Day Nine

Really only nine days, wow. But this is the first time I'm on my own. Well on my own is not quite the thing, but I'm travelling on a train from Chester to Darlington.
Nine days in and I haven't looked at a box or bit of furniture to 'sort'. That starts this afternoon. I feel a cleansing coming on.
The train takes me through places I have never heard of, so this trip has turned into a school type project as I make notes and comments about the stations we pass through and the wise observations of a 40 something woman who had been thrown into a cauldron of mindfullness since getting into the UK. So rather than deal with that right now, random train stations it is.
First up is Hellby, clearly a station proud of itself, as you roll in you notice it's a bit special. It's the winner of the tidiest station award 2011 but proudly displays all it's previous awards.
Frodsham is next and is under some renovation - is it trying to keep up with Hellby down the line - conjours up images of interstation on rivalry.I digress. Frodsham is the gateway to the standstone trial ( my train scribbled notes are a bit dodge and that could be sandstone though. Either way this is also the station to use for getting to the Weaver Valley Regional Park.
Runcorn East is a little nondiscrept with no handy signs or titbits of information. Warrington Bank Quay is not as posh as it sounds but I do start to get glimpses of canals which I rather like. The best I can come up with for Earlstown is the colorful railings on their steps and bridge. You pull into Newton-le-Willows with an view over the town and here at last some beer carrying football fans get onto the train. You'd think with a name like Newton-le-Willows they'd be a story, it has a 2 lonely platforms but not a lot else. Manchester Oxford Road next which means this journey is nearly over.
I'm treated to chimneys and yellow fields and as I passed through these previously unheard of towns my mind wonders about the people who use them, what do they do, why use the train, where do they live, are they happy, what are their dreams, what do they have for lunch.
Pulling into the city of Manchester there are tall impressive looking buildings but I need to find my next platform and take the wonderful sounding transpennine express.

A postscript: taken me far too many days to complete this, so day nine is now 13. As for posting, that will be day 24 then!