Archive - Originally posted on "The Horse's Mouth" - 2011-06-21 18:56:43 - Graham Ellis
Sometimes, don't you just feel that there's an awful lot of climbing to do to reach your destination? This week, I'm working in Edinburgh but all the hotels are full and I'm commuting out - 2 stations - to Linlithgow. Now - the station at Haymarket looks like it's only just over a mile from the place I'm training. Yes - it is - but in between is the valley through which the Waters of Leith pass. They've very nice waters - don't get me wrong - but this is one heck of a climb even unencumbered. With pack and overnight bag, it's quite tiring though!
"Three minutes from the Station". I booked on Late Rooms, and the hotel I chose in Linlithgow was advertising this. "Good - that will suite" thought I; I checked out their postcode just before I left the training venue and something didn't add up. For the postcode pointed a couple of miles out of town. That's never three minutes! Well - they think it is. Three minutes by car, but alas, I don't carry a car on the train with me, so it's another half hour's walk uphill. The did advise "Get a taxi". I don't think they know their local station - it doesn't have a taxi rank. And I really doubt that a taxi could do it in three minutes anyway.
But I can report one success. The web site on which I booked has been changed from "three minute from station" to "three minutes drive" from station, so that no other poor bu**ers will book in thinking that they've got a convenient place for work in the centre of Edinburgh. And one concession - I've been given a better room than I booked. I'll admit the hotel's nice - in fact, on holiday, or working at Sun Microsystems (as the building is still labelled) at the bottom of the hill, I would consider it.
Ah well - I'm hungry. Best go down and eat. Countryside hotel, captive diner ... don't I love it!
Sometimes, don't you just feel that there's an awful lot of climbing to do to reach your destination? This week, I'm working in Edinburgh but all the hotels are full and I'm commuting out - 2 stations - to Linlithgow. Now - the station at Haymarket looks like it's only just over a mile from the place I'm training. Yes - it is - but in between is the valley through which the Waters of Leith pass. They've very nice waters - don't get me wrong - but this is one heck of a climb even unencumbered. With pack and overnight bag, it's quite tiring though!