Back at home after a busy couple of days in London, I’ve dropped down a couple of gears. Much of today has been spent with my feet up as I begin the process of editing the hundreds of pictures that I’ve taken. The weather’s been rather cooler than in the capital, which is welcome, although temperatures are due to ramp up over the next few days. Just in time for the hosepipe ban which Yorkshire water are imposing from Friday. It’s hardly surprising. We’ve only had 15cm of rainfall between February and June, leaving reservoirs at 56 per cent capacity as opposed to the normal level of 82 per cent. Ah well, carrying watering cans full of greywater up and down the terraces at the back of the cottage will keep me fit! I’ve no idea how long the ban will last, but with this dry spell set to continue I can’t imagine the ban being lifted anytime soon.
Tomorrow I’ll be continuing in the same vein as today, although I expect to be a bit more active now that I’ve rested. Even so, there’s a lot of photos to edit and caption, along with preparations for my next RAIL magazine article. Right now I’m going to leave you with today’s picture, which was taken in Lewisham yesterday. I’ve mentioned how the area has become a mini ‘New York’ due to the rapid development and expansion of high-rise accommodation. Architecturally, some of it is rather colourful and pleasing. These aren’t the bland concrete monoliths that we threw up in the 1970s, they’re actually rather attractive. However, I can’t vouch for the build quality or what they’re like to live in.
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Paul Bigland 
I read that there is a plan to increase the passenger capacity at St Pancras station. I’d like to have your opinion on this. Is it likely that these changes could be implemented before the proposed completion of the Old Oak Common to Euston link. If so wouldn’t this present an opportunity for train companies to offer better links from Scotland and Yorkshire to St Pancras, with connecting services to HS1, thereby stealing a march on the HS2 operators. Would it be possible to run new trains from Birmingham, the East Midlands and south Yorkshire to St Pancras station. Thank you.