I’ve been especially lucky in my two and a half years in London that my commute always seemed to be outside of peak hours, or at least, I could travel during peak hours on alternatives other than the tube. This means I’ve been able to walk to wherever my client or office is, or I’d be travelling much earlier/later than the majority of London.

The last week has seen me brave the central line at peak times. I’m a big fan of the central line – it tends to be fast, frequent and have the least number of delays (which is easy compared to the district or circle lines I used to depend on). Its other major advantage (often duel playing as a disadvantage) is that, like its name, the line cuts straight through the middle of London. It spans all the way out west, through the west end, continuing on to the city and further east. Combine this with its speed and you can literally fly through London, that is, if you can get on.

I’ve learned that if I catch the central line any time between 5:30pm and 6:30pm, it’s best to know what side you want to get off, and stay close to the exit. When people get on and off at places like Oxford Circus and Holborn, people don’t really hesitate to fill any space they can see, or even simply think there is. Others may shuffle at some point to free some breathing space, though it’s guaranteed to be packed. To be honest, it feels extremely claustrophobic and I find it difficult to remain perfectly polite when you’re trying to exit without stepping on anyone’s toes, or bumping into anyone else’s body.

Of course, this is all a part of living in a big city like London and I knew it was bound to happen. At least I haven’t had the experience of the entire tube station shutting down because of the sheer number of commuters overwhelming the station capacity.

On my way up to Lancaster, I was fortunate enough that the person who booked my ticket had booked first class all the way. I’ve been on plenty of Virgin trains whilst I was working with a client at Milton Keynes though forty minutes on a train doesn’t really justify the price. Three hours on a train apparently does.

On arrival, an attendant greets you as you board the train, welcoming you to your seat complete with a dinner setting (napkin and metal cutlery) and plenty of space around you. You’re soon offered a newspaper and a choice of a hot meal (at least for breakfast I was). They offer that first refresher drink before meal and plenty of tea and coffee during and after.

My favourite bit about first class though is that each table is outfitted with a power socket that you can connect any electrical appliances to. This meant that you could have a bite to eat, work in leisure all with only minor interruptions. The only improvement I can really ask for is wireless Internet (they had a couple of wireless networks though I couldn’t get Internet from them).

Last week I helped out on a project way up north nears the Lakes district located in Lancaster. I’ve never really been that far north in England – the furtherest place really being Milton Keynes (and that city’s definitely not very representative of England). Being pretty far north, I expected lots of rain and extremely cold weather so I was pleasantly surprised when I got off the train to semi-blue skies and a fairly moderate temperature. It did rain during my stay there yet it was still fairly light and didn’t last all day and night.

Lancaster has plenty of history and going out to dinner with one of the client staff told me much more about it all. Lancaster is located very close to the coast, leading to very moderate temperatures all season (never too hot in summer and never too cold in winter). The infamous Morecambe Bay (where the eighteen cocklefish pickers died several years ago) is also located very close there. Of course, travelling during the week and doing so for work meant that we never got to visit the vast stretch of sand where the tide will cause the shore water to move faster than you can walk, leaving you in plenty of deep water before you know it.

What I really enjoyed about the city was it’s pristine condition for such an old city. A small ring road encompasses the main part of the city and all the places within it are all walking distance apart. In fact most are no more than fifteen or twenty minutes from one side to another. All of the buildings in this area must be built from stone and the resulting look is simply stunning with store fronts, houses and office spaces simply looking like extensions to the Castle and Church located in the heart of the city. Like most English cities, Lancaster has plenty of pubs per person though forty within the tiny ring road still seemed a little excessive to me. We ended up in the Ye Old John O’Gaunt one night and enjoyed a little bit of live music amidst the buzzing mix of university and locals.

I stayed at the Penny Street Bridge Hotel for the couple of nights I was there and was definitely impressed. It’s definitely new and its modern finishings and fittings seemed to stand in bleak contrast to the older stone exterior. It’s only got 26 rooms yet I was the last person to check in that effectively filled it up. They offer a standard continental breakfast and free internet (both wireless and the standard network cable).

I think it would’ve been great to stay there for the weekend and check out all the local sights. I had slight difficulty understanding some of the Lancashire accents yet the people were extremely helpful and friendly in all the places I went.