As some viners already know, I’m on holiday just at the moment, far from sunny summery Tasmania in the freezing uncharted wilds of Europe. But being addicted to NV means I can’t just be quiet for 6 weeks so I thought I’d send you all some postcards.
This concerns the stationmaster at Paddington Station – which by the way is a beautiful old industrial age building reminiscent of Monet’s Gare St Lazare crossed with the Hogwarts Express. I’ve just looked it up and that’s no surprise, since it was designed by Brunel in 1854. That was only a distraction, however, because I arrived there on the Heathrow Express at 6.15am, tired out of my wits by a 36 hour journey which included only a few hours sleep, and desperate to find a toilet.
So it’s dark, terribly cold, mostly deserted, and not especially well signposted, and my 6 year old and I were both jogging, since we’d otherwise have been jumping up and down on the spot. We tried first at Starbucks, but while the green and white mermaid might have been easily recognizable at a distance it turned out her establishment was too small to include a washroom. A few escalators, a very slow and futile lift ride, and forcing ourselves to stop and think produced “Gentleman’s toilet and showers.” Except we only had a one pound coin and the change machine helpfully placed near the entrance was broken.
If it were just me I’d have vaulted the turnstile, CCTV be damned, but I wasn’t willing to deal with a small boy and an obstacle course both, so we retreated to the only help and information which could be identified nearby – the Stationmaster’s office. You can imagine the scene as we tried not to run through the doors, tired and frustrated (no one should charge money for such things!!) and as calmly as possible brandished our one pound coin. “Is there anywhere near here I can get change for the toilet?”
What happened next is the moment which can make all the difference in a bad day, and the point of the story. With a friendly smile he pointed to a door behind us and said “You can use the one here.”
Thank you, Mr Stationmaster. For the toilet, but especially for the warmth of your kindness.