Perils of working on the train

Today started badly. I am tring to use the bike for work as much as I can. Sometimes combined with the train, which can be a strain.

This is either in one direction, a 10 mile one hour trek (I'm not a fast cyclist) to Ferndown across Canford Heath (which is lovely but slow), then through a housing estate in Bearwood, and up a scary bit of road through Longham Bridge and Ringwood Road.

Or it is a short cycle to the station, train to Dorchester South, and either a short cycle to one of the Dorchester or Poundbury offices, or a longer trip to Forston Clinic, north of Charminster, and half an hour by bike.

So I set off in good time for the train, buying tickets in both directions as my afternoon meeting was in Bournemouth. Knowing the weather was forecast wet, I had overtrousers, but no change of clothes, as the distances are short.

With a new blackberry (a handoff that was better than my previous one), I was busy reading a long email on a knotty problem. Upway was announced.  Oops we were in Dorchester already. Rushing along the carriage, although still stationary, the doors were locked, a victim to the pressures for meeting targets rather than serving customers. So much for being early.

Have found before, but quickly established that there was no train to get quickly back, especially with one cancelled in either direction. The half hourly service from Dorchester is actually 2 trains about a quarter of an hour apart, then a long gap. As the train descended through a long tunnel I realised I would have to cycle back up this hill, and Upwey station itself sits on an embankment above the surrounds. Perhaps there would be a Bath bound train at Upwey. Er no, it is only a two hourly service after all.

So I alighted. Ok, there's a new cycleway with the Weymouth Relief road, will just have to cycle back. That will be interesting