Category Archives: Calder Valley

Mytholmroyd station building. A look inside…

06 Friday Sep 2019

Posted by in Calder Valley, Community rail, History, Mytholmroyd, Railways, West Yorkshire

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I’ve been meaning to blog about this for ages but never had the time. Today’s miserable weather’s put a damper on other photographic activities as it’s chucking it down here in the Calder Valley so I’ve finally found the opportunity.

Some of you may have noticed the old station building at Mytholmroyd as you passed by on the train. It’s on West end of the Leeds bound platform. What you may not have appreciated from the train is just how big a building it is! Here’s how it looked from the platforms in April 2015.

Here’s a recent view showing what it looks like from ground level. In effect it’s two buildings. The back part of the building (to the left of the drainpipe) was the stationmasters residence. The public part of the building is to the right of the drainpipe.

It’s spread over three-floors and there’s a warren of rooms inside. Built in 1871 by the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway, it was given a grade 2 listing back in 1984 when it was closed by British Rail. It’s been derelict for over 30 years but the friends of Mytholmroyd station have been trying to get it reopened as a community space and waiting rooms ever since 2007. It was a long process as the building is owned by Network Rail. In 2015 the station building was specifically included in the successful Arriva North Franchise Agreement, which stated that (no later than 2025) the franchise shall ” redevelop for social use redundant or under- utilised buildings at stations including Mytholmroyd and Cottingham”.

With that commitment agreed, negotiations continued with various interested parties, including the Railway Heritage Trust. The original group of station volunteers was joined by representatives from the local community and a Northern Rail director; and an application for Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO)  was granted in September 2017.

The negotiations culminated in work commencing in March 2018 by Network Rail contractors CPMS who removed asbestos and made the building safe in preparation to repoint and plaster parts of the interior. Local interior designers JSB Ltd assisted with the restoration of the original woodwork, fireplaces and windows.

Northern Rail is planning to include the building within their (operational) station lease from Network Rail. The Station Partnership and CIO would have a licence from Northern – with no responsibility for building maintenance etc.

Northern are planning a public Waiting Room and toilet on the second floor with access from the station platform. They would welcome suggestions for a small trading outlet within the building that would be relevant for rail passengers and be suitable for the general community/social use concept.

Northern envisage that the operation of the building will be through a Management Board consisting of themselves, the Station Partnership together with the CIO and users / tenant(s).

Proposals include –

Second Floor – step-free access from the station platform. Welfare accommodation for Northern Rail staff. A General Waiting Room – which may include an Art Gallery and station history display. Toilet. Rooms for Railway Education project.

First floor – steps only access. Studios for local artists and office/meeting room for Station Partnership, the CIO and the building Management Board.

Ground floor – step-free access. Flexible use which could include a small trading unit, a Reading Café incorporation of a library, meeting/conference facilities including a small catering area. Secure storage area for the Station Partnership equipment including an accessible water supply.

In March 2019 the first phase of the restoration of the building was complete. In May I was lucky enough to be invited along to have a look inside. Here’s what we saw.

The tour group gather in the booking hall on the ground floor as Geoff Mitchell from the station friends group gives us a run-down on what’s been happening with the building.
Looking behind me from the last picture. The wooden structure to the right is the old ticket office. Note the original stone steps leading to the second floor. The restoration work has been done to a very high standard.
Here’s the original ticket office desk which was still in-situ. It’s been cleaned and restored.
Climbing the stairs from the ground floor.
One of the top-floor rooms that have a doorway out onto the platform. This one is on the street side of the building. You can see the way it’s changed uses over the years.
Looking to the right of the previous pictures you can see through to the other top-floor room that opens out onto the platform. Some of the original plasterwork and paint colours remain.
One of the top-floor stone fireplaces that have been lovingly restored.
Another of the fireplaces. None of us could work out what the wooden framework above had been used for.
One of the rooms in the old Stationmaster’s residence.
One of the winding staircases in the old stationmaster’s residence. This side of the building had been abandoned since the last stationmaster had departed.
Shadows and light on exposed brickwork.
The ground floor of the old stationmasters side of the building had been altered over the years with one of the walls having been taken out to give access to the exterior hoist up to the Leeds bound platform. Thousands of chickens were shipped through here in the days of the railways being a general carrier. A goods train would pull up at the platform and boxes of chickens would be loaded straight onto it. Now the lift has gone and the doorway’s been bricked up as part of the restoration.
A view taken from the yard outside where the lift used to be. The quality of the restoration work is evident.
Another relic that remained on the premises. The station safe!

Rolling blog: Time keeps on slippin, slippin…

26 Monday Aug 2019

Posted by in Calder Valley, Rolling blogs, Sowerby Bridge, Travel, West Yorkshire

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13:20.

Despite it being a bank holiday there no rest for us freelancers. I was up first thing to get a few dozen pictures collated and sent to a client for an article on the 10th anniversary of the closure of the Oldham loop heavy rail line which is now a very successful part of the Manchester Metrolink. Here’s how things used to look like in Oldham back in 2009, when the railway station was seperated from the town centre by a busy dual carriageway.

Here’s how it looks now, with trams running directly into the town centre.

I’ve also uploaded another selection of pictures to my Zenfolio website, you can find which galleries have been updated by following this link.

Now it’s time to get into holiday mode and visit the Wainhouse Tower, a local landmark which is only open to the public on special occasions. Today’s an ideal day to climb to the top as the weather’s superb. I’ll post some pictures later…

15:12.

Phew! 369 steps (without stopping) later, these were the views that greeted me today..

19:05.

What a fabulous bank holiday. After the Wainhouse Tower adventure we headed across the other side of the Calder Valley for a stroll on Norland Moor. Conditions couldn’t have been better, there was hardly any wind and the views were sublime.

After a very pleasant amble we dropped onto the nearby Moorcock Inn for a drink. They’d obviously had a busy bank holiday with two special barbecues on today and yesterday. By the time we got there they’d already sold out which wasn’t a problem for us as we’d intended to eat at home, but it was lovely to soak up the atmosphere and see so many folk enjoying themselves.

We stayed long enough for a pint, then headed back across to ‘our side’ of the valley and popped into our local for one last drink before heading home. The ‘Big 6’ beer garden was doing a roaring trade but the rooms inside looked like someone has declared a curfew! Mind you, the selection of real ales was rather impressive.

Now we’re back at home and pretending we’re in the Mediterranean by grilling Sardines on throwaway barbecue in the front garden. Let’s face it folks, this is West Yorkshire, anything more permanent would rust away before being used half a dozen times!

Rolling blog: A sunny Sunday in the Calder valley…

25 Sunday Aug 2019

Posted by in Calder Valley, Rail Investment, Railways, Rolling blogs, West Yorkshire

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14:30.

After yesterday’s fun afloat we’re very much back on terra firma today, ready to soak up the sunshine in the Calder Valley and stretch our legs by taking a stroll up to the Moorcock Inn on Norland moor.

I’ve spent most of the day catching up on editing pictures from the past few days travels and updating yesterday’s less then ‘rolling’ blog! Here’s a couple of examples of the shots I’ve already added to my Zenfolio website.

The new order at Newton Heath depot in Manchester. More and more of the CAF built Class 195s are entering service, although the driver training programme remains a challenge. In the background can be seen the steelwork for the new shed that will be dedicated to maintaining the CAF units.
The old order is beginning to disappear. Here’s Pacers 142036 and 142048 approaching Ashton Under Lyne whilst working a Manchester Victoria to Stalybridge service. This line’s been heavily rebuilt to cater for the (delayed) electrification. Much of the track’s been renewed and junctions replaced. In the background is one of the many bridges that have had to be rebuilt to provide sufficient clearance for the overhead wires.

20:30.

OK, not everything went to plan today. Both Dawn and I were so heavily caught up in chores that by the time we left the house there was no way we were going to make it up to the Moorcock. Instead, we had a leisurely walk down to the foot of the valley and strolled along the Calder and Hebble navigation (aka ‘the canal’) into Sowerby Bridge. The weather was absolutely stunning, the sort that you really don’t normally associate with Bank-Holiday’s in the UK. The ‘bridge’ was buzzing, the town’s blessed with a number of pubs with beer gardens and I suspect every one was full. Here’s a look at how it was down by the canal.


Papers and pictures everywhere!

30 Tuesday Jul 2019

Posted by in Calder Valley, Musings, West Yorkshire

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13:45.

I’m having another rare day at home trying to keep on top of admin’ whilst not going stir crazy. The day’s been productive so far with several things ticked off the list and with more to come, plus another tranche of pictures added to my Zenfolio website which you can find here. Right now, I’ve nipped out to do some shopping and get some exercise whilst spending a moment enjoying the view across the valley whilst the sun shines and the thunderstorms build up. We’ve had one brief crack of thunder earlier but the skies are certainly changing now. A phalanx of dark clouds is moving in from the East, whilst the higher, lighter cloud is in full retreat whilst the sun’s caught (high up) between the warring factions. As if acting as an out-runner, the wind’s sprung up to ruffle the trees in Scarr woods.

Looking West towards Sowerby Bridge and on to Manchester

Looking the other way and the thunderstorms are gathering…

Then the skies got darker, and darker and…

21:15.

We’ve had quite a storm! The thunder and lightning passed over pretty quickly, but they left behind a series of heavy showers in their wake which have passed through in a succession for the rest of the day. I’m quite glad I’ve not had to go out tonight and I’m holed up in the dry as it’s a filthy night. It’s given me the excuse to catch up on more paperwork and prepare for another day out on the rails judging the ACoRP awards tomorrow – although I’m not sure how we’ll fare weather-wise. We’ve five stations to visit across the North-West and Cumbria tomorrow, so I expect to get soaked at some point!  It’s going to be a busy week as this will be my only one at home, the rest of the week’s taken up with judging and travelling. Not that I’m complaining you understand, we’ve got some fantastic stations and friends groups to visit. Here’s a look at one station from yesterday as an example. This is Bingley on the electrified Aire valley line from Leeds through to Skipton. It was built by the Midland railway in 1892 to replace the original station further East and it’s a fine example of the work of Charles Trubshaw, one of the Midland’s architects.

DG329693. 333011. Bingley. 29.7.19.crop

A Northern Class 333 EMU calls at Bingley on it’s way back to Leeds. 

DG329705. Station frontage. Bingley. 29.7.19.crop

The main station buildings at street level. Sadly, the classic glazed MR canopies that graced the building were hit by a bus many years ago and removed as a consequence. Both shops/offices that you can see here are currently vacant and available for letting. 

Thankfully the weather was a lot better yesterday and the local station friends were keen to show us what they’d been up to and what their future plans were. I can only hope we get some more good weather like this over the next few days, although I’m not holding my breath! I’ll be doing a rolling blog throughout the day (judging permitting) but don’t expect to learn too much about what the varied groups we visit have been up to. That will be saved for the ACoRP awards later in the year!

Right now it’s time to call it a day and get all my kit cleaned and charged up ready for a busy few days. See you tomorrow.

 

Rolling blog: The judging continues…

29 Monday Jul 2019

Posted by in ACoRP, Calder Valley, Flooding, Mytholmroyd, Northern Rail, Railways, Rolling blogs, Transport, Weather, Yorkshire

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07:49.

I’m on the rails again. This time judging three stations across Yorkshire for the ACoRP awards. After the fun and games we had last week because of the heat, today could be problematic for a different reason. We’ve had torrential rain overnight and there’s more to come. When I walked down to Sowerby Bridge station this morning I did so along roads that were full of debris washed down from some of the steeper roads, which had been transformed into waterfalls. Crossing the river Calder I could see it was way above it’s normal level, although nowhere near its worst. In 2015 it was so high it flooded the lower level of the building you can see to the left of this picture.

Arriving at the station I walked straight on to a very late running 07:00 to Leeds, which was 41 minutes down after being delayed in the Walsden area due to flooding. This is a regular occurrence in the area due to a stream that runs under the line just by the station.

08:58.

I’m now waiting for the 08:48 from Leeds to Hull which is being delayed by flooding in the Stalybridge area. It’s currently 12 minutes kate, putting our 15 mins connection in peril. Not a good start to the day!

10:39.

We were meant to be at Driffield on the Yorkshire coast line 10 mins ago but we did miss our connection in Hull as we were 27 mins late. We’re now on the following service, leaving us 30 mins down. Luckily(due to the vagaries of the service) we’ll still have plenty of time to do our tour.

12:00.

First visit done, we’re now heading back to Hull from Driffield. Here’s a historic picture displayed on the station. It shows WW1 soldiers on the same spot we were stood, ready to go off to a war many of them never returned from

Driffield’s rather attractive. Here’s the old canal basin which is just 3 mins walk from the station

16:15.

The weather’s changed and I’m rather overdressed for the rapid rise in temperature now the sun’s appeared! We’ve left Bingley and headed into Bradford and walked across the city from Forater Sq to Interchange. There’s still residual delays, which means we’ll arrive in Mytholmroyd at the right time – just on the wrong train!

18:19.

The day’s done and I’m back at Sowerby Bridge, having a celebratory pint outside the Jubilee Refreshment rooms on the station before walking home. It’s a beautiful evening and such a contrast to this morning!

Rolling blog: A night out in Liverpool…

27 Saturday Jul 2019

Posted by in Calder Valley, Liverpool, Northern Rail, Railways, Rolling blogs, Transport, Travel

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15:51.

It’s slightly later than planned due to circumstances beyond my control, but I’m leaving a wet and miserable Calder Valley behind for a night out with friends in Liverpool. Dawn, plus Fran and Aubrey are already there and I’m catching up. Due to timings it’s not the speediest of journeys as it involves several changes of train, which is why I’m typing this now on the platform of Hebden Bridge station after arriving from Sowerby Bridge on a Blackpool service. Still, it could be worse. In the background I can hear a band playing. I’m assuming there’s an open air gig in the nearby park, which must be well soggy! I’m glad I’m not there – even tho’ the forecast for Liverpool’s no better. I’m off to see some bands too – but in a drier place. Our friends love Liverpool and have persuaded us to join them in seeing a Beatles tribute act in the resurrected ‘Cavern Club’. I’ve fond memories of the area in the 1970s when a club across the road called ‘Eric’s’ was in business. You’d get a real mix of bands in those days, from punk to old hippy bands like ‘Gong’.

We’ve booked a hotel just round the corner as we’re making the most of the weekend. All I need now is for this train to turn up…

16:33.

A single Northern Class 156 turned up (almost) on time at 16:07 to ferry me across the Pennines, we’re just about to arrive in Victoria now. My fellow passengers consist of families returning home after a day out and younger folk heading out for a night in the cities clubs and pubs – although there’s not that many of them as it’s too early!

17:07.

Victoria was an even more surreal experience than on a normal Saturday due to the number of young women and girls dressed as cats or book and film characters. I spotted ‘Wonder Woman’ and Rapunzel, amongst others. I’m assuming that some event’son rather than this being some bizarre co-incidence!Whilst I was waiting for the liverpool service a pair of ex-West Midlands trains Class 150s put in an appearance on a StalyVegas – sorry, Stalybridge service.

I’m currently on a TPE 185 to Lime St. It’s another train carrying a mix of families and revellers enjoying different Saturday experiences.

20:08.

No time for blogging right now, there’s too much going on! Our night out has coincided with Liverpool gay pride and the city is absolutely buzzing!

Postscript.

We had a fab night listening to songs from the ‘fab 4’ which brought back a huge amount of happy memories as well as one or two sad ones. The Cavern was far better than I expected. It could have been touristy and tacky but it was anything but. Yes, there were plenty of tourists but they were there because they loved the Beatles music. It made for a great atmosphere.

Sowerby sojourn.

20 Saturday Jul 2019

Posted by in Calder Valley, Food and drink, Musings, Sowerby Bridge, Travel, West Yorkshire

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Well, the apocalyptic weather forecasts of heavy rain were rather wide of the mark. Apart from a morning of drizzle, we’ve had a dry day. The skies are still threatening and from our bedroom window I’ve seen the odd shower across the valley but the wind’s so strong that nothing hangs around for very long. Because of this I’ve been able to take breaks from editing pictures and staring at screens to enjoy a couple of long walks through our local woods to get some exercise, burning off some calories before we go out for a meal with friends tonight.

Right now I’m taking a break on the promenade high above the valley to enjoy the views and watch the clouds roll by. I do enjoy coming up here because you can see for miles, as you can see from this picture looking down over Sowerby Bridge.

I can understand why the painter Ashley Jackson likes Yorkshire so much, the weather and the light’s constantly changing. Here’s the view nearby yesterday.

As I sit here now I can see sunlight and shadows constantly scudding across the fields, creating a myriad of patterns, most of which are gone in an instant.

It’s a glorious escape from the political insanity that’s engulfed us. But, like all escapes, it’s only temporary…

16:15.

I can’t believe it’s the same day! Right now I’m sunning myself in the front garden and getting a tan! The weather’s changed completely – as it so often does in this part of the world.

The wind’s still playing havoc with the plants, so I’ve had to repot a couple of the sunflowers to stop them blowing over, but it’s glorious to bask like a lizard for a little while before getting dressed up for dinner.

The changing face of rail in the Calder Valley

13 Saturday Jul 2019

Posted by in Calder Valley, Northern Rail, Uncategorized

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The new Northern Rail trains have been in a long time in the pipeline and their introduction’s been delayed by six months, but this weekend the new CAF built Class 195s have actually arrived – even if it is on text runs. On Saturday and Sunday the trains are on test between Bradford Interchange and Todmorden, where they reverse to head back East. If you want to see them on Sunday, here’s a link to the times they should be running at.

I managed to catch a couple of the runs today as Dawn and I were enjoying a leisurely day in the valley so nipped out to Sowerby Bridge. Here’s 195110 returning to Bradford Interchange after a run out to Todmordon.

DG328555. 195110. Sowerby Bridge. 13.7.19.crop

I’m really looking forward to these units entering service on the Calder Valley route in the next couple of months as they’re a step-change to anything we’ve had before. Here’s a look at the interiors.

DG326635. Interior. 331106. 28.6.19.crop

So, if you have time to nip out tomorrow, enjoy the sight of our new trains!

 

Rolling blog: westward we go…

12 Friday Jul 2019

Posted by in Calder Valley, I love my job, Merseyside, New trains, Northern Rail, Photography, Rail Investment, Railways, Rolling blogs, Transport, Travel

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07:29.It’s a beautiful morning in the Calder Valley today, full of sunshine and feeling like summer, but I’m already Westward bound on the 07:21 to Chester as far as Manchester. Unlike earlier in the week when this was a rammed 2 car Pacer, today it’s a 3 car Class 150+153 lash-up so there was no problem getting a seat and no-one’s been left behind anywhere.Whilst I was waiting at Sowerby Bridge a unique service passed in the opposite direction. Grand Central work an early morning service from Hebden Bridge to Leeds on behalf of Northern Rail. This calls at Sowerby at 07:17.

I’ve always wanted to get a shot of this but didn’t fancy wandering down to Sowerby Bridge at 7am unless I really had to!

07:40.

We’ve just left Todmorden and summer’s drawing to a close in front of me. There’s some humongous grey clouds towering on the horizon and it’s looking like once we pass through Summit tunnel into Lancashire the weather’s going to be a bit wet! Fortunately I’ve a folding umbrella on the camera bag but the conditions might make today’s shoot ‘interesting’ to say the least. PR shots and rain are uneasy bedfellows…I’m off to the Alstom factory in Widnes to shoot pictures of one of Transport for Wales repainted and refurbished Class 175s. I’m not sure if I’ll be allowed to share any pictures just yet, so watch this space…

08:16.

There’s fun and games at Manchester Victoria (where we arrived 5 mins late due to congestion) as a points failure at Earlstown’s having a knock-on effect. I’m now on TPE’s 08:10 to Manchester Airport which I’m taking as far as Oxford Rd. I’d normally walk but those grey clouds I mentioned earlier a currently dumping their load on the city! A sign of how much Victoria has changed in recent years was the fact that as my TPE service pulled in, all four through platforms were then in use by the TOC. It’s a far cry from just a few years ago when Northern had the monopoly on services through Manchester’s second station.

08:47.

I’m on my 3rd train company of the day as I’m now on an East Midlands Trains service from Nottingham to Liverpool Lime St as far as Widnes.

The rain’s stopped for now but the threatening, low clouds hold the promise of more at any moment. There’s just the occaissional tantalising glimpse of blue sky and sudden shaft of sunlight to tease me.

12:51.

I’m still at Alstom in Widnes. After completing a whole series of internal and external shots we’ve taken a coffee break in the hope the weather might change just enough to get a sunny external shot. After that I’ll be calling it a day. The guys need to finish working on the train at it needs to head back to Chester tonight. The bodywork looks really good as thus is a proper paint job, not just a vinyl wrap.

14:05.

Job done! Patience paid off, we waited patiently for a break in the cloud and finally a break in the cloud passed over us in the perfect place for the sun to shine upon us long enough for me to get the shot I wanted.

Now I’m heading into Liverpool to grab a late lunch (and a few more pictures) before heading back across the Pennines.

On the way in we’ve just passed Allerton depot. Talk about changing fortunes! For many years the depot was derelict. Then Northern took it over as a base for the Ex-Thameslink Class 319 electric fleet which were displacing diesels. Now the depot is full of Northern’s next generation of trains, the CAF built 195 and 331s. The picture was the same at Edge Hill carriage sidings. There’s literally dozens of new Northern trains ready to enter service over the next few months as mileage accumulation and driver training is complete.

15:39.

My, Liverpool Lime St’s changed in just a few short weeks! Not only are Class 195s much in evidence, so are some other interlopers in the shape of Transport for Wales who’re operating a new service to Chester. Here’s a couple of images.

Understandably, there are still teething problems with the new Northern sets. Two were being coupled together when something ‘fell off’. After a bit of head scratching and investigation staff on the scene told me it turned out to be nothing more serious than a spanner someone had left where they shouldn’t have! It caused a minor delay.

18:31.

After heading back into and across Manchester the same way I came I’m now on Northern’s 18:21 from Manchester Victoria to Sowerby Bridge. As it’s a 3-car and today is ‘POETS day’ (Piss-Off Early, Tomorrow’s Saturday) my trains neither crowded nor the passengers stressed. That said, I feel sympathy for train crew working this evening as many stations are awash with folk on their way out and expecting to have a good time, as the amount of empty bottles & cans they’ve left behind attest to!

Thursday miscellany.

11 Thursday Jul 2019

Posted by in Bigotry, Calder Valley, Hs2, Musings, Politics

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Today’s been another mixed day working from home with yet another early start. I ‘commuted’ from bedroom to office before 7am this morning in order to finish finding a whole series of pictures that would allow a client to advertise their wares. It took several hours to finish but I’m glad it’s done and dusted. The added bonus is that it threw up a couple of gaps in my picture library which I can plug later this month whilst doing other work.

Freed from that chore I had time to see that the campaign to keep the HS2 high speed railway in the public eye (especially in the North) has taken another step forward with the release of another report by the High Speed Rail Industry Leaders (HSRIL). At the same time, Jim Steer of Greengauge 21 had a very good piece in the Yorkshire Post newspaper. This is all a marked contrast to a few years ago. Nowadays the North is very much behind Hs2, with Transport for the North TfN and many others constantly banging the drum for the project and also Northern Powerhouse Rail, which it will form part of.It puts the failed anti Hs2 campaign into perspective. Apart from some on the Tory right who’re still trying to get Hs2 cancelled there’s little evidence of a grassroots anti Hs2 campaign. StopHs2 are very much a joke nowadays with Joe Rukin reduced to making utterly pointless videos for Facebook of him outside the Tory leadership hustings in Carlisle and Nottingham as he’s not been allowed within a million miles of either candidate!Even the few remaining antis on Twitter aren’t up to much, apart from recycling tired and trite spin & the same fake facts they’ve been trotting out for a decade now. Mind you they are good for raising a chuckle every now and then. To say that some of the stuff they trot out on Facebook or Twitter is pure tinfoil hattery is an understatement! If they’re an echo chamber, then that chamber would have been located in Bedlam!

Oh, there has been another bit of good news in the media. The pint-sized fascist Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, who class himself ‘Tommy Robinson’ has been sent down for 9 months. In one of those great twists of irony that his mouth-breathing supporters will never get, he wore a T-shirt to court that bore the slogan “convicted of journalism”. Yaxley Lennon’s no more a journalist than the next thug in the street. He was jailed for contempt of court, something no real journalist would do as they understand the law. So, what did his supporters do when he was sent down? They attacked real journalists reporting outside Parliament – after trashing a long established pro-EU protest down the road. Now, this is why I say that parallels with the rise of fascism in Germany in the 1930s are all too real. There’s little doubt that ‘Tommeh’ supporters will to a man (and woman) also be Brexit supporters and the Brexit has made fascism fashionable again. It’s let the genie out of the bottle and it’s also poisoned the body politic – to the extent the Tory party Leadership contest is dominated by it. Each candidate has to swear an oath of loyalty to a belief in Brexit Unicorns, because that’s what the tiny bunch of elderly Tory members want to hear – and damn the consequences for the country and the economy. As each day passes we look more and more like an unstable banana republic – only without the benefits of bananas (curved or straight)!

At least Dawn and I will escape the madness (even if for a few hours) tonight as we’re off to the cinema to see the new ‘Spiderman’ film. If I’ve time I’ll let you know what we think. In the meantime, here’s a picture taken earlier when I managed to get out for a stroll.