Franchise (A)

[Ardiles]

I'm looking for parking tips for Saturday.  My youngest has a match that kicks off at 11:30 in Surrey, so doubt we'll be there much before 14:30 - by which time I expect all of the spaces in the industrial estates just west of the ground will have gone.  I'm also determined to put as little ££ as possible in to the coffers of the filthy Franchise, so avoiding the £7 matchday parking on moral grounds.

Thanks.  Any help much appreciated.

[suttonred]

I've been doing that trip recently I average 2 hours from Epsom. Doubt you'll be there at 2.30 unless you get real lucky

[horlock07]

Could you not park just outside the M25 somewhere (BEkhamsted that kind of thing) and just get the train to Bletchley?

[Peter Venkman]

As Horlock says Bletchley station isn't far away from the hateful ground, if you can park along the line and train it in that could be an option. The walk between Bletchley station and MK is about a mile walk.

You could be pushing it to get between anywhere in Surrey and MK in under 3 hours on a Saturday mate.

The M25 is hateful at the best of times (as I am sure you are well aware) and there are few other viable routes to get to the cess pit of hell from South of London.

[Ardiles]

That's helpful.  Thanks chaps.

The boy's game is in Farnham - so maybe a little better traffic-wise than from Epsom.  Takes 90 mins on a clear run, so fingers crossed I can make it in 2 hrs on Saturday.  It's an U9s game, so should be finished by 12:30.

I did look at trains - but Bletchley station looks like a 30 min walk from the ground, and park up, train, taxi feels a bit convoluted.  May just have to swallow my pride and pay the £7.  Paying for parking feels a bit wrong when the entire town feels like a giant car park - but there you go.

[Reg Smeeton]

That's helpful.  Thanks chaps.

The boy's game is in Farnham - so maybe a little better traffic-wise than from Epsom.  Takes 90 mins on a clear run, so fingers crossed I can make it in 2 hrs on Saturday.  It's an U9s game, so should be finished by 12:30.

I did look at trains - but Bletchley station looks like a 30 min walk from the ground, and park up, train, taxi feels a bit convoluted.  May just have to swallow my pride and pay the £7.  Paying for parking feels a bit wrong when the entire town feels like a giant car park - but there you go.

By going, you're putting money into Franchise, so £7 isn't that much difference on what is for many a matter of principle....

Bletchley was something of a mecca for trainspotting when I was a kid..... aparently it's still decent.



Skip the kids game and go and get some numbers 

[Ardiles]

I held out for a decade or so, Reg, and crumbled a couple of years ago for the game up there just after Christmas.  I'll admit there's a small element of self-loathing involved.

[Peter Venkman]

I held out for a decade or so, Reg, and crumbled a couple of years ago for the game up there just after Christmas.  I'll admit there's a small element of self-loathing involved.

I have visited the Theatre of dreams Theatre of thieves, but not for a football match as I too resent putting money into Winklebums pockets.

[horlock07]

Bletchley was something of a mecca for trainspotting when I was a kid..... aparently it's still decent.

Skip the kids game and go and get some numbers 

Go to Bletchley Park, its just next to the station, although I must admit I found it rather dull!

Not sure where in south London you are but I know that Southern run a strange service from Milton Keynes to Croydon direct (which I have had to use for work a few times in the past), many of which stop at Bletchley and stop in various places south of the river that might be an option... quick look suggests;

Watford Junction [WFJ]
Harrow & Wealdstone [HRW]
Wembley Central [WMB]   
Shepherd's Bush [SPB]   
Kensington Olympia [KPA]
West Brompton [WBP]   
Imperial Wharf [IMW]   
Clapham Junction [CLJ]   
Balham [BAL]   
Streatham Common [SRC]   
Norbury [NRB]   
Thornton Heath [TTH]

[Reg Smeeton]

Go to Bletchley Park, its just next to the station, although I must admit I found it rather dull!

Not sure where in south London you are but I know that Southern run a strange service from Milton Keynes to Croydon direct (which I have had to use for work a few times in the past), many of which stop at Bletchley and stop in various places south of the river that might be an option... quick look suggests;

Watford Junction [WFJ]
Harrow & Wealdstone [HRW]
Wembley Central [WMB]   
Shepherd's Bush [SPB]   
Kensington Olympia [KPA]
West Brompton [WBP]   
Imperial Wharf [IMW]   
Clapham Junction [CLJ]   
Balham [BAL]   
Streatham Common [SRC]   
Norbury [NRB]   
Thornton Heath [TTH]

I'm not in South London... that's Ardiles.

However not been to Bletchley Park.... can you get an Alan Turing vibe?  His story is an object lesson in the cant and hypocrisy of the British ruling classes.

[Ardiles]

How dare you!  We're not Cockernees either.  (That's Sutton.)  We're about an hour away, to the SW.

Bletchley Park is a trip I will have to make one day.

[horlock07]

I'm not in South London... that's Ardiles.

However not been to Bletchley Park.... can you get an Alan Turing vibe?  His story is an object lesson in the cant and hypocrisy of the British ruling classes.

I wasn't asking you I was asking Osvaldo (although I acknowledge I did quote your post).

As for Turing, not really. I am interested in such things and thought I would find it dead interesting but to be honest it was all a bit meh really.

Actually if you do a bit of reading up on the topic (which I had to do for work purposes) you realise that, genius that he was, much of the Turing story at BP is a traditional case of latching onto a figurehead and elevating them and their position in what happened somewhat above the truth. A lot of the background to breaking Enigma had been done by the Poles (specifically Marian Rejewski) long before Turing got involved (but don't tell the Brexiteers - its wreaks the argument that we won WW2 on our own ), not in any way criticising or doubting Turing, but there is a hell of a lot more to the story and more involved than often portrayed.

[suttonred]

How dare you!  We're not Cockernees either.  (That's Sutton.)  We're about an hour away, to the SW.

Bletchley Park is a trip I will have to make one day.

West Berskhire cokernee oill ave e know.

[Ticker45]

However not been to Bletchley Park.... can you get an Alan Turing vibe?  His story is an object lesson in the cant and hypocrisy of the British ruling classes.

Went a couple of years ago on the back of various books about the place. Turing/Knox/Flowers/Welchman plus quite a few others all played a massive part in the code breaking and the history of it is well done and you need a full day there to take it all in.

Talking to one of the guides, there are Germans who visit the place that still do not believe that the codes were broken!

[suttonred]

Went a couple of years ago on the back of various books about the place. Turing/Knox/Flowers/Welchman plus quite a few others all played a massive part in the code breaking and the history of it is well done and you need a full day there to take it all in.

Talking to one of the guides, there are Germans who visit the place that still do not believe that the codes were broken!

Ah cmon I've seen the film, the Americans did it all...