Tom Hanks recalls rail trip - every green mile

Published on Wednesday 10 November 2004 02:21

Key points

• Bad meal in Edinburgh turned Hanks's Flying Scotsman journey into nightmare

• Star reveals how he spent trip from London in toilet after eating Mexican in capital

• Hanks and family on holiday to visit daughter studying at St Andrew's University

Key quote

"It’s a shame that Mr Hanks didn’t get the chance to relax and enjoy one of the most famous routes in the Western hemisphere. We’d welcome him back to travel on the route any time he wants." - GNER spokesperson

Story in full FOR Tom Hanks it was meant to be the journey of a lifetime - a trip along one of the oldest and most famous railway routes in the world.

Looking to round off a marvellous visit to St Andrews, one of Hollywood’s biggest stars chose to treat his family to the unique experience of the Flying Scotsman. But the double Oscar winner’s journey from Edinburgh to London turned into his own "Road to Perdition".

Confessing all to chat-show host David Letterman, the Forrest Gump star described how his discomfort began after he had eaten some of Scotland’s exotic cuisine.

On The Late Show, he told Letterman: "I had been on a family vacation to Scotland and we had a marvellous trip - well, the rest of my family did.

"We had decided to take the Flying Scotsman from Edinburgh to London, but the night before we left we had eaten at a restaurant that claimed it was the best Mexican food restaurant in Scotland.

"On the way to the train station - well, you know how you get that thing where everything is fine and all of a sudden you go ‘Oh’?

"You know in the back of your mind you’re going to be up-chucking today. It’s only a matter of time - it might be two hours, it might be 20 minutes but I knew I was going to be ill, the kids knew it, everyone knew it.

"I said to our driver that he might want to pull over at the next rest stop, and I told the kids they’d better get the video camera because their daddy was going to put on quite a show.

"My beautiful wife, Rita Wilson, was in the car behind us because we had a lot of luggage and she was on the phone taking care of some stuff. She was going ‘Why on earth is Tom sticking his head out of the window?’ She found out 11 seconds later!"

Described by Loyd Grossman as "very weird and different", Mexican cuisine has come in for a hard time since its introduction to Scottish palates. The restaurant critic AA Gill once said he hoped to meet that Mexican who had always predigested whatever it is we might order.

But, in reality, Scotland’s gastro-revolution has meant for the gourmet a trip to these shores is often a choice between a tandoori and a Thai.

A spokesman for GNER, which runs one service a day called the Flying Scotsman, said: "It’s a shame that Mr Hanks didn’t get the chance to relax and enjoy one of the most famous routes in the Western hemisphere. We’d welcome him back to travel on the route any time he wants."

Hanks and his family were visiting his 22-year-old daughter Liz, who is taking an arts degree at St Andrews University. She applied for the course after hearing that Prince William attended the university.