Off oop north chuck....

After two hectic days at work, I came home, packed a bag and headed off to catch the train to sunny Manchester, (no sarcasm intended) for a two day training course, staying in what turned out to be a very comfortable hotel in the town centre. I had an executive room. Two double beds. All to myself. Oh well, you can't have everything.....

I arrived too late to eat (train delay..problems with the brakes at Tamworth..the train suddenly plunged into darkness, the air conditioning fell silent and we were all silent in the carriage, lit eerily only by various laptop screens on most tables..I was reading a book at the time, and gave up...there was a resigned calm amongst the passengers. Those with battery powered laptops carried on working. After a few minutes the train sprung into life, lights on, air con on, the train at last started to move. One wag looked up from his laptop and said to nobody in particular, 'Well they turned the train off and on again, that seems to have fixed it.' There were a few laughs before the carriage once again fell silent, and I smiled at the understated Britishness of it, and the shared humour, as I once again picked up my book.) so I ordered a pot of fresh coffee to be delivered to my room, as I settled down for the night.

About an hour after going to sleep, I was awoken by someone bumping into the bed. The bed had jolted, but I realised no-one else was in the room, so what...the bed jolted again, and I looked at the headboard fastened to the wall behind me. No doubt on the other side there was another headboard, and another bed....and oh no, did the vibrating of my bed indicated that the occupants next door were in the throes of passion? Oh no, please...(I have witnessed that sort of thing through hotel walls before...) I really didn't need it. Well, I did, but didn't want to hear anyone else doing it, thank you. I buried my head under my duvet, said 'Laa laa laa' a lot loudly, and went back to sleep.

In the morning when I went down for breakfast, I overheard people talking about an earthquake. Oh dear, I thought...Bangladesh? Sri Lanka? Where? I toddled down to the conference room to meet the other delegates, one of whom had travelled down from York, and she was describing her windows rattling. Why, what happened? I asked. Haven't you heard, she said, England was struck by an earthquake last night. Oh no, I said, I hadn't heard. yes, about 1am. Lots of people felt it. Did you? No, I said, nothing. Oh....and then it dawned on me....the earth really had moved for me!!!!!