I get the train to work every day. The journey takes about 30 minutes, which gives me plenty of time to glare at all the people around me. There are many people who catch the same train as me every day, and I have wondered many a time what their stories are- where they've come from, where they are going, whether they have any latent mental defects, etc. For some of them, I have tried to construct a picture of who they are when they aren't on the train, based on observations I have made about them- the way they dress, the newspaper they read, whether they do or don't listen to music in the morning, the list goes on.

This morning I find myself at quite a loss, since, as this is my last day of work, there is a good chance that I will never see any of these people again. We've been on the same train day after day for weeks and never said a word to them, and yet I feel like they have almost become a part of my life. Living in Sunderland has, however, given me plenty of opportunity to go out and observe the people around me. For any of you who are lucky enough to have visited this wonderful city, let me assure you that there are many, many interesting specimens to glare at.