More and more often these days we are subjected to the newly refurbished carriages on the line which runs between Hereford and Paddington. These have obviously been designed (and I use the term loosely here, design obviously not being one of Last Late Western's strong points) to maximise the number of passengers they can squeeze into each carriage, without any thought at all about their comfort. We've had to get used to no longer being able to a share a table, and the fact that the seats are as hard as church pews, but the truth is that some elements of the so-called design simply don't work.

This morning, for instance, I watched with some degree of amusement as the person next to me attempted to position her laptop on the ridiculously small pull-down flap which passes for a table. After much trying out of different positions between lap and flap, she opted for the flap, only to spend the entire journey with the edge of the computer almost dissecting her in half at chest level and trying to get far enough away from it to see the screen. I'm sure the brain dead orang utang who sanctioned this particularly useless piece of design has never had to spend any time at all actually using it.

And we also have to get used to "smart new lighting" which in First Class especially lends the carriages all the subtle ambience of an NHS operating theatre. Travelling First Class always used to be a rather pleasant experience, with big squashy seats you could sink into, loads of table space and the feeling that you were in a rather exclusive club. It used to be worth upgrading occasionally just for the experience. Not any more. The hard and uncomfortable leather seats and the glaring overhead lighting makes you feel as though you're in a dentist's waiting room, an experience I don't particularly want to have to pay extra for, thank you.

No sorry, Last Late Western, the newly refurbished trains which you promised were going to be wonderful simply don't do it for me. Bring back the old ones I say.