Monday 23 December 2013

Southern Railway - Ho Ho Ho! [3]

Hard copy arrived Saturday last; thanks to Royal Mail and No 3 son ...
... who has asked for clarification about travel from Shoreham-by-Sea to London Victoria (for onward journey to work at Watford) on Friday 27th, Monday 30th and Tuesday 31st December. Dire warnings have been broadcast via on-train, on-platform and on-mobile announcements to the effect that things will be "tricky" (unbearable?) on those days.

The booklet is 66 pages long and contains not a single timetable! Having waded through its pages of overarching clarity (?) the potential commuter then has three further options.

1. Go "on-line" - if you dare!

2. Ring National Rail enquiries.

3. Stay in Bed

Rather than review the whole book, fbb, considerate as ever of a low threshold of concentration at this festive time, will concentrate on No 3 son's considered journey via Main Line West to London Victoria. See also Southern Railway - Ho Ho Ho! [2] (read again). Normally this is simple ...
... but, clearly, it won't be over the holiday period.

The summary guide is arranged in date order; so we begin with

 Thursday 26th  NO TRAINS to Shoreham-by-Sea.

 Friday 27th  Main Line West runs as follows 
From Three Bridges via
Crawley, Ifield, Littlehaven, Horsham, Christ’s Hospital, Billingshurst, Pulborough, Amberley, Arundel, Littlehampton where the train will divide.
Brighton Portion calling at Angmering, Goring by Sea, Durrington on Sea, West Worthing, Worthing, Lancing,  Shoreham by Sea , Portslade and Hove
Southampton Central Portion calling at Ford, Barnham, Chichester, Southbourne, Emsworth, Havant, Cosham, Portchester, Fareham and Swanwick.

From Three Bridges via
Crawley, Ifield, Littlehaven, Horsham, Christ’s Hospital, Billingshurst, Pulborough, Amberley, Arundel, Littlehampton where the train will divide.
Brighton Portion calling at Angmering, Goring by Sea, Durrington on Sea, West Worthing, Worthing, Lancing,  Shoreham by Sea , Portslade and Hove
Portsmouth Harbour Portion calling at Ford, Barnham, Chichester, Havant, Fratton, Portsmouth & Southsea.

 Saturday 28th  as above

 Sunday 29th  as above for Shoreham-by-Sea BUT ...
From Three Bridges via
Crawley, Ifield, Littlehaven, Horsham, Christ’s Hospital, Billingshurst, Pulborough, Amberley, Arundel, Littlehampton where the train will divide.
Brighton Portion calling at Angmering, Goring by Sea, Durrington on Sea, West Worthing, Worthing, Lancing,  Shoreham by Sea , Portslade and Hove
Bognor Portion calling at Ford, Barnham

The "Southampton" bit of train runs to Bognor only!

From Three Bridges via
Crawley, Ifield, Littlehaven, Horsham, Christ’s Hospital, Billingshurst, Pulborough, Amberley, Arundel, Littlehampton where the train will divide.
Brighton Portion calling at Angmering, Goring by Sea, Durrington on Sea, West Worthing, Worthing, Lancing,  Shoreham by Sea , Portslade and Hove
Portsmouth Harbour Portion calling at Ford, Barnham, Chichester, Havant, (until 1600 with connecting bus) thereafter trains calling at Fratton, Portsmouth & Southsea.

Hence we see that here is further disruption between Havant and Portsmouth Harbour for most of the day; but that does not concern No 3 son, of course.

We are now just half way through the booklet! And we can see that trains run via Horsham to Littlhampton whence a Brighton portion trundles on via Shoreham-by-Sea. But, joy of joys, there is a half hourly service.

 Monday 30th : Tuesday 31st  same as for 27th and 28th but the service starts from Redhill ...
... calling locally at Earlswood, Horley and Gatport Airwick. (dotted line on the above map - which should also be dotted between Gatwick and Three Bridges. fbb lost the plot when creating the cartoraphy.)

 Wednesday 1st Jan  same as for Sunday 29th but again, starting from Redhill.

So fbb was able to tell No 3 son that he had a train every 30 minutes to Three Bridges (or Redhill depending on days). But he wants to consider getting to London Victoria, or even anywhere else in London, for his onward journey to Watford.

But, at this stage, we have no timetables and must resort to on-line or phone.

Bet you can't wait to join fbb tomorrow in the final part of this exciting saga of public transport adventure.
London Victoria? Which way?
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 fbb's Advent Calendar for 2013 
Monday 23rd December
The Bible Book of Isaiah is a compilation of the output of an ongoing school of prophecy, containing writing appropriate to several contiguous periods of Jewish history. Today, we dip into the writings of Isaiah number 3.

As the horrors of exile continued, a hope for something better slowly developed into a powerful set of "visions". On its own, each vision might be dismissed as an historic co-incidence; but taken together we see a rounded picture of the gift of God's "Messiah."

In the Hebrew Bible, a messiah (mashiach) is a king or High Priest traditionally anointed with holy anointing oil.

The Jewish messiah is a leader anointed by God, physically descended from King David, who will rule the united tribes of Israel and herald the Messianic Age of global peace also known as the World to Come.

Islamic tradition holds that Jesus, the son of Mary, was the promised Prophet and Masih (Messiah) sent to the Israelites, and that he will again return to Earth at the end of times, along with the Mahdi, and they will defeat the "false Messiah" or Antichrist.

The 53rd Chapter of Isaiah (these Isaiah guys had plenty to say!) describes God's chosen servant.
There has been much academic debate about who Isaiah No. 3 had in mind; but the likeness to the mission of Jesus is stunning in every way.
These words were written at least 650 years BEFORE the time of Jesus!
The Greek word for Messiah (Χριστός = Khristós in English lettering = Christ) became one of the most enduring appellations of Joshua (Yeshua) bar-Joseph (son of Joseph); whom we know as Jesus.

Messiah-Mas? Christ-mas!
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 Next bus blog : Tuesday 24th December 

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