Episode 5: Onboard Manager Nick

In this mini episode of Moving Minds, Gemma Oaten chats to Hull Trains Onboard Manager Nick about how he looks after his wellbeing, his favourite journeys and how he looks out for customers when they're travelling.

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Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:06

Hi, this is Moving Minds, brand new podcast with Hull Trains. I am Gemma Roten. You may or may not know me from Battley Box. I've been in Coronation Street, Emmerdale, Holby City to name a few. I also present on BBC Radio Humberside and BBC Radio York. Hence, loving a good old Natter, and that is what this podcast is all about. Conversations on the move, whether it be around our mental health, the importance of taking time out and enjoying train journeys. I have just jumped on at Grantham, and on this part of the journey, I'm going to be speaking to the legendary onboard manager that is Nick Alme. So get your copper and let's get cracking. Ladies and gentlemen, this is the legend that is Nick Alme. I am so choved that you're doing this with us today, the Moving Minds podcast. Nick, let's start with how long have you been working for whole trains?

SPEAKER_02 0:58

Uh, three and a half years.

SPEAKER_00 0:59

Right. Why do I feel like it's longer? I feel like you've always been here. Every journey that I've had.

SPEAKER_02 1:07

I think I've really enjoyed my job, so maybe it feels like I've been here longer than I actually been.

SPEAKER_00 1:12

But you really do enjoy your job. You're like the first person that I see on most train journeys who is there with a welcoming smile. What's your like because when I speak to a lot of the um whole train staff, the the rotors and the shifts are quite iggledy-piggledy, not always easy. What what's a general day like for you?

SPEAKER_02 1:32

It depends because our our earliest shift is 4.50 in the morning. So I live 45 minutes away, so I'm up at half past three to get here for the 4.50 shift. Um and by the time you get down to London at 9 o'clock, it feels like it's halfway through the day. You've already had your pack up, and then you've got to bring you got to bring the train back, um, get back at 12 o'clock, and then so when you're on a really early like that, yeah, for the rest of the day, you just feel sort of like wiped out.

SPEAKER_00 2:04

I get that with um when I'm doing the breakfast show on BBC Radio York, that one kills me. Like getting up at like quarter. I think I've pushed it to a fine art where I can roll out of bed at quarter past four, but when I started it was quarter four, otherwise I was no good to anybody.

SPEAKER_02 2:20

It's not too bad because there's not much traffic on the road at that time of day.

SPEAKER_00 2:23

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 2:24

But then on the flip side, we have the late shift which starts at four, but then you get back into hull at quarter midnight, and then it's about quarter one before I'm home on that shift.

SPEAKER_01 2:35

Oh my goodness.

SPEAKER_02 2:36

But you then wouldn't do an early the next day, you'd do another late one, so yeah, you'd have time to get up. But but you still you still wake up early, even if you've got in at one o'clock in the morning, you still You must really love your job.

SPEAKER_00 2:48

How long have you been? Have you been in the trains?

SPEAKER_02 2:52

Ten years.

SPEAKER_00 2:53

Ten years, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 2:53

Yeah, I did seven years at Trans Pennine. Right. So I worked over in Cleethorps. We used to go to Cleethorse to Manchester Airport and back.

SPEAKER_00 3:00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 3:00

Um, and then I saw this and thought, well, I'm a I'd apply. And um thankfully I got the job.

SPEAKER_00 3:08

One of the things that we're talking about in this podcast is about conversations on trains, um, like from the times where you'll come on board. Like I you've seen me travel a lot with Ruby, so I don't get to sit next to Fever as much as I used to, because Ruby, with with a coat with the blanket on the seat, Ruby sits next to me. But I do observe, and the the thing that I love when I'm on a train is when I see somebody sit next to somebody or opposite somebody on the table like this, and they're complete strangers, and by the end of the journey, like they've told each other everything about their lives, and they're having this deep and meaningful conversation. And then equally, when you see like families come on together, and it's like for the first time they're all up and away from their phones, and they're talking to each other and they're having a laugh. Like, how important do you think train journeys are for our mental health?

SPEAKER_02 4:03

Yeah, that they're good because it takes you away. There's there's kind of less stress generally on a train journey than if you were having to drive in a car. Yeah. What we find on whole trains is that all of the staff just talk to the passengers. We don't sort of ignore everybody. Yeah. So we're sort of family oriented. So we'll go up and chat someone that's got a dog and we'll pat the dog and that kind of stuff. We'll ask the kids what you're doing, where you're going today, and that kind of stuff. So I think all of the staff on on whole trains engage with the passengers, what whatever they're whatever they're doing.

SPEAKER_00 4:39

Well, that's how like you became my favourite because you used to come and always pet Ruby, and then you'd come and sit down with me with your cud and just have a little catch-up and a chat, and it was so it was just so lovely and so unexpected. And I think sometimes even when I, as a passenger, am on the train and you can see somebody is visibly down and or struggling, it takes nothing, does it, to like offer to help somebody with their bag or to have a little jerk, or with me, with Ruby, oh my god, like she's just all over the couch by the end of the journey. So, Nick, we know that you love your job. There must be some favourite journeys or favourite customers apart from yours truly that you've experienced during a journey. Is there any highlights? And I put you on the spot here, I'm sorry.

SPEAKER_02 5:36

I think really most journeys are good because of the people that I work with.

SPEAKER_00 5:40

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 5:40

The on-board posts, we have such a laugh. Yeah. It's like coming to work with your mates, really.

SPEAKER_00 5:45

Yeah, you can you can tell that.

SPEAKER_02 5:47

So every day that you come to work, you always look and see who you're working with and think, oh, it's gonna be a blast today with them. Yeah. They're gonna have such a laugh. Um, and never ever think, oh god, it's them I'm working with. Because what a position to be in. Yeah, pretty much pretty much get on with everybody.

SPEAKER_00 6:03

So the one thing that I do know about you though is that you always go to sit with me and try and get the gossip.

SPEAKER_01 6:11

Oh no, are you missing it?

SPEAKER_00 6:11

Emmerdale, Oriday System Street, all of them, and you'd be like, So what happened to So? What happened to Cersa? And what's that like? What's that like? So I do know that you love a little uh a little gossip behind the scenes gossip as well.

SPEAKER_02 6:24

It's working with all these ladies. It's it probably isn't it? Yeah, definitely.

SPEAKER_00 6:28

What actually, what's that like then? Like, do you get bossed around? Are you outnumbered?

SPEAKER_02 6:32

Oh, absolutely, yeah. I'm never in charge. Yeah, even if I'm on board manager, I'm never in charge. Just do as I'm told, it's easier.

SPEAKER_00 6:39

That's the best way.

SPEAKER_02 6:40

Yeah, absolutely.

SPEAKER_00 6:40

Now, Nick, to to wrap up our lovely chat, I've got it written down here some quick fire train etiquette questions. Okay. So feet on seats or not?

SPEAKER_02 6:54

No.

SPEAKER_00 6:55

Not even if they put a blanket or a coat down.

SPEAKER_02 6:58

No, that's no.

SPEAKER_00 7:00

Is it a rule that you can't do that if you put like is it not allowed?

SPEAKER_02 7:04

No, it's it's not really a rule, but I don't know. I was brought up to never put your feet on the seats, so you're a better man. I mean, if if if they've got a blanket on and they've got socks on, perhaps.

SPEAKER_00 7:19

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 7:20

Um definitely not if they've got shoes on.

SPEAKER_00 7:23

Oh no, no, no. Well you've seen me before, and I've had my socks on.

SPEAKER_02 7:27

Some everybody's different, everybody's different.

SPEAKER_00 7:29

But you know that man of clean socks.

SPEAKER_02 7:31

Yeah. Yeah.

unknown 7:32

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 7:32

She says a personal thing. Yeah, it's not. Definitely not luggage on some.

SPEAKER_00 7:36

No, no, no. I I I completely.

SPEAKER_02 7:39

Because you've got dirty wheels and that kind of stuff.

SPEAKER_00 7:41

So I don't even think of that.

SPEAKER_02 7:42

Yeah, that's that's the you get a wet day and they've been dragging the suitcase along the platform and then they stick it on the seat, and then the seat will be wet for the next person to sit on it.

SPEAKER_00 7:52

Nick, I will never do that again. I'm so sorry, I will never do that again. Right, would you, if you were a passenger, although to be fair, even as train manager, share suites with strangers? Yeah. Of course you would. I remember coming on when it was.

SPEAKER_02 8:07

Like sharing with me.

SPEAKER_00 8:08

Yeah, it was um customer customer professional. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Like here, and it was like that week. I had to travel like three times. I've never had so many three suites in my life.

SPEAKER_02 8:19

I walk down with big things of chocolate, don't you?

SPEAKER_00 8:21

What about passengers who bring on smelly food? Ugh, be honest.

SPEAKER_02 8:26

I'm not I'm all I'm alright. Like the only thing it does, it just makes me hungry. So.

SPEAKER_00 8:31

Yeah, there is that. There is that, I get that. Now then, as a train manager, if there's somebody playing music loud, whether it be through headphones or not, do you tell them to turn it down or not?

SPEAKER_02 8:43

I do have a quiet word with them, yeah. Just because not that it matters what the music is. Somebody might be sat reading a book. Exactly. And they that's how they like to travel. And if the music's on really loud, it's not really fair for the other people.

SPEAKER_00 8:59

Good man. I knew your answer would be splendid. Oh, and on that note. Thank you so much for joining us today. Cheers, mate.

SPEAKER_01 9:08

Thank you.