London, New York, Paris, Slough & Asda . . . .

The B's timetables: 104 and counting......

I have a confession to make . . . .
I might not be as cool as I sometimes like to make out.
To back this up, I can reveal - for the first time - that I have a stamp collection.
It's not something that I often talk about - for obvious reasons - but there it is, I've said it.
The reason for bringing this up is that I'm about to detail The B's own passion for collecting.
Like mine, his preferred pastime has certain social connotations and so - before outing him - I thought it fair to come clean.
The difference between us and our respective hobbies is that, unlike me, The B has no shame.
The collection in question comprises countless timetables (in the main, these relate to bus services, but trains feature also), transportation network maps and other related leaflets.
On reflection, 'countless' is no longer an appropriate term . . . .
You see, earlier this morning, I counted them.
It surprised me to discover that The B's timetable collection boasts an impressive 104 publications. It's little wonder that the carrier bag that had been housing them has burst at the seams and has had to be replaced by a sturdy plastic box.
The B's collection is an eclectic thing. It started out local but, as friends and relatives have learnt about it, its contents have become ever more diverse . . . .
This morning, for instance, we studied his New York Subway map, pored over a timetable detailing the bus routes of Slough and Windsor, and finished with a look at a local service that runs between a neighbouring town and a large Asda superstore.
You might find it hard to believe, but it has a strange allure.
In admitting that I'm starting to find timetables almost as fascinating as The B, I suspect I'm doing myself no favours . . . .