Transpennine Ale Trail - Forget it - Do Something else
The Transpennine Ale-Trail is HELL . The annoying underbelly of our stag-do culture has well and truly ruined things for those of us who are mature with drink and just want a nice day out with mates. You just can't do this on this trail. It's so ridiculous now that Northern Rail has a response team sometimes visible sometimes undercover monitoring Slaithwaite and Marsden. British Transport Police were out last Saturday walking people off the trains and down the streets to the pubs (going beyond their jurisdiction in doing so). Everything is served in plastic glasses (a minor thing I know but you just feel like a brat at some tacky teenage music festival). They even have street marshals (again sometimes undercover taking photographs if these idiots urinate in public or whatever which they then phone BTP who arrest/caution them). Arrests and cautions at these small villages have gone through the roof. Saw one idiot being cautioned at the station when I was on it. Still, I can't blame the people who live in these villages, I wouldn't want groups of these idiots trespassing and urinating in my garden. To be really honest this trail, although well-established and having lots of good points about it, really doesn't deserve all the attention it seems to get. There are plenty of other trails out there. Apparently, there has been a real backlash from residents. It felt awkward stood outside the Commercial in Slaithwaite and over hearing a couple of local guys walk past who stated they would go in but weren't going to bother because it was just too crowded. As a reasonable man and my 2 other mates being pretty decent guys I had to admit we did feel that the Transpennine Ale-Trail has damaged to some extent the local logistics on a Saturday. Locals seem to either stay at home or go elsewhere.
Then there are the trains.............
What can I say about that. If you are up for being crammed in a two-carriage train full of idiots, often standing with delays as people cram off and on, then enjoy the trail. Saw two fights break out (arrhhhhh, now I see why they have plastic glasses!) and almost got hit! Me and mates were crammed in next to these idiots and that's the problem, you can't choose who you go on the trail with. The mix of people on it have such low standards that I almost pity them.
Won't be doing this again. EVER. Want to do something that isn't policed and under scrutiny. What I'm so angry about is the fact that these idiots have stolen the ale-trail right from under our very noses. I used to this with mates 3 years ago before all this nonsense - my god how things can deteriorate.
MY ADVICE - SEEK OUT ANOTHER TRAIL THAT HASN'T BEEN KIDNAPPED.
http://aletrailderailed.blogspot.co....c-glasses.html