The Coach Whisperer

Standard Premier Eurostar tickets in hand, we popped into the ticket office to see what the cost would be to upgraded to First Class.  The ticket man was very helpful and told us that yes, indeed they were offering a special price to advance to First Class….. so we paid the money and thought we were getting a great deal.  We got on the train and thought - there’s nothing “First Classy” about this carriage.  When we checked our tickets, the man had upgraded us from Standard Premier to Standard Premier - in the same carriage.  On asking the official man on the train, he told me that Standard Premier was in fact, First Class.  He then radioed back to the office to find out what had happened and moved us up to Business Class, which is higher than First Class…… now this is where you should be very careful about what you wish for.  We were sat across the aisle from one of the loudest American men we have come across thus far on this trip.

Loud Talkers of our Tour

In Barry’s Cafe, Melbourne - We heard all about a woman’s trip to China.  She spoke so loudly and her two friends didn’t get a word in edgeways.  We thought once her food came that she would slow down a bit, but even the mammoth burger couldn’t stop her! 

Jamie’s Italian, London - We sat next to an American doctor(?) who talked loudly about rashes.

Pub in Sloan Square - we sat in a nice quiet little corner until the man at the next table started telling his date a story, really loudly and then a couple of ladies sat behind Jenny and found something funny enough that they were screaming - literally screaming - it was either funny or they were frightened.  I’m not sure which. 

Then….. this next Man on the Eurostar talking to his French colleague - although the tag on her bag said Air Canada, so I think she might have been from Quebec.

Here is a list of things we heard this man say - loudly.

“You see you’re taking that as a negative, where as I would be taking it as a positive.” 

He then regaled her with artillery strategies.  He spoke a million miles an hour, so it was quite difficult to keep up with him, but I heard the word “infrastructure” quite a lot and 

"the problem is it's an unsung hero” 

“if you come in after the fact when nobody is shooting at you, it’s a different story” 

“but you and I have the power and the influence."  

"We have everything we need.  But nobody will ever understand and our response has to be - don’t ask any questions."  

"It’s not a matter of IF we’ll go in, it’s a question of when.  It has to appear effortless.  I mean, that’s what a professional does."  

His hands were stretched over the table pointing with all five fingers at her to make his point.

“My point is, I mean, i’ll reiterate, I’m moving towards, well the competition of today.  We do not have the troops and we do not have the players.  If they take the hill, then so be it, and if they don’t take the hill, then they’re out."

I couldn’t hear the French lady, in fact, he couldn’t even hear her because she said something and he said “what?”  Jen & I laughed quite a bit at that……

There would be a small break in the conversation whilst she spoke, then he  said….

"Ok therefore, well, here’s the reality."  

"You’re going to have to spend a lot of time talking to Anthony, but guess what, that’s not going to be easy. I feel the same about Pascal.  I mean, I can imagine her managing, but she’s not a candidate for the Brussels position.  Do you have a candidate for that? (silence, whiles the lady spoke) Where’s she from?  Brussels?  Is she from Brussels? How’s her English?"

"Not much style but a fair amount of flair.  That’s probably not fair.  She didn’t set my world on fire, so it had to be Natalie."

The conversation seemed to come to an end when.....

"So that’s that - Now, what’s next?"

"I needed to explain what it takes to onboard people."

"What’s you thoughts on….. I mean, if we’re going to gossip, let’s gossip.  What’s your interpretation of what Natalie is doing?"

"So she’ll divide and conquer?" 

"It’s going to be shut down?  Oh, you haven’t been informed of that?"

"The contentious issue was strategy.  She’s very stubborn, and he may have interpreted it incorrectly, but my interpretation is that it would be a forward thinking strategy, but she wouldn’t hear of it.  But on the whole, whatever.  Nothing is happening right now, so……"

"I have quite a senior role in this organisation."

We hadn’t even left St Pancras Station yet, and already we were looking around for a sharp object.