Nuffield Interviews - the journey down

Here I am, the day after 'the interview', and what an experience.

My interview was in London at 4.04pm. So of course because we're in the middle of no where,(well Powys really!), I decided to drive to Hereford Railway station, as it would have taken about 8 hours from Lladnrindod, and I wouldn't have got home until about Thursday!(only joking). So I left home about 8.30 had a leisueley drive to Hereford I had already pre purchased a 24 hour parking ticket (the wonders of modern science), and I walked, as sedatley as my high heals would allow, remebering as a farmer wellies are our usual mode of footwear, to come across a ticket barrier which had not been at the station last year when I had used the service. Apparently I had to post my ticket into the slot and it would let me through. So I had to carefully balance my briefcase, bottle of water, bag of grapes (well I am on a healthy eating plan) and ferret throguh my hand bag, which was full of tangerines and bannanas, I know I know!, when I did find it they were all stapled together and would n't fit into the hole, whereby a nice porter came to over-ride the terminal and let me through, at the same time informing me that my train was over the bridge and I had just 3 minutes to catch it- yes I ran.

Quite an unexciting journey after that. Lulled into a false sense of security, by the large lady who had fell asleep opposite and was snoring gently, I read my three weeks of Farmers Weekly, just to be on the safe side. I got off at Newport and waited for my Paddington connection. I mentally tried to make out the anoucements in Welsh before the English ones, and did a lot better than I thought I would, then got onto the train, which was on time. Walking down the train I decided to sit at a gorup of seats with tables, more room I thought for my bag of grapes bottle of water and todays papers, which I was quietly reading. The Lady opposite me got out her papers on the table, and as I peered around my farmers weekly (I do so love that publication) I thought I recognised nuffiled papers, intriguing I thought to myslef, I checked in my briefcase - yes the binding on my report was the same colour as I could see sticking out of hers. When she finished her call ( which incidently had given me no more clues as to her name, location, destination, occupation or date of birth) I asked "are you going to the Nuffield Foundation?"

Well we got on like a house on fire, Heather and I, we chatted all the rest of the journey discussed farming issues, saved the world from global warming and boosted are rural ecconomies thus enabling all farmers to survive without subsidies - see all it takes is two ladies!
At Paddington we shared a cab to Burford Square. The cabbie was amazing! when we asked to go to Burford Square he said "Do you want to go to my Hotel" well Heather and I looked at each other, and I replied "we've only been in London 5 minutes but it's the best offer we've had yet" Apparently there is a Hotel in Burford Squaer called 'My Hotel? and he thought thats where we were going. So we had a spot of lunch in a bistro type place around the corner which had huge screens on the wall showing us round the clock news, and then on to the Nuffield Institute.

More later