‘Tis only a short blog from me tonight as the wanderer has returned. After spending Christmas with her parents and brother plus his two teenage children Dawn has returned to God’s own country (as I’m reliably informed Yorkshire has to be called). I’ve been in a flurry of activity in anticipation, finishing of various DIY projects on the cottage, then giving the place a good clean and tidy-up to make the place seem as welcoming as possible and the homecoming relaxing. So, tonight I’m on cokking and everything else duty.
Fortunately, we’ve had an incredibly mild day, so I could fling open the windows and give the cottage a good airing to banish the smell of fresh paint and other fumes. Well, until this afternoon, when the weather everted to type and the rain returned. Thankfully, as we live high up on the side of the Calder Valley we get advance warning – as this picture taken from our bedroom window this afternoon shows.
Rain sweeps in from the West up the Calder valley and envelops Sowerby Bridge
Once the rain departed the gales arrived, making it a very blustery afternoon indeed – as I found out when I ventured to the shops to stock up on some post festive season provisions. At least the extra weight added a bit of ballast, which was sorely needed when I crested the hill at Spring Edge.
Back home I had time in between chores to admire the local birdlife which is thoroughly enjoying the Oats and cooked rice I’ve been leaving out for them. Today’s visitors included Magpies, Doves, Thrushes, Blackbirds and this feathered staple of Christmas cards.
Seen from my office window at the back of the house (with the aid of a 400mm lens), a Robin perches on our wall before scoffing more of the oats and rice I’ve been leaving out. Birds seem to love them and it’s a damn sight cheaper than commercial birdfeed.
Right, time to go. See you tomorrow…
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I’ve had another ‘Groundhog day’ here at Bigland Towers, mainly because the weather seems to be stuck on ‘rinse and repeat’! I woke up early this morning in order to carry on with various DIY bits but the weather was so gloomy and wet the day took many hours to catch up with me. Venturing out with the camera seems pointless when the visibility’s so bad, the rain so persistent and the wind so gusting. Instead, I’ve stayed home in the warm and dry to tick a few more jobs off the list of stuff that needs doing around the cottage. That said, there’s several outdoor jobs on the list but they’re going to have to wait. I’m not climbing ladders to clear out gutters in this! I had a much less windswept time wielding paintbrushes and replacing the flush on the toilet instead. Not exactly the rock and roll lifestyle but hey – I’m going travelling for a couple of months!
I dis have one moment of angst before setting off for my daily constitutional (fully suited and booted in full waterproofs, of course) when it came to sticking a second load of washing in the machine ready for when I got back. For some reason I couldn’t get the damn thing to work. A small, friendly door symbol kept flashing but I hadn’t a clue what it meant. I couldn’t find the manual for said machine so, after much muttering and swearing I went online and download a copy from the Bosch website (thank God for the internet). Several pages and many more minutes later I identified the problem. Earlier on I’d accidentally applied the bloody child lock – not a feature I’ve ever had to bother with, so I had no idea such a device existed!
Now I’m winding down for the day, sitting in the office and finishing off a few more slide scans whilst the smell of fresh paint permeates the cottage. Outside the wind is howling and the rain’s battering the front windows but as I don’t have to go anywhere I don’t care. Plus, I have wine…
Right, on to the picture of the day. I’ve chosen another from the series of new slide scans which were shot at Varanasi, India in 1998. This one I’ve titled ‘when east meets west’.
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/
Apologies for my absence these past couple of days, but Hey – it’s Christmas and I’ve given myself a couple of evenings off. Besides, you probably wouldn’t want to read post pub blogs and I wasn’t keen to write ’em!
Christmas day was a quiet one here at Bigland Towers due to the fact I was on my ‘Jack Jones’ as Dawn is down in Surrey with her family whilst I’m at home catching up on some DIY and various bits before I bugger off to Asia in January. The rail strikes put paid to any ideas that I might have had about days away but then so has the weather which has been extremely wet here in West Yorkshire. So even if I’d the wherewithal to get anywhere all that would’ve happened is I’d have got soaked. It was bad enough walking to and from the pub!
I wasn’t entirely ‘billy no mates’ on Christmas day as my local (The Big 6) was open between 12-3pm to provide sanctuary and a stress-free environment to Xmas refugees. No family arguments, no hyperactive children, just a few adults enjoying respite care! That feeling of normality (well, apart from the rash of Xmas jumpers of course ) was welcome and it was lovely to catch up with a few people before returning home to the paintbrushes.
Boxing day was not dissimilar as I popped back to the Big 6 in the evening for a ‘swifty’ after a day of DIY and also scanning some old slides. I’ve been very remiss on that front over the past few months. My good intention to have all my old slides scanned by the end of the year has gone out of the window as I’ve still several thousand to get through. Realistically, I’m not going to get them finished before 2024, but at least I’ve made small dent in them today. Otherwise it was a question of sitting and watching paint dry (no, really!).
Tomorrow’s meant to be yet another crap day weather-wise, but I’ve plenty to do indoors before Dawn gets back. Right now, I’ll leave you with pictures from the past few days.
Showers and rainbows across the Calder Valley on my stroll to the pub. Beer and convivial company in the Big 6 on Christmas dayHere’s one of today’s slide scans. Here’s the ghats on the river Ganges at Varanasi, on of the holy Hindu sites seen from out boat on the river at dawn one morning in February 1998. It really is a special place but sometimes difficult for Westerners to get to grips with as religion is part of everyday life (and death) here in a way it hasn’t been in much of Europe for a very long time.
It’s been a quiet Christmas Eve here at Bigland Towers. Dawn departed yesterday, heading down to Surrey with her folks to meet up with her Brother and his family for the annual Platt family get-together. This year I’ve stayed behind in order to do some work to the cottage before I head off to Asia so part of today’s been spent filling and sanding the back door in readiness for painting, a job that’ll keep me occupied tomorrow. It’s not your traditional Xmas I know, but I’ve never really been that big on such things. For many years I was either in Asia over the festive season or donning orange PPE to work on various Christmas holiday blockades for Network Rail. At least this holiday I’m allowed to have a drink!
I did take some time off to enjoy the sunny weather and stroll into Halifax for a mooch around. I have to admit the place is growing on me. I never really spent much time in the town when I first moved up here from London, but the town’s changed since those days. It’s become quite a vibrant place due to the fantastic restoration of the Piece Hall, along with the amount of micro-pubs that have opened. There’s still a good range of shops too, unlike nearby Huddersfield which feels very much in decline. Plus, there’s some wonderful architecture around town, making it an attractive place to explore. I keep meaning to have a day out with the camera to capture some of the details but never seem to get around to it. Today I left the camera bag at home, which made it really feel like a holiday!
I wasn’t the only one in the holiday spirit as the town centre was really busy with many of the pubs, bars and cafes doing a good business, which was good to see. I popped into the lovely Victorian craft beer cafe for a pint and spot of people-watching before walking back for a quiet night at home and chance to catch up on paperwork and chores before breaking out the Christmas cheese stash and opening a bottle of good red wine, which I intend to enjoy with a movie.
So, whatever you’re doing dear reader, let me wish you all the best for the festive season.
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/
A short blog from me today, mainly because I’ve not been up to anything existing and I can’t be bothered trying to dress up the mundane with wordplay!
The weather’s been as gloomy as a post-brexit economic forecast – but I won’t go there tonight, honest! I’ve not been able to see the valley tops all day and tonight the weather’s closed in even more. I went out to do some shopping in the late afternoon and by the time I climbed up the valley side from Sowerby Bridge I was in the cloud line where the visibility would have been akin to one of the old London ‘pea-souper’ fogs. I half expected to see ‘Dixon of Dock Green’ come strolling towards me out of the murk to recite his iconic “Evening all”.
With the weather as it is I suffered a severe disinclination to venture anywhere else and enjoyed the rest of the evening at home on cooking duty, rustling up a new batch of Thai Green curry for tonight’s meal (and the freezer) whilst Dawn’s out making the final preparations for heading South for Christmas, taking her folks (and a friends dog) to Surrey for the annual family bash. This year I’m staying behind as I’ve work I want to do to the cottage before I fly out to Asia for a few months in the New Year.
Tempting as it was to post another food picture, I’ve decided you can have too much of a good thing. Instead, here’s a picture from the Hindi festival of Thaipusam. I *should* be back in Malaysia for this as this year it’s on February 5th. I last experienced it in 2009. It’s been banned in India due to the nature of sacrifice/penance people put themselves through, but it’s still a big event elsewhere. If you’re of a squeamish nature – look away now…
Four hours after leaving the temple in Little India, this pilgrim (who has pulled a chariot attached to his body by hooks) arrives at the The Nattukkottai Chettiar Temple. And yes, that ARE a real metal rods all the way through his cheeks and his tongue. (you should have seen the hooks in his back, but that’s another picture)..
If you want to see more pictures from Thaipusam, just follow this link.
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 another ‘confined to barracks’ day. Well, if you count the barracks as being a radius of a mile from home! Admittedly, much of the day’s been spent catching up on picture editing and paperwork, but I did have a stroll into Halifax to do some shopping for various DIY supplies I need for some of the projects I’ve planned for the Christmas period whilst I have the house to myself.
Halifax was busy with other folks shopping too but most of them were after stuff with a far more festive feel than the goods I was interested in. However, I did pop into the Sainsbury’s supermarket as they’re the sole stockists of a very nice low alcohol beer (an IPA) which I wanted to stock up on. The place was jam-packed with people shopping as if they were stocking up ahead of the Zombie Apocalypse! Clearly, some people either have a decent disposable income, or their credit cards are taking a beating…
The centre of town was equally busy, except for the empty shops of course – and the wonderful Victorian Halifax borough market, where a number of stalls had already shut up shop even though it was only mid-afternoon. But the one I was interested in was still trading – and had a queue – Thai Corner, where you can buy a wonderous Northern Thai/Laoation noodle dish called Kow Soi, something you rarely find on Thai restaurant menus. It’s a rich curry soup topped off with fried noodles and it’s delicious!
Having struck the final item off my shopping list I walked home under sunny skies to carry out one last chore before retreating to the office. I’ve been keeping our feathered friends fed and watered over the winter and gained a lot of pleasure from watching their activities outside the office window. I’ve discovered on food that’s very popular with some of the larger birds like Thrushes, Blackbirds and Magpies – oats. We’d been given a large bag of organic oats but found they were hopeless for making porage in the microwave, unlike ordinary oats. They take a bloody age and just don’t work right. I didn’t want to bin them, so the other week I tried putting them out for the birds and found that they (if you’ll pardon the pun) almost flew off the shed roof! So, when I got home I added another pile, along with some old cooked rice, peanuts and a few seeds. I see it as karmic payback for the decimation of the local bird population our old cat (Jet) carried out in his younger days – when nothing was too big for him to tackle and drag in through the catflap. We still miss him – even if the local wildlife has breathed a sigh of relief!
So, today’s picture is of a bowl of vegetarian Kow Soi I ate in Chiang Mai, Thailand when I visited in February 2011.
Bon appetit!
You can find many more pictures from that particular trip to Thailand (both rail and travel images) in this gallery on my Zenfolio website.
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/
We’ve another warm, foggy and wet morning here in the Calder valley, but I’m hoping to avoid a soaking as I was down to Sowerby Bridge station to head off to Southport for the day. I’m looking forward to having a day away from the valley and enjoy some coastal air. Let’s see how the trip goes…
Having strolled down to Sowerby Bridge under clearing skies I’ve discovered my train to Manchester is 7 mins late. It’s no big deal as I won’t miss my connection, it’s just frustrating!
Eventually, a vintage Class 158 working the Leeds – Brighouse – Walkden – Wigan Wallgate route arrived. I’m not complaining. It’s warm and cosy with USB sockets to keep my phone charged up.
The day begins…
This 3-car service isn’t particularly busy but we’re an all stations stopper as far as Rochdale so it’ll soon fill up.
En-route I couldn’t help but play a couple of songs by Terry Hall of the Specials and Fun Boy Three. He’s died at the age of 63 (my age). I’ve always been a lover of his music as he was another who helped provide the soundtrack to my life. Two songs especially stick in my mind, ‘Our lips are sealed’ is one but the tune that really resonates is ‘Ghost town‘, written by Jerry Dammers back in 1981. It summed up the turmoil and troubles of the Thatcher years with recession and racism rife. Troubles that (until recently) we thought we’d seen the back of – but now both are making a return. Now I can see the reflections of those years in the shuttered shops I pass in towns and cities up and down the country – and that I’m sure I’ll be seeing later.
09:40.
Right now we’ve crossed over the border into Lancashire to call at Smithy Bridge. As expected, the train’s very busy now. Dozens boarded at Littleborough and I’m expecting us to be almost full and standing after our next stop – Rochdale.
09:44.
We’ve departed from Rochdale. I gave up my table seat to stand and observe and – as I expected – we’re now full and standing.
10:20.
I’m now on my way to Southport aboard one of Northern’s bi-mode (25kv and diesel) Class 769s after a game of ‘guess the platform’ at Manchester Victoria where two of the four through platforms were blocked by cold and dead TPE class 185s. It seems TPE are having another torrid day. I’ll find out details when I can. As that TOC puts a lot of trains through the station nowadays they bugger-up Northern services when things go wrong – which is frequently!
TPE using half of Victoria’s through platforms as stabling!
Of course, this wouldn’t have been an issue before BR vastly reduced the size of the station in the 1990s and destroyed its capacity, a decision that’s come back to haunt us in the 21st century.
11:00.
I’m West of Wigan now, about to cross the West Lancashire plain to get to Southport. My 319 successfully changed from electric to diesel power at Bolton. Now it’s spending the rest of the trip trying to shake itself to bits! I’m in toilet car 71805 where there’s a reaonance effect that’s rattling the hell out of the luggage rack above me. The hopper windows aren’t liking it either. A couple of them have popped open of their own accord! Part of the problem is the rack on my side of the train isn’t braced – unlike the adjacent one.
The poles make all the difference…
At Southport the Merseyrail side of the station boasted trains old and new. The BR built Class 507-508 fleets are still in charge of all passenger services but the future is stabled in the sidings…
Wi
16:00.
My flying visit to Southport’s come to an end earlier than expected due to my Sister being unwell. I still managed to have lunch with my Niece (Charlotte) and her husband (Ade) – even though he could only join us for his lunch-break from work! Charlotte and I both share the same ‘itchy feet’ travel gene and the three of us will next be meeting up in SE-Asia in January. Co-ordinating the trip was one of the reasons for my visit as it’s part of the world I know really well, along with the logistics of travel. The rendezvous is being made all the more challenging as they fly into Bangkok a few days before I fly into Singapore but that’s only 887 miles difference compared to 7,000 – and you can do it overland! Another thing that Charlotte and I share is a love of Asian food so I’m looking forward to introducing her to some of the Malaysian cuisines – including Nonya food.
There was no reason for me to hang around afterwards, so I’ve caught another bi-mode Class 319 Eastwards. I sat in exactly the same place as the last unit, just to see if the vibration problem happened again. It did, but nowhere near as bad.
769456 works the 15:05 from Southport to Manchester Oxford Rd. Seen at Wigan Wallgate where I bailed out.
Now I’ve stopped off in Wigan for a quick pint in Wigan Central to let the light change so I can do some night-time photography. Well, that’s my excuse – and I’m sticking to it!
17:00.
Oh, bugger…
19:45.
Despite the cancellations I made it back to Manchester’s Deansgate station then wandered across the city centre, getting a few pictures en-route before stopping off for a pint and a spot of people-watching. It’s the Xmas party season but even so – the city seems far more subdued than previous years. This impression was reinforced by the number of almost empty restaurants I passed. Clearly, the amount of money in circulation isn’t what it was which is hardly surprising considering what’s going on in the country right now. If you’re striking for more pay (and many are) you’re hardly going to be blowing what money you have left.
I’m now ln the 19:23 from Victoria to Leeds. It’s yet another busy train but there’s little revelry on the train. Most folk seem to be returning from work or coming home for Christmas ahead of the next round of rail strikes.
21:30.
Home again (naturally). Time for some good food and chance to relax before another busy day tomorrow.
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/
The weather really can’t seem to make its mind up at the moment. After enduring a freeing cold and snowy one this week has done a volte face with the mercury here in the Calder valley hitting 12 degrees, double the average for this time of year. The heat brought rain and strong winds with and also saw off the black ice that’s plagued us the past few days. It’s been so nice we had many of the windows open to give the cottage an airing – until the rain arrived!
Weather apart the pair of us have spent the day working from home. I’ve been having a tidy-up and clear-out whilst simultaneously prepping more old railway memorabilia to put up for sale on eBay. The present sale ends in under 24 hours, so you’ve still time to bid for what’s on offer by following this link. I’ll be adding more later this week and running a couple more sales before the end of the year.
Tomorrow I’m back on the rails as I’m heading over to Southport to meet up with some of my family during a flying visit. I’m looking forward to getting to travel by train again – and hope to get a few library shots on the way, so expect a rolling blog tomorrow as I sample the Xmas build-up on a network that will be shutting down all too soon, to the inconvenience of many. My Christmas party season’s been canned due to the strikes so tomorrow’s little jaunt will be a bit of light relief before I become trapped back in the Calder valley over the Xmas break. I’m not complaining as I’ve a huge amount of things to keep me occupied and the cottage is well-stocked with comestibles – and several bottles of decent red wine!
Right, time to go. I’ll leave you with this image as picture of the day which is from Southport, taken in October 2012 and showing two of the things it’s most famous for. The pier and the sea (which, according to the old jokes) never seems to come in!
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/
It’s been a miserable day weather-wise here at Bigland Towers. Whilst having a lazy Sunday is no bad thing there’s been little incentive to venture far. Whilst the snows have (mostly) been washed away as the temperature has crept far enough up the scale to allow perpetual rain, conditions underfoot have been bloody awful. Earlier this afternoon I decided to head out this afternoon to pick up some foodstuffs, plus salt – in order to stop our front steps turning into a trip hazard. Heading up the cobbled hill behind the house made me realise just how hazardous conditions were – despite the rain. Black ice was everywhere, so climbing the hill then descending the other side was ‘interesting’ to say the least. I didn’t pass many other folk on foot – just a couple of hardy dog-walkers. All of us swapped tips about which bits of road or pavement to avoid. En-route I passed a couple of people learning to drive. I couldn’t work out if this was good training or utter madness!
Having made it to the shops safely I decided to take the long way home that avoided the cobbled hill. I had to traverse some local woods instead but figured conditions underfoot would be less treacherous. It was a wise decision. Plus, I managed to avoid some of the Yorkshire stone pavements. They may look pretty but give me tarmac any day as the stone turns into skating rinks at the first sign of moisture – never mind ice. Looking at conditions I suspect the Royal Calderdale A&E department will be working at full tilt tonight.
Now I’m back in the warm. Dawn’s busy wrapping presents to take with her down to the family Christmas in Surrey whilst I’ve been ordering DIY supplies on the internet as I’ll be using the Xmas interregnum to do work to the cottage whilst I’m the only occupant. I’m glad ordering was so easy as earlier today I downloaded Windows 11 to update my computer. Installing a new Operating System’s always an anxious time but it went without a hitch. Well, as far as I can tell anyway. Unlike previous OS changes all my major programmes and plug-ins work and the only worry I have is learning how to navigate through the new buttons. Time will tell…
The weather is due to be crap again tomorrow, so it looks like another day in the office for me but Tuesday should see me venturing over to Southport to catch up with my family before Christmas (in-between rail strikes). Right now, I’ll leave you with the picture of the day which is a look over the Calder Valley after slipping and sliding up that bloody hill! Thanks to the Yorkshire weather you never know what you’re going to see (mainly because a lot of the time you can see bugger-all). Today, it lived up to the old adage. It’s grim up North…
Play the brass band music of your choice…
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/
OK, this is a day late, but what the hell – I was busy!
Yesterday Dawn had to pop over to nearby Ossett, a town I’d never visited before so I tagged along to keep her company and enjoy the chance to explore. I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised by what I found.
Nestling on the side of the valley above the old Healy Mills railway marshalling yard, Ossett’s a small market town of 21,000 people. The town’s wealth was built on wool and coal although the former industry is long gone whilst the latter survives in vastly shrunken form. Nowadays the towns prosperity comes from its proximity to Leeds. Also long-gone is the town’s railway which closed in 1964. That’s why I’ve never had a reason to visit, until today!
Whilst Dawn went to her appointment I had a mooch around town. The main square’s been pedestrianised, as has the nearby portion of Station Rd. This has created an attractive area in the shadow of the Town Hall which is where the market’s held on Tuesdays and Fridays. I really enjoyed the market. Unlike many which survive by selling all sorts of plastic tat and cheap clothing, Ossett has some very good stall. There were a couple of fruit and veg stalls with a mix of local and imported produce at extremely good prices. Two vans were on site, one selling cuts of meat and the other fresh fish, whilst there were a number of other stalls selling bakery goods, including humongous bread rolls, fruit teacakes, pies and desserts. Oh, and an excellent cheese stall! I ended up spending quite a bit of money stocking up on various bits from several stalls – and stocked up my Xmas cheeseboard at the same time.
Stalls in the market Square which is surrounded by some lovely old buildings which don’t overpower. The one to the left is a former bank which now houses a pottery and arts cafe on the ground floor. Quality local produce.“This much Sir”? Measuring out a cut of cheese at the excellent cheese stall.A close-up of some of the delicious cheese on offer.
Sadly, the town hall (which would have looked lovely bathed in the winter sunshine that blessed our visit) was swathed in scaffolding as it’s currently being refurbished. I did pop in to have a look as it contains several bric a brac stalls on market day but there was nothing that struck my fancy.
Inside the town hall.
However, behind the Town Hall, in what looks like a 1960s shopping complex I found something that did appeal. The Bier Huis. Their small shop front hides an Aladdin’s cave of UK and foreign bottled beers as well as a counter-bar selling draught real ales plus a couple of tables where you can sit whilst you enjoy them. I couldn’t resist buying some bottles of German and Belgian beers that I’d never tried before, plus an old favourite (Zot, from Brugge). added to the cheese I’d purchased earlier they made a great Xmas present to myself!
Choices, choices…
Like the Beer Huis, Ossett has many local and independent shops which make it stand out from the crowd. One gets fed up of identikit town centres dominated by the same chains and charity shops. Ossett made a refreshing change and, whilst there are some empty shops, there’s not anywhere as many as you find in the likes of Huddersfield, where we drove back to afterwards as Dee had to return to work. I had journey onward to Halifax which wasn’t easy due to the rail strike. Instead of the usual train I headed over to the bus station to wait for what should be a frequent (every 15 mins) service between the two towns. The place was busy – but not with buses. I had to wait 45 mins before a double-decker arrived. My only consolation was that I had a bag full of cheese and beer and wasn’t waiting at some God-forsaken stop in the middle of nowhere! Despite this, I really enjoyed getting out and about again. The day was rounded off by Dawn catching up with me again in our local pub where we net up with friends whilst enjoying a few beers and testing our knowledge using the quiz from the local pub paper. Not a bad day at all…
I’m looking forward to a return to Ossett market in the near future. Only this time I’ll be bringing more cash and a bigger shopping bag as there’s some real bargains to be had on that market.
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 