The bus trip over to Liverpool took over one and a quarter hours. It usually takes about 35 minutes. Liverpool City Council appear to be rejigging the city centre roads. It took my bus nearly an hour to do a third of a mile. Worse, I couldn't get off and walk because we were in the middle lane with traffic to the left hurtling past.
I arrive at Lime Street about 3 minutes after my train departed.
The train I eventually took, an hour later, broke down just outside Liverpool. This added 30 minutes to the journey time. By the time it had arrived late at Milton Keynes, and I'd waited for my connection to Hemel Hempstead, I was one hour 45 minutes late. Humph.
I consoled myself with a pizza in the evening.
(If all else fails, eat).