We’ve still plenty of snowy scenes here in the Pennines. Much of it hasn’t really shifted, especially away from human habitation and major roads. Today the pair of us spent quite some time digging Dawn’s car out of the drifts – something I don’t recollect doing for donkey’s years as normally the stuff doesn’t hand around that long. On the bright side, the exercise was useful. Plus, helping to clear the road was a bonus as the pair of us are expecting various parcels to arrive over the next few days as we’ve been busy preparing for our Asian odyssey. Admittedly, most of mine will contain things like photographic kit (my old camera bag is on its last legs) whilst Dee’s orders are rather more wide-ranging.
Like most days since the snow’s arrived and we know we’re off to Asia, my day’s been spent working from home, ticking off various things on my work ‘to do’ list before we bugger off. This included editing the last of 2024s pictures that I’d not uploaded to my Zenfolio website. There’s still a few more to do, but the job’s back’s broken, so I’m hoping (weather permitting) to venture out with the camera tomorrow whilst there’s still enough snow on the ground to make it worthwhile.
What is remaining has certainly cramped people’s style. Having spent the day getting square eyes I did venture out to our local pub (the Big 6) for a pint earlier this evening. I was one of a handful. The place was deserted due to the difficulty in getting there. Most pavements are still under several inches of snow and driving to the pub isn’t recommended in these conditions.
A welcoming sight after a trek uphill through the snow. The Big 6…
Still, I did get to try a very tasty beer (thanks, Lee) which will be on in a couple of days time. I’m savoring my last chance for real ales right now as decent ales are as rare as rocking-horse droppings out in Indonesia.
It looks like a cider, but don’t let looks (or the innocuous fruity taste) fool you. This 5.2% beer is anything but a session ale…
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Despite yesterday’s rain, the snow has proved to be tenacious. When I woke up this morning we’d had a fresh dusting of the stuff which had added to the several inches which has survived. It’s melting, slowly, but I suspect it’s going to hang around for several days yet.
Due to the treacherous conditions underfoot and with other plans in mind I haven’t ventured out at all today. Instead, I’ve been busy scanning through airline and other travel websites. Now – finally – we have a winter break arranged as I’ve just booked the pair of us on a flight from Manchester to Jakarta (Indonesia). We fly on the 14th January. This will be Dawn’s first visit to Indonesia, although it’s certainly not mine. The last time I was in Java was in 2017. The plan is slowly taking shape but the outline is that we’ll have a couple of days in Jakarta to get used to the new climate and time zone as we’re going to be swapping sub-zero temperatures for a wet and humid 29-31 degrees! After Jakarta we’ll be travelling overland by rail to Yogyakarta for a couple of days in order to visit some of the superb ancient temples in the area as well as enjoy the city itself. Continuing by rail we’ll be popping into Surabaya before continuing by rail all the way East to Ketapang, where we’ll be catching a ferry across the narrow strait to…Bali. January’s not the optimal time of year to visit this neck of the woods but I’ve done it several before and really enjoyed it as it’s quieter and the rain doesn’t last all day by any means.
Whatever the weather, It’s going to be lovely to be back in South-East Asia. I’m looking at extending my trip beyond the few weeks Dawn has in order to maximise our holiday time together before I go off to travel solo and visit some of the region’s rail projects. But first, we’ll be enjoying some amazing sights, scenery and fabulous food – as well as some lovely accommodation. The value quality of places to stay in Bali is hard to beat. So, expect a real range of pictures and blogs later this month, and into February (and maybe March). Here’s a taster. This is the incredible Buddhist temple at Borobudur, just outside Yogyakarta.
This was the view the last time I visited Borobudur (November 1998). If we get weather like this again I’ll be more than happy…
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The snow that had been predicted to fall yesterday arrived with a vengeance overnight. When we opened the bedroom blinds this morning we were treated to the sight of a white-out. The whole valley had disappeared under a blanket of snow which left the world eerily quiet as hardly anything motorised could move.
Later, having fortified myself with coffee I ventured out with the camera to get a few pictures. Firstly, I checked the depth of the snow on our front garden wall.
13cm. But in many places the snow had drifted and was even deeper, getting up to 20cm.
Whilst Dawn stayed in the warm I went for a wander around where we lived before the snow dropped off the trees. We’re surrounded by woodland, which makes for lovely pictures in these conditions. Here’s a selection…
It’s a brave (or stupid) motorist who ventures out in these conditions. Our road became a reserve for walkers rather than cars. All you had to watch out for was snow bombs as the tree branches shed their loads. Local footpaths became the reserve of foxes and badgers, the only ones who left tracks. Looking down a cold Calder valley towards Sowerby Bridge which is hidden in the murk in the valley below.Looking up at the Wainhouse Tower past telephone lines which have quadrupled in prominence due to the snow clinging to them. Telegraph poles and wires in the air is still very much a thing in this neck of the woods.The walk to our local pub (The Big 6) is up this cobbled road called Wakefield Gate. Today it was reserved for walkers as it was too steep and slippery for vehicles. This featured in the opening credits for the TV series ‘Gentlemen Jack’. I’d hoped to have got some evening shots here but the snow turned to rain.
The pair of us did venture out into the valley bottom for a stroll along the canal to Sowerby Bridge in the early afternoon but by then temperatures had risen enough that we had persistent rain which was gradually turning the snow into slush. I’d half-hoped to be able to get some pictures of local trains in the snow, but conditions were so bad all rail services through the Calder Valley were suspended, so there was nothing left to do but go for a pint and a warm in the Hogshead Brew House before slipping and sliding our way uphill to home. Water was running down the roads in torrents as the rain continued to melt the snow, making it an ‘interesting’ walk to say the least. Thankfully, there were few cars on the roads, which were a far safer place to walk than the slush-covered, treacherous pavements. Even so, we were soaked by the time we got home. The forecast had been for more heavy snow, but here, the difference in height by a few meters and temperature by one degree can make all the difference – which makes predicting the weather so difficult. I wouldn’t be the least surprised to find that snow’s falling just another 100-150 meters above where we live.
Now it’s time for a quiet night in. Dawn’s cooking a veggie Sunday dinner whilst I’m writing this. After which, it’s time to sort out and book for our next adventure, to somewhere far more exotic – and warm. Watch this space…
I’ve a small favour to ask… If you enjoy reading this or any of the other blogs I’ve written, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course – although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab! – but the revenue from them helps me to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site (which isn’t cheap and comes out of my own pocket). Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website – https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/
Today’s been a hanging around sort of day, but not in a bad way. We were up early as Dee had some shopping to do for her parents before the pair of us headed over the their home in Huddersfield where I whiled away a few hours editing more old pictures whilst Dawn went off too to do ‘girly’ things, like get her nails done. Afterwards, the four of us went out for lunch. We’d originally planned to head over the Pennines to Delph where there’s a lovey pub we frequent, but with the weather forecast warning of the potential for lots of snow arriving we hedged our bets and went somewhere more local. The weather has already been unkind to the area with the trans-pennine railway through the Colne valley closed due to flooding, so the last thing we wanted to do was get stranded.
We’d eaten at the nearby Olive Branch Inn (just outside Slaithwaite, on the Manchester Rd) for the first time just a few weeks ago and really enjoyed the food, so decided a revisit was on the cards. Having booked a table for 14:30 you can imagine our surprise to find we were the only customers in what’s normally a busy place. The young lady serving us said they’d had several cancellations due to people being put off by the threat of snow. Good for us, not so good for the restaurant. So, we had an excellent meal and the kitchen’s undivided attention!
Both Dawn and I opted for the same meal we’d had during our last visit – beef cheeks. It’s not a dish we’d seen before but the Olive Branch does it superbly. The meat is melt-in the mouth delicious! We’d certainly recommend it.
Beef cheek cooked for 4 hours, with button mushrooms, bacon, shallots and red wine sauce, served with creamy mash and brocolli.
Suitably stuffed and with one eye on the weather we dropped John and Norah back at their house before heading home ourselves. Now we’re relaxing in the warm (it’s Baltic outside), waiting to see what the weather may bring. The forecast keeps changing. Snow was meant to arrive around 21:00, now it’s 23:00. Here in the Pennines we’re meant to be getting between 20-40cm of the stuff, which is why we didn’t want to get caught earlier. Some of the cobbled hills around where we live are bad enough in the wet, add snow and ice and they can be lethal.
Still, I’ve had chance to add dozens of pictures to my Zenfolio website, including this one from a private visit to Toton depot in 2012.
In 2012 DB Schenker had started a ‘Super 60’ scheme, which involved rebuilding long-stored Class 60 locomotives, this included engines, traction motors, bogies, control gear, cabs and electrical systems. 60020 was one of the first batch. It’s seen here on the 7th September 2012, sat inside the depot waiting it’s turn for the work to begin.
I’ve a small favour to ask… If you enjoy reading this or any of the other blogs I’ve written, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course – although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab! – but the revenue from them helps me to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site (which isn’t cheap and comes out of my own pocket). Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website – https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/
One of my favorite authors (Douglas Adams) once wrote that time is an illusion – and lunchtime doubly so. Today’s one of those days when I wish his words were true because time has very much come around to bite me on the arse, for a couple of reasons. January 3rd is always a reflective day for me because back in 2013 it’s the day that my ex-wife chose to end her life. I’m not going to explain that one again as I blogged about it here. Lynn may no longer be with us but I’ve kept her memory alive here. Not just for me but for all her many friends.
What’s added to my reflection is that – with it being a new year – I’ve been trying to consolidate pictures from various different secure hard-drives in order to create space for a new year. That’s involved going back to the days when I first went digital in 2004. Yep, 21 years ago. Where’s the time gone? During that process I rediscovered many old pictures of life-long friends. Some of us have changed, others not. But time certainly isn’t an illusion, as my hairline attests to!
It’s the early morning of the 9th July 2004. I’ve just woken up on the Highland Sleeper North of Glasgow after having enjoyed a few whiskies in the bar car which I shared with various people including Jimmy Savile (yes, he felt as creepy then as we later found out he was). I was posing as I suspected this picture may get used in the article I was writing for RAIL magazine. Well, my body was still, the head still had the ‘whirlies’!
The question for the future is what pictures am I going to fill the remaining space on my hard-drives with (not that it’ll take long, I’ve a new 8TB drive on order). As well as editing/consolidating pictures the past couple of day have been spent looking at flights to various places beyond the reach of rail travel. So, where do I end up next, and for how long?
I’ve a small favour to ask… If you enjoy reading this or any of the other blogs I’ve written, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course – although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab! – but the revenue from them helps me to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site (which isn’t cheap and comes out of my own pocket). Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website – https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/
Whilst I’m optimistic about the new year I have to admit it’s started slowly. Neither of us were out carousing last night. In fact, we both fell asleep not long after welcoming each other into 2025! There’s been torrential rain across the North-West and Yorkshire overnight, so any thoughts of long walks were dashed when we watched the rain bounding off the bedroom window. Instead, we’ve had a home-based day, recharging the batteries in the expectation of a much better year ahead.
That’s not to say 2024 was awful, it had real highs and lows. Dawn look back at it more fondly than I do as the Platt family had some great times together, including celebrating her father, John’s 90th birthday. For me, it was rather more mixed. I certainly covered some ground, although that’s been mostly in the UK. I’ve added 1000s of pictures to my archives, carried out some amazing commissions with some incredible site visits and written dozens of magazine articles. I’ve also hit my own personal milestone by turning 65, although I’m still trying to work out where the hell the years have gone. My Fitbit stats tell the tale. Since I first bought one in 2017 records show I’d walk anything between 4.5 to 5.5 million steps in a year. 2024 has been a new record. I’ve hit 6,051.989. Maybe it’s time to slow down a little, especially now I’ve aggravated an old knee injury I picked up during my cycling commute days in London back in the 1990s.
That’s not going to stop me travelling of course. There’s a lot of places I want to see in the next few years, with (hopefully) the focus switching outside of the UK. Watch this space.
2024 was also a weird year for politics. The highlight was seeing the Tories swept from power in the British general election, bringing 14 years of awfulness to a close. Sadly, they did their best to salt the earth before they were kicked out, leaving the incoming Labour administration with an awful financial landscape and some tough choices, which haven’t been made any easier by an almost universally hostile media. You’d be forgiven for thinking their first 6 months in power have been a disaster, because that’s the message the media have been keen to push, rather than reporting factually and accurately on what’s been going on. Despite all the froth and daily dross from Reform, who pretend they’re really the opposition (despite only having 6 MPs) Labour have over 4 years until the next general election to come good. That stability shouldn’t be underestimated after the dramas of the Tory years.
Mind you, it’s not just the mainstream media that’s guilty of hysteria. 2024 saw social media become more and more poisonous thanks to the likes of Elon Musk’s Twitter (I refuse to pander to him and call it X) and the algorithms of Facebook and others which are pushing contentious content or unreliable and inaccurate AI nonsense. The old axiom of ‘put shit in, get shit out’ has never been more true. Even Google is pushing this nonsense, making it harder and harder to separate fact from fiction, truth from lies. No wonder so many of us are limiting our exposure to social media or switching platforms from the likes of Twitter to Bluesky.
This disinformation helped in propelling Donald Trump back into the American presidency, in what was undoubtedly the biggest political disaster of 2024. On the bright side, the cracks in his administration, (which hasn’t yet come to power) are already showing, infighting between his MAGA cronies and the likes of Musk are already in full swing, which could make 2025 a record market for popcorn sales…
Another potential bright spot on the horizon is the continuing collapse of Putin’s Russia, thanks to their massive and continuing human and material losses in Ukraine and defeat in Syria (the fall of Assad being another bright spot in 2024). I’m loathe to rely on crystal balls but I’ll be watching what goes on in Ukraine with interest. The Ukrainians are rewriting the book on warfare, whilst Russia is rapidly running out of old Soviet era equipment and increasingly relying on Iran (another country that got a kicking in Syria) and North Korea. I have to admit, I never had North Korean troops fighting in Russia on my 2025 bingo card…
So, despite everything, including the increasingly obvious impacts of climate change. I remain cautiously optimistic about prospects for 2025. Plus, I become a state pensioner this year, which is something to look forward to – sort of! After all, it’s not as if I have any choice in the matter and can turn the clock back, so I might as well embrace it!
Hopefully, I can keep you entertained with blogs about politics, travel, life, the universe and everything throughout 2025. In the meantime I hope you all have a fabulous year! In the meantime, here’s a link to my Zenfolio website which has had a huge picture update today. Look out for many more soon. Here’s a sample.
Siemens built ‘Desiro’ number 350237 stands at Stoke-on-Trent whilst working 2K81, the 16:45 Stafford to Crewe on the 30th December. The Class 350/2s are slowly being taken off-lease as they’re replaced by new Class 730 trains from Alstom.
I’ve a small favour to ask… If you enjoy reading this or any of the other blogs I’ve written, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course – although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab! – but the revenue from them helps me to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site (which isn’t cheap and comes out of my own pocket). Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website – https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/
Paul Bigland 