Sunny Wednesday

 

we in The Bell Hotel, in the afternoon, 

The hot water tap in the kitchen been fixed, so all ok.

Notes for Wednesday 21:30 to 07:30 Thorpe Station, three hours overtime

 [17:41, 08/04/2026] Michael Noël Turner: ==========

[17:41, 08/04/2026] Michael Noël Turner: 🚉🚉🚉🚉🚉🚉🚉🚉🚉🚉

[17:42, 08/04/2026] Michael Noël Turner: 745109 platform 1 - 1P58 19:00 London Liverpool Street to Norwich Thorpe arrived at (20:48) for 5P58 21:09 Norwich Thorpe to Crown Point |Depot 21:27 -

[17:43, 08/04/2026] Michael Noël Turner: 745002 platform 1 - 1P60 19:30 London Liverpool Street arrived at (21:19) for 1P73 22:02 Norwich Thorpe to London Liverpool Street 20:57 platform 10 -

[17:43, 08/04/2026] Michael Noël Turner: 755331 755413 755415 platform 2 - 1P62 20:00 London Liverpool Street to Norwich Thorpe arrived at (21:49) -

[17:44, 08/04/2026] Michael Noël Turner: 745006 platform 2 - 1P64 20:30 London Liverpool Street to Norwich Thorpe arrived at (22:18)   for 1Y75 23:05 Norwich Thorpe to Ipswich 23:49 platform 4 -

[17:44, 08/04/2026] Michael Noël Turner: 745008 platform 1 - 1P68 21:30 London Liverpool Street to Norwich Thorpe arrived at (23:21) -

[17:45, 08/04/2026] Michael Noël Turner: 745009 platform 1 - 1P70 22:30 London Liverpool Street to Norwich Thorpe arrived at (00:28) -

[17:45, 08/04/2026] Michael Noël Turner: 745004 platform 4 - 1P72 23:30 London Liverpool Street to Norwich Thorpe arrived at (0133), -

[17:45, 08/04/2026] Michael Noël Turner: ++++++++++

[17:46, 08/04/2026] Michael Noël Turner: 755424 platform 6 2S35 23:47 Sheringham to Norwich Thorpe arrived at (00:36) -

[17:46, 08/04/2026] Michael Noël Turner: 755405 platform 5A - 2J99 23:30 Lowestoft Central to Norwich Thorpe arrived at (00:16) -

[17:47, 08/04/2026] Michael Noël Turner: 755403 platform 5B - 1K96 22:14 Stansted Airport to Norwich Thorpe arrived at (00:12) -

[17:47, 08/04/2026] Michael Noël Turner: 755419 platform 6 - 2C45 23:34 Great Yarmouth Vauxhall to Norwich Thorpe arrived at (00:06) -

[17:47, 08/04/2026] Michael Noël Turner: ----------

[17:47, 08/04/2026] Michael Noël Turner: 755419 platform 6 -2P43 22:17 Great Yarmouth Vaxuhall to Norwich Thorpe arrived at (22:49) - 2P44 23:00 Norwich Thorpe to Great Yarmouth Vauxhall 23:30 platform 2 -

[17:48, 08/04/2026] Michael Noël Turner: 755424 platform 5B - 2J95 Lowestoft Central to Norwich Thorpe arrived at (22:32) - 2S36 22:45 Norwich Thorpe to Sheringham 23:42 -

[17:49, 08/04/2026] Michael Noël Turner: 755417 platform 3 - 2J93 20:57 Lowestoft Central to Norwich Thorpe arrived at (21:32) - for 1K97 22:40 Norwich Thorpe to Cambridge 23:56 platform 5 -

[17:49, 08/04/2026] Michael Noël Turner: 755405 platform 6 - 2S31 21:09 Sheringham to Norwich Thorpe arrived at (22:09) - 2J96 22:40 Norwich Thorpe to Lowestoft Central 23:24 platform 3 -

[17:49, 08/04/2026] Michael Noël Turner: 755416 platform 5B - 2P41 21:17 Great Yarmouth Vauxhall to Norwich Thorpe arrived at (21:49) for 2J94 22:05 Norwich Thorpe to Lowestoft Central 22:51 platform 2 -

[17:51, 08/04/2026] Michael Noël Turner: +++ Wednesday +++ 21:30 to 07:30 Thorpe Station 🚉🚉🚉🚉🚉🚉🚉+🚉🚉🚉 three hours overtime

Virgin Media

 Initial monthly cost: £24.00 

 One off charges: Upfront payment: 

Your individual service summary

 Minimum contract length: 24 months £0.00 £0.00 Services included in this order: 

 Price increases to £28.00 from your April 2027 bill

 Price increases to £58.00 from your April 2028 bill

 Price increases to £62.00 from your April 2028 bill

 Price thereafter will increase annually from your April bill by £4.00 a month. 

The detail in the below section is only in relation to the Broadband service you have selected. Broadband services (Hybrid fibre connection) · M125 Broadband 

If in addition to your main service you have chosen to also take an add-on, that add-on is also shown above and can be cancelled without ending your agreement for your main services at any time on 30 days' notice. 

Your broadband speeds: Download speeds: Advertised broadband speed Upload speeds: 132 Mbps Normally available speed 20 Mbps between 133 - 136 Mbps Minimum speed between 21 - 21 Mbps 66 Mbps Maximum speed 10 Mbps 137 Mbps Minimum guaranteed download speed 21 Mbps 66 Mbps  Other relevant information (including contract renewal and termination) 10 Mbps

I got a phone call from Virgin Media, only said about second year paying £4 extra, but third year is quite big increase, from £28 to £58, I wonder why £20 added to the monthly price, £240 extra for that year ? 

So first year £288

Second Year £336

Third Year £696

Fourth Year £744.

Looks like you've got a new contract set up with a broadband provider. Those price increases over the next couple of years might be a bit steep, though. Have you thought about whether you'll stick with this provider long-term or shop around later on?

גַּבְרִיאֵלToday at 11:07 AM

Yes, only said about second year, the third year is massive ?

youToday at 11:08 AM

Yeah, that third-year price jump does seem huge. Going from £28 to £58 is quite a leap. Are you thinking of trying to negotiate a better rate or looking into other providers before then?

גַּבְרִיאֵלToday at 11:08 AM

It a contract that last two years, so need to think about someone else, in two years time.

youToday at 11:09 AM

Two years will fly by before you know it. You'll probably have plenty of options to consider then. Do you think you'll be switching to a different provider or upgrading/downgrading your current plan?

גַּבְרִיאֵלToday at 11:09 AM

I got a phone call from Virgin Media, only said about second year paying £4 extra, but third year is quite big increase, from £28 to £58, I wonder why £20 added to the monthly price, £240 extra for that year ? So first year £288 Second Year £336 Third Year £696 Fourth Year £744.

youToday at 11:20 AM

That's a pretty steep increase in the third year. It's understandable that you're wondering why the price jumps up by £20 per month. Maybe it's worth asking Virgin Media directly about the reason behind this large increase in the third year.

גַּבְרִיאֵלToday at 11:20 AM

youToday at 11:27 AM

That sounds interesting! What’s the promotional offer they have for the broadband package?

גַּבְרִיאֵלToday at 11:28 AM

So if you do not renegotiate after 24 months, then the increase will be a lot more ?

youToday at 11:29 AM

Correct, if you don't renegotiate, the price will automatically increase significantly after the initial 24-month period. It seems like a good idea to review and potentially renegotiate or switch providers before then to avoid the large price jump.

גַּבְרִיאֵלToday at 11:29 AM

That something I do not like about Virgin Media, they offer lower prices to sign you up, but after a set amount of time, then the price go up a lot.

youToday at 11:30 AM

They do seem to follow a common practice among telecoms providers, where the introductory offer is attractive, but the price hike afterwards can be substantial. I'm sure you'd rather have more transparent and consistent pricing throughout the contract term.

גַּבְרִיאֵלToday at 11:30 AM

Yes, that would bee something I like much better.

youToday at 11:31 AM

Consistent pricing would definitely provide a clearer understanding of what to expect from the service. It's something Sky does better, which might be worth considering when you're reviewing your options.

Tuesday 21:30 to 04:30 Thorpe Station

 =======

🚉🚉🚉🚉🚉🚉🚉

745107 platform 1 - 1P58 19:00 London Liverpool Street to Norwich Thorpe arrived at (20:48) for 5P58 21:09 Norwich Thorpe to Crown Point |Depot 21:27 -

745007 platform 1 - 1P60 19:30 London Liverpool Street arrived at (21:19) for 1P73 22:02 Norwich Thorpe to London Liverpool Street 20:57 platform 10 -

755413 755415 755331 platform 2 - 1P62 20:00 London Liverpool Street to Norwich Thorpe arrived at (21:49) -

745003 platform 2 - 1P64 20:30 London Liverpool Street to Norwich Thorpe arrived at (22:18)   for 1Y75 23:05 Norwich Thorpe to Ipswich 23:49 platform 4 -

745001 platform 1 - 1P68 21:30 London Liverpool Street to Norwich Thorpe arrived at (23:21) -

745009 platform 1 - 1P70 22:30 London Liverpool Street to Norwich Thorpe arrived at (00:28) -

745002 platform 4 - 1P72 23:30 London Liverpool Street to Norwich Thorpe arrived at (0133), -

+++++++

755338 platform 6 2S35 23:47 Sheringham to Norwich Thorpe arrived at (00:36) -

755406 platform 5A - 2J99 23:30 Lowestoft Central to Norwich Thorpe arrived at (00:16) -

755403 platform 5B - 1K96 22:14 Stansted Airport to Norwich Thorpe arrived at (00:12) -

755327 platform 6 - 2C45 23:34 Great Yarmouth Vauxhall to Norwich Thorpe arrived at (00:06) -

-------

755327 platform 6 -2P43 22:17 Great Yarmouth Vaxuhall to Norwich Thorpe arrived at (22:49) - 2P44 23:00 Norwich Thorpe to Great Yarmouth Vauxhall 23:30 platform 2 -

755338 platform 5B - 2J95 Lowestoft Central to Norwich Thorpe arrived at (22:32) - 2S36 22:45 Norwich Thorpe to Sheringham 23:42 -

755332 platform 3 - 2J93 20:57 Lowestoft Central to Norwich Thorpe arrived at (21:32) - for 1K97 22:40 Norwich Thorpe to Cambridge 23:56 platform 5 -

755406 platform 6 - 2S31 21:09 Sheringham to Norwich Thorpe arrived at (22:09) - 2J96 22:40 Norwich Thorpe to Lowestoft Central 23:24 platform 3 -

755418 platform 5B - 2P41 21:17 Great Yarmouth Vauxhall to Norwich Thorpe arrived at (21:49) for 2J94 22:05 Norwich Thorpe to Lowestoft Central 22:51 platform 2 -

+++ Tuesday +++ 21:30 to 04:30 Thorpe Station 🚉🚉🚉🚉🚉🚉🚉

745102 Royal Dock ,notice at 21:11

745107 platform 1 going to leave soon

745007 platform 4 - 1P60 19:30 London Liverpool Street arrived at (21:19) for 1P73 22:02 Norwich Thorpe to London Liverpool Street 20:57 platform 10 -

755419 platform 3 - 2J93 20:57 Lowestoft Central to Norwich Thorpe arrived at 21:42 (21:32) - for 1K97 22:40 Norwich Thorpe to Cambridge 23:56 platform 5 -

755331 755413 755415 platform 2 - 1P62 20:00 London Liverpool Street to Norwich Thorpe arrived at 21:48(21:49) -

755418 platform 5B - 2P41 21:17 Great Yarmouth Vauxhall to Norwich Thorpe arrived at (21:49) for 2J94 22:05 Norwich Thorpe to Lowestoft Central 22:51 platform 2 -

755332 platform 6 notice at 22:05 and more before, , as always, confused.com

1J93 2057 Lowestoft to Norwich

Departing today

Greater Anglia

UID P47184, identity 1J93

TSC 21895002

SSuX - 15/12/2025 to 15/05/2026

Express Passenger

Great Britain (Network Rail, TPS)

755332

Standard class only seating

TRUST ID 481J93MZ07

Activated 07/04/2026 19:57

Platform 6 left at 22:06

755411 platform 6 - 2S31 21:09 Sheringham to Norwich Thorpe arrived at 22:09 (22:09) - 2J96 22:40 Norwich Thorpe to Lowestoft Central 23:24 platform 3 -

745003 platform 2 - 1P64 20:30 London Liverpool Street to Norwich Thorpe arrived at 22:17 (22:18)   for 1Y75 23:05 Norwich Thorpe to Ipswich 23:49 platform 4 -

755338 platform 5B - 2J95 Lowestoft Central to Norwich Thorpe arrived at 22:30  (22:32) - 2S36 22:45 Norwich Thorpe to Sheringham 23:42 -

755325 Middle Road arrived at 22:38, no cleaning, ECS from Lowestoft Central

5K73 2253 Norwich to Norwich C.Pt. T.&R.S.M.D

Departing today

Greater Anglia

UID P50298, identity 5K73

TSC 21890002

SSuX - 15/12/2025 to 15/05/2026

Empty Coaching Stock

Great Britain (Network Rail, TPS)

755416

Driver only operated

TRUST ID 485K73M807

Activated 07/04/2026 21:53

Platform 1 due 22:53

1K92 2046 Stansted Airport to Norwich

Departing today

Greater Anglia

UID P47374, identity 1K92

TSC 21899002

Altered WTT schedule

MSSuX - 07/04/2026 to 10/04/2026

Express Passenger

Great Britain (Network Rail, TPS)

755416

Standard class only seating

TRUST ID 471K92MZ07

Activated 07/04/2026 19:46

Platform 1 22:54 due delay

755327 platform 6 -2P43 22:17 Great Yarmouth Vaxuhall to Norwich Thorpe arrived at 22:49 (22:49) - 2P44 23:00 Norwich Thorpe to Great Yarmouth Vauxhall 23:30 platform 2 -

755416 platform 1 arrived at 22:53 clean 🫧🪥

745001 platform 1 - 1P68 21:30 London Liverpool Street to Norwich Thorpe arrived at 23:18 (23:21) - Mega Super Quick Clean 🪥🫧

745001 platform 1 left at 23:40 for Norwich Victoria Sidings 🤡

170208 platform 3B 

170205 platform 2A

158806 & 158862 platform 2A+

755411 platform 5B- 2J99 23:30 Lowestoft Central to Norwich Thorpe arrived at 00:11 (00:16) -

755403 platform 5A - 1K96 22:14 Stansted Airport to Norwich Thorpe arrived at 00:14 (00:12) -

755327 platform 6 - 2C45 23:34 Great Yarmouth Vauxhall to Norwich Thorpe arrived at 00:03  (00:06) -

745009 platform 1 - 1P70 22:30 London Liverpool Street to Norwich Thorpe arrived at 00:19 (00:28) - cleaning 🧹🧼 ABC 🔤🧹 Stable 🫧🪥

755422 platform 2 cleaning

745002 platform 4 - 1P72 23:30 London Liverpool Street to Norwich Thorpe arrived at 01:24 (0133), -

755327 platform 5B arrived at 01:49

755002 platform 4 stable clean ABC 🔤 clean 🫧🪥

755406 platform 5A arrived at 01:56

755418 not been cleared?

Filled some buckets up, getting a bit dry in some ?

London’s FREE Woolwich Ferry — What’s It Like?

 

Woolwich Ferry what the history

The Woolwich Ferry has one of the longest continuous transport histories in London — with documented crossings from 1308, a formal Act in 1811, and the modern free ferry service launching in 1889. It evolved from medieval watermen to paddle steamers, then to diesel vessels, and remains a key Thames crossing today.

🚢 Woolwich Ferry: A Clear, Structured History

🏰 1. Medieval Origins (1308 onwards)

• The earliest written reference dates to 1308, when a waterman named William de Wicton sold the ferry business.

• For centuries, crossings were informal, privately run, and essential for moving people and goods across the Thames at Woolwich.

⚓ 2. Military & Commercial Ferries (16th–19th centuries)

• Woolwich’s rise as a Royal Dockyard under Henry VIII and Elizabeth I increased the need for river crossings.

• In 1810, the army established its own ferry between Woolwich Arsenal and Duvals Wharf.

• An 1811 Act of Parliament created a formal public ferry at the Old Ballast Wharf.

• A private operator, The Woolwich Ferry Company, ran the “western ferry” until mismanagement led to its closure in 1844.

🆓 3. The Campaign for a Free Ferry (1880–1889)

• By the late 19th century, Woolwich residents argued they deserved a free crossing, just like the newly toll‑free bridges in west London.

• A major public meeting in 1880 pushed the Metropolitan Board of Works to fund a modern ferry.

• In 1885, legislation required the ferry to operate without charge.

🚢 4. Launch of the Modern Woolwich Free Ferry (1889)

• Opened 23 March 1889, with huge celebrations, parades, and dignitaries.

• First vessels: Gordon and Duncan, both paddle steamers carrying up to 1,000 passengers and 20 vehicles.

🔧 5. Vessel Generations

First generation (1888–1893): Paddle steamers

• Gordon, Duncan, Hutton

Second generation (1922–1930): Larger paddle steamers

• Squires, Gordon (new), Will Crooks, John Benn

  • These boats carried 180 million passengers and 55 million vehicles over their lifetimes.

Third generation (1963 onwards): Diesel motor ships

• John Burns, Ernest Bevin, James Newman

  • Double‑ended, highly manoeuvrable, designed for rising car traffic.

🛣️ 6. Modernisation & Today

• New piers opened in 1966, improving traffic flow.

• Today the ferry:

  • Is free, operated by Transport for London.

  • Carries around 2 million passengers a year.

  • Connects the North Circular and South Circular roads.

  • Runs alongside the Woolwich Foot Tunnel (opened 1912) and near the DLR (Woolwich Arsenal & King George V).

🧭 Why It Still Matters

• It remains the only free vehicle ferry across the Thames.

• Bridges and tunnels nearby (Blackwall Tunnel, Dartford Crossing) are congested or tolled.

• Despite proposals like the Gallions Reach Crossing, there are no plans to discontinue the ferry.

If you want, I can map out:

• A timeline diagram of the ferry’s evolution

• A comparison of all vessel classes

• Or a short narrative history in a more storytelling style.

Here’s a tighter, more atmospheric telling — something you could imagine opening a documentary or a local-history book with a bit of soul.

🚢 A Short Story of the Woolwich Ferry

For as long as people have lived on the Thames, Woolwich has been a place where the river narrows, the tides swirl, and travellers pause. In 1308, a waterman named William de Wicton sold his ferry rights here — the earliest written trace of a crossing that was already old by then. Picture it: a small wooden boat, oars creaking, the river wide and restless, and the only way across was the strength of a ferryman’s arms.

As Woolwich grew into a Royal Dockyard, the river became a frontier between two busy worlds. Soldiers, shipwrights, merchants, and families all needed to cross, and the ferries multiplied — some official, some improvised, all essential. By the early 1800s, even the army ran its own boat, shuttling workers between the Arsenal and the opposite bank.

But the real turning point came in the late Victorian era. Londoners east of Tower Bridge felt forgotten, hemmed in by tolls and long detours. When the western bridges were made free, Woolwich residents demanded the same. After years of petitions, speeches, and stubborn civic pride, Parliament agreed: a free public ferry would be built for the people of Woolwich.

On 23 March 1889, the new ferry opened with brass bands, bunting, and crowds lining both shores. The first paddle steamers — Gordon and Duncan — churned across the Thames, carrying workers, carts, horses, and anyone who fancied a free ride. It was noisy, smoky, and gloriously democratic.

Through the 20th century the ferry changed shape but not purpose. Bigger paddle steamers arrived in the 1920s, then the diesel vessels of the 1960s, their engines thumping steadily as they nudged between the piers. Generations of Londoners grew up with the sight of the boats sliding across the water, horns echoing off the warehouses and cranes.

Today, the Woolwich Ferry is one of the last of its kind — a free river crossing in a city where almost nothing is free. It’s a survivor: part transport link, part local ritual, part reminder that the Thames was once London’s main road.

Stand on the pier and watch it come in, and you’re seeing more than a ferry. You’re watching seven centuries of London life still moving, still crossing, still connecting one bank to the other.

If you want, I can also craft:

• a more dramatic, cinematic version,

• a children’s‑story style version,

• or a tight 150‑word version for a plaque or guidebook.

Here’s the clear answer up top:

Yes — the Woolwich Ferry isn’t the only free ferry in the UK, but it is the only major free vehicle ferry on a trunk‑road route. A handful of others exist, but they’re smaller, local, or foot‑passenger only. Below is the clean, structured breakdown you’ll appreciate.

🚢 Free Ferry Services in the UK (Beyond Woolwich)

🥇 1. Woolwich Ferry, London

• Free for vehicles, cyclists, pedestrians.

• Operated by TfL.

• A rare example of a free vehicular river crossing in a major city.

🛶 2. Other Free Ferries in the UK

🇬🇧 England

Hamble–Warsash Ferry (Pink Ferry), Hampshire

• Not free — included here only because people often assume it is.

• Small passenger ferry; charges apply.

Sandbanks Ferry, Dorset

• Not free — toll applies.

King Harry Ferry, Cornwall

• Not free — toll applies.

👉 Conclusion for England: Woolwich is the only free public ferry of its scale in England, especially for vehicles.

🏴 Scotland

Scotland is where you find the closest equivalents — several free council‑funded ferries, mostly small and rural.

1. Corran Ferry (Highland)

• Historically charged a fare, but fares were suspended in 2023–24 during vessel issues.

• Status varies; not consistently free.

2. Renfrew–Yoker Ferry (Glasgow area)

• Not free — small passenger ferry with fares.

3. Small local ferries (various islands)

• Some council‑run foot ferries are free or seasonally free, but none match Woolwich in scale or vehicle capacity.

👉 Conclusion for Scotland: There are a few free or temporarily free local ferries, but none operate as a major urban vehicle crossing like Woolwich.

🏴 Wales

• No free public ferries of note.

• Most crossings are commercial or seasonal with fares.

🧭 So what makes Woolwich unique?

Feature	Woolwich Ferry	Other UK Free Ferries
Free for vehicles	✔️	Rare to nonexistent
Urban, high‑capacity	✔️	No equivalent
Part of a major road network	✔️ (North/South Circular)	❌
Historic statutory obligation to be free	✔️	❌

In short: Woolwich stands alone as the UK’s only major free vehicle ferry integrated into a city’s transport network.

If you want, I can also map:

• a full UK ferry comparison table,

• a map of all free ferries,

• or a short narrative on why Woolwich survived while others didn’t.