Festive disruption on public transport
CHRISTMAS is a busy time and plenty of people will be travelling around to see family and friends.
Some people might even be working over the festive period and need to hop on a train or catch a bus.
If you fall into either category, it’s best to check before you head out over the holidays as some changes are expected.
Here’s all the disruption on the buses and trains you can expect in South Wales over Christmas.
Firstly, there will be no services run by Transport For Wales, Great Western Railway or Cross Country on Christmas Day and Boxing Day.
While the trains are running, customers are advised to give as much time as possible for train journeys as it is expected to be a busy period.
Between December 27 and January 1, Great Western Railway services will be reduced which includes trains from London to Reading.
On December 23, 24, and 30 there will be no direct trains from Carmarthen, Swansea or Cardiff to London Paddington.
And on New Year’s Day replacement coaches will run between Bristol Parkway and Newport.
Those travelling on from Cardiff to Salisbury, Southampton or Portsmouth this Christmas will also see disruption until January 3. AH, Boxing Day! When much of the country’s workforce will snooze through Christmas TV ‘specials’ that usually turn out to be nothing special and films that haven’t been on for at least six weeks . . .
Christmas Day has been unwrapped, played with and put back in its shiny box for another year.
Don’t be sad, because on the bright side it’ll be months until you walk into a supermarket and again hear Noddy Holder screaming, “It’s Christmaaassss!”
Noddy co-wrote Merry Christmas Everybody with fellow Slade member Jim Lea in 1973 and apparently, each year, it earns them around £500,000 each.
They can afford to hire people to do their Christmas shopping and so avoid hearing their song playing in every department store from September onwards.
Another plus for saying “Tarra!” to December 25 is there won’t be any more – until next year – of those misleading adverts for “Magical Christmas Wonderlands” that often disappoint children and anger their parents when they discover how tawdry the ‘attraction’ really is . . . after they’ve paid their money and gone in through the gates.
I’m not referring to the big scale, professionally run Winter Wonderlands in places like Swansea and Cardiff and Carmarthen.
I mean the ones that offer ‘An enchanting Christmas experience at a stunning location’ that turns out to be in a field 30 miles from the nearest beaten track.
Just a few weeks ago, at one of these ‘attractions’, the advertised ‘stunning location’ was, according to one irate parent, ‘a sea of mud’; their ‘magical woodland walk’ was a dangerously steep, hard-core path; and ‘Santa’s amazing grotto’ was a cold dark room in which the only decoration Christmas tree.
And . . . when Santa appeared his beard kept falling off in front of the children!
It would take a heart of stone not to laugh – if it weren’t for the fact so many people fall for these ads. I’m sure you won’t.
I’m off to write next year’s Christmas Number One.
Anyone know Mister Holder’s phone number? was
aYou can follow Phil Evans on Twitter @philevanswales or visit www.philevans.co.uk I THINK I’m turning into a bit of a softie.
Now, some people may find this a strange, but, here goes . . .
Our Cocker Spaniel’s name was written on my Christmas present list.
I know, I’m not alone, as millions of people include their pets in the Christmas festivities.
Pets have now been elevated to family member status.
Now when did this all happen?
To be honest with you, I’m convinced that the reason for this is that they are more appreciative, less argumentative, more loyal, less moody, love unconditionally and don’t pout bit actually for weeks on end like their human counterparts.
If I accidentally locked my partner and my Spaniel in the boot of the car, there would only be one who would be genuinely pleased to see me when I opened it.
Pet lovers are all around us and the sale of pet toys and goodies have rocketed in the past five years.
Pet clothes? Diamante collars?
I’m not too sure, but yes, people are buying these, too.
My spaniel, however, prefers a onesie. Who’d have thought?