11:10.

I’m on the move – again. I have to be in London tonight in order to get to a rather special HS2 railway media event tomorrow morning, but more about that nearer the time. Right now I’m waving goodbye to the Calder Valley as I’m on my way to Manchester in order to ‘tick off’ another couple of stations that are on my commission list before heading down to the capital. As usual, I’ll be blogging on and off throughout the day so you’ll be able to see what I get up to – and where.

Today I caught the train from Sowerby Bridge rather than Halifax, which made a pleasant change as it’s downhill all the way! Now I’m on a Northern 3-car 158 running the Leeds – Brighouse – Manchester route. There’s no power sockets on these sets and the tables double as leg-clamps as they’re that low, but at least it’s running on time.

11:45.

Bugger! We’ve crossed the Pennines and the sunshine we’d been enjoying in Yorkshire has vanished. Instead we have a collection of ominous looking clouds that appear ready to bombard us with rain at any moment. Ah well – at least I’m equipped with a brolley and waterproof as the forecast for tomorrow’s event is even worse! 

12:20.

After a dash across Manchester city centre from Vic to Picc I have a different type of conveyance. One of Washwood Heath’s finest..

14:15.

My Manchester jaunt took me out to Davenport station which is the first stop on the route to Buxton. I had 30 mins to explore and found it an interesting place. Mainly due to the fine old elevated ticket office and the passage underneath (pic later). I’d have like to hang around but the weather was looking distinctly ‘iffy’ so I returned to Piccadilly via Stockport. In doing so I found the latest of the ex-West Midlands Class 323s which have been cascaded to Northern. It’s seen between trips to Stoke-on-Trent.

Talking of Stoke, that’s where I’m headed now. I’d have headed on but the Pendolino I’m on has no working power sockets so I’ll catch the one behind.

15:45.

My brief sojourn at Stoke was useful in that I managed to get a couple of good pictures. I also bumped into an old friend and fellow Community Rail awards judge (Andy Savage), who pointed out to me the additions and restorations to the WW1 memorial that forms the entrance to platform 1. Now I’m aboard another Euston bound Pendolino with the full range of services (power sockets and wifi). Now that I spend so much time up and down the East Coat I’d forgotten how much fun tilting around the curvaceous West Coast Main Line in a Pendolino is!

Whilst on the train I’ve had chance to catch up on the news. It seems that the man who insisted that a mural in a child asylum unit be painted over as it was ‘too welcoming’ is front runner to lead the Tory party. Figures. www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-poli…

18:15.

I made it to London without incident. Having arrived at Euston my first mission was to explore a station I’ve known since the 1970s and examine it under a critical eye considering recent accusations that it’s ‘unsafe’. My impression? It’s far better than it used to be 20 years ago (excerable LED main board aside). But, it’s clear passenger numbers have outgrown the original design and the station needs rebuilding for the future. The rest is just down to crowd management, just as it has been at many London underground stations like Victoria, Covent Garden and Camden town. No-one claims they’re ‘unsafe’.

Right now I’m enjoying people-watching on the piazza outside Kings Cross. It’s another London station I’ve known since the 1970s and my – how it’s changed in the past 10 years.

19:30.

Meanwhile, on the opposite side of the Thames, these old beasts are soldiering on…

23;45.

It’s time to say goodnight. I’m embedded in Clapham Junction for the night at an old friends, but normal service will be resumed at roundabout 06:00 as tomorrow should prove to be an interesting day…

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