Sam K4
Being a Mancunian, that is someone who hails from Manchester in the north west of England, involves lots of pros. By nature, Mancunians are known for being proud, some might say over-proud, of their heritage. They are also known for being morally and ethically sound, preferring to work with honest, hard working people who are genuine and friendly than people who try to be crafty with situations for their own benefit.
Take for example, the Manchester Ship Canal, a huge canal built during the Industrial Revolution in the 19th Century to transport textiles from Manchester's mills to world markets via the port of Liverpool.
I was told today that the reason for the construction of the canal was to bypass cargo handlers in Liverpool. I initially thought that the reason for this was due to the intense rivalry between the two cities. But it transpires that there are records that cite an unwillingness to support slavery from the Mancunian mill owners. I'm told the port of Liverpool was founded on the slave trade, prior to the Industrial Revolution, and the Mancunians were not willing to encourage this. Apparently there is a small statue of Abraham Lincoln in the city, illustrating this idea.
So what does being a Mancunian involve nowadays?
Obviously the question of which football team you support is an obvious question. But as a businessman I came across an issue which Londoners do not experience. That is travelling from Manchester to London for a day of meetings or a trade show, and more specifically how expensive that trip is.
Due to the peak train travel restrictions, in order to arrange a day in London for less than £300 train fare, you either need to know your exact travel times at least a week or so in advance, or you need to arrive there after 11.30 and leave before 3 pm or after 7 pm. Booking a ticket a day or two before costs £200-£250 return.
This is fine, assuming the trains which are priced at this level are being used and are relatively full. But my experience is that everytime I travel on a train during peak times, the trains are more than half empty with the off peak trains just before and just after the peak ones being jam packed. The first few times I travelled on a peak train it felt like bliss, like being in first class. But they it dawned on me that that is exactly what it is, paying for the privalidge of an empty train.
I am sure the operator of the line, Virgin Trains, doesn't objectively plan for its peak trains to be empty, but what it does mean for a Mancunian is that when a meeting is required at short notice it is cheaper to fly three times as far to Dusseldorf for a day's meeting (leaving the airport at 7 am to arrive at 9 am) and return at 5 pm via FlyBe than it is to get on the train to Virgin.
Virgin say the justification for the high prices is that the tickets have full flexibility, again fine. But there is no middle ground.
Talking of middle ground, the UK government and the train companies are dead set of tearing that up via High Speed 2 from London to Birmingham.
If there are blissfully empty trains for those who can afford it or who don't do meetings at short notice running from Manchester to London between 7 am and 11 am and 3 pm and 7 pm every day, how can people even begin to start to consider bulldozing England's blissfully empty middle ground in the Cotswalds. Won't this just add more capacity at higher prices and ultimately prevent young entrepreneurs from being able to come into the capital at short notice.
Comments from other northern business travellers on the fast Virgin lines into London are welcome below.