XPost: rec.arts.sf.written, rec.arts.sf.science   
   From: YourName@YourISP.com   
      
   In article , Mike Dworetsky   
    wrote:   
   > Your Name wrote:   
   > > In article , Leszek Karlik   
   > >  wrote:   
   > >> On Fri, 31 Jan 2014 22:21:57 +0100, Your Name    
   > >> wrote: [...]   
   > >>> By horse, that commute would have taken days, and on foot it would   
   > >>> have taken weeks if not months.   
   > >>   
   > >> Ciudad Real, a city 200 km south to Madrid became something of   
   > >> long-distance suburbs of Madrid, because of the AVE rapid train,   
   > >> since it makes the commute take less than an hour by train.   
   > >> (Of course, you have to get to the train station and then   
   > >>  from the train station to work/home, so it's probably a longer   
   > >> one, but not three hours, which seems somewhat excessive)   
   > >   
   > > I have no idea if there is a train service (he apparently lives in   
   > > South Wales for the country life) or even a small air field. Maybe he   
   > > should just buy a helicopter.  ;-)   
   >   
   > There are fast train services from Cardiff (S Wales) to London Paddington,   
   > where he could get the Bakerloo underground service to a station such as   
   > Willesden Junction or Harrow and Wealdstone and change to the overground   
   > service on the same line that would take him to Watford Junction, near his   
   > destination (which stories said was in Watford, north of London).  It isn't   
   > clear whether this would take less or more time than the driving for 3   
   > hours.  (Bakerloo line ends at Harrow and Wealdstone, which is why he would   
   > have to change).   
   >   
   > If he worked in London itself the train would be faster, and probably   
   > cheaper.   
   >   
   > I'm not sure where in S Wales he lives, but maybe Cardiff is a long drive   
   > already for him.   
   >   
   > I'm not sure if it is just the "country life" as he could save all that   
   > expense and put it towards a country house much closer to London or Watford   
   > itself.  Sounds as if he has a strong commitment to where he lives, maybe   
   > for extended family reasons.   
      
   The article said he lives in Porthcawl, South Wales and, as you said,   
   works in Watford, Hertfordshire. It also said he lives there so that   
   "he can still live the country life with his partner Sarah" and he   
   reportedly said "We have discussed the options for a move, but we feel   
   that our quality of life is much better here than it would be closer to   
   my workplace in Watford." ... maybe his hobby is trying to pronounce   
   those long Welsh place names when passing signs.  ;-)   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)