Oh, the time just went too fast. Our friends are like our
family we are really close. We have such good times together so natural. The guys
are as crazy as each other. But it was the last day of our break. LF had
collected enough apples to bake a pie. Like and I gave the back and side garden
a further investigation we hadn’t ventured out there before. The cottage is
quirky for sure. I love the huge land around it. It’s really cosy too. And oh,
the food. On our last day we skipped breakfast and had Sunday lunch with is
traditional. Yorkshire puddings, roast potatoes, boiled potatoes, carrots and
more. We had starters and here’s a laugh, I could have had the vegetarian
option same starter mushroom soup which I had and for main? Gnocchi. Same main
as what was offered Friday and Saturday, which was delicious but I just opted
for the Sunday dinner without the meat. Hub had lamb and he said it was so
tasty and Like, and Trix had pork with crackling. Hub didn’t have dessert Trix
had hoe made ice cream with soft fruits and I think Like had same as day before
sticky toffee pudding and ginger ice cream. The ice cream had bits of ginger in
it. I bet it was really lovely.
Dan was fantastic. He was just what Doxford Hall needs to
keep and remember. Real Northumberland people and their famous accents. I did
hear people remarking about the accents and how wonderful they were, and, they
are. To me, that is one of the most endearing things about Doxford. And there
is something special about people from that area too. Sadly, we noticed that
accents were changing and there were foreign staff there now. you know at one-time
Doxford felt like home. And that is what will bring people back time and time
again, but if we feel like we are in London or Romania for example, well they
will lose their local charm. Things just weren’t the same. I did hear on the
grapevine that staff were not happy. People were leaving. I fear the owner who I
have met and seemed a very nice gentleman, wants to pay staff less so will take
in foreign travellers and really that works in big hotels but not quaint stately
like homes and not deep in the countryside of Northumberland. I heard that the
hotel had fantastic business that year, so to the owner, please don’t be greedy
and cut corners. When we went to sign out, two of the receptionists just
totally ignored us, you know that place was somewhere I went to many times and
no matter how many people there were, they had the ability to make you feel
like the only person there. Sadly, that has been lost.
We also heard on the grapevine that the reason our cottage
wasn’t ready and we sat for three hours, now I know we were early as we were
not meant to be in our house until after three, so we were in that case, one
and a half hours late getting in, but we were told it was because two members
of staff were living in there and we had been forgotten about so the couple had
to move out fast. And by the looks of the cottage, clean fast too.
It wasn’t a member of staff who told us this that is for us
to know. But it’s on good authority this information.
When we were waiting to pay, there was a guy behind us, he
was standing there for ages. Eventually he was asked to come forward. He told
the staff there had been trouble. He booked a room and when he called about it,
he was told he hadn’t booked even though he knew he had. Again, making people
feel like they are not welcome. We always felt more than welcome, in fact their
welcome, was something Doxford Hall should have in the past won awards for.
Don’t get me wrong, it’s still my favourite place to visit
and there are still some gold staff there, but they just weren’t as happy as I have
seen them in the past and there was a terrible atmosphere this time that made
me think something wasn’t right.
So, taxi back to the train station. When we got there, two
fire engines pulled up. Two ambulances and a Police car. Oh, my goodness. We
went to the ticket office got a seat thankfully as we had no idea at that point
that we would be there as long as we were.
No one told us anything, after ages, the door kept opening
it was freezing as confused passengers were coming in and out trying to speak
with the man behind the desk. Who wasn’t there. Announcements kept getting made
about industrial action our train people are on strike for a good reason. I hope
it does good. They are trying to make our trains staff free. In this day in
age? And, how will vulnerable passengers feel about that? As for disabled
people? Just to have some kind of authority on a train makes you feel safer. But
I guess the owner has his own form of transport and has good health also he’s a
healthy strong man so what does he care. Again, greed, he doesn’t need more money
but he is grabbing it at the cost of the people who got him his billions.
Other announcements were saying about another train to
Scotland that wasn’t coming because the train driver didn’t turn up… Can you
believe it? Oh my God. As for our train, it had pulled in near by but nowhere
near us. After one and a half hours Hub and Like went out to find the station manager.
Hahaha. That’s a laugh. I think he’s the station manager cleaner and guard. He sells
tickets too when he is behind the kiosk.
The funny thing is, the announcements were a recorded
message and the voice was American… Next job for her? Doxford Hall. Smile.
At this point we couldn’t care about the strike that would
be happening next week, and the train driver that obviously wanted a day at
home. We wanted to know about our train. The guys came back. That is when we learned
our train had pulled up. But, when we could get on? No one knew even the man
who worked there, what had happened. He told one man to ask the emergency
services himself. Can you believe it?
I think it was over two hours later when we got on the
train. Well it was warm and clean. I just smiled about the toilet. Well there
is no discretion. An announcement was made every time someone went to the
toilet. “The doors not locked.”” Well that’s very nice but how do you lock it
and where are the buttons? Apparently, nowhere near the door. What is wrong
with a door that you lock like any other toilet? They bother with speech so why
can’t they add where the buttons are?
LF by this point was shivering and Waggatail had stood up
the whole two hours as the floor was so cold in the station. But she was under
the table now and warm. But, not for long. Oh no.
Yet another announcement. This time telling us we had to get
off next stop. We weren’t going right home. So, we were met by a jolly lady and
she hurried us off, not joking, it was as if we were in a marathon. Like our
own train, Like in the front, Trix next, then me and then poor Hub pulling a
huge case and LF trying to guide but didn’t know where he was going, Hub was
holding onto my shoulder. We really were like ants. Oh my, over a bridge and
along platforms. At last we were at a train. We got on it was absolutely packed.
Trix and Like found a seat. Hub and I still looking. Hub put the case in it’s
place. Every seat was spoken for. Waggatail was eating every biscuit and crumb
on the floor as she dashed in and out of the tables and seats. I was trying to
walk in a straight line and drag her out of people’s feet, a nightmare.
Thankfully Trix was alert and heard yet another
announcement. You are not going to believe this one? By this point, I could
have cried.
To be continued.
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