Well this thing is going ahead this Saturday, the Great Escape tickets have been bought and I’ve even convinced a mate to join me on this mad venture. The idea is to get the first train North and visit as many counties/pubs on just the one ticket. Hours of trawling through timetables and the PuG site has resulted in the following aspirational route.

05:53 - Watford Junction
06:40 Milton Keynes - Bucks
Wetherspoons (assuming they actually open at 7am)
07:23 MK
08:04 Rugby - Warks
Wetherspoons if we can make it
08:37 Rugby
09:16 Brum
Breakfast (?)
09:49 Brum
10:29 Worcester - Worcs
Spoons/Dragon Inn
11:02 Worcester
11:31 Cheltenham - Gloucester
Midland Hotel (quick splash and dash)
11:48 Cheltenham
12:17 Worcester
12:29 Worcester
12:49 Colwall - Herefordshire
Crown & a bit of lunch
14:04 Colwall
14:33 Droitwich - West Midlands
Some pubs
15:33 Droitwich
16:11 Brum
16:33 Brum
17:34 Northampton - Northants
Malt & Shovel
18:31 Northampton
19:15 Berkhamsted - Herts
Crystal Palace/Rising Sun
20:15 Berkhamsted
20:27 Watford Junction

All of this of course depends on a number of things all happening,

a) me having a relatively dry day on Friday (unlikely given that it is a mate’s 50th Birthday)
b) us both getting the first train
c) every train being on time (there is no contingency plan for missed connections)
d) us not deciding “sod it, lets stay here for another pint”

I reckon we should be able to make six counties, if we do all eight I’ll be amazed, and probably pissed.

Wish us luck. I’ll be taking a notebook and if I can read my notes I’ll report back.