I miss conversations on trains

 The news item that the pandemic has forced cuts in train services in England and Wales reminded me of one of the incidental pleasures of long train journeys. One could catch up on reading the book which had too long rested on the bedside table, enjoy the varied views through the window or even snooze, but the most rewarding activity was striking up a conversation with someone interesting who one otherwise would never have met. 

There was the cricket enthusiast who I met travelling to my first job in London. There was the Welsh athletics official who shared his enthusiasm with my new wife and myself travelling from London to Swansea. (I do hope he was not one of those later convicted of taking advantage of his position.) Many years later, post-marriage and travelling back from a contract in England, I got talking to a lady who coincidentally lived in the same road in Wallasey where in my school years I had boarded with my aunt, uncle and granddad. It was gratifying to learn that all those years later, "The Cottage Creamery" remained open on the corner with the main road. I wonder if it still does? 

The most intriguing chat I had was with a man who ferried cars. He would pick up a motor and deliver it personally to the dealer's or manufacturer's customer, then take the train back. It is sobering to recall now that he revealed towards the end of our journey that he was already in his eighties. Even if I could drive, I doubt that I could take that responsibility and keep up that schedule and I have not quite hit the magic four-score yet.

I had almost forgotten the American family I met on a crowded train either travelling to or from Birmingham, presumably while I was on a family visit. Of course, one meets only the civilised Americans in this country, the minority with passports. This makes it difficult to understand how there came to be a majority of electoral college votes in favour of Trump in 2016. More extensive TV news coverage of American politics has made the situation clearer. Anyway, this meeting was in the Carter years and my new acquaintances were a bit sniffy about the Georgia "mafia" who had accompanied the ex-peanut farmer to Washington. I took them to be liberal Republicans. I wonder what they made of Trump.

Journeys have diminished as the contracts dried up and I do not see as much of my family as I used to. Apart from the occasional trip to Cardiff to watch the cricket. the only other train journeys I have made have been to political events. Sadly, these too have been suspended until we reach the new normality. Let us hope that it is not too far away.