Just to clarify ... I DID have Max's number, but on the phone and computer that was at the house, and hadn't bothered to take it with me because having heard he was on the train thought nothing could go wrong. And I didn't help matters by the fact that my iPhone was out of battery charge, so Max couldn't get through until it had charged a little in the car. I've never normally dared to go out leaving a meal cooking in the oven and so while worrying at the station about how someone could vanish between Reading and Newport I was also worrying about charred meat and potatoes at home - and the phone number.
On the way back home I managed to log into Mudcat on the recovering phone and was just about to find Max's number when he called - such a relief!
Tomorrow night is the Mudgather, which will be about a dozen strong. And I'm hoping to show Max a bit more of this beautiful part of the country.