Last week's early morning fog reminded me of when I first met my blind friend Richard who has retinitis pigmentosa.

Standing defiantly on the stairs of platform 2 there he was suited and booted holding his symbol cane.

He has only a very narrow window of central vision. Such was our connection that it prompted me to log onto www.cityofsharedstories.org.uk and create a poem about our journey.

That was thanks to a south London based charity for emerging writers called Spread The Word who do truly brilliant work in the form of workshops, one to one coaching, etc.

Now, back to basics and good old Harrow & Wealdstone station. I would love to know who designed the red seats in the waiting room there. Whilst they are, in theory, big enough for two, most people tend to put their shopping next to them to prevent a complete stranger from encroaching. Who knows that might even bring about a conversation.

Monday's journey home from Gunnersbury was particularly grim. The first leg of my journey found me wedged in the wrong place near the door with more and more people piling in. That's where being a member of a Speaker's group comes in handy.

'Move down inside the carriage please ' came my plea. I felt like I had asked for the moon.

Furthermore it never ceases to amaze me of the apathy that exists when, in a sweltering hot carriage, nobody seems to want to take the daring step of opening a window. Would anyone really disapprove? It's the same when a gale is blowing into the carriage - nobody wants to shut a window either. Well actions speak louder than words don’t they?

And don't even get me on to the subject of the number of passengers I have seen picking their noses recently and then reading the Metro.

Lastly it's great to hear the use of that lovely word ‘inclement’ being used in recorded announcements. However, when standing on Kings Langley station recently during perfectly fine weather I was amused to hear 'Due to the inclement weather please be careful on slippery surfaces.' Hmmm