MERSEYSIDE’S emergency services joined teams from across England today to take part in a major exercise simulating an earthquake hitting Liverpool.

The massive event, one of the largest to have been undertaken, is aimed at testing the response to an “unthinkable” disaster.

So in other words they recreated a bad Sci-fi Channel movie? Hm.

There’s nothing like a birthday to make you feel loved and appreciated. As well as the usual gifts from family, I got cards from people in work, from new friends I’ve made recently, and from old friends that I previously thought had forgotten me.

Things are going well for me at the moment. I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to say that I’m happier now than I have been at any time in the past. Even more excitingly, I firmly believe that things are going to get even better for me in the months ahead. Life isn’t perfect, but I feel ready to take on anything that the Universe throws my way.

Partly as a result of my new-found enthusiasm, I’ve finally pulled my finger out and started to renovate and generally fix up this web site, which has stagnated a bit over the past year or so. A redesign is on the cards, but until then some more minor adjustments have been made, including an answer — finally — to a question Seb asked, on 19th August 2003: “how long does a links page take to make?” The answer, as it turns out, is seven years. I’m sure it was worth the wait.

From this Sunday, Merseyrail are introducing a new ticket, the Day Saver. This small piece of orange thermally-printed card will give you unlimited off-peak travel on the Northern and Wirral Lines for the princely sum of just £3.20 or £4.40, depending on the area covered (the tickets apparently will use the existing Saveaway zones).

The prices are just 10p cheaper than the equivalent Saveaway ticket, which gives unlimited access not just to Merseyrail Electrics, but also to the City Line, buses and ferries too. Therefore the Day Saver would seem to be quite poor value in comparison.

On the face of it, there doesn’t seem much point to the new ticket. But for Merseyrail, it’s a good idea: although the ticket is just 10p cheaper, 100% of the revenue stays with the company instead of being dispersed among various far-flung public transport providers, so overall Merseyrail get more money per ticket.

So far, so good, BUT while Merseyrail give with one hand, the other hand takes away. At the same time as introducing this new ticket, they are removing all Off Peak Day Return (CDR) fares for journeys within their network. Because the new Day ticket is priced zonally, and the old fares aren’t, some people will find themselves paying more for their journeys, in what is effectively a back door price rise.

The effect on ticket prices varies depending on the journey being made. Some journeys will cost the same amount as before, but others will increase. In at least one case it will actually cost less. In some cases the Anytime Day Return becomes the cheapest fare available (and one hopes that ticket office staff will correctly offer the most appropriate fare). For those of you not yet asleep, here are some statistics for random sample journeys which I picked out:

(all price information obtained from the National Rail Journey Planner)

The company is trying to spin this as offering better value, because the new tickets offer unlimited travel compared to one out-and-back journey. Merseyrail is ignoring (and hoping we won’t notice) that a lot of people don’t want an “unlimited” ticket. I don’t have any statistics, but I suspect that there are many travellers who do just want a simple return journey and will not be happy at having to pay more. For those that want unlimited travel, the Saveaway was already amazing value anyway.

It’s not even the first time Merseyrail have done something like this. Back in October 2008 they introduced a “minimum fare” for Off Peak Returns, meaning that many people’s journeys increased in cost by 20% or more overnight.

It doesn’t actually affect me directly (I have a Trio ticket so my rail journeys are paid up a month in advance anyway) and you could argue that it’s stupid of me to be whingeing about what must be still the cheapest rail fares in the country. I’m just a bit annoyed at the way this has been done: I think Merseyrail are being a bit disingenuous here.

Closer inspection revealed it to be an umbrella emblazoned with the Merseyrail logo! Surely this is something for me to sell on eBay treasure for years to come.

Thanks Merseyrail. I’m actually going to feel almost guilty when I criticise your ticketing policy in my next blog post.

Aware that I was getting strange looks from my fellow passengers, I tried to stifle my laughter. My attempts only resulted in a coughing fit, which earned me even more strange looks.

Adam and Joe must be two of the most entertaining people on the radio. I really wish they’d hurry up and return to their 6 Music show.

We hopped aboard a number 27 bus for the short trip to Brighton Marina. I used a few Brighton & Hove buses over the weekend, and I was impressed. The buses were clean and showed up when the timetable said they would, two things that Liverpool’s bus operators don’t seem to have quite got the hang of yet. Also, nearly all the stops had real-time route indicators showing when the next bus is due: much better than the half-hearted effort made by Merseytravel. And a day ticket costs just £3.60!

Brighton Marina was originally built in the 1970s. Since then, the original facility has been supplemented by shops, bars and restaurants. It’s basically Cheshire Oaks with boats.

The weather was not helping us — at this point it was raining fairly consistently and not walking around a largely open-air facility was not a good idea. We retreated to Wetherspoons for a swift drink before walking the short distance to Black Rock, terminus of Volk’s Electric Railway.

The brainchild of engineer Magnus Volk, the line opened in 1883 and is the oldest electric railway in the world still operating. Despite falling passenger numbers, the line still operates a frequent summer daytime service between Black Rock and the Aquarium station, near the Pier. It’s owned by Brighton Council and looks more than a little underfunded, but is an interesting curiosity nevertheless.

We arrived at the station just in time to see a train disappearing into the distance. There was no real shelter so we stood in the rain on the platform to wait for the next train, which arrived a few minutes later. Our carriage looked like something from the 19th century, but in fact this one dates from 1926.

A few minutes later we were all aboard and on our way. The experience is something akin to a milk float on rails. I’m sure I could see sparks flying under the seats, but chose to ignore them. The ride was sedate enough for us to grab a quick picture.

I’ve just realised I have a very large face.

We trundled past the naturist beach (sadly deserted due to the weather), past a beach volleyball court (hello, men in tight shorts) and within minutes were at the line’s western terminus.

We headed to Brighton Pier (as Mark informed me, originally called the Palace Pier and still called that by almost every Brighton resident)

Brighton Pier is your typical brash seaside attraction: noisy amusement arcades with flashing lights, food stands selling the unhealthiest wares possible (I recommend the Belgian Waffles) and souvenir shops selling a variety of tat.

There is also the end-of-pier funfair. Me and funfairs have not had the best relationship (I think it goes back to a trip to Blackpool Pleasure Beach when I was about 10 years old when I got completely lost in the Maze). Mark’s powers of persuasion were sufficient to get me onto the Crazy Mouse rollercoaster. I don’t mind admitting that I was nervous, but this weekend is all about trying something different. After a small argument with the ride token machine, we eventually succeeded in paying £4 each for admission. We sat down and strapped ourselves in. I took my glasses off, lest some comical accident fling them off into the distance.

The car climbed to the top of the incline and rolled down a gentle slope from the top. This isn’t so bad, I thought. Perhaps sensing my relief, Mark leaned over and said, “you do realise it gets worse, don’t you?”

He was right. The gentle first slope was followed by a near-vertical drop, and then a series of twists and loops — the car also spinning for added nausea. There are several sharp curves and since the ride is right at the end of the pier, each curve is preceded by the illusion that you might end up catapulted into the sea. I don’t mind admitting that I invoked the names of the deities of two major religions. Two exhilarating minutes later, it was over and we were staggering off the ride. We didn’t pay for the souvenir photo, but suffice to say my expression on it was half-thrilled, half-wetting myself.

From the end of the pier we also got a chance to see the skeletal remains of Brighton’s other pier, the West Pier. This structure closed in 1975 and has remained derelict since. Plans to revive and reopen it were scuppered in 2003 when an arson attack destroyed the end of pier buildings, followed by the collapse of the main pier in a 2004 storm.

The remains cannot be demolished, however, as the building remains Grade II listed. This does seem slightly silly to me: I come from a city which happily pulled down any number of beautiful buildings in the 1960s and understand the need for listing, but when a structure is as far gone as the West Pier is, it does seem like there should be an option to just admit defeat and demolish it.

After the Pier we headed slightly inland and walked around the outside of Brighton Pavilion. This is a former Royal residence, built for the Prince of Wales in 1811. It’s now open to the public, but we didn’t venture in, put off by the admission price and the fact that it was nearly 4pm and we didn’t think there’d be time to see much.

Instead we headed for Brighton Museum (it was free!) where Mark showed me round the section dedicated to the history of Brighton. I learned a few things: did you know that the town’s largest employer is American Express which has its European headquarters here? There was also a nice section dedicated to lesbian and gay Brighton – as with the gay scene generally, this was prominently and unapologetically displayed alongside sections on religion and trade unions.

We ended the evening in Legends on the seafront, drinking more Vodka and Red Bull than is probably healthy. Mark had never heard the term “Vodbull” used, while I insisted that everybody in Liverpool abbreviates it like that. Yes, that is what we talked about.

My train the next day was at 11:19, so this would be the last proper day in Brighton for me. It was another great day: a fabulous end to a great weekend. I can’t wait to go again!

The Bluebell was one of the first preserved railways in the UK, with services commencing in May 1960. This means that it retains possibly the most authentic steam age atmosphere of any preserved line — because it was preserved while steam was still extant on British Rail!

The plan, as Mark explained to me, was simple: ride the train to the current terminus at Kingscote, then back to the mid-point at Horsted Keynes, where various attractions are available, before heading back to Sheffield Park and home.

Our train was hauled by a BR Standard Class 4 Tank Engine and an authentic rake of Southern Region rolling stock (a mixture of BR Mark 1 and Southern Railway coaches) was provided for us.

Before we climbed aboard though, there was time to check out the area around Sheffield Park station, where there was a traction engine parked in the car park, SE&CR locomotive no. 65 stabled in the station, and a War Department loco stored in the yard.

Soon we were on board and on our way to Kingscote. The train wasn’t too heavily loaded, which surprised us considering it was a summer Saturday. The weather wasn’t too brilliant, which may explain why people had stayed away.

At Kingscote there isn’t too much to see, except to watch the train running round and stare into the distance to see where the line will eventually be extended to East Grinstead. We didn’t hang around and headed back on the same train to Horsted Keynes.

Horsted Keynes was originally a junction where the Bluebell Line joined a second branch to Haywards Heath. Even in preservation it retains some of the busy junction air, with five platforms and some impressive station buildings. It’s not hard to see why Dr Beeching singled out the line for closure though — this station, like the others on the line, is quite distant from the village it purports to serve.

Like many preserved railways, the staff here have taken care to preserve the original metal advertisement boards. To modern eyes, these ultra-serious marketing messages look slightly hilarious.

There’s also a small yard where more preserved locomotives are on display, including Southern Railway West Country class locomotive no. 21C123.

Mark, meanwhile, stopped to admire British Rail Class 9F No. 92240.

Giving brake van rides around the station area was SE&CR P Class loco no. 178. I was tempted, but at £4 a go? Forget it (yes I’m cheap).

There was also a chance to look round the carriage restoration shed, where various projects were in full swing. This building housed various coaches, some of which were virtually destroyed after extended periods of use as sheds etc. Gradually, however, they are being restored to their former glory by an expert team of volunteers.

With Horsted Keynes successfully explored, we grabbed a sandwich from the cafe on the station platform, then sat back to wait for our train back to Sheffield Park. This arrived right on time, with SECR C Class no. 592 at the head of a train of vintage rolling stock.

After a bumpy ride back to Sheffield Park (Victorian trains were luxurious in many ways, but ride quality wasn’t their strong point) there was just time for a quick trip to the gift shop. As a thank you to Mark, I bought him a Bluebell bear to add to his collection of cuddly toys:

As you can see, he was thrilled to receive it.

We returned to Brighton where, after a meal in town, we headed to the Marine Tavern, where some of Mark’s friends and colleagues from the railway regaled me with tales of some of the weird and wonderful people they’d encountered on the trains. There was also a running joke about a toilet brush which I didn’t quite understand.

It was a second great day — could Sunday possibly match it?

We are promised that this will be the last extended closure “for three years” – which invites the worrying question of what they’ve got planned in 2013. But Merseyrail did at least recognise that it has been inconvenient for scores of passengers, and sent out some staff on Wednesday morning to pass out leaflets at the bus stop:

On the other side is a voucher to get a cup of coffee for just 50p at any MtoGo shop – rest assured I will be presenting this at Liverpool Central on Monday morning.

The weather wasn’t too splendid and I stupidly forgot my camera so had to make do with the lousy quality of my mobile phone. But hopefully these pictures will give you some idea of the breathtaking views available:

(I highly recommend the Harveys bitter, by the way)

On the way back we stopped off in the village of Clayton to marvel at Clayton Tunnel. Originally constructed during the building of the line in 1841, it comes from an age when railways still had something to prove to the world, and hence this ostentatious structure was built at the portal.

My picture doesn’t really do it justice, but I hope you get some idea of the impressiveness of the structure. It’s a shame it only gets seen properly by train drivers and the occasional people like us, who stop to peer over the nearby road bridge.

We rounded off the evening by watching Hot Fuzz on DVD. (SWAN!)