Not home for Christmas - but not away from keyboard (AFK) either

[whole diary]

[grahame]

This is my - not - away from keyboard message. I am travelling around and unlike Chris Rea I won't be home for Christmas. However, I will still be in touch - I can be reached by email, messenger, etc, and on this forum, and will typically repond within 24 hours.  The forum has an excellent team of moderators and admins, and I have comfort in knowing that any content issues that arise ;-) will be dealt with professionally and swiftly - a huge THANK YOU to them.

Reading Wikipedia ...

In interviews for the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page) Radio 4 programme Today in 2009, and The Guardian in 2016, Rea said he wrote "Driving Home for Christmas" many years before its first recording; this was in 1978 when Rea needed to get home to Middlesbrough from Abbey Road Studios in London. His wife had come down to drive him home in her Austin Mini to save money because it was cheaper to drive than travel by train. Rea was recently out of contract and the record company was unwilling to pay for the rail ticket. The inspiration for the song came as they were getting stuck in heavy traffic, while the snow was falling. He started looking at the other motorists, who "all looked so miserable. Jokingly, I started singing: "We're driving home for Christmas..." Then, whenever the streetlights shone inside the car, I started writing down lyrics".

I was on a train yesterday (yeah, no suprise there!) and there seem to be lots of people travelling - home for Christmas, perhaps, judging by the incredible amount of luggage on the train.  The train was 3 carriages long when it really shoud have been five, and provision of seating and seating to luggage capacity ration suggested a train built for commuter traffic.

[johnneyw]

Grahame's post made me wonder what proportion of Coffee Shop members are heading away for Christmas and who are opting to stay home.
For my part, it's staying in my home city for Christmas but hopefully heading Southwest for the New Year... probably by car rather than rail this time but nothing set in store yet.

[grahame]

Grahame's post made me wonder what proportion of Coffee Shop members are heading away for Christmas and who are opting to stay home.
For my part, it's staying in my home city for Christmas but hopefully heading Southwest for the New Year... probably by car rather than rail this time but nothing set in store yet.

Good question - I have added a poll;  I feel another poll about Christmas Travel may be coming on, but I have to dash to the Crow's Nest.

[JayMac]

Family visiting on 22nd and 23rd.Then home alone (well, with Finn) for the duration. My choice mainly, but also governed by the lack of public transport on 24th-26th.

[bobm]

After the six months I have had, I am quite pleased to be at home at Christmas!

[broadgage]

I expect to be at home, alone, on Christmas day.
Various visits are planned on the other days of the holidays, but not on christmas day.

Christmas eve, visiting Ukrainian refugees, and taking some presents, and hopefuly enjoying a meal of roast goose.
Boxing day, visiting other neighbours for food and drinks. Beef Wellington is promised. I will takr some port as a contribution to the festivities.

[froome]

We are away over both Christmas and new year, but returning to Bath in between. Both will be long train journeys, and no doubt fraught with difficulties. I will be travelling on Sunday (Christmas Eve) to north Wales, and then we will be heading down to Cornwall for the new year. Given the experiences of train travel over the last few months, I can't say I'm looking forward to it.

[grahame]

Although our poll is indicating otherwise for our members, the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page) is suggesting road chaos as many travel.

Drivers have been told the weekend will be the busiest times on UK^▸ (United Kingdom) roads over the festive period with 21 million trips expected before Christmas.

Traffic analysts predict roads will be 20% busier than last year and say 60% of pre-Christmas journeys will be made in the three days before 25 December.

Passengers that plan to use main London rail stations Paddington, Victoria and Kings Cross may be hit by disruptions.
Inrix predicts the M25, M1, M6 and M4 will be the most congested motorways.

The RAC said Friday would be the busiest day as those heading away for a Christmas getaway will share the roads with commuters and those on the school run picking up children.

Personally, already away somewhere colourful!

[TaplowGreen]

Made it to Plymouth via M4/M5/A38 - quite busy but uneventful.

I salute the courage and faith of those travelling by rail over the festive period, wish you all a Merry Christmas and hope your infrastructure remains robust throughout 2024, with no unexpected evacuations! 

[grahame]

Poll result - "what are you doing for Christmas"

At home, alone   - 2 (6.7%)
At home, with partner and close family   - 14 (46.7%)
At home, with larger family / friend gathering   - 1 (3.3%)
Visiting friends and family in the UK^▸ (United Kingdom)   - 8 (26.7%)
Visiting friends and family away from the UK   - 0 (0%)
Away somewhere in the UK   - 0 (0%)
Away somewhere outside the UK   - 3 (10%)
Don't know yet   - 0 (0%)
Something else   - 2 (6.7%)

Have a great one, folks, whatever you are doing - with a special thought to the handful of members and guests who are home alone.   Thank you one and all for all your support through the year!

[grahame]

Hope you had a good Chistmas Day, folks.  Trains may not have been running but the Coffee Shop remained open and member visits were as follows
20 different members logged in between midnight and 8 a.m.
38 members between 4 a.m. and midday
41 members between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m.
40 members between midday and 8 p.m.
49 members between 4 p.m. and midnight
... with a grand total of 67 different members (so that means that all but 18 who were hear early in the day came back later) over the 24 hour period.  And lots of guests judging by some of the other stats that the site generated.