retiredmartin

March 2024. Cannock.

3 days in Waterbeach with my parents (they’re fine, helped Mum in the garden for 5 minutes, took Dad to Quy Mill for coffee and cake), and I come home to this;

Eight (cans) of Brew Dog non-alcoholic filth consumed in two nights while Mrs RM painted the stairs. Has she no shame ?

After 3 days stuck inside a house heated to 28 degrees watching “The Chase” and being of no discernible use as a carer I find I need to get out urgently. Which is good, because Mrs RM is working, whether on IT problems or her wonderful Instagram page.

I decide to go to Cannock to tick the two (2) new Guide entries there.

There’s a Trucker’s Rest there; I can park the campervan overnight and walk the 2 miles in.

Ooh, there’s a bar !

And a proper breakfast you buy with your £7 food voucher !

Actually, it doesn’t look that appetising (it’s the cheap sausages) and £22 seems a lot to park on the hard shoulder of the A5 and there’s a train leaving in half an hour…

I feel like this Sheff-Derby-Brum New Street route is my new work commute.

Excitingly, the West Midlands Train service is on time, has sufficient seats, and power sockets, and the most exciting pronunciation outside of Chatteris.

“Ruuglie Parkwey” says the announcement, though I’m not heading to Rugeley today, just over the M6 toll road in fact.

That view of Lakeside Business Park (just left of the big pylon) is the best Cannock has to offer, like the sighting of Stockport’s pyramid on the train into Manchester.

It also has the most annoying train passenger ever (EVER !) sitting in front of me, eating the stinkiest sandwich in Sandwell, reading out the farmfoods offers in an Alan Partridge voice.

“This block of cheese will last you two months. B****y ama-zing“.

I assume he’s talking to a flatmate, but no…

“What’s your star sign Mum ? Scorpio, oh.“

He then starts a new conversation with the words “What’s your opinionation of the Monsterverse ?“.

No, he really did day “opinination“. And “Okey Dokey” is an Indian accent.

Leaving the train at Cannock (be careful, there’s no announcements so you might end up in Hednesford and it’s all micros there), the first thing you see is this;

Sadly, not the actual deers from Cannock Chase, but a rather beautiful set of photos greeting you at the station, before you’re bombarded with local art at Mill Street underpass.

This was my favourite;

accurately capturing an Old Codger Big Day Out.

Talking of which, what are the pubs like…