Fate only takes you so far, then it's up to you to make it happen.

Last night, initially, fate only took me as far as just short of East Croydon, where the train stopped for nearly an hour...

Like this only it was dark

James and I, fellow travellers to Haywards Heath, had been so delighted. We'd skipped out of the Landmark offices in double quick time, plenty of time to sprint along Eversholt Street to Euston, take the underground and catch the earlier, FAST, 23.06 train from Victoria Station.

Whoopee! Home just after midnight, for a change. Celebrations! (I used to think being out after 9 p.m. was pretty outrageous)

Until...fate stepped in with a graunching sound of metal against metal.

So - fate took us that far and then it was up to us to make it happen.

What DID happen was good fun instead of gnashing of teeth. Defying the predictable. James and I were, as usual, battling with The Times crossword - online, not the terribly difficult one. Our brains weren't exactly running on full-speed...much like the train, really.

Then the man sitting next to us offered a solution to one of the clues. (which was wrong!) Then another (which was right!)

We were struggling with 12 across - material inserted in fabric to stiffen it (I think) - and suddenly, a woman's voice from up the carriage shouted out 'INTERLINING' (which was incorrect - but it fitted!)

So it all turned out to be a sociable, friendly experience with people actually talking to each other and laughing...on a delayed train...after midnight...when we all had quite good cause to be grouchy.

SHOCK HORROR! People talking to each other on the train? That can't be right.