Random 15 - Round 5 - 16th April

[snudge27]

Not sure if The BERC is around today but I had the following from him via e-mail yesterday

"Seeing as it’s a twist round I would say that it is okay doing any 15 and you don’t have to start from Bank.
It’s going to mean that the substitute BERC will have to scrutinise everyones route very carefully to ensure that 15 stations have been visited.
I will post a bit later given this my BERC seal of approval."

Does this mean that it will be allowable to run from Bank to Monument and board the first train there? Or must one leave Bank by train?

[snudge27]

Right, if I'm going to be sub-BERCing tomorrow then maybe it's an idea that I pop my mobile number on here for those that are coming along in case of any problems.

I'll be leaving for London tomorrow at 0600hrs, so if anyone needs to contact me you can reach me on my mobile number
Cheers!

[Going Underground]

Not sure if The BERC is around today but I had the following from him via e-mail yesterday

"Seeing as it’s a twist round I would say that it is okay doing any 15 and you don’t have to start from Bank.
It’s going to mean that the substitute BERC will have to scrutinise everyones route very carefully to ensure that 15 stations have been visited.
I will post a bit later given this my BERC seal of approval."

Does this mean that it will be allowable to run from Bank to Monument and board the first train there? Or must one leave Bank by train?

I think it means that you don't have to start from or visit Bank at all as long as you do at least 15 of the other 19 on the list... see you guys on Saturday

[palkanetoijala31]

Bonus points for anyone who uses the ELL

triple Bonus points for telling the driver to hurry up

[snudge27]

So, the results are in!

The stations drawn were:

Bank
Putney Bridge
Bermondsey
Hammersmith (Cir/H&C)
Willesden Green
Aldgate East
Green Park
Waterloo
Great Portland Street
Sloane Square
Arsenal
Paddington (Bak/Cir/Dist)
Turnham Green
Old Street
Whitechapel
Oval
St. John's Wood
Stockwell
Warwick Avenue
Embankment

So, the times:

RichG - 2:29:36 (14 stations, Old Street finish)
Andi - 2:38:40 (Putney Bridge)
Uefacup81 - 2:28:03 (Paddington)
Nozzacook - 2:25:07 (Old Street)
Going Underground - 2:24:57 (Whitechapel)
Tangy - 2:19:40 (Sloane Square)
Greatkingrat - 1:59:16 (Willesden Green)

[Going Underground]

Hey this was better and tougher than I thought and all 20 stations were visited across the teams

My major mistake was ringing Paddington twice and I lost time going around the Circle line from Sloane Square when I really good have gone in and out in the Bakerloo... Seeing Waterloo come out I decided to take the drain and after setting off decided immediately to dish, Bermondsey, Turnham Green and Putney Bridge.... I didn't really have a definite route in my mind until I had double backed Embankment and was heading down to Stockwell... The other 2 I dropped were Hammersmith and I decided not to go up to Willesden Green as this was getting close to Wembley and the cup semi-final... That said the Jubilee train I double backed St Johns Wood on was pretty empty.... Some costly points on the way round being in the wrong door at Baker Street Bakerloo SB to Jubilee NB cost me a train and 4 mins... A very crowded change at Kings X from Viccie to Northern Southbound cost me a train and another 4 minutes... Then being stubborn and not wanting to go to Bank again and run to Monument for my last 2 stations being Aldgate East and Whitechapel I changed at Moorgate and couldn't remember which line was not in service, of course if was The H & C and then my ticket didn't work at Aldagte or Aldgate East (I know it's my magnetism ) and by the time I got to the eastbound platform the Upminster train I could see had gone
So quite a few mins to wait here and those bits 'n' pieces cost me second place....
Heading back to the pub I quickly spotted a much better route going North to Old Street 1st But well done to Peter on a cracking time and for James for being an excellent BERC

Although not keen initially I thinks this "twist" could be circulated in again when it's turn comes around...

[palkanetoijala31]

Not sure of a route i decided that i might as well run down into Bank station and cross it off the list i headed down into the drain platform with kevin in hot pursuit.

We stayed together up until Victoria crossing off Waterloo,Embankment double back,Oval and Stockwell i decided to cross off Sloane square on a Wimbledon based train here is where i think i cocked up i got out and ran to Knightsbridge (yes i know i like to do crazy runs) when perhaps i should have gone to Putney bridge but never mind.

Switching Green Park from Pic to Jub i visited Willesden Green and crossed off St Johns Wood along the way sat next to a few Man utd fans who didnt realise that u could switch at Finchley road sometimes to get to Wembley Park quicker i wanted to say i hope you lose but didnt!.

Coming back i did switch at finchley Road and was advised by met driver to switch at Baker Street for the circle i think it was.? where i met Kevin briefly again im Stalking u Kev but not for long i got out at Great Portland Street and ran to Regents Park.

Crossing off Paddington and Warwick Avenue i added a new run to my list the Royal Oak run not knowing where i was going i think cost me a lot of time i missed a train there by 10s and this made me wait i think for 13m there sat doing nothing so simple for me for me now just double back Turnham green and get down to Putney bridge it was interesting that all the stratgies all 20 stations were covered.

[greatkingrat]

My route was

Bank - Liverpool Street - Aldgate - run to Aldgate East - Whitechapel - Canada Water - Waterloo - Embankment - Stockwell - Victoria - Sloane Square - Victoria - Warren Street - run to Great Portland Street - Paddington - Warwick Avenue - Baker Street - Willesden Green

I had some pretty good luck during the challenge with no long waits including a very nice Sloane Square doubleback.

The 5 stations missed out were Arsenal, Old Street, Turnham Green, Putney Bridge and Hammersmith. With the benefit of hindsight, the best route would have done Old Street at the beginning and then not going to Willesden Green.

[RichieG]

I didn't have too bad a day out there apart from two quite important errors...

The first, but not one I noticed until the pub afterwards, was while circling the stations on the map from the list, I missed out Bermondsey. So when I then crossed out the five stations not worth visiting, only fourteen remained. Technically, I'm still going here, and as soon as I next visit one of the missed stations I will let the subsitute BERC know so my details can be updated accordingly. But as I don't think I'm up until Zone 1, it could be quite some time...

The second error was also based on a problem with my map-reading skills. With the stations circled, I then headed down the stairs to the station again, looking at my map as I did so. Unfortunately, it was folded in such a way that neither Aldgate East or Whitechapel, two stations I intended to visit, were visible. This led me heading south on the Northern line, before realising my mistake. I had two choices... return up there to visit them (had I realised at this point about Bermondsey, I would have done this) or change my route slightly.

So, my route as it was was thus:

I headed south on the Northern Line as far as Stockwell (0:21:57), taking in Oval (0:19:03) en route. Hopping back up, changing at Kennington to the Charing Cross branch as far as Leicester Square, to take in Waterloo (0:30:06) and Embankment (0:33:44) as I did so. At Leicester Square, I changed to the Piccadilly Line to change to the Victoria Line at Green Park (0:42:40) to go as far as Victoria. At Victoria, I encountered one of the annoying foreign tourists who, while didn't hold me up as some people did later on, were stupid enough to be discussing amongst themselves which train they should be catching, then when the District Line train came in, stood around the door, still wondering if they should get on or not, seemingly ignorant of all the people behind them who knew that they themselves did want to board.

So anyway - there I was on the District Line as far as Earl's Court, with Sloane Square (0:54:04) being passed as I did so. Being as it was a Wimbledon service, I did consider staying on there to go down to Putney Bridge, but realised that then I would be at the mercy of wanting a Wimbleware train back out of there so at Earl's Court I changed to the Piccadilly line as far as Hammersmith. A quick (for me at least!) run to Hammersmith H&C (dep. 1:13:45)was made easier by the traffic lights between the two actually being on my side and it was a very good change between the two. Shame the time between there and Sloane Square wasn't better overall! Hammersmith was one of the stations I had originally intended to ignore.

At Paddington, I ran (well, fast-walked) the half length of Platform 8 to change to the Bakerloo line for Paddington B/C/D (dep. 1:33:11), double backed at Warwick Avenue (1:34:34) and changed to the Jubilee Line at Baker Street, where I shared a train with greatkingrat to St John's Wood (1:50:37). Assuming that nobody else would be doing Willesden Green, I thought that we would depart then, but no we both stayed on until then arriving at Willesden Green at 1:59:16. Not too discouraged that he had finished at that point, I said that I'd probably have half an hour remaining.

As we came into Finchley Road, I wondered whether it was worth changing onto the Metropolitan Line here instead of at Baker Street - the one that came in was a Baker Street terminator and I have found in the past the Met to H&C change at Baker Street awkward, but it turned out to be a good idea as I managed to get a decent connection to the H&C there - realising as I did that the reason I've found it awkward is that I've usually done it the other way around trying to get to/from the Westbound H&C platforms and that the Eastbound is quite easy to do. Through Great Portland Street (2:15:47) and another query into my head with only one station remaining... do I change at KXSP, or at Moorgate for the Northern Line... I decided to try my luck through the maze of tunnels at KXSP, getting onto the Northern Line and hitting my final station Old Street with a total time of 2:29:36.56 - a nice sub-2.30 time.

Just a shame I only did 14 stations...

Highlights included the decent Hammersmith, Baker Street and Warwick Avenue connections. I have yet to have a bad double-back at Warwick Avenue!

Lowlights included missing Bermondsey (obviously), not doing Whitechapel or Aldgate East as I had intended, the foreign tourists at Victoria, and the myriad of people who would walk down station corridors and just stop, or who would be exceptionally slow but there'd be five of them along the entire breadth of the corridor (including stopping those coming the other way). The number of times I muttered under my breath 'Just f**king move' was probably a new record - for me at least. The latter one did result in me missing one of my Jubilee connections at Baker Street.

Stations missed: Bermondsey, Aldgate East, Whitechapel, Turnham Green, Putney Bridge, Arsenal.