JONATHAN WHITELAW, AUTHOR
Where is it?
Penrith railway station. It's on the West Coast Mainline which runs between Glasgow/Edinburgh and London and serves the Cumbrian market town.
Why do you go there?
I have gone perennially throughout my life: from holidays in the Lake District to passing through for work. And now Penrith features pretty prominently in my novels.
How often do you go?
Inevitably, I'll pass through at least a few times a year. I'm always looking for an excuse to actually get off the train and go to Penrith. The town is the centre of the action of my Bingo Hall Detectives series of cosy crime books.
And the station, whether through design or sheer blind luck, normally plays a part in unravelling the mystery. It's even the crime scene in my new novel.
When I do get to step onto the hallowed platform and head into town, I always try to get a scone from James & John Graham in Market Square. They are, quite frankly, the best scones in the world.
How did you discover it?
Like most people, I passed through the station heading to another location. Penrith is a real blink-and-you’ll-miss-it stop, but it’s the gateway to the Lake District and some of the UK’s most stunning scenery.
The station is also a stone's throw away from the cool ruins of Penrith Castle, which you can see from the platform.
What’s your favourite memory?
Not long after the release of The Bingo Hall Detectives, I was travelling to London. I was about three minutes out from Penrith when I suddenly realised that I should take a picture for social media (which is always the case these days).
I broke out in a cold sweat as I fumbled for my phone and excused myself into the central aisle, not sure what side I'd be able to get a photo of the station name. The seconds ticked down and I panicked, thinking it was going to be a fruitless effort.
Then, as the train slowed to a stop at the platform, I spotted the sign right outside the window. I excused myself again, leaned over and took a quick snap. I was relieved when we pulled out.
Who do you take?
I think I've travelled to and through Penrith with just about everybody I know in some capacity. Family for pleasure. Colleagues for business.
What do you take?
If I'm heading to London on an early train, it's normally a good time to get some breakfast when you reach Penrith. Similarly, if I'm heading home, it's dinner time. So, it's usually either a bacon roll or a meal deal – hardly fine dining, I know.
Sum it up in five words.
Understated. Efficient. Overlooked. Fleeting. Timeless.
What other travel spot is on your wish list?
The Pyramids. Ever since we studied Ancient Egypt at school in primary two, I've longed to feel like a Victorian explorer and see them in real life.
The Bingo Hall Detectives by Jonathan Whitelaw (HarperNorth, £8.99) is out now. His next book, The Village Hall Vendetta, is published in April
Why are you making commenting on The Herald only available to subscribers?
It should have been a safe space for informed debate, somewhere for readers to discuss issues around the biggest stories of the day, but all too often the below the line comments on most websites have become bogged down by off-topic discussions and abuse.
heraldscotland.com is tackling this problem by allowing only subscribers to comment.
We are doing this to improve the experience for our loyal readers and we believe it will reduce the ability of trolls and troublemakers, who occasionally find their way onto our site, to abuse our journalists and readers. We also hope it will help the comments section fulfil its promise as a part of Scotland's conversation with itself.
We are lucky at The Herald. We are read by an informed, educated readership who can add their knowledge and insights to our stories.
That is invaluable.
We are making the subscriber-only change to support our valued readers, who tell us they don't want the site cluttered up with irrelevant comments, untruths and abuse.
In the past, the journalist’s job was to collect and distribute information to the audience. Technology means that readers can shape a discussion. We look forward to hearing from you on heraldscotland.com
Comments & Moderation
Readers’ comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers’ comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. You can make a complaint by using the ‘report this post’ link . We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments.
Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours.
Read the rules here