Matt Dinnery

6:10:01 PM: For those that don’t know, tonight is @NorthumbriaSU’s Candidates’ Question Time, otherwise known as Hustings.

6:10:38 PM: Main #hashtags in use tonight are #votebook, #elections2010, and #hustings.

6:11:18 PM: Of course, I’m on @VoteWHITE’s campaign team, and the only other tweeting candidate is @votewetzel.

6:13:30 PM: As we draw closer to the 7pm start, Habita is starting to get busy, and the candidates are slowly appearing.

6:19:31 PM: Best slogan of the year? “Vote Kat Finn for the best lay you’ll ever have!” #elections2010 #votebook

6:20:12 PM: Campaigns I’m promoting: Holly Seabrook, Northumbria’s Tastiest Candidate. #votebook #elections2010

6:20:43 PM: Campaigns I’m promoting: The future’s bright, the future’s WHITE. #votebook #elections2010

6:28:35 PM: This surely is the busiest night of the year for Habita…

6:29:19 PM: The downside of me doing this is needing to leave between 8.30pm and 9pm to get back to Sunderland to do yet more photography!

6:30:12 PM: Oooooh – pretty #votebook balloons on the stage now!

6:33:22 PM: Can Ash not count to three? All he keeps saying is “one, two” and not getting any further…

6:45:59 PM: giving up on this – photography is more important!

8:35:36 AM: Southern assured me all night and this morning that the 0828 Swanwick to London Victoria would be running as planned.

8:36:24 AM: I arrived at Swanwick at 0810 to find the service wasn’t even on the screens.

8:37:27 AM: Today, I’ll log the actual journey I’ve taken, stop-by-stop, and see what time I eventually make it to Sunderland this evening.

8:38:14 AM: Tomorrow, I’ll use that evidence to write Delay Repay letters, and claim back my costs.

8:39:19 AM: As it is now, the most suitable, the 0819 to Portsmouth Harbour is delayed by 22 minutes.

8:41:04 AM: I’ve just left Swanwick. The plan is to make Fareham, and change.

8:49:06 AM: Now in Fareham, but don’t know where to go…

8:50:36 AM: I have a plan, the 0824 to Basingstoke is now at 0902, so let’s try that!

8:55:52 AM: Now says 0904.

9:03:47 AM: It’s now saying 0905.

9:07:04 AM: Just left Fareham now.

9:16:24 AM: Calling at Botley. It’s becoming a partial whiteout. There was a partial blockage on the line, back there, too.

9:21:46 AM: Calling at Hedge End.

9:24:32 AM: Called at Hedge End, now at Eastleigh.

9:34:14 AM: Called at Shawford.

9:40:24 AM: Train just called at Winchester.

9:45:53 AM: Now calling at Micheldever.

9:56:55 AM: So, the train terminated at Basingstoke. Now for a train towards London Waterloo, methinks.

9:58:40 AM: The 0959 to London Waterloo is due at 1005.

10:05:32 AM: It’s cold on platform 3!

10:06:49 AM: Where’s my train? It says 1007 now…

10:08:19 AM: Here it is! Now to warm up…

10:26:43 AM: Calling at Woking now.

10:30:09 AM: Next stop, Clapham Junction, where I’ll disembark. May as well call in at a few pubs, eh?

10:39:22 AM: Wow! That war a rapid, yet controlled, stop. Brakes applied full to the end. Moving again now, though?

10:41:57 AM: An electronic fault apparently…

10:54:20 AM: Now at Clapham Junction. How to get to Balham…?

11:15:47 AM: Or maybe the services just aren’t running…

11:21:54 AM: I’m now on a train to Victoria. Let’s start there…

11:45:03 AM: At Victoria. Let’s see if I didn’t screw up my oyster back there!

11:49:54 AM: I’ll try the Victoria Line to Brixton, there’s a pub there!

12:10:43 PM: Finally in Brixton. Now in The Beehive, enjoying a pint of Spitfire.

1:11:18 PM: http://twitpic.com/wwki2 – Lunch at J.J. Moon’s.

1:24:01 PM: Revised plan: Balham, ?Streatham, Elephant & Castle, Lewisham, Cutty Sark, Stratford.

2:01:29 PM: http://twitpic.com/wwqd4 – The Moon Under Water. Balham

3:25:33 PM: I called into The Rockingham Arms, and now I’m on the DLR towards Lewisham.

4:13:26 PM: Having a pint of Old Speckled Hen in The Watch House.

4:29:35 PM: Just stopped 5 people being run over when an ambulance approached a pedestrian crossing on blues. Some siren might have helped, you know…

5:14:11 PM: That was a nice Afternoon Deal in The Gate Clock. Full now! Oh, and it’s dark outside…

5:52:06 PM: Quick call at The Goldengrove for a J2O, and then to Kings Cross for a train to Newcastle!

6:12:24 PM: One quick change of trains at Liverpool Street…

6:55:31 PM: Made it onto the 1900 East Coast servce to Newcastle.

6:55:48 PM: All in all, it hasn’t been too bad a day…

8:00:05 PM: Train now calling at Peterborough. Exactly 14 minutes late in arriving.

8:30:31 PM: Train just leaving Grantham. 24 minutes late. Guard keeps playing with the doors, by the looks of things, for some reason…?

8:31:16 PM: Oh, wait, there was a reason. The doors, erm, they froze…

9:05:35 PM: Just leaving Doncaster. 25 minutes late at present.

9:26:19 PM: Ah, finally, pulling into York. That makes us, erm, 25 minutes behind schedule – at least we haven’t lost anymore time!

9:58:16 PM: Now at Darlington, 28 minutes late!

10:17:42 PM: Pulling into Durham. Making the service 28 minutes late.

10:18:28 PM: I’m now actually getting concerned about getting a metro to Sunderland…

10:36:02 PM: Finally arrived at Newcastle. Question is, can I make my onward journey?

10:41:29 PM: Next Metro in 10 minutes. Happy!

10:51:26 PM: On the Metro. Very happy!

11:19:35 PM: And I’m now at Park Lane. Just to walk for about 10-15 minutes in the snow now…

11:40:27 PM: Finally home with a nice cup of tea!

9:01:42 AM: Today, I’m making full use of my concessionary travel pass, and will be on a bus for more than 2 hours this morning.

9:02:20 AM: The first bus takes me to London Road in Hilsea, where I change onto the Stagecoach 700, which is my bus of choice for the rest of the day!

9:02:53 AM: I’ll leave the house at 0915, get the bus at 0930, and it will be after midday before I get to Chichester.

9:40:32 AM: I’ve just boarded the First 57 service towards Portsmouth. Just over 1 hour on here…

9:42:12 AM: I think that the bus should be renamed “The Granny Express,” for it’s the first bus after the 0930 bus passes are allowed…

10:13:10 AM: I’m aiming to visit 4 different JD Wetherspoon free houses today, and have a different local real ale in each!

10:49:56 AM: I’m now waiting at Hilsea Lido for the bus that takes me to Chichester.

11:10:26 AM: @NursingLou Can I ask why you’re going to work with @Hemspara tonight?

11:12:08 AM: I’ve just boarded the Stagecoach 700 service towards Brighton. In about 50 minutes I’ll be at my chosen stop, Chichester bus station.

12:07:03 PM: http://twitpic.com/wmrzr – I’m in Chichester

12:13:08 PM: http://twitpic.com/wmshn – A good start to the afternoon, eh?

12:14:13 PM: http://twitpic.com/wmskn – Served in less than 5 minutes. Impressed

12:28:07 PM: On a side note, the barmaid who served me should be Miss Wetherspoon 2010…

12:54:07 PM: http://twitpic.com/wmvrr – Exactly where Sami said it was!

12:55:04 PM: http://twitpic.com/wmvun – So, tell me, how, exactly, is it done?

1:24:54 PM: I’m back on the Stagecoach 700 service towards Brighton. This will take me to Bognor Regis.

1:39:13 PM: http://twitpic.com/wmzui – Traditional livery here.

1:43:04 PM: http://twitpic.com/wn08n – A pint of Rampart.

1:47:28 PM: The Gatehouse is next to Cineworld, in Chichester, @blognorregis .

1:51:09 PM: Now is a perfect time to hit the internet, and recharge my phone. Next bus in just over 15 minutes!

1:56:41 PM: Time to packup the laptop, answer to nature’s call, and then get back to the bus stop!

2:16:58 PM: @NursingLou You think??? Lol. That reminds me, I’ve still done no real planning for Cycle Brittany…

2:18:04 PM: I’m back on the Stagecoach 700, still heading towards Brighton. Next stop, Littlehampton.

2:44:13 PM: http://twitpic.com/wn6ae – My 4th and final calling point!

2:52:53 PM: So, I’ve been to 4 more pubs, and had 3 different ales. A successful day, in my opinion!

3:09:41 PM: The Lord Arthur Lee or The Last Post? I’ve got time to kill when I get to Fareham, so which one?

4:01:41 PM: I’m currently sat on the Stagecoach 700 towards Southsea, though I’ll only be going as far as Hilsea!

4:11:13 PM: Damn! Had to make a quick “call” at Bognor Regis. Back on the bus already, but need to change at Chichester…

4:12:22 PM: Talking of Chichester… I wonder if the sexy Sami is still on shift…

5:00:26 PM: I did call back at The Dolphin and Anchor. And yes, Sami was still on shift!

5:06:20 PM: I’m back on the 700 towards Southsea, though I need to at Hilsea to get to Fareham.

6:02:51 PM: After a 10 minute wait in these artic conditions, I am now on the First 5 to Fareham bus station!

6:42:52 PM: I’ve taken a short break in The Crown, Fareham. Food on it’s way!

6:43:50 PM: “Your food will be 10-15 minutes, condiments over there, cutlery comes out with your food” Yes, yes, that’s all good. Where’s my ale!?

7:16:16 PM: Right. 15 minutes to get back to the bus station before my last bus leaves. Time to pack up, again!

7:47:28 PM: http://twitpic.com/wo690 – Not exactly reassuring, is it?

9:49:44 PM: I made it back to where I started at 2030 this evening. I was cold, wrapped up, and it was below freezing point outside.

9:50:15 PM: Today was a good day, and I’ve proven that I can visit places without paying even a single penny in travel costs!

10:00:18 AM: Today I’ll start up in Highgate and work my way around to the North-East of London, aiming to visit as many JD Wetherspoon pubs as I can!

10:00:42 AM: I’ll start in Kings Cross just after 1015, but I need to load my railcard discount onto my Oyster card first!

10:01:04 AM: Can I get 12 different festive ales sampled before I leave from Victoria at 1932?

10:54:56 AM: It took ages queuing to get that discount applied to my Oyster! All done for another 9 months now, though!

11:11:09 AM: http://twitpic.com/vv3bm – Exactly where @jungle_expat said it was!

11:16:27 AM: Where next? It seems pointless to go back to Kings Cross to get the Picadilly Line back up to the North!

11:45:46 AM: Now heading back to Archway station to catch a bus to Wood Green.

11:47:17 AM: To answer @melph’s question, yes I am effectively on a pub crawl today…

12:13:41 PM: Now at Crouch End changing buses. Next stop, The Toll Gate near Turnpike Lane.

12:28:08 PM: http://twitpic.com/vv9fz – Only one of 15 pumps I haven’t tried!

12:30:03 PM: http://twitpic.com/vv9ld – Right next to the bus stop. Perfect!

1:02:02 PM: http://twitpic.com/vvcjj – 3rd pub today!

1:08:04 PM: http://twitpic.com/vvd2p – A pint of 12 days of christmas

1:08:58 PM: I should pick up my pace a bit. Next will be a bus to Palmers Green for The Alfred Herring.

2:09:16 PM: The staff in there were very helpful!

2:14:04 PM: http://twitpic.com/vvjg1 – Number 4

2:21:41 PM: Now on the W6 to Southgate.

2:36:10 PM: http://twitpic.com/vvlqr – Southgate now

2:46:12 PM: I’m enjoying today. Now in JD Wetherspoon Free House number five, and planning on at least four more.

2:46:47 PM: The plan from here is North Finchley, followed by Stroud Green, then onto the two up in Enfield.

2:47:28 PM: My get-out is the Victoria Line running from Finsbury Park, and Tottenham Hale, if time runs short.

2:47:59 PM: However, I hope to be able to hit 3 more from the Edgware branch of the Northern Line if I can!

2:52:14 PM: Indeed I shall continue my quest, @melph. The webpage is under ‘Live Blogging’ on http://www.mattdinnery.co.uk/

2:57:10 PM: http://twitpic.com/vvnwn – Midday noms

3:19:36 PM: I’m waiting for the 125 to take me to Tally-Ho corner.

3:43:15 PM: http://twitpic.com/vvtbe – Easy to see from the bus!

3:44:41 PM: Toilet checks with names pre-printed, not done in the last two hours. Not up to standards here!

3:45:35 PM: Pouring off lager down a handwashing sink isn’t good practice, either…

3:46:16 PM: And to cap it all, the half-pint of christmas surprise isn’t all that good!

4:20:09 PM: Change of plan. I’m now off to New Barnet!

4:22:08 PM: Well, @melph. I’m doing South-East London next Wednesday if you’re free. I’ll DM you my number later…

4:48:15 PM: http://twitpic.com/vw1t9 – A pint of Crazy Cranberry

4:49:23 PM: I’m in The Railway Bell in New Barnet. Trouble is, my phone battery is charmingly dying on me now…

5:06:25 PM: http://twitpic.com/vw492 – Can you guess where I’m getting a train?

11:50:06 PM: So, what happened to me today? Well, apologies for the updates stopping, but I needed to keep a little bit of charge on my phone!

11:50:53 PM: From New Barnet (where are the Oyster readers at that station exactly?), I took a train to Finsbury Park (thankfully no exit barriers).

11:51:33 PM: Thinking I had time, I then went on the Victoria Line to Tottenham Hale, that was a mistake…

11:52:01 PM: By the time I figured out that I needed to get off at Seven Sisters and then get a bus to Enfield, it was too late to consider.

11:52:38 PM: I didn’t think, because I should have called into The White Lion of Mortimer in Stroud Green on the way back, but didn’t.

11:53:23 PM: Instead, I took a Victoria Line train all the way to Victoria, and tried my luck somewhere I’d been before – The Willow Walk.

11:54:11 PM: But what a disaster that ended up. No burger buns. Not letting me have a guest ale with the meal. Sharing a table with 2 other groups.

11:55:04 PM: Steak was “cremated” as opposed to “cooked”. “Stone-Baked” Ciabatta had been grilled (and blackened). Took more than 20 minutes to serve it.

11:55:53 PM: Chips had been re-heated in the microwave. All in all, not a good experience. Frankly, awful, I’m avoiding that one in future times!

11:56:54 PM: Summary of today: 7 new JD Wetherspoon Free Houses visited, plus one I’d already been to.#

11:57:31 PM: Didn’t manage the “12 ales of xmas” as I’d hoped, through lack of choice in the pubs, and not visiting enough of them.

11:58:07 PM: But some good news – today, I visited my 100th JD Wetherspoon Free House in the UK. Congratulations, The Railway Bell in New Barnet!

8:31:39 AM: Today, I’ll start in Nottingham, and move across to Derby, trying to call into a couple of Free Houses along the way.

8:32:09 AM: I won’t be able to visit as many as yesterday, only 2, or maybe 3 at most, due to their location.

9:00:07 AM: http://twitpic.com/nugfy – Methinks I’m a few minutes early…

9:07:27 AM: I don’t think today will be quite as good. It’s cold, wet, and windy in Nottingham this morning.

9:13:03 AM: http://twitpic.com/nuhd1 – Just where do I begin?

10:39:05 AM: http://twitpic.com/nunen – Still raining in Ilkeston.

10:57:07 AM: http://twitpic.com/nuok9 – Strong, but tasty!

11:06:20 AM: I wonder how I’ll get to Long Eaton. Nor smart answers about a bus, please…

11:07:27 AM: I think I might visit a couple more pubs, to try and work on the festival ales…

12:15:54 PM: I’m just waiting for a bus to Long Eaton, where I’ll be enjoying a few more ales…

1:21:05 PM: http://twitpic.com/nuz6e – Nice, old-fashioned exterior

1:39:18 PM: http://twitpic.com/nv0t1 – This is the 20th of 50…

1:40:51 PM: I could be wrong, but I think that this is the 91st JDW pub I’ve been into…

4:08:19 PM: http://twitpic.com/nvig8 – Yep, 2 next door to each other!

4:20:12 PM: http://twitpic.com/nvk8u – Sunday Roast Pork. £6.59

5:01:50 PM: I’m having another 2 halfs before going for the train.

5:02:36 PM: It’s been a good weekend – 13 more pubs, and 21 festival ales.