Category Archives: Musings

Rolling blog. Heading for the coast again…

26 Tuesday May 2026

Posted by in Musings, Photography, Railways, Rolling blogs, Southport, Travel

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10:10.

After a baking hot bank-holiday weekend where we celebrated Dawn’s birthday (blog to follow) I’m abandoning the Pennines to head back across the West Lancashire plain to Southport and another birthday. This time it’s my ‘kid’ sister Anne.  

Right now I’m on Northern’s 10:00 from Sowerby Bridge which is heading to Manchester. Fortunately, the air-conditioning on this 3-car Class 158 is fully functional, giving me chance to cool down after walking down to the station from Bigland Towers.

Today promises to be another hot one…

10:35.

Having slowly filled up en-route my train’s arrived at Rochdale where dozens of summer-dressed travellers were waiting for us. Now we’re almost full as we head for Manchester Victoria. The weather this side of the Pennines is just as good as in West Yorkshire, which makes a change! Most of my fellow passengers appear to be leisure travellers. Only the wonan sat across the car from me is working away on a laptop, almost everyone else is staring at a smartphone screen.

11:00.

Wonder of wonders! We pulled into Victoria 5 minutes early, which put us ahead of a GBRf hauled freight train, giving me enough time to leap out, grab a picture of it as it passed through the station and then rejoin my train. Talk about a lucky break. Now I’m arriving at Salford Crescent for a change of train in order to take the route via Bolton instead of the slower (all stations) route via Atherton.

Platform capacity at Salford Crescent is about the increased by 1/3 as the new platform 3 is complete and awaiting the first services to call when the new timetable comes into force.

11:25.

I’m now heading fast to Bolton aboard a packed Class 323 EMU heading for Blackpool North which is running just ahead of the Southport train. These 90mph EMUs only used to be seen South of Manchester but new electrification and an influx of cast-off 323s from the West Midlands has allowed them to extend their area of operations to include Blackpool, Wigan and Liverpool. The only problems with ’em is their lack of air-conditioning and 3+2 seating arrangement.

11:40.

This is more like it! I abandoned the 323 at Bolton, crossed the platform and caught the Southport train which is being worked by a bi-mode Class 769. Having seen it at Salford Cresent I was wise to the fact this former Thameslink unit had the old 1st Class seating at the front of the train – which is where I’m now relaxing in a comfy single seat. Whilst not as crowded as the Blackpool service there’s still plenty of the ‘bucket and spade brigade’ who’re obviously heading for a day out at the coast.

A commuter train heading to Blackpool is less than ideal due to the lack of luggage space but at least there’s plenty of seats.

Rolling blog. Over the hills…

23 Saturday May 2026

Posted by in Architecture, Down memory lane, Musings, Photography, Railways, Rolling blogs, Southport, Travel

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10:00.

It’s the weekend so I’m heading back to West Yorkshire for the bank holiday weekend and to celebrate a special event on Monday.

But first, I’ve nipped into town to pick ip some shopping. The sun’s shining and the town centre’s slowly coming to life with early shoppers and the first pensioners (batteries fully charged) starting to race their chariots up and down Lord St. Talking of Lord St, I couldn’t resist having a look at the wonderful Art Deco Garrick Theatre building. It’s been empty since Covid struck time but an exciting restoration is due to start anytime now with the building being converted into a spa hotel and theatre with the original architecture restored, although some traditionalist bodies remain unconvinced. Personally, I’d rather see it repurposed than see it left in the state it’s in now. The Garrick featured in a famous railway poster from the 1930s painted by Italian artist Fortunino Matania which celebrated a very different age!

No tracksuits or electric chariots in those days! Now it looks rather less grand…

Right, time to start travelling…

11:15.

Having picked up some bits I’m on my way East. En-route I found this street artist who’s picked up the Sandgrounder* vibe by making sculptures from sand.

Right now I’m heading for Wigan aboard a vintage BR built Class 156, my favourite multiple unit of the era. Big windows and table bays make it an ideal regional train.

*Sandgrounder is a nickname for someone who hails from Southport.

12:05.

Having crossed the West Lancashire plain I’ve made it as far as Wigan (or Wiggin, as the locals pronounce it) to arrive at Wallgate station. I’m not saying I feel old but I remember the old Lancashire and Yorkshire railway building and the station being illuminated by gas lighting!

I resisted the temptation of the areas excellent real ale pubs and merely stopped  for lunch on the hoof – chips and curry sauce from the chipshop outside the station. Making my way to North Western station which was thronged by young girls who seemed to be wearing more make-up than clothing and lads with cans of lager glued to their hands, I’m now waiting for a train to Preston.

Burp! International cuisine has hit Wigan as you’re now offered a choice between English or Chinese curry sauce on your chips!

13:45.

Having made it to Preston aboard a very busy Northern service bound for Blackpool I’ve now swapped to a more sedate service – a local Preston to Colne stopper which will carry me as far as Blackburn.

It stops at all stations en-route, which includes some well-kept stations that are maintained by local adopters (Pleasington being a good example). I’ve been meaning to stop of at some of these stations for years but have never found the time. Maybe one day…

20:15

I was greeted at Halifax by both Dawn and fabulous weather, so the two of us decided to get out onto the moors for a walk and catch-up whilst we enjoyed the great outdoors. We drove up through Ripponden to the moors and reservoirs above Cragg Vale, where these views awaited us.

Light Hazzles and Warland reservoirs on the moors above Walsden.

Looking the opposite way across to Manchester with Hollingworth Lake Country Park in between.

Now we’re back at home for a quiet evening in. Time to relax before a busy day outdoors tomorrow as we’ll be making the most of the weather in order to prepare the garden for the summer…

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/

Cheers,

Paul

More Southport memories.

20 Wednesday May 2026

Posted by in Down memory lane, Musings, Photography

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My voyage of rediscovery here in Southport has continued as I rack up the steps during my daily wanderings before returning to my sisters to cook and help out with a few chores. There’s no pattern to where I go, nor a plan. I turn corners at a whim to either prowl new streets or rediscover old ones whilst trying to remember what the hell used to be there! Here’s a few pictures from my most recent expedition.

More of a statement than just a house. It must be an nightmare to maintain, but if I had money to burn I’d rather like to own it!
Yes, Southport is home to the British Lawnmower Museum!
The old hospital on Park Rd, burned out and derelict after a mysterious fire which happened not long after it was bought by developers who were (so I’m told) refused permission to make major alterations to it.
There’s a gang of grannies who go around Southport supplying these decorative tops. I’ve no idea why this one bares the Chinese flag tho!
Chic Churchtown is home to many shops, bars and cafe’s. Thatched roofs are quite common but seeing one that’s been rethatched is unusual. It’s a dying art and expensive to renew as they need to be done roughly every 25-30 years.
This Chinese chipshop was a family favorite. Know affectionately as the ‘soggy box’ because your orders were served in cardboard boxes it was a great pitstop for lunch when I was working with my elder brother. Their sweet and sour fish with rice was sublime. It’s still there, but the original owners sold it many years ago,
The old tram depot in Canning Road still survives as the local bus depot. The skyline behind used to be dominated by the local gasworks and the smell dominated the area when I was a kid.
Remember I talked about disappearing corner shops? This is the corner near my parents. On the corner was Finches, a newsagent/tobacconist. It still had an old cigarette vending machine outside way into the early 1980s. To the left was Marriott’s chip shop and to the right was a butchers.

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/

Cheers,

Paul

9th May picture of the day…

09 Saturday May 2026

Posted by in Calderdale, Musings, Politics

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I’ve been splitting my time between Southport and Halifax recently, for a number of reasons which include family duties. This has given me an insight into two very different worlds across the North of England. Right now I’m back in Halifax, having come back on Thursday to vote in the local elections. Sadly, the election results were far less favorable in Calderdale than they were in Sefton (the area which covers Southport). I’ll blog about the results in detail tomorrow but the upshot is that whilst Labour retain control in Sefton whilst they’ve lost control of Calderdale to Reform. I now await the inevitable political shitstorm that will follow as Reform indulge in their usual backstabbing, abuse of anyone not ‘one of them’ and pointless performative politics whilst pretending they can be trusted to run more than a whelk stall.

Politics aside, Dawn and I have been getting on with home improvements and redecorating the living room. Dee’s proving her skills at wallpapering despite never having tackled it before. I’ve been offering support and technical advice in the background whilst covering other chores. Sadly, the great weather I’ve been enjoying over on the coast hasn’t followed me to Calderdale, but then the place does feel rather gloomy after the election results. No matter what you read in the media desperate to ‘big up’ Reform, it’s clear the majority of residents didn’t vote for the ‘Fagash Fuhrer’ Farage’s latest party and most reactions are less than favourable.

I’ll be here for a few more days yet as as we both want to get the living room to a stage of completion where it’s a livable space rather than a just a work in progress. After that I’ll be on my travels again. Whilst I’ve been here a couple of commissions have come in that will see me on the rails again at the beginning of next month, which will dovetail nicely with other projects in the pipeline. Plus, when the weather picks up I’ve more Merseyrail and Liverpool adventures planned – and more. June’s going to be a busy month.

But for now I’ll leave you with a picture of the weather over the Calder valley earlier today. It neatly sums up the mood of many in Calderdale after the election result was announced.

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/

Cheers,

Paul

Still in Southport…

01 Friday May 2026

Posted by in Liverpool, Musings, Photography, Southport, Travel

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At the moment I’m enjoying time in Merseyside, rediscovering old haunts and basking in glorious sunshine. Well, until today. Now, with a bank holiday looming the sun’s decided to have some time off too! Blue skies have been replaced by grey, with cutting through temperatures and rain adding to the mix. Hey ho…

I shouldn’t really complain, yesterday I took a break from paperwork and plans to head over to Liverpool in order to do some food shopping. Whilst Southport has become much more cosmopolitan when it comes to the availability of exotic ingredients there’s still stuff you can’t get here, which gave me the impetus to visit the city of my birth and the Chinatown area, where I was sure I’d be able to buy what I needed.

It was lovely to be back in Liverpool. The city’s so vibrant nowadays compared to how I remember it in the 70s-80s. Bold St, at the back of Central station’s a great example. Nowadays is lined with cafes, bars and restaurants with people dining alfresco as seating’s spilled outside to take over the street. The atmosphere’s great. I also rediscovered ‘News from Nowhere’, a radical bookshop which used to be elsewhere in the city. One thing I discovered during my brief browse was a selection of cards. This one particularly amused.

In contrast, Chinatown was remarkably subdued. Many places were closed, I’m assuming because it’s just not economical to open during the day that early in the week. Still, here’s a selection of pictures from my wandering.

The gateway to Chinatown in Nelson St. I photographed this over 25 years ago for the the Lonely Planet guide to England.
Art and relaxing in the sunshine in Great George Square
St Luke’s bombed out church.

To be continued..

.

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/

Cheers,

Paul

16th April picture of the day…

16 Thursday Apr 2026

Posted by in Musings, Picture of the day, Southport

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Funny old world.

Today’s been one of those days when the wind gets taken out of your sails at the very last moment, and purely by chance. Thursday hadn’t started too badly. The weather had been picking up and Dawn was slowly recovering from her visit to the dentist and tooth extraction. I’d managed to get a load of pictures edited before getting a phone call about a long-delayed job which will see me working in Wolverhampton next week. I’d even managed to get out for a couple of walks and pick up some liquid foods for the toothless invalid.

Then, this evening, I received a Whatsapp message from my sister Anne with a link to a Facebook group which contained an obituary and the question ‘wasn’t he one of your old schoolfriends’? Indeed it was. A chap called Neil Lancaster. It came totally out of the blue and took me back half a centaury and more.

Neil and I were best friends at school back in the 1970s, part of a small group who were (in many ways) thick as thieves. We certainly got into some scrapes over the years but I pretty much lost touch with Neil after we left school and we all went our different ways – especially when I moved from Southport to London in 1986. Occasionally, when I popped back, I might bump into him, propping up the bar in the Wellington pub on Eastbank St, but the last time that happened was several decades ago.

Now, Neil’s passed on at the age of 65, a year younger than me. He’s not the first of our group to have died by any means, but it’s still come as a bit of a shock and a reminder of one’s own mortality. So, this evening my thoughts have turned to reminiscing about those mad school days of the 1970s and the things we got up to and the people we knew and left behind. Sadly, it was all so long ago that I don’t even have any old photographs with Neil in them.

So, goodbye Neil. Sorry I never got to see you one last time to share those memories together.

I’ll close this blog with a picture I took earlier, as -whilst some things pass – some things always remain, and our local woodland’s seeing the return of the bluebells.

Some things never really die…

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/

Cheers,

Paul

7th April picture of the day…

07 Tuesday Apr 2026

Posted by in Musings, Photography, Picture of the day, Railways, Yorkshire

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I’m back after an Easter break. I hadn’t intended to be absent from blogging but several things got in the way and meant I simply ran out of hours in a day! Blogging late at night’s never ideal – unless you fancy spleen-venting. Instead, I savoured the holiday period, making the most of time before Trump blows up the world – by accident or design. I also took time of to enjoy the stunning imagery from the America I miss, before the country went batshit. I’ve been watching NASA’s ‘Artemis 2’ mission to the moon, which has produced some fantastic pictures and video. You can follow it here. It’s given me a new optimism in humanity which has been sadly lacking of late – for obvious reasons.

Meanwhile, back at Bigland Towers Dawn and I decided to crack on with redecorating the living room in the cottage, another project that’s kept me away from blogging. This being an old (mid 19th century) cottage there’s hardly a level surface or right-angle in the place, which makes decorating challenging – especially when we’ve decided to wallpaper the front room rather than just paint the walls. Day one was mostly spent clearing the room, buying materials and prepping surfaces. Today was more about stripping some old wallpaper, repairing plasterwork and giving the ceiling its first coat of paint. Typically, we’ve chosen a time when the weather’s made a major improvement, so tomorrow decorating’s going to take a back seat as we’re having a day out walking in Edale (so expect a rolling blog). After that it’s back to decorating as Dee’s taken the week off in order to get the project finished. After that – who knows what’s on the calendar? Well, I do to an extent as I’ve few jobs lined up, and if the weather continues to get better I’ll be out and about more – but let’s not get ahead of ourselves here!

In the meantime, here’s today’s picture which was taken last week on my phone-losing trip to Knaresborough.

Flowers in abundance at Knaresborough where the station friends have been busy planting out old trolleys which are now packed with Primulas.

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/

Cheers,

Paul

25th March picture of the day…

25 Wednesday Mar 2026

Posted by in Calder Valley, Musings, Photography, Picture of the day, West Yorkshire

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I’d half-hoped I might be able to venture further afield today but the weather had other ideas. Whilst yesterday’s gales subsided overnight we were greeted by rain-lashed windows when we opened the bedroom blinds this morning. Said rain was soon followed by snow showers, which made conditions even less attractive. As a result I decided that discretion was the better part of valour and spent the first part of the day in the warm and dry, finishing off picture editing whilst keeping one eye on the madness coming out of America. It’s hard to keep up with Trump’s pronouncements as he’s seemingly incapable of fcompleting a coherent sentence and the position or claims he starts off with can change completely by the end of it. God help us when he’s talking in paragraphs as you have to read it back at the end to see just how many contradictory claims he’s made. He’s like an American version of the ‘Little Britain’ character ‘Vicky “yeah, but no” Pollard’.

By the afternoon the weather had dried up sufficiently for me to chance my arm and walk down into Sowerby Bridge to pick up some shopping. I took the camera with me as the Magnolia is blooming in the local churchyard but what I hadn’t bargained for was just how storm-battered these early blooms are which is a real shame. Hopefully the later buds will have an easier time.

I managed to make it home before the weather changed yet again and the next set of storms came in. Here’s how it looked from our front door.

I’ll pass, thanks…

Sadly, the forecast is for much of the same tomorrow, but I might just decide ‘bugger it’ and venture out anyway now that I’m all caught up with work. We’ll see.

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/

Cheers,

Paul

24th March picture(s) of the day…

24 Tuesday Mar 2026

Posted by in Musings, Photography, Picture of the day, Railways, Travel

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Apologies for absence but I’ve had little time to blog these past few days. After the CRN awards on Thursday night there was little rest for the wicked (despite the late finish) as we were off early the next morning, joining a special train laid on by East Midlands railway as part of the celebrations. Our destination was the Barrow Hill roundhouse near Chesterfield, traversing a line that normally only sees freight trains. About forty hardy souls took the trip to enjoy a guided tour around the site which is now a commercial and operational railway depot with a museum (the roundhouse) attached. We were lucky enough to be shown around by the museum’s founder Mervyn Allcock and get a sneak preview of Barrow Hill’s brand-new £6m research centre building.

Catching the special train back to Chesterfield Dawn and I headed home whilst the rest of the group were treated to a George Stephenson tour (he’s buried in Chesterfield). I needed to get back as my work wasn’t finished. I’d still a huge number of pictures from the awards to edit and prepare. In the digital age post editing is almost as big a job as actually taking the pictures. Gone are the days when you just handed over some rolls of film that you’d had developed!

Saturday saw us take a little time off and nip out to enjoy the sunshine and a meal at the Olive Branch near Marsden in the Colne valley, which made a nice break. Then it was back to the grindstone until today when I had the decks cleared of pictures and (just as importantly) invoices!

Now I’m sitting at home listening to the wind roaring around the cottage as the weather’s taken another turn for the worse with heavy rain and gales, which meant my daily constitutional was rather cut short this afternoon. I don’t mind walking in the wind, but when it’s whipping horizontal rain at you that’s a different matter! But, tomorrow’s another day, so lets see what it brings. Chaos, probably as that seems to be the prevailing mood thanks to the madman in the White House….

In the meantime, here’s a few images from the past few days.

The view from a train ordinary passengers don’t get to see – only Drivers and Conductors. We were given access to the rear cab in order to catch views like this of the Victorian Clay Cross tunnel entrance with its imposing towers and crenellations.
Inside the new 2-road research shed at Barrow Hill. Behind the camera is the new offices areas that can be used for a variety of training and research.
Seen on Saturday near Marsden. A Trans-Pennine Express service makes its way East through the Colne valley.

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/

Cheers,

Paul

17th March picture(s) of the day…

17 Tuesday Mar 2026

Posted by in Calder Valley, Musings, Photography, Picture of the day, Politics, West Yorkshire

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What a glorious day here in the Calder valley! We’ve had sunshine all day, whilst temperatures have been racing upwards to reach what’s probably been the hottest of the year so far. It’s been so warm I’ve been able to work in the garden in a singlet. With not having got away to Asia this winter I’ve really missed feeling the sun on my skin so today was a real tonic.

What was less of a tonic was observing the latest antics of the madman across the pond in Washington, who seems to have got out of the wrong side of the bed this morning (doesn’t he always? Ed). His latest ranting on ‘truth social’ is posted here.

I mean, where do you start with unhinged, fact-free nonsense like this? The man’s completely lost the plot. First he’d won the war within a couple of days, then he wanted NATO and everyone else to back him up and join in, then he didn’t, then he did as it was all going tits up in the Straits of Hormuz – and now he doesn’t (again). If he wasn’t the most powerful man in the world it would be hilarious, instead it’s bloody scary. All the checks and balances the founding Fathers built into the American political system seem to have collapsed, leaving Trump basically unopposed and running riot, both in the USA and the world.

His Iran adventure (egged on by the Israelis) is proving to be a political and strategic disaster. Some maintain the military outcomes could still be a success but no-one seems to have told the Iranians that and they seem to have other ideas. They may not be chucking as many missiles around as they were at the start of the war, but politically it’s getting worse. Informed sources suggest Trump’s replaced one Ayatollah with another one who’s backed by even more hardline people than his father was, so that’s going to turn out well. This shows all the signs of becoming a protracted conflict – even if Trump loses interest, claims he’s ‘won’ and tries to walk away. Meanwhile, he’s trashed America’s reputation around the world and alienated just about every ally the US has.

In one of life’s ironies I’m reminded of the Vietnam war (which I’m old enough to remember) and the title of a 1966 play which became a popular slogan at the time, “Suppose they gave a War and Nobody Came”. I suspect there’s a few old US allies who’re rediscovering it right now too. Of course, Trump, who repeatedly dodged the draft for the Vietnam war (a doctor signed him off with ‘bone spurs’) has probably never heard of it…

No doubt I’ll be revisiting this tragi-comedy again soon, but in the meantime I’ve more pressing matters as tomorrow the pair of us head to Derby for a few days for the 2026 Community Rail awards, which should lead to some more light-hearted blogging!

In the meantime, here’s a couple of pictures from today’s stroll around my ‘manor’.

Looking down on Sowerby Bridge from the promenade above Scarr woods.
The Wainhouse Tower looking fantastic against a clear blue sky.

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/

Cheers,

Paul