THE FOLK YOU MEET ON TRAINS

It's a story I've been dying to share with you for weeks, but I didn't want to interrupt the series of guest postings.

It was Saturday 9th May, and I was with three friends travelling by train from Glasgow to Kirkcaldy (via Edinburgh) for the final football match of the season. Despite the weather being absolutely miserable, we were in great spirits as my team, Raith Rovers, had clinched the league title the previous Saturday, and the final match was all set to be played in a party atmosphere with the trophy being presented to the players afterwards.

We were a bit late in getting on to the train so we couldn't find four seats together round a table. I sat with Dawn at one table facing backwards in the direction of travel, while Micky and Mark sat together in two seats nearby but facing the direction of travel (these details are important).

The four of us were talking about football in general, and a lot of it was spent slagging off Manchester United (Dawn being a big fan, me thinking they are the anti-Christ) and none of us were paying any attention to anyone sitting around us. Then the bloke with the refreshments trolley came by and asked if we wanted something...at which point the bloke sitting opposite me and Dawn, and who all this time had been engrossed in a broadsheet newspaper (The Guardian since you ask) turned to his companion and asked if she would like anything.

Hang on I thought.....that voice is awfully familiar. So I looked across the three feet or so and realised that diagonally opposite me was David Gedge......

Regular readers will know I'm a bit of a fan of the band. But what a dilemma I was now in. My pal Dawn is not a music aficionado of any sort, so she wouldn't have had a clue who it was. Besides David was travelling with a companion, and I reckoned the last thing he would have wanted was pestered by a fan. The clinching thing was that Micky, who was seated nearby but not in any way that he could see the other two folk at my table, is also a big Weddoes fan and I know he would not have been shy at coming forward with adulation.

So for the remainder or the journey, I tried real hard to be normal and keep the conversation going with Dawn and not get caught staring at one of my idols. I failed rather miserably though....cos I was so excited that I knocked over the vodka and coke I had bought from the refreshments trolley. Luckily, it went all over me and not David, or even worse, the woman he was travelling with....

After another 25 minutes or so, it was time for us to get off the train at Haymarket to get our connection to Kirkcaldy. As I stood up, I turned to David and said, 'This is all a bit embarrassing, but here's what I've got to keep my head dry today' and pulled out a black beanie hat emblazoned with the words The Wedding Present in green stitching - something that I had bought at the gig the band had played in Glasgow back in January.

David smiled and then wished me all the best for the game. He had obviously heard us talking about the Rovers ( I was also wearing a Rovers replica jersey) and he explained he knew all about the team as his current drummer is from Kirkcaldy and a fan. I said thanks and that I hoped it wasn't too long before he was back on stage...at which point I got up to leave, but not before I tapped Micky on the shoulder and asked that he look at who had been sitting opposite me during the journey. He stood there open-mouthed....but in the 30 seconds before the doors opened and closed, he still had time to run up to David and make a plea for a 20th Anniversary tour to commemorate the release of Bizarro.

So we got off the train with big grins on our faces, and David continued on his own merry way, waving to us as the train departed the platform.

For the record, the game was a 0-0 non-event. But I couldn't care less.....I had a great wee story to place on the blog.

mp3 : The Wedding Present - Always The Quiet One
mp3 : Cinerama - Starry Eyed
mp3 : The Wedding Present - Our Lips Are Sealed

Next time, I won't be so shy.