Getting Home from Holiday

 I had an absolutely wonderful time in Manchester, and by Wednesday lunchtime I'd done all the things that I had on my list - the John Rylands Library, the Museum of Science and Industry, Castlefield Roman fort, Afflecks (three floors of quirky little shops), Forbidden Planet, the Art Gallery, Books and Friends bookshop and cafe, drinking at Peveril of the Peak (Victorian green-tiled pub) and the Victoria Tap at Victoria Railway Station, eating at Richmond Tea Rooms and the Molly House, and the cafes at Afflecks and the Central Library.

I'd got about on the free Bee Network buses and the trams - Zone One, for the city centre, costs £2.70 for a one day travelcard, and I was able to hop on and off all day. 

I'd allowed myself until 4.30pm before I got the last train back, which would connect with the last bus home from Hereford at 18.53, but I'd run out of steam. 

The X44 timetable online says that there are buses from Hereford train station to Hay at 15.22 and 17.22  so I confidently boarded an earlier train.

At Hereford, I waited.  And waited.  

Finally I checked the bus timetable at the bus stop, and it had the letters "VS" next to the 15.22 bus and the 17.22 bus.  At the bottom of the timetable, this was explained as "Saturdays and school holidays only".

Here I was on Wednesday on a school day, and there was no bus back to Hay between 13.22 and 18.53.

I didn't want to wait around in Hereford in the freezing cold for three hours, and fortunately I had some holiday money left.

I took a Blueline taxi.  It cost £60 and was totally worth it.