Keep the peace

Virgin East Coast, reneging on its franchise, is not in anyone’s good books at the moment, but since it is the only direct service available from Newcastle upon Tyne to London, many in the north-east have no option but to use it. The service in my experience is pretty good, and even better when it is possible to book well ahead and thereby, with use of the Old Gits’ railcard, treat oneself to a seriously cheap first-class advanced ticket. This offers excellent value for money, the food and drink far better than that on the West Coast equivalent.

But the icing on the cherry is the quiet coach. Occasionally top executives, incapable of reading ‘quiet coach’, will phone the exhilarating details of their latest go-getting initiatives across the carriage, but a word to one of the staff will usually shut them up, and sometimes they even apologise. I have never seen any of them subsequently move to the carriages where they can honk away without let or hindrance.