"Graeme Wall" wrote in message
...

For parts of Kent I would have thought Stanstead was possibly closer than
Southampton, the latter is 120 miles from Maidstone for instance.

From time to time we get lost souls looking for the airport at Stansted,
Kent (a village between Meopham and Wrotham). They usually have 10 minutes
left to check in, and express disbelief when they're told they're in the
wrong county and need to get themselves through the Dartford Tunnel.
Peter

On Wed, 1 Dec 2004, Peter Masson wrote:

"Graeme Wall" wrote in message
...

For parts of Kent I would have thought Stanstead was possibly closer than
Southampton, the latter is 120 miles from Maidstone for instance.

From time to time we get lost souls looking for the airport at Stansted,
Kent (a village between Meopham and Wrotham).

Maybe they're confusing it with Stanstead?

The nearest one to the action would seem to be in Suffolk, between
Long Melford and Bury St. Edmunds, a mere 5.5 miles from (obRail)
Sudbury railway station.

They usually have 10 minutes left to check in, and express disbelief
when they're told they're in the wrong county and need to get
themselves through the Dartford Tunnel.

Well, I have to admit that I once lost my way to Harwich, and turned
up 30 minutes late for checkin: but as the ferry (to Hamburg - anyone
remember the Hamlet, popularly nicknamed the Omlette?) was several
hours late, they didn't seem to mind.

"But I digress".

Peter Masson wrote:

From time to time we get lost souls looking for the airport at Stansted,
Kent (a village between Meopham and Wrotham). They usually have 10 minutes
left to check in, and express disbelief when they're told they're in the
wrong county and need to get themselves through the Dartford Tunnel.

That reminds me of the people who are alleged to turn up in Yorkshire,
looking for Leeds Castle.

--
John Ray

Terry Harper wrote to uk.transport.london on Wed, 1 Dec 2004:

Yes, I should have qualified it as Southampton for most of Sussex and
Manston (or Lydd) for the rest.

Honestly, for much of Sussex, except those parts east of Chichester,
Gatwick is a lot nearer - it's only about 35 miles from where my parents
live, between Worthing & Arundel, but So'ton is at least 50 miles and
the traffic can be atrocious around Arundel & Chichester, although a
good road between the two.
--
"Mrs Redboots"
http://www.amsmyth.demon.co.uk/
Website updated 28 November 2004

"Mrs Redboots" wrote in message
...
Terry Harper wrote to uk.transport.london on Wed, 1 Dec 2004:

Yes, I should have qualified it as Southampton for most of Sussex and
Manston (or Lydd) for the rest.

Honestly, for much of Sussex, except those parts east of Chichester,
Gatwick is a lot nearer - it's only about 35 miles from where my parents
live, between Worthing & Arundel, but So'ton is at least 50 miles and
the traffic can be atrocious around Arundel & Chichester, although a
good road between the two.

Very true, but Gatwick involves a lot of time-absorbing actions, unless you
have a taxi to the airport. We are about 20 miles from Gatwick and about 70
from Southampton, so given a flight from Gatwick, the choice is obvious.
However, we've been to Guernsey from Southampton, and the journey is very
easy with very little fuss at the airport. Arundel and Chichester can be
avoided from our place, using the A272 and the A3, although at some times of
day the A27 is free-flowing.

The annoying thing is the lack of Coastway trains without a change in
Brighton.
--
Terry Harper, Web Co-ordinator, The Omnibus Society
75th Anniversary 2004, see http://www.omnibussoc.org/75th.htm
E-mail:
URL: http://www.terry.harper.btinternet.co.uk/

In message
"Terry Harper" wrote:

"Graeme Wall" wrote in message
...
In message
"Terry Harper" wrote:

Provided they can get a flight to their destination of choice, yes.
Likewise, those from Sussex and Kent would prefer to fly from Gatwick,
although Southampton can be an alternative. Heathrow is undesirable, and
Luton and Stansted are last resorts.

For parts of Kent I would have thought Stanstead was possibly closer than
Southampton, the latter is 120 miles from Maidstone for instance.

Yes, I should have qualified it as Southampton for most of Sussex and
Manston (or Lydd) for the rest.

Even for Sussex, Southampton is not the easiest place to get to, by road
you've basically got just the congested A27, and by rail it can be quicker to
go into London and out again rather than use the coast-line, neatly passing
both Gatwick and Heathrow on the way.

--
Graeme Wall
This address is not read, substitute trains for rail.
Transport Miscellany at http://www.greywall.demon.co.uk/rail/index.html

On Tue, 30 Nov 2004 23:12:29 +1030, (Aidan Stanger)
said:
Kevin wrote:
Aren't doing away with the dedicated Gatwick Express for the reason of
overcrowding on the Brighton line.
IIRC they're not actually doing away with it completely, but they are
cutting back the service.

I thought the reason for cutting it back was that the trains were
running empty.

--
David Cantrell | http://www.cantrell.org.uk/david

"David Cantrell" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 30 Nov 2004 23:12:29 +1030, (Aidan Stanger)
said:
Kevin wrote:
Aren't doing away with the dedicated Gatwick Express for the reason of
overcrowding on the Brighton line.

IIRC they're not actually doing away with it completely, but they are
cutting back the service.

I thought the reason for cutting it back was that the trains were
running empty.

They are not empty, just not overcrowded, while the other trains are often
packed.
--
Terry Harper, Web Co-ordinator, The Omnibus Society
75th Anniversary 2004, see http://www.omnibussoc.org/75th.htm
E-mail:
URL: http://www.terry.harper.btinternet.co.uk/

David Cantrell wrote to uk.transport.london on Sat, 4 Dec 2004:

On Tue, 30 Nov 2004 23:12:29 +1030, (Aidan Stanger)
said:

I thought the reason for cutting it back was that the trains were
running empty.

Which is presumably because there is a cheaper alternative, which
admittedly stops at least twice en route but, unless you are going to be
travelling in the wee small hours, why pay more?
--
"Mrs Redboots"
http://www.amsmyth.demon.co.uk/
Website updated 28 November 2004

Mrs Redboots wrote:
All the same, it is maddening when a definite physical railway-line
exists between the two places that you want to go, but "it is not a
route" so that you have to change trains.

absolutely.... and London is particularly infuriating for that.

I think NR and TfL need to get a handle on cross-London connections.
More intelligent use of existing tracks could ease so many
terminal-to-terminal interchanges. At present the Circle Line is the
usual answer and, frankly, that's never a good thing.

For example, Paddington-WCML could be made easier by Silverlink
stopping more semi-fast trains at Queens Park or Willesden Junction
(would aid NLL too).

Chiltern's West Hampstead plans
(http://www.chilternrailways.co.uk/pa...roduction.html)
are an excellent example of the sort of planning required. The
Willesden/Old Oak area would be a superb location for another such
interchange - under 1km between the two lines - though I can't see it
ever happening.

CC