Day 1 of the next episode

Friday 2nd September - 10:55 – Middlesbrough to Darlington

Saying goodbye to the people I loved was quite difficult, I was and am blessed to know such a huge amount of cool people who could wait no longer for me to eventually sod off and stop talking about this bloody trip.

On Platform Number 1 at Middlesbrough Train Station seeing me off were two most significant of the many women in my life, Ma and Victoria, I was going to miss them both and it was all a little emotional, but I was at this point more concerned with the first part of my journey. Of all the routes I will be taking the train from out of Middlesbrough was always going to be the most difficult and potentially the most hostile. The indigenous people of this area are rather negatively-pleasant, particularly to the outsider, and since I was a North Yorkshire man of late then they might sense that foreign element, they may tut disapprovingly, they may scorn. This can happen and does happen quite frequently in pizza establishments in mornings before the sun has broken. Would I be safe on the first leg, would they let me leave?

As the train rolled away from the station, I could see Victoria and my mother holding each other and blowing kisses towards the train. I could only respond the way I knew how, with a Victory salute, only I got a little muddled and forgot to turn my hand, and Victory quickly turned into a Piss Right Off!! Bye Bye Boro I’m outta here!!