Well that didn’t exactly go to plan! In contrast to last year when our train arrived late, we were 45 minutes early this morning! This would have been ideal in normal circumstances but ‘normal’ isn’t a word you associate with ‘3 peaks by rail’ – but challenge certainly is!
The challenge this year was the weather which is awful. We arrived in driving rain with the trees around the railway station looking like they were being hit by a tornado. The buses that were due to take us to Ben Nevis weren’t arriving until 04:00 so people had plenty of time to dig out and slip into their wet weather gear – all of it!
Global Challenge, the event guides and safety team had been poring over the forecasts and decided that there was no way teams were going to be able to reach the summit safely, so a plan B was hatched. When the buses disgorged us all at the mountain scratch teams of 12 people escorted by a guide would be taken onto the mountain and allowed to ascend as far as Red Burn, where they’d be turned back.
Conditions at the base were so bad we decided there was no point in setting up our usual banners and finish line as we’d more than likely see them blown away before people came back. Instead, we’d brought the headboards off the train for teams to pose with on their return. At least the weight of them might stop people being blown away! Whilst we waited we sheltered from the storm in a bus for a few hours and kept an eye out for people who’d turned back due to injuries or the conditions.
When we had a bus full we took them back to Fort William just after 07:00 when the town’s cafe’s had begun to open. Having dropped off the first batch we returned with coffee’s only to find the next bus was already full of teams off the mountain which put the plans of Adam (the video cameraman) and I to get shots of people with the headboards. It wouldn’t have been fair to have them hang around as they were too tired and wet.
So, here we are back in Fort Bill, sheltering in cafe’s or Wetherspoons, waiting until this afternoon when the train arrives back at the station. People’s morale’s improving now they’re in the warm and dry and out of the wind. Some are discussing their ascent and descent with one word being repeated – ‘grim’…
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I spent a night in the sidings at Holyhead, which is where the train was stabled. We returned to Bangor at 04:30 this morning to pick up the weary climbers who ticked off Mount Snowdon in dry but gusty conditions whilst the traincrew had cleaned the train, ate and managed a couple of hours sleep.
All the teams made it back in time for the train bar two people who’d picked up injuries. They’re being looked after by a member of staff who’ll escort them (by train) to Ravenglass where they’ll rejoin us so that they can be reunited with their gear. Right now everyone else (bar the traincrew) are grabbing some sleep before their next exertions. It’s a beautiful morning on the North Wales coast, which makes a pleasant change from some of the previous trips. Not that many people will be appreciating the view as sleep, not sightseeing is the main priority now!
A well earned rest…
06:15.
Whilst the teams sleep the traincrew are busy. Because this coaching set doesn’t have kitchen cars we can’t serve the same standard of food as in past years when Chef Ian Joesbury and his team would have been busy cooking hundreds of eggs to go with an English breakfast. Instead we have pots of porridge laid out ready to go. Other crew members have been kept busy assembling and packing over 200 sandwiches for people to take with them onto Scafell. Once the main batch is stowed away all surfaces and utensils are meticulously cleaned before the gluten-free sandwiches for coeliacs are prepared. It’s a slick operation.
08:00.
The train’s sprung back to life. Some folk have managed to grab a little sleep before the crew began to serve breakfast. First course was coffee and a croissant followed by porridge. The train stopped at Preaton where 200 bacon or veggie sausage rolls (donated by Avanti) were loaded aboard. They were then microwaved in the two buffet cars before being distributed throughout the train.
18:00.
Apologies for the gap but phone reception is poor to non-existent where we’ve been today. Having arrived at Ravenglass the teams swapped trains for a trip on the ‘Lal Ratty’ – the narrow gauge Ravenglass and Eskdale railway to Dalegarth. From there we all walked up over Eskdale Moor for the 5 mile journey past Burnmoor Tarn to Wasdlae and the start of the ascent of Scafell. The weather’s been sunny but extremely windy with some very heavy gusts. Sadly, the top of Scafell Pike was covered in cloud but it didn’t stop the teams.
Afterwards, minibuses took us all back to Ravenglass, where we are now. An evening meal of jacket potatoes or rice with chili was supplied by the R&ER cafe. Now most people are having a drink at the pub on Ravenglass station before the train arrives at 19:30 to take us North. I’ll blog more when I’m on the train, right now I’ll leave you with a picture of Scafell taken from Wasdale just before we left.
22:15.
We’re now over the Scottish border and most people on the train have crashed out. Many of them are exhausted after their exhertions. I’d hoped to have blogged about the journey but I got roped in to helping steward on board the train. Added to my other duties it left no time for keyboard-bashing. It’s a shame as we had a stunning run along the Cumbrian coast line in picture perfect weather – especially as the wind had whipped up the waves to send them crashing along the beaches. Instead, I’m sat in a darkened coach with bodies all around me as I enjoy a glass of wine and the dying light whilst I charge up various devices ready for tomorrow – which might present challenges of a different kind. The weather forecast means it’s extremely unlikely the teams will be able to summit Ben Nevis. High winds and rain make that too dangerous and people’s safety is paramount. But, who knows? The weather’s capricious and a decision will be made in the morning, which in our case will be around 03:00. Stay tuned…
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Today Twitter is being bored to death by being bombarded with carbon copy tweets about the waste of time debate on HS2 in Parliament on the 13th September. Here’s a sample. In essence, the Wildlife Trusts are spamming Twitter.
Each pointless tweet contains a link to this page on the Wildlife Trusts website, which is what this cynical marketing and self-promotion exercise is really all about…
The WT’s claims in the text bear no relationship to reality of course, they’re just there to scaremonger and make people think that by responding, they’re doing ‘something’. There’s not a cat in hell’s chance of this achieving anything as the ‘debate’ is in a Committee room in Westminster Hall (not in the Commons chamber) and there’s no vote at the end of it. It’s a talking shop, nothing more. I’ve detailed how the Petitions Ctte works in this blog.
The real intent of this exercise is contained in the panel to the right. It’s merely an attempt to harvest more email addresses, website traffic and promote the Wildlife Trusts – and maybe get people to bung them a few quid in the process because once WT have got your email address you can be sure that’s what they’ll be doing! Now, all this is perfectly legal and above-board of course. Charities do this all the time. You can find the full details of the WT’s privacy policy here.
However there’s campaign’s and there’s ‘campaigns’ – and this one is pointless. It’s promoting an impossible objective – just like Packham’s petition. The only thing it’s going to achieve is to waste a lot of people’s time writing to their MPs (MPs who really do have better things to be doing right now). Mind you, there’s an interesting question over just how many MPs are getting to hear from their constituents on this matter. Oddly, an awful lot of the ‘people’ retweeting the WT are accounts like this, with follower numbers of less than 100 and no mention of who their MP is meant to be. In other words, they’re ‘Bots’ – nothing more than a retweeting machine, something that becomes obvious when you look at their timelines. The question is, who’s paying for them?
This is why I’m becoming increasingly cynical about certain charities and the soapboxes they climb on in an effort at self-promotion and acquiring donors. The truth takes a backseat…
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Back in February this year I was asked by RAIL magazine to write an article on the Platform 1 charity based at Huddersfield station. They do some fantastic work helping men who’re struggling. I’m reproducing the article on my blog as I think it’s important the work they do gets to as wider an audience as possible…
If you’ve ever travelled from Huddersfield to Manchester by train you may have noticed an old BR coach half-hidden by fencing just as you pull out of the station. Once home to the Association of Community Rail Partnerships (ACoRP, now Community Rail Network) the site has had a new occupant since 2018. It too is about community, but the services it offers are very, very different…
The compound is now the base for ‘Platform 1’ – a mental health and crisis charity that specializes in helping men. As the banner over the entrance to the yard proclaims it’s a place where men can ‘fix, grow, build or chill’. As anyone who’s ever had to engage with Mental Health services will know, it’s a ‘cinderella’ arm of the NHS, and men especially can find themselves unable to find the help and support they need, hence the importance of charities like ‘Platform 1’.
Having talked to the charity’s Project Manager Bob Morse on the phone a couple of times I arranged to visit the yard to see the work the group is doing and talk about how the Pandemic and Lockdown had affected them and the people they help.
Bob greeted me at the entrance to the site which is adjacent to the ‘Head of Steam’ pub. It’s very eerie to see the Grade 1 listed station so quiet nowadays. A station that has a footfall of 4.7m a year is reduced to a virtual ghost-town. Bumping elbows in greeting, he gave me a tour of the site which contains a ramshackle mixture of second-hand portacabins, a shipping container, raised vegetables beds and bicycles. Lots and lots of bicycles!
Bob Morse in the portakabin that serves as the main office.
Our first stop was at a tiny two-roomed building that’s used for interviews with people who want to be able to talk privately about the problems they’re experiencing. As access to the site is by appointment only due to Covid it was virtually deserted except for staff and volunteers, as was the old coach where we sat for a (socially-distanced) coffee and chat. Lined with wood planking and fitted with a small kitchen it’s decorated with old hubcaps that have been decorated by a local artist who visits the project. The coach is ‘cozy’ but as the Mk1’s now on its 3rd incarnation it’s seen better days…
Bob explained that pre-pandemic they might see 30 men a day using the vehicle as a refuge where they could chat, read, play computer games, drink tea or just enjoy the company of other people “No-one who comes here is judged” Bob said, “This is neutral ground, they can leave their problems at the gate and be themselves whilst they’re here. There’s no expectations of them. You’d be surprised at the way guys from different backgrounds and educations mix and treat each other”.
The old railway carriage that was formerly the office of the Association of Community Rail Partnerships (ACoRP). Now renames Community Rail Network they occupy the old water tower at the opposite end of the station.
I asked how Covid had affected the charity. Bob told me “the need for our services has exploded as people’s isolation has grown. There’s a ticking time-bomb of mental-health issues out there that’s mostly hidden”. Previously, Bob had previously mentioned that they had 14 clients on ‘suicide watch’ (where volunteers make regular contact with the men involved). “There’s 15 right now, and we lost one last week”. It’s a horrific statistic but it’s clearly only the tip of the iceberg. As well as providing a safe space the charity offers counselling and help with what seem like simple things but to people under pressure they can appear mountainous. Bob elaborated, “we help a lot of people make and keep hospital or other appointments. Some clients aren’t computer-literate or don’t have phones. Others can’t understand why they have to wait so long to see someone and that an appointment doesn’t always mean they’ll get the help they need in the time they need it, which means they just give up. How do you explain to a man who can’t see past tomorrow that they’ll have to wait weeks to see someone?”
Covid has magnified the problem as many ‘contacts’ with social and health services aren’t in person but by phone which increases misunderstandings and feelings of isolation. Because of this, Bob and his team are spending more time reaching out to people who can’t just drop in anymore. This outreach work is a mix of phone calls, ‘Zoom’ and also home visits as well as looking out for the homeless, a phenomenon that’s grown in the austerity years.
The sheer variety of their work caused me to ask if they were seeing different types of people now? “Yes, we’re counselling more and more people who work in the Health Services, including women. We’re also getting more referrals from primary care networks, not just people coming in off the street” The charity’s recruiting new volunteers to cope with the demand and whilst they do get donations and assistance from local companies and the rail industry it’s clear they need more help, both financially and in kind – especially now due to Covid and their role in supporting the support workers – a role they never expected to have to fulfil.
Moving on, Bob introduced me to the 3 man team in one of the cabins which forms the cycle hub. Here, old bikes that have been donated to the charity are stripped for spares or rebuilt and sold. The sheds walls and shelves are a mass of tools and bike spares. Two bikes were in the course of being rebuilt. I chatted to a former cycle magazine editor who was busy repairing one machine. Like many volunteers he’d had his own mental health battles but used his skills and the charities support and facilities to aid his own recovery whilst also helping others. During our chat he explained that whilst they reuse as much as they can some parts like chains or gears have to be purchased which is getting harder and more expensive due to Covid, and Brexit. I also discovered the charity does bike servicing and contract repairs for companies. On another stand Shane was occupied repairing a kids bike. He told me that the bikes are resold for anything from £20-£200 depending on type and quality, which helps low-income families as well as the coffers of the charity. Kids bikes are a staple as they’re often discarded as children grow up and they’re rarely looked after, so there’s always a ready supply.
Shane repairing a bike in the workshop.
Having chatted to the guys I was impressed with the really positive easy-going atmosphere, it was great to see people who were obviously proud of what they were achieving, both for themselves and others.
Popping in next door to the main office (another old portacabin) I met more members of the team. Like most small charities everyone wears more than one hat. Justin, the Admin Officer also doubles as crisis support. He has a degree in games design and his love of gaming allows him to connect with people through those mediums which is especially useful with younger users of their services. Bridget, the Pastoral Support Lead was busy on the phone trying to help a client. An ex-teacher, she’s retrained as a counsellor to offer a range of help, from bereavement counselling to assisting people build up their confidence to tackle the problems that can overwhelm them. It’s a tough job.
We didn’t stay long as space was at a premium and we didn’t want to interrupt so Bob showed me around the rest of the site. On a snowy February morning the garden wasn’t exactly looking at its best, but the raised vegetable beds clearly provide a great place for some gardening therapy and the outdoor space, sheltered as it is by a tall retaining wall holding up St Georges St makes an ideal area to get away from it all – even if you are right next to the station. Whilst we were there Bob pointed out the spot that will soon be graced by the presence of a donated ‘Pacer’ car. Friends of the charity had entered them in the competition to win one of the Porterbrook donated trains and they were one of the winning bids. Craning the coach onto its final resting place is going to be quite a challenge due to the cramped nature of the site (and that retaining wall) so Bob promised to invite me back to see it being installed when Covid restrictions permit – hopefully in the summer. The Pacer will provide a welcome addition to the indoor space available and also be quite a talking point as these vehicles spent much of their working life in the area.
My brief visit gave me a valuable insight into how much this charity is doing and the challenges it faces whilst doing it – especially at the height of a pandemic which is storing up problems for the future. Isolation is a problem even for those of us who’re well-connected. Try and imagine what it’s like for a single man living on his own who’s been cut off from the last vestiges of social contact and interaction that he may have had, with no idea whether (or when) these things may return. Charities like ‘Platform 1’ quite literally provide a life-line and deserve all the support that we can give them.
Oh, the old Pacer did eventually arrive (on the second attempt). Here it is in situ!
I’ve a favour to ask… If you enjoy reading this blog, 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 to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site – and right now (because of Covid), us freelances need all the help that we can get. Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website – https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/
Here’s a bleary eyed good morning from the West Highlands! After a fitful night’s sleep we were woken up by the train crew volunteers who served tea, coffee and croissants along with hot bacon rolls. We’re due into Fort William at 04:19, when the fun begins. I’ll keep you posted…
05:33.
All the teams are on the mountain, the base camp is established and the banners and finishing line is being set up. Here’s some scenes at departure.
The Rail Delivery Group team in good spirits as they begin their climb. From L-R Robert Nisbet, Jac Starr, Naomi Rial and Paul Plummer
The weather’s wet but the rain’s light and it’s forecast to cease later on. Now it’s just a question of waiting for anyone returning injured until the first teams make it back, which is normally around 10:00. That’s when my work starts as we get individual team photos one they’ve crossed the finish line, registered their time & checked in their kit.Here’s how the mountain looks right now.
Rather than hang around and be midge bait I’m going to walk into Fort William for a few hours.
07:07.
I’m now sat at Fort William station (which has just opened), using their free wifi to update the blog after having had a wander around the town. It’s not exactly the most exciting place at the best of times, but at 06:30 it’s deserted. I did find one thing of interest. A statue dedicated to the name whom, in 1911 drove a model-T Ford to the top of Ben Nevis!
Once the station opened I had chance for a mooch around with the camera and caught one of the two Class 37s that are hauling our 3 peaks train. As there’s too many coaches to fit on the platform one of the loco’s is detached to create a bit of extra space.
07:52.
I’ve moved on to the local McDonalds, which is where we take the walking wounded. There’s four of them from various teams, all somewhat dispirited, but not wanting to spoil their team-mates chance of succeeding. I’m sipping a much-needed caffeine (I got very little sleep last night) whilst I download a few more pictures to the blog. My time will be cut short as I’ve just had a call from Katie Mason, the Railway Children’s events organiser. The first team is expected down off the mountain by 09:30, so I need to head back in an hour.
09:56.
The first team (from DRS) crossed the finish line at 09:26.
19:54.
Sorry for the gap in blogging, but it’s been a day full of challenges for us all – not least physical one of the teams who’ve climbed the three peaks, but also the mental ones of the folk who’ve organised all the logistics. Either way, everyone’s knackered due to the level of commitment- and the lack of sleep!
We’ve had a fantastic day and we’ve got everyone off the mountain off safe – and raises a huge amount of money for the Railway Children. The different skill groups involved in such a complex event have worked brilliantly – and not for the first time
Well, I had planned to spend a few hours catching up on blogging today but in the finest tradition of Harold Macmillan, events got in the way. That said, there’s going to be plenty to blog about in the next few days. I head back to London tomorrow for a day’s photography in the capital. Apparently, there’s a StopHs2 demonstration outside the High Court as the DfT’s taking out an injunction out against the Harvil Rd protesters. I might just swing by to see how few Hs2 antis turn out to protest. After that I have a job to do for one of the railway industry magazines.
Tuesday is a day I’m really looking forward to as I’ll be on the Eurostar press trip launching their new service from London to Amsterdam. Expect a few tweets from @paulbigland1 during the day!
After that I’m heading back to Yorkshire, ramping up my cycle training as I’m off to India at the beginning of March to take part in the ‘Ride India’ charity cycle ride to raise money for the Railway Children charity. Indian phone reception and internet permitting – expect regular updates about that too…
Finally, the Pennine weather has changed and the sunshine’s arrived after a day of almost continuous (if febrile) snow showers. It’s still bloody cold mind, the weather forecast is telling me that it’s minus 2 outside and there’s still snow on the high ground – as this picture from our bedroom window and looking over Sowerby Bridge shows.
Even so, it’s time to get the bike out, wrap up warm and continue my training for my charity cycle rise in India next month. Oh, that reminds me – here’s a link to my fundraising page. Please, make a donation and help me to help The Railway Children charity care for those less fortunate than ourselves.
Hopefully I’ll have time to blog about today’s training route when I get back – if I haven’t frozen solid by then!*
*Sorry, the blog’s half-written but I’ve so much to put in it I’m holding it over until tomorrow (Thursday)…
After a really enjoyable few days working in London I’m back in West Yorkshire and looking forward to resuming with my cycle training as well as catching up with a whole range of work related projects. I can’t believe we’re already in February as January seemed to pass in a flash. I’ve heard it said that this is part of getting older, as a child the six weeks school summer holidays seemed to last forever. Now, six weeks feels like the blink of an eye!
I’m determined to keep up the momentum on blogging as well as my other projects, so expect a variety of topics to crop up – including regular training updates and appeals for sponsorship (like this one!). In all seriousness, please donate, the money really will help those less fortunate than ourselves…
One thing I won’t be blogging about as much is the anti Hs2 campaign. Mainly because it’s pretty much ceased to exist. There’s no organisation anymore and the disparate groups left have no political clout – as the vote in Parliament on Tuesday demonstrated in spades. Instead I’m looking forward to blogging about the construction of Hs2.
Right now I’ve got a huge amount of pictures to edit, so it’s time to swap pen for Photoshop. Se you later…
Well, sometimes anyways, like when I’m walking back up the hill to where we live from Sowerby Bridge station and I’ve got a 13kg camera bag on my back. Or today, when I was training for my charity cycle ride In India!
Despite the weather forecast and the ominous looking clouds over the horizon I headed out on a training session this afternoon. Instead of taking the easy option of cycling miles along the towpath of the Calder and Hebble canal towards Brighouse I fancied something more ambitious – and strenuous. Besides, I’d had the excitement of a bank robbery last time so scenery rather than police cars seemed like a good option. My wife had suggested I cycle some of the route the tour-de-France took when it came here in 2014, which seemed like a plan. I’m neither fit enough or daft enough to do what they did, so I took the route in reverse…
We live high up on the side of the Calder Valley which means my route down into Sowerby Bridge is a breeze – it’s all downhill! But after that I was on a (mostly) steady climb along the Rochdale Rd to Ripponden. It’s not a bad road but it’s busy as it’s used by a lot of traffic heading out to the M62 so you have to keep a wary eye out for HGVs as they thunder past you. This changes as soon as you start climbing out of Ripponden on the A58 – it’s pretty much deserted – which is great as it’s a long old slog. You climb 810 feet in 4.4.miles. The first part’s the hardest as it’s the steepest but it didn’t get much easier today due to the fact I had to fight a cold headwind. It’s actually a really attractive ride as you’re very much out in the wilds. On the way I stopped off to admire the views from the dam on the Baitings reservoir. It was only when I was on the parapet that I appreciated just how bloody cold the wind was, so I didn’t hang around after the obligatory training selfie!
Windswept, but interesting…
After the reservoir the climb get harder as you gain another 364 feet in 1.8 miles. At this point you’re really exposed to the wind as its open moorland and there’s no trees – only electricity pylons! It was a relief to crest the ridge and sight Blackstone Edge reservoir, where Turvin Rd branches off to the right along the reservoir edge.
If you keep on going at this point, you’ll be in Rochdale in another 7 miles, but today I was heading for Cragg Vale. This is the longest continuous ascent in the UK if you’re going in the opposite direction. You gain 945 feet in 5.7 miles. Maybe one day, when I’m fit enough, I’ll try it, right now I’m just happy to freewheel down it! The road starts high up on the moorland before following the East side of the valley, twisting and turning through the picturesque village of Cragg Vale. You can hit some impressive speeds but you have to be wary of road conditions unless you want to be going arse over tit at 35mph or more…
The beauty of cycling the road on a weekday is you won’t encounter much traffic or many cyclists. At weekends it’s very different because of the Tour de France connections and the fact there’s a cracking community run pub in Cragg Vale called the Robin Hood. Dawn and I often walk to it for lunch at weekends, but today I (regretfully) whizzed past as the rain was chasing me – and it was beginning to win…
Once in Mytholmroyd I opted to cycle along the main A646 Burnley road back towards Sowerby. I’d hoped to have stayed out longer and headed for Hebden Bridge but the rain changed my mind. I had the option of cycling along the canal from here but the towpath is a bit of a quagmire in parts which is a shame as the Burnley Rd’s narrow, knackered and very busy. Swerving around potholes can be a dangerous business when you’ve got an HGV up your backside, but I stuck it out as far as Luddenden Foot where the canal towpath improves. Mind you, there’s another reason to abandon the Burnley Rd here, it begins another 200ft climb whereas the canal is level and HGV free, so it’s a much nicer 1.5 mile return to Sowerby Bridge!
Back in the Bridge I paid a brief visit to see some old friends who run the Jubilee Refreshment rooms on the station, have a swift pint (which I felt I’d earned) and get warm before attempting the last couple of miles home. The only drawback on this section is there’s a bloody fierce cobbled hill where I make no excuses for dismounting. I rather like my skeletal arrangements and have no wish to change the order by cycling up cobbles!
Despite having to cut the trip short I’d enjoyed it. I can feel my stamina improving each trip. West Yorkshire may not be flat, but where we’ll be cycling in Rajasthan, India is – so this this hill training should stand me in good stead.
If you’d like to sponsor me and help me to help the Railway Children, please, click on this link. If you want to learn more about the trip we’re doing click on this link. If you want to learn about the work the Railway Children does around the world, click on this link.
In March I’ve signed up for a charity challenge. I’m going to be riding 450km across Northern India in 5 days to raise money for the Railway Children charity (you can read all about their fabulous work here). It’s going to be a tough challenge, but it’s great to be able to put something back and help those less fortunate.
So, I’m asking you all a favour. Help me to help them by donating to my charity challenge via my JustGiving page, which you can find here.
You can read more about the challenge via this link.
I’ll be blogging about my training and the trip itself, so feel free to keep popping back and having a look. In the meantime, please, give as little (or as much as you can) to help.
Paul Bigland 