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Blog post written by Clare Pooley, author of The People on Platform 5
The views expressed in this blog post belong to the author and don’t reflect the opinions of South Western Railway.
Agatha Christie wrote that ‘to travel by train is to see nature and human beings, towns and churches and rivers – in fact, to see life’. I couldn’t agree more, which is why I set my latest novel – The People on Platform 5 – on a train line, between Hampton Court and Waterloo Station.
The South Western Railway line takes you to some of the very best of nature, towns and life. Here are five of my favourite stops:
Hampton Court
This is a nostalgic one for me. As a child, I lived in East Molesey, just a short walk from Hampton Court Station. It’s no coincidence that the heroine of my novel – Iona Iverson, an eccentric agony aunt who used to be an ‘it-girl’ but is now a ‘past-it girl’ – lives there. Iona’s house, which I describe in the book, is, in fact, my childhood home.
As a teenager, my favourite place to escape to was Hampton Court Palace. I would walk around the wilderness meadows, lakes and exquisite formal gardens, and hide under the giant tree canopies listening to my Sony Walkman while smoking illicit cigarettes. I spent hours getting lost in the maze, the oldest surviving hedge maze in Europe. The Palace itself is fabulous, particularly the huge Tudor kitchens and Great Hall. You can just picture Henry VIII at one of his banquets, eating swan and flirting with his next wife.
I go back to the Palace every year for the Hampton Court Festival – two weeks of live music in June, in the Tudor courtyard, which has to be the most magical and intimate setting possible for a concert. This June it’s hosting Tom Jones and Grace Jones (no relation) along with Soft Cell, Bjorn Again, Rick Astley and the Kaiser Chiefs.
Weymouth
If you’re looking for a classic day out at the British seaside, you can’t do better than Weymouth. It’s where ‘Mad’ King George III was sent to take the waters in a bid to make him less mad and, after a day spent chilling in a deckchair on the beach, watching the world go by, you’ll see why.
On Weymouth Beach you’ll find one of the few remaining classic Punch and Judy shows in the country, along with donkey rides, fish and chips and incredible sand sculptures. And if you’re feeling energetic, you can try Stand-Up paddle boarding (I warn you, it’s harder than it looks), kayaking, sailing or windsurfing. For those who’d rather look at sea creatures than swim amongst them there’s also a fabulous aquarium.
A short stroll from the beach is the historic harbour, lined with a jaunty rainbow of painted houses. Or take a longer walk along Chesil Beach and see if you can find a tiny piece of fossilised dinosaur to take home.
Winchester
I adore Winchester, for its wonderful juxtaposition of mediaeval buildings and buzzy student population. It’s a foodie’s paradise, with a host of restaurants and cafés and, according to the Guardian, the best farmer’s market in the country. You can also wrap up all your Christmas shopping in one day at its glorious Christmas Market.
You can’t miss Winchester Cathedral, and not just because it’s one of the largest gothic cathedrals in Europe. It hosts concerts, theatre, art exhibitions, light installations and more within its ancient walls. Look up at the inspiring vaulted ceilings and stained-glass windows or look down and take a crypt tour. In the crypt you’ll discover Antony Gormley’s sculpture of a man in silent contemplation. If it’s been raining, you might find him cupping water in his hands, while the water level rises around his feet. And a special bonus for fellow literary geeks: Jane Austen is buried in the Cathedral’s north aisle.
Just ten minutes’ walk from the station, you’ll find The Great Hall, one of the finest surviving aisled halls of the thirteenth century, and the home of King Arthur’s Round Table. Not the real one, sadly, but a knock-off commissioned by Henry VIII. Still impressive, though.
Southampton Airport Parkway
About ten years ago I made a life-changing discovery: Southampton Airport. I live in London, not far from Heathrow but, if at all possible, I always fly from Southampton. If you’re as old as me, you’ll remember what air travel used to be like – exciting, fun, straightforward. No waiting in endless queues for check-in and security, yelling at your kids and stressing about missing your flight. Well, Southampton Airport is exactly like that! The terminal is just 60 seconds walk from the station platform, and you’ll breeze through departures, leaving plenty of time to explore the Duty-Free shopping. Bliss. But don’t tell anyone else. We don’t want it to get too crowded…
London Waterloo
Waterloo is my favourite of all the London stations, and the end of the line for the fictional characters in my novel.
There’s something wonderfully emotional about its Victory Arch memorial to staff who died in the First World War, the vast glass ridge-and-furrow roof, and the huge banks of departure boards. You can imagine all the millions of family reunions, tearful departures and blind dates that have taken place under the giant suspended station clock.
From Waterloo, you can walk along the South Bank, watch the street theatre and cheer on the skateboarders under the graffitied arches. Walk across Jubilee footbridge, taking in the spectacular view along the Thames, from the Houses of Parliament to St Paul’s Cathedral. Or you can see it all while sitting down, in a glass pod of the London Eye.
It's all about the journey...
But don’t forget that with train travel, it’s all about the journey, not just the destination. In The People on Platform 5, the characters break the first rule of London Commuting – never talk to strangers on a train – when one of them chokes on a grape and nearly dies. This single incident leads to a chain of extraordinary consequences, which changes each one of them.
So why not take inspiration from my characters, shrug off that British reticence and try talking to one of your fellow travellers? You might find that they too have a story to tell…
Inspired? Hop on a train to a SWR destination
If you've been inspired by Clare's favourite trips along the South Western Railway network and want to pay a visit to any of these glorious places yourself, we've got you covered. Save money on your journey with us. Book cheap train tickets to your chosen destination by going off-peak, or buy a railcard to save even more. If you travel often with others, you may benefit from GroupSave or a Family and Friends Railcard.
More from Clare Pooley
If you're a Clare Pooley fan or want to learn more, check out a video interview she kindly shared with us about the inspiration behind The People on Platform 5.
There's more! To celebrate the paperback publication of The People on Platform 5, we teamed up with Penguin Random House and Country Hotel Breaks to bring you the chance to win a luxury UK retreat for 2 worth £800. The winner, and 5 runners up will receive a copy of the book!
