So, I went to Bristol, and since them, I've been to Nottingham, Manchester and Coventry.

Let's start with King's Cross again. I thought there was something familiar last time, about the new entrance hall to the tube. And lo, yes, it reminds me, slightly of Gare Du Nord, and what's this?

It's a Relay, a magazine and tabac shop, dropped in, as if straight from Paris. Anyway, took the train up to Nottingham for a meeting and on arrival at St. Pancras, I saw that Midland Mainline have been moved to their new platforms, ready for Eurostar in 2007.

Turning around I saw that the renovation of the original train shed roof of the station was complete. To explain, the Eurostar trains are so long, that they had to build a roof extension, so the curved roof (with light blue girders - hope that's not the final colour) is the original and the flat slatted roof is the new bit. You can get a better idea with this model and a shot through the new roof, to see the original one:

Here's my pic from the train window:

Ah, rolling fields; and here is downtown Nottingham:

Nottingham is actually very modern and re-developed, lots of outdoor bars, mutiplex cinemas, but still lots of independent shops, and a tram, which I rode on:

And zut! Up to Manchester a few days later. Ah... the English countryside:

Its not easy you know to take these pics when traveling over 100 mph and often at tilt! If you've not been to Manchester for a few years, when you visit you might be in for a shock. The centre is totally rebuilt and the shopping district looks like this:

On the way back I noticed the train had a promo vinyl on it. The film was fantastic (saw it last Thursday). Is it a bird, is it a plane, no, it's a 125 mph, tilting train! .

I finish this round-up with the widest behind I have ever seen (proportionately). I am sure she makes some man, somewhere, very happy.

Tags: St. Pancras

I went to St. Pancras today to get tickets for my trip to Nottingham tomorrow (another meeting). On the way there, I passed by the new Western Entrance to Kings Cross Underground, and on the way back, I passed through it. It is quite nice and airy, lots of space, certainly compared to the cramped roundel there was before. Spotless and clean too...until you get past the ticket barriers and into the actual tube.

I also dropped into the LCR exhibition on the channel tunnel rail link. This is located in a building called the Gymnasium, next to the entrance to St. Pancras. Quite a nice free exhibition with lots of scale models including one of Stratford circa 2012, and a coffee shop.

Tags: St. Pancras