I think we reside not far from each other Gorilla...
I too am sick of playing dodgems with the rest of the world that has moved nearby so next week I'm taking the train!
Now armed with railcard it's cost me £43 to get to the Lakes and back...If I drove it would be circa £70...
There are no changes and I'll get in 2.45 hours later...If it's delayed I won't much mind as it has historically taken me up to 6 hours of joy in my car via the M6 car park...
I will be partaking of a beverage and some cheesy combustibles and may even stretch my legs...Difficult to do in my car unless I pull into 'Stand and Deliver' services...
Its been a while but to be honest I'm looking forward to it...Can't be any worse than the motorways these days?