Today, my interview with Radio Newcastle, which was pre-recorded last week, was broadcast, both in the morning programme and again in the evening Drive Time. By co-incidence there was also a major announcement from Transport for the North, so the interview with me was pitched as a response, though I had no idea the announcement would be made when I recorded it. I spoke about our Ashington Blyth & Tyne Re-opening campaign, and our North of Morpeth Local Service campaign. Then in the evening, I travelled to Berwick with SENRUG Committee colleague Andrew Carmichael to talk about the North of Morpeth Local Service campaign, at the invitation of Cllr Hill. Along with myself, there were speakers from our sister group RAGES (campaigning for an Edinburgh – Berwick service), Scottish Borders and Northumberland County Councils, and Network Rail. Many thanks to the Mayor of Berwick for the provision of refreshments after the meeting. Because the intercity trains that sop at Morpeth don’t stop at Berwick, my 30-minute train journey actually took 1 hour 20 minutes, as you have to change at Alnmouth and wait there for 50 minutes for the next train. In sub-zero temperatures with snow on the ground (Andrew had difficulty getting his car out of Alnmouth station car park afterwards as it had not been gritted) I was particular pleased the ticket office at Alnmouth, and thus the waiting room, remains open until 18:15. Waiting on the platform exposed to the elements, as you would be obliged to do at Morpeth, would not have been very pleasant.
