Contractually Required End Of Year Post

TOTAL NUMBER OF STATIONS ON THE 2013 NORTHERN RAIL MAP: 532
TOTAL NUMBER OF STATIONS ON THE 2014 NORTHERN RAIL MAP: 533

NUMBER OF STATIONS VISITED IN 2013: 136
NUMBER OF STATIONS VISITED IN 2014: 113

TOTAL NUMBER OF STATIONS COLLECTED: 408
TOTAL NUMBER OF STATIONS STILL TO COLLECT: 125

TOTAL PERCENTAGE OF MAP COLLECTED: 77%

I can't pretend I'm not disappointed that the total visited has slipped.  To be fair, I got some really tricky ones this year, but it's mainly me slacking off over the last couple of months.  I could have fitted another dozen in there, easily.  I've already booked a trip for the first week in January though - just a little one, but enough to get me back on "track" (hahahahahahaha).

I know that posts full of pointless statistics are always popular with my readers - it's almost as though there's a strong streak of OCD running through railway fans (imagine!) - so here are some more.

MOST POPULAR POST OF 2014: This one, in which I introduced my trip on the Settle & Carlisle.  I think that shows the power of the Settle & Carlisle Line rather than being a resounding endorsement of my writing.  That post is also much more popular than the subsequent accounts of my visits to the stations, which makes me think loads of people Googled it, read my florid introduction, and thought "I'm not reading another eight pages of that".

MUSICAL ACTS WHOSE MUSIC I SHAMELESSLY APPROPRIATED FOR BLOG POST TITLES: Abba, Ian Jones, REM, Boney M, Daniel Diges, A1, Simon & Garfunkel, The Farm, Bjork, The Specials, Garbage, Jay-Z.  I think it's fair to say my musical tastes are "eclectic".

NUMBER OF REFERENCES TO RUSSELL TOVEY: A lot less this year, actually.  It's not that I'm going off him, I'm just trying to play it cool.  Though his new blond hair is a serious mistake and I sincerely hope it's for a role.

EXCITEMENT LEVELS ABOUT SPECTRE: Somewhere around 98%.  I'm not really keen on Blofeld coming back.

BAFFLING BLOG HITS: Too many to mention, but basically imagine any of the stations on the right and put the word "dogging" or "prostitutes" after it.  I don't know what kind of list I'm on.  I would like to say, once and forever, that you will not get any advice about whores on this blog.  Sorry.

DISAPPOINTMENT OF THE YEAR: Northern Rail wouldn't send me a map for my wall.  Was it really too much to ask?  Just a little map.  I'd even have one of the old ones.  It's not like I'm asking for one of those amazing Northern Rail USB sticks or umbrellas or Santa hats or one of the other five million freebies they seemed to hand out this year to everyone who wasn't me.  But no: the reply from their customer service department was swift and negative.  (Second place disappointment: the lovely and frankly bonkers Tim seems to have left their Twitter team).

NUMBER OF LOVELY BLOG READERS: All of you, of course.  Except you.  You know what you did.

BEST STATION OF 2014: Kirkby Stephen.  I got to drink tea on a station platform in my socks.  Amazing.

WORST STATION OF 2014: Any number of perfunctory halts in Manchester made up of a couple of empty platforms and a bench.  BORING.

And that, I think, is that for another year.  See you in 2015!