Weirdly Wandering to Wantage (mini 1)

State Visit to Oxfordshire

No 1 son (and family) have recently moved from a refurbished 1920s semi in Wantage to a much more recently refurbished detached bungalow; also in Wantage

Yep, refurbished quite a bit!

The refurbishment has consisted of additional rooms in the roof and a thorough remodelling throughout. After a great deal of hard work, the property is now ready for a state visit and the old and odd couple set off for Wantage yesterday.

Now fbb, with his timetable and geographical knowledge being vast (?), knew how to get there without driving all the way.

Axe Valley Mini Travel (no longer "Mini") bus from Seaton to Axminster, followed by South Western Railway a k a SWR (First) to Basingstoke ...

... First GWR to Reading then First GWR to Didcot Parkway. Thereafter it would be bus to Wantage.

Seemples.

The plan was to travel on the 1006 train from Axminster; but your ever cautious blogger decided to check the National Rail journey planner, just in case something untoward might have impeded his travel plans.

Yer what? 

"No fares available, choose another journey".

Pish, tosh, drivel and twaddle. SWR runs hourly between Exeter and Waterloo, calling at Basingstoke on the way.

There are three trains an hour between Basingstoke and Reading ...

... two GWR and one CrossCountry (XC) and it has been like that for many a long year.

Although not 100% certain, fbb was sure that there would be a good "clock face" service between Reading and Didcot ...

... and, yes, there are two trains an hour, not quite clock face and not evenly spaced, but at least two an hour nevertheless, Reading departures at xx25 and xx49 (roughly).

So fbb went back to the National Rail journey planner and scrolled down to the journey details.

Axminster to Salisbury?

Salisbury to Bath? And then ...

... Bath to Didcot?

What's going on? 

Weirdly, the 0906 from Axminster and the 1106 from Axminster all followed fbb's expected route via Basingstoke and Reading. The JP also confirmed the fare for these journeys.

So again ...

What's going on? 

Was there something odd about the 1006 - like it terminated at Salisbury?

And so the to SWR timetable ...

And there is the 1006 but - oddly and weirdly, it has no connecting times to Reading.

How can three trains an hour between Basingstoke and Reading appear as no connection on the SWR timetable?

What's going on?

Or the fbbs could go via Salisbury and Bath for which no fares are available.

On a more positive note, IF fbb and Mrs were allowed to get to Didcot, there appear to be TWO bus services between there and Wantage ...

... which would surely offer a connection allowing the fbbs to complete their journey all the way by public transport?

So, next, the old boy had to resolve his outwards journey - somehow!

One way or another, fbb should get a good variety of train types!

But sadly, not this one!

And the old Reading Station is now a pub!

To be continued ...

 Next Wantage min-blog : Sunday 13th Oct