'I love when the Geordies get on the LNER between Edinburgh and London'
A guest vignette by Michael MacLeod, the founder of The Edinburgh Guardian Substack, who writes of what captures his imagination
As the train pulls into Newcastle, the native Geordies transform the trip into a vibrant journey teeming with Newcastle United fans in their zebra-striped kit - ‘Eddie Howe’s Army’ - hen-do parties, and copious other colourful characters who contribute to a smorgasbord of life
I love when the Geordies are about to get on the LNER between Edinburgh and London. Those last few minutes zooming down the north-east coast when still intact is the pure yet fragile concept of a ‘quiet coach’ approaching its soon-to-be boisterous black and white fate.
Businessmen roll their eyes and posh Edinburgh ladies tut while laptop workers know what’s coming.
You can hear the bustling lust for life through the window glass even before the doors open.
Then: cheery chats begin about all aspects of life, as a Kylie concert crowd and Eddie Howe’s army compete for the airwaves with yet another hen-do making its way to the Premier Inns of London.
The soundtrack is plastic bags clanking with Prosecco, M&S gin tins, Percy Pig sweets and crisps. Hearing about ‘mam’s operation’ and cooing over photos of ‘wee baby Bruno.’
It’s life and community with only one volume setting.
It doesn’t give a fuck what you had planned for your journey.
The only option is to embrace it.
Don’t be the grumpy headphone southerner.
Chat to the kind soul offering you their ear.
You’ll miss them on the return journey when the silence returns.
Three tunes selected by Michael:
 | A guest post by
|