TimeOutCrossCountryTrains - First Class to Dirt Class - Part 1

I boarded the train at 19.48 pm on a cold Friday 3rd November @ Birmingham International, the train was 10 minutes late. I had booked a first class return to Manchester as a personal reward for a weeks’ work at the National Exhibition Centre (NEC) and was looking forward to some 1st class travel.I took my seat, which had debris from previous passengers already on the table in front of 13 & 14 Carriage A (which was never cleared or cleaned throughout the journey).The conductor came up from behind and asked to see my ticket almost as soon as I had sat down, which I did at 19.52 pm. I asked politely if service was available he curtly and unceremoniously grunted ‘later’, I was not impressed!!!!I waited patiently and nobody arrived, although attendant service is part of the first class rail travel customer commitment.New staff boarded at Birmingham New Street (as per the public address announcement) although we did not see them in 1st class for quite some time.The announcer who turned out to be Michal Agnew finished his announcement by saying ‘if there is anything that he could do just say’.I remembered that they closed attendant (but not refreshment service at about this time) so I became anxious that they would (as last time leave me for the rest of the journey without the promised refreshments!!). which I was so looking forward not because they were sparklingly delicious but for the experience. I waited for some more time and more time but nobody came although Cross Country Train state that there is an attendant ‘in situ’ in their first class carriages, there was no evidence of any body being there and certainly nobody going about attending to or supporting their passengers.I finally got up from my seat and went to the galley thinking there would be somebody there waiting to serve people; as they had not come through the cabin in over 20 minutes.The galley was open, goods on display but there was nobody there. As I had previously been informed, if there was nobody there and goods were available I should collect my complimentary refreshments, which I did and went back to me seat. As I approached my seat, a youngish man not in any identifiable uniform was coming rapidly from the opposite direction asked me why I had a ‘small can of lemonade and a small pack of biscuits’ in my hand; just as I was sitting down (mostly to get out of his way)I explained that there had been no service since I got on the train, it was a 1st class cabin and the refreshments were complimentary and that I had been told before that if there was nobody in attendance; that I should collect my own refreshments from the galley. This would in any case be a normally acceptable and anticipated level of service to 1st class passengers on trains and boats as well as airplanes.He said that I should not have done that, I calmly and politely replied that if there had been any level of service then I would not have had too!!!He became quiet officious, raised his voice in front of all of the passengers as if to stamp his authority. I chose not to parley with him so as not to excite any form of retribution; as he was clearly already out of his depth. It was evident at this early point that even though it was a ‘apparently’ a first carriage and a first class seat it was not ‘evidently’ a first class service.
He came back a few moments later and asked to see my ticket. I said that it had already been shown but replied ‘but not to me’ and that I would have to show it again, to which I readily and without fuss acceded.He proceeded to take a picture of the ticket, clipped it and informed me that I was to be reported, to which statement I made neither a reply nor a comment.
Other passengers in the vicinity were already beginning to show signs of nervousness at his behaviour. Six minutes later he came back and asked for my name, which I gave to him although it was clearly and in capital letters, on the ticket.