to return back to your depot ....it never failed or so it seemed...quick journey back to bsly back home for 630...full days pay
That was until one day it gets to 5.15 and the inspector climbs on the coach and there's 2 of us sat there and he says Bryan you've got your overnight bag ive got a job for you ...I want you to do the Edinburgh service .....( first time didn't know the route no sat navs in those days or mobiles just your AA road map a pocket full of change and a running board listing all the times and places to pick up and drop off) adding another driver will join you in Newcastle for the run up to Edinburgh then its overnight and back here empty in the morning unless things change.....
I pulled on to the stand in Leeds only 3 got on 2 for Harrogate 1 for Catterick....no sooner had I set off it started to snow....I then must have run into every major town and city along the way or so it seemed following the running board trying to find bus station after bus station drop off /pick up points whilst battling the wintery conditions and not seeing a soul ....I pulled into Middlesbrough bus station almost 1.1/2 hours late and the coach empty...I then took a 30 minute break before setting off towards Newcastle empty again
On reaching Newcastle some 2 1/2 hrs later than scheduled after spending ages trying to find the coaching station...I then sat a further 20 minutes waiting for a driver to join me for the rest of the journey only to be informed I should have been told to turn round and return home at Middlesbrough
On top of all that I was very close to exceeding my driving hours I was informed no accommodation had been booked for me either in Newcastle ....it was now almost approaching 11pm
So I made an executive decision lol took the tachograph out ...stuck in another and drove home to Barnsley