​It has been a couple of years since Stuart and I last set off on a "Not so Grim up North" adventure together, making this trip all the more anticipated!

​Our journey to our base camp—The Holiday Inn in Bradford—began on the tracks, with Stuart riding the rails up from Trowbridge and me heading north from Lancing. As longtime fans of the Holiday Inn experience, it always delivers exactly what we need: a modern, spotless room, a proper breakfast included to fuel our days, and a prime location just a short walk from the vibrant city centre and Bradford Interchange. Having seamless access to buses and trains right on our doorstep makes exploring a breeze. Plus, picking up an extra 20% off thanks to our Blue Light membership made it feel like an even sweeter start. (Spoiler alert: this won't be the last time you hear about Blue Light savings on this trip! ☺️)

​Setting off from Lancing just after 8:00 AM, my route took me up to London St Pancras. After a quick, pleasant stroll across to King’s Cross, I boarded the northbound LNER service—a swift run straight to Leeds in just over two hours.

​Watching the English countryside streak past the train window always brings back fond memories of my Uncle Billy. Billy served as a fireman during the glorious heyday of steam before taking the controls as a driver when diesels and electrics took over. Depending on the locomotive type, the weight of the carriages, and the day's weather, a 185-mile journey like this would have demanded two to three tons of heavy bituminous coal, shoveled by hand straight from the South Yorkshire or Nottinghamshire coalfields. It was grueling, immensely physical work—a stark contrast to my smooth, effortless journey powered silently by overhead electric lines today.

​It is easy to see why literary greats like R.L. Stevenson, Philip Larkin, Edward Thomas, and W.H. Auden were so deeply inspired by the poetry of train travel. The view from a carriage window offers a front-row seat to the world unfolding in real-time—a rolling canvas of rooftop tiles, patchwork fields, and busy cityscapes. Following the recent stretch of dry weather and summer heatwaves, the landscape was painted in warm, sun-baked shades of straw and ochre.

​Beyond the scenery, there is a fascinating historical transformation taking place outside the window. The smoking industrial chimneys, towering power stations, and dark slag heaps of Uncle Billy’s era have gradually given way to modern wind turbines and vast solar arrays gracefully dotting the hills. Time marches on, and the landscape quietly tells the story.

​The best moment of the morning was stepping off the train at Leeds station and spotting Stuart waiting on the platform—picking up our running banter right where we left off. From there, it was a quick hop together into Bradford and on to the hotel. After checking into our spacious twin room, we unpacked, brewed a well-earned cuppa, and caught up properly.

​We spent the afternoon stretching our legs with a walk around Bradford City Centre under atmospheric, overcast skies—complete with the occasional spot of Yorkshire rain—before settling in for a relaxed evening meal at Wetherspoons.

​A great dinner, endless catching up, and a bit of evening reading wrapped up a perfect Day 1. The holiday is officially underway!