I love trains! My dream holiday would be a train journey from our village station, all across Europe, never leaving my cabin! I’d just sit (or periodically have a run on the treadmill next to my reclining, back massaging arm chair) and have all meals served as I watched the world go by. I’d visit the capital cities and chug slowly up mountain passes, down through magical valleys and fun-packed seaside resorts.
But alas, that’s just a pipe dream! So I did the next best thing! A friend and I went to Chester by train. There were no fancy arm chairs or meals served by waiters in tuxedos but we did pass through some pretty little villages and the scenery, on that lovely sunny autumn morning, was lovely.
We decided to start our shopping trip with a cup of coffee and a piece of cake. I left my friend at an outside table (so that we could watch the world go by!) and went to the counter. What happened next was a Mr Bean act that Rowan Atkinson would have found hard to follow!
The tray was set with two large coffees, two small jugs of milk and two plates, one holding a piece of cake and the other my gluten free brownie. The cuff of my jacket, as I lifted the tray, capsized one of the jugs of milk. I was offered another tray, placed on the other side of the counter. I stepped forward holding the soiled tray and didn’t see a small step separating the two counters. I stumbled forward. One of the assistants was making a drink in front of me. She grabbed hold of the tray and I was able to steady myself with one hand on the wall and the other clutching the side of the counter. The rest of the milk and some of the coffee had created a muddy brown mess which had begun to drip down onto the floor. Miraculously the pieces of cakes were not affected!
Fortunately I don’t blush! I turned to face the bemused row of people waiting behind me. ‘I haven’t been drinking!’ I stammered. ‘I just didn’t see that step!’ I repacked the tray and everyone promptly moved out of my way as I sheepishly walked past them to my friend waiting patiently outside.
That wouldn’t have happened in my pipe dream! To add insult to injury the manager came outside to check that I hadn’t hurt myself! Once more I explained that I hadn’t seen the step and was not drunk! This meant that the crowd outside the coffee shop, who hadn’t seen the debacle, were also made aware of the spectacle I had made of myself!
But that’s life! I’ve moved on and can laugh about it and even share it! The train journey was last Tuesday morning. I wasn’t sitting at a desk staring at a computer screen. I went on a train, had a super day out with a good friend and bought some clothes for my holiday in South Africa next month. Win, win!👠
Jenny Burrell 