Country Mouse on the Olympic commuter spirit
The Olympic spirit is even seeping into hardened commuters, finds Mark


For more than 18 years, I have commuted from Hampshire to Waterloo that adds up to almost one year of my life spent on a train. I am an expert (not that it's something you would want to be an expert in). There is a strict protocol, which is based on the philosophy that you should not to talk to anyone and, in its most advanced form, pretend that there is no one else in the carriage whatsoever.
So, you can imagine my surprise as we left Petersfield when a charming lady offered home-made bacon rolls and Buck's fizz to everyone in the carriage. I was so shocked that I accepted the roll. Suddenly, we were all talking. She was off to the equestrian event at Greenwich, others to beach volleyball and hockey.
By the time we were past Guildford, the carriage was abuzz with opinions on the Opening Ceremony (mostly good) and where our first gold medal was going to come from. In the office, members of the Country Life team report similar shocking behaviour occurring on the Tube and buses that's really odd.
The Olympics need a legacy, and changing our behaviour for the better on public transport could be it.
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Country Life is unlike any other magazine: the only glossy weekly on the newsstand and the only magazine that has been guest-edited by HRH The King not once, but twice. It is a celebration of modern rural life and all its diverse joys and pleasures — that was first published in Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee year. Our eclectic mixture of witty and informative content — from the most up-to-date property news and commentary and a coveted glimpse inside some of the UK's best houses and gardens, to gardening, the arts and interior design, written by experts in their field — still cannot be found in print or online, anywhere else.
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