(11 Sep 2017, 2:58 pm)Jimmi wrote I unfortunately can't do it again owing to me not being able to drive and as far as everyone else is concerned, I live in the arse end of nowhere, meaning no-one is picking up even close to where I live (Newton Aycliffe) and being a Sunday there is no real public transport options to get there either. Hopefully next year (which I've said the last two years as well) [emoji19]
At least Maxïmo Park are doing a gig in Middlesbrough that night to keep me amused.
Still debating with whether to learn to drive or just continue with the way I've been doing things now, using public transport to get everywhere but maybe do more hotel stays for further afield trips.
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How times have changed! I recall a few years after De-reg, I castigated a friend and colleague for driving on bus spotting trips. It seemed to almost be treachery in those days - bearing in mind both of us live/d in suburban Greater Manchester. However, in all honesty, unless you live in Greater London, carless-ness is no longer a "sustainable" lifestyle choice. I'm guessing from you raising the question, you are in your late teens or early 20s. If you are expecting to leave home to go to University, you will probably be both short of cash to take up driving, and served by decent bus services even compared to the rest of the city/town you are studying in. However, if you are not going into FE - or indeed have graduated, then that's a different story.
FTR (and to partly illustrate the point), I didn't go to Showbus and from a report back from the self same ex-colleague mentioned above, it was probably a good decision. He did drive and made a weekend of it, partly because he was also visiting relatives in the East Midlands. He actually stayed overnight at a Premier Inn (not well served by public transport) and was happy that it only cost £65pppn. He also reported exhibits down compared to previous years, but as he perceived this was largely the London contingent, that wouldn't have bothered me. Following a report of a mini-tornado or similar near Derby on the Sunday evening news, he confirmed there was a downpour during the late afternoon, albeit it was shortlived, and he was fortuitously near shelter at the time. However, it heralded a general deterioration in light conditions, and he encountered more rain on his drive back - though that wasn't an issue inside his car!
Seperate to that, there were general reports of not only engineering works affecting both Sheffield and Derby Stations (my two - tight - connecting points) but also that one of the engineering units derailed causing more serious disruption, which hadn't recovered by late afternoon!