Started out from New Street with my usual evening moves. My friends starting their Scottish holiday were already there and Mustoe and gang were met returning from Solihull. We all headed to International to cover the Poole-Notts but I missed it as I was playing the Astro fighter video game when it arrived. So I ended up joining the South Wales roadshow on the train to Coventry for what was expected to be a York Duff, only it wasn't when it arrived late! Back at New Street I must have been the only person not to know that there would be a 40 on the Hollyhead train. My defective hearing had reduced me to one good ear but I was there to take that 40 up to Wolverhampton, returning for the S19/S18 combination to get me to Crewe giving me a new 85 but I did miss out on a 81. My standard North Wales move to Chester followed and I had to run to make the return off Chester. Following this was the Hollyhead with the entire class 40 roadshow on it. However they all bailed off when a required (by me anyway) 86/0 was put on to it so I returned alone to pick up the 0630 Lancaster.

Graham's friends got on at Stafford and together we headed for Prestatyn and the start of today's bash. Two new 40s in a row for me and a sighting of a rare 25 heading to Llandudno. I lay in wait for its return but just before it was due I leapt onto a different 25 and headed to Colwyn Bay to catch it. Oh dear, my expected plus 7 connection was a minus 4 in reality so I missed its return and decided to carry on to Chester. That'll teach me to listen to so called 'expert' advice. I had some compensation by picking up two more new 40s to complete what I needed in North Wales so it was then off to New Street in time for the Didcot and another required NB Duff. Unfortunately we were delayed in leaving and I had to come back on the DMU, a move which left only seven minutes to get to the KFC shop and back on my return. I just managed it! My Gloucester friend was on the train and was surprised when I bailed at Cheltenham for a DMU to and back from Gloucester. So was I because I had thought this would be a loco move. Oh well, it's off to Scotland now after finding a spare compo at Birmingham.