Phil back on song
BRITAIN is to bask in glorious weather next weekend – but the Bank Holiday will also bring travel chaos.
Travellers face delays and strikes that will hit journeys by train, road and plane.
More than 400 rail works will take place over the weekend.
And up to 100 roadworks will remain in place.
London Euston – one end of Britain’s busiest rail line – shuts for three weekends in a row starting this weekend.
Virgin Trains told the 100,000 daily passengers who use the LondonGlasgow line not to attempt travelling to the capital. Replacement buses will be used on many major routes.
And Liverpool Airport faces a 36-hour staff strike from August 23 to 25.
Travel consultant Ian Baldry said: “This is the worst ever summer for UK travel problems.
“Rail engineering works are taking place over three weekends, not just the Bank Holiday weekend.
“Add in strikes, timetable change chaos and hot weather delays. Fare rises are the cherry on the cake. Passengers are fuming.
“Rail works are forcing more people on to roads, worsening road congestion, while roadworks will affect holidaymakers and commuters.
“Airline passengers are also seeing a whole variety of problems at Stansted, with flights cancelled willynilly – and Heathrow is stuck without enough border control staff.”
But the good news is the hot temperatures are set to come back for the weekend – with temperatures as high as 28C.
Met Office forecasters are expecting 23 to 25C Bank Holiday temperatures, with the South mainly dry. The North will also see sunny spells, with showers at times.
A spokesman, said: “Warm and humid air stays here for the first half of the week, with 26 to 28C from Monday to Wednesday in the South, with mainly dry weather for most.
“A cold front brings rain on Thursday, but the Bank Holiday weekend looks relatively warm at 23C and a degree or two warmer not ruled out.
“The South will be mainly dry, and the North seeing good sunny spells, but less settled.”
The Weather Outlook forecaster Brian Gaze said: “The official end of the summer may be near – but the warmth just keeps on coming.” PHIL Collins plans to release new music for the first time in over 16 years.
The Genesis star, who has been performing his Not Dead Yet Tour, had previously hinted his days in the studio were behind him.
He last recorded an album of original tunes for Testify in 2002.
But when asked if he was working on fresh material, Phil, 67, said: “I’ll have to. Someone said it’s been 16 years since a new album.
“I’ve got lyrical ideas. I make notes and at some point I’ll get round to them.”