Category Archives: Musings

Midweek miscellany

03 Wednesday Apr 2019

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Today’s been one of those mixed days, full of promise that never quite lived up to expectations. I was up early in order to edit another batch of old slides that I’d scanned the pervious evening. Whilst I kept one eye on them the other eye was on the weather forecast, which was all over the shop! Whilst the thermometer genuinely hovered around zero we were promised anything from snow to lightning storms by the weather reports. Sadly, neither arrived, despite my constant trips from my office to keep a watchful eye out across the Calder Valley from the bedroom. The camera bag and I stayed in the warm, whilst my mind was cast back 20 years as I looked at pictures where many of them I hadn’t seen since I took them.

All in all, it’s been a productive day as it wasn’t just about scanning slides. My email inbox is now several pages lighter whilst my diary’s put on weight. The most bitterly frustrating thing is not to know how to reply to a press invite to an event in Austria at the end of April. Neither I nor some of my UK colleagues have a clue how to respond due to the Brexit shambles as our status as accredited EU journalists is up in the air. Will we need work permits? We haven’t got a clue and no-one can tell us. We’re just another group caught up in the infernal Brexit mess that shows every sign of ending badly for the UK.

I’m so utterly pissed-off with those of my fellow citizens who see this all as some jingoistic game that we’ll ‘win’ purely because we’re British, so obviously ‘superior’.  After all, didn’t we ‘win’ two world wars? The political and economic illiteracy is frightening, as is the hubris. Part of me has got to the stage where I really can’t blame the other EU members for wanting to say “oh, just f**k off then” in order that we get the reality check we richly deserve and Parliament desperately needs. Because, whatever Brexiters claim, we’ve not taken back control – unless you think deciding when to blow your own brains out is ‘control’. The EU’s in the driving seat now and will be for the discernible future. Very soon the penny’s going to start to drop that we’re the supplicants. Not only that, but we’ll be the country at the mercy of everyone else as our weakness will be obvious to everyone but the jingoists. And the really dumb thing? This is just the start of our problems. The ‘divorce’ from the EU should have been the easy bit! Now we’ve got to negotiate a new relationship, which isn’t easy when you’re the ones who’ve just shat in the bed…

OK, enough of this political and economic omnishambles for now. Here’s one of the latest batch of slides I’ve been scanning. This is Barnetby (Lincs) on the 3rd August 1999.

06999. 56063. 6D66. Immingham - Doncaster Enterprise. Barnetby. 3.8.99crop

This is classic ‘old railway’ despite the change of traction power from steam to diesel. Class No 56063 heads West past the impressive array of old semaphore signals at Barnetby East with 6D66, an Immingham – Doncaster ‘Enterprise’ mixed freight working. The semaphores and signalbox lasted until December 2015 when they were finally replaced with modern colour-light signalling controlled from York ROC.

Tonight I finished the last of the slides from the 1999 album I have to hand. They’ll appear on my Zenfolio site tomorrow. Next I step back in time to 1995…

Tuesday tribulations

02 Tuesday Apr 2019

Posted by in Down memory lane, Musings, Photography, Railways

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After working until late last night scanning slides I’ve restricted myself to working from home. Mind you, the weather’s not exactly been conducive to wandering the country. It’s been cold despite the sun and with moody skies that have threatened rain, sleet or even snow.

I’m now on the final few slides of the latest album to be disposed of, and it’s only taken 20 years to get them all done! In the past I’d only scanned a selection of images from each album. Now I’m scanning the whole of the album that I’ve decided to keep (some no longer make the grade) and I’m freeing up a lot of space in the process.

Here’s a couple of samples from the latest batch which show just how much has changed in the past 20 years.

06893. L702 51356. 51398. 15.38 Barking to Gospel Oak. Harringay Park Junction. 1.6.99crop

On the 8th June 1999, unit L702, made up of Class 1777 DMU cars 51356. 51398 work the 15.38 Barking to Gospel Oak past Harringay Park Junction on the ‘Goblin’, as the Gospel Oak – Barking line is known. At the time this was one of my local railways as I only lived a quarter of a mile away. It was one of London’s ‘cinderella’ railways, and a real backwater. A pocket of diesel operation that was surrounded by electrified lines that was still controlled in places by semaphore signals. The Class 117s themselves were old and unreliable and the service was often appalling. If you visit this same location today you wouldn’t recognise it. Everything has changed. The DMUs are gone, as is the signalbox and semaphore signals. The junction has all been relaid and even the roadbridge beyond has been rebuilt. The line’s also been electrified and this view has disappeared behind overhead wires. 

06936. 150130. 16.08. Barking - Gospel Oak. South Tottenham. 18.6.99crop

Here’s South Tottenham station just 17 days after the last picture was taken. The first Class 150s have been cascaded to the ‘Goblin’ to take over from the elderly Class 117s. A slightly care-worn 150130, still bearing Central Trains livery, calls at the station whilst working the 16.08 Barking to Gospel Oak service. In 2010 the 150s were displaced by the Class 172s which have lasted until now due to delays in electrifying the route and the new Class 710 trains being over a year late into service. Ironically, 150130 has followed me North. After being transferred to First Great Western after it left North London it’s now part of the Northern Rail fleet! 

Another 70 plus old slides have been added to my Zenfolio website. If you follow this link, you can find which galleries they’ve been added to. There’s everything from trains to stations.

 

A day off from blogging…

31 Sunday Mar 2019

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Well, almost! I’ve been too busy to scribble my thoughts on anything as Dawn and I have had an impromptu afternoon with friends who were passing through. After which we were occupied stretching our legs before a quiet evening in front of the telly watching ‘Netflix’. I have scanned a few slides and managed to upload some pictures to my Zenfolio website taken earlier in the week, but that’s it. Normal service will be resumed tomorrow.

Here’s couple of pictures that sum up the day. Dawn had a go of Dominic’s souped-up wheelchair which he’s fitted with a rather snazzy attachment that turns it into an electric trike!

This evening we put our feet up and watched TV whilst our cat (Jet) stretched out in front of the fire we’d put on especially for him. He’s an old boy now and he’s always loved heat, but tonight he was positively basking!

Home again.

30 Saturday Mar 2019

Posted by in Down memory lane, Musings, Railways, Uncategorized

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After yesterday’s little adventure I’m having a quiet weekend at home, catching up on chores and picture editing. Slowly but surely I’m making progress in scanning my old rail slides, with the present batch straddling the period from 1996 to 1999 – albeit with a gap because I was out of the country and travelling around the globe from November 1997 until April 1999. Here’s the last one I took before I left. It’s from Stratford, in East London on the 29th October 1997. Now, these BR built class 315s are heading to the scrapyard as they’re being replaced by the Crossrail Class 345s.

06854. 315826. Stratford. 29.10.97crop

Here’s the first shot I took on our return, at somewhere very different to East London. This is Burscough Bridge on the Southport – Wigan line on the 9th April 1999 . The  signalbox here once controlled a junction with lines going off to the right and left to join the Ormskirk-Preson line which crosses over the bridge in the distance.

06855. 156452. Burscough Bridge. 9.4.99crop

You can find the full selection by clicking on this link to my Zenfolio website.

I’ve still several sheets left in the album to scan. With a bit of luck I might be able to get them all done next week. After that, the next album in the queue takes a step back in time to 1995 and the last year of BR before privatisation started. Unlike the last couple of albums, it far less Londoncentric, so watch this space…

Another day in Brexit Britain…

26 Tuesday Mar 2019

Posted by in Brexit, Food, Musings, Photography, Politics, West Yorkshire

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The farce that is British politics shows no sign of allowing reality to intrude at the moment, despite it knocking at the door – and shouting through the letterbox. The band of Brexiters are tying themselves in knots to justify both Brexit, and themselves. One of the maddest statements came from a supposed Labour MP, Kate Hoey, who said in a Parliamentary debate that “I don’t call it a no deal, it’s not a no deal, It’s a different type of deal”. Presumably in the same way that being dead is a different type of living…

This is the level of batshit crazy we’ve come to expect from the rabid Brexiters, for whom no mental gymnastics are out of bounds in their efforts excuse the complete and utter shambles they’ve helped visit upon us.

Away from the craziness, I’ve been busy editing pictures at home. First up were some more old slides, such as this, taken at Clapham Junction in June 1997. Nothing in the picture remains today. The old Kensington sidings that 33026 is using to run round an engineers train have vanished under a new platform for London Overground services. 33026 survived until 2003 when it was cut up at Eastleigh, having been withdrawn in August 1998, just over a year after this picture was taken.

06707. 33026. Clapham Junction.15.6.97crop

As well as scanning more old rail slides I’ve started on pictures from the anti Brexit rally in London on Saturday. You can find those pictures in this gallery.

This evening has had more of a domestic focus. Dawn’s accelerating her training for the Huddersfield half-marathon, so I’ve been stepping up to the plate on the cooking front and trying some different recipes from a new ‘Hairy Bikers’ cook book. The prawns I cooked tonight have seemed to go down well anyway. Here’s the basic ingredients all ready for cooking.

This is what the prawn curry looks like when it’s ready. No, those aren’t green chillies you see, they’re sugar snap peas, which give the curry a delightful crunchiness.

Frustrating Friday…

22 Friday Mar 2019

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It’s been one of those days. I managed to get some work done this morning but this afternoon I had to nip into Halifax in order to try and get a suitcase repaired. Problem is, very few people do that sort of thing nowadays! We’re such a disposable society that it’s taken me ages to find a shop that might be able to do it. If I was in India or elsewhere in Asia it would take me 10 mins!

Still, all’s not lost. As the place I was recommended was in Halifax market I paid a visit to the ever popular ‘Thai corner’ cafe which serves some brilliant food, including one of my favourite northern Thai dishes, Kow Soi. There’s nearly always a queue here, as you can see from the picture.

As it’s Friday I popped into my local (The Big 6) on my way home as a group of us tend to have our own little quiz night in a corner of the bar, with one of us reading questions from the local Pub Paper Magazine. Normally it’s Mel, a woman with such a superbly thick Lancashire accent that you need sub-titles! Tonight’s beer selection wasn’t too shabby either.

Now we’re back at home, packing for the weekend as we’re off to London in the morning. Our first stop will be to meet up with several friend and colleagues from the #RailwayFamily to join the march against Brexit tomorrow, so expect a few pictures and a blog during the day – 4G permitting as that number of people tend to swamp it! Afterwards we’re heading over to Clapham to celebrate an old friends 50th birthday.

One of those days…

17 Sunday Mar 2019

Posted by in Musings, Railways, Uncategorized

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But in a good way! There’s been so much to blog about but I’ve been taking it easy instead as it’s been a very convivial weekend. Yesterday we were out celebrating a friends birthday which meant today was always going to be a little ‘relaxed’. I’ve spent most of it scanning more old slides like this one. The railways often (rightly) complain about road vehicles striking railway bridges, but for once the boot was on the other foot and it resulted in this ‘italic‘ Class 08…

06480. 08898. Stored in the Down sorting sidings. Bescot. 29.3.97crop

This is what happens when people don’t check loading gauges. The loco concerned was photographed when it was dumped at Bescot (Birmingham) in 1997. It ended up looking this way because it had been used on the Burry Port and Gwendraeth Valley Railway in South Wales, which had some extremely low bridges. So much so that the locomotives used on the line had to have cut-down cabs so that they fitted. Only no-one checked 08898 had when they used it to deputise for one of the regular locos…

I’ve dozens more slides ready to scan but they’re not going to get done tonight. You’ll find them being added to my website over the next few days. Instead I’m going to have some quality time with my other half. Catch you all tomorrow!

You’ve got to laugh!

16 Saturday Mar 2019

Posted by in Brexit, Musings, Politics, Railways, West Yorkshire

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The weather forecast was spot-on. It’s never stopped raining in the Calder Valley today. As it’s so bad I’ve stayed in and got on with scanning some more old slides whilst keeping one eye on social media – which has provided a real laugh to brighten up a grim day! Nigel Farage began his ‘MarchtoLeave’ today and it’s provoked some real fun on Twitter as only 200 people have turned up. You can find a report of the event here

Presumably dreamed up after a few too many sherberts in the pub, Farage’s pro Brexit march was meant to be a recreation of the famous Jarrow march of the 1930s – apart from the fact he didn’t start in Jarrow, he’s not walking all the way to London and they’re bussing some sections between towns!

The official hashtag (#Marchforleave) has been subverted and someone has started the #GammonballRun hashtag, which is producing some absolute gems! Here’s a couple.

gammonball1

gammon 3

gammon 4

The march seems a prefect metaphor for Brexit. It was a bad idea poorly executed that’s over promised and under delivered! I expect it will provoke a lot more fun before it either fizzles out or actually makes it to London.

Meanwhile, here’s one of the old slides I’ve been scanning. I’ll add caption details later.

06463. 150201. Southport - Chester service. Southport. 26.1.97crop

Right now it’s time to get changed and head out as we’re out with friends in Sowerby Bridge this afternoon, having tapas to celebrate Tony Allan’s birthday. I’ll add some pictures later.

22:34

We’ve had a lovely night celebrating Tony’s birthday at the Engine in Sowerby Bridge.

The food was great and the company sublime. Now it’s time to call it a day.

Rolling blog: What a wonderful world?

15 Friday Mar 2019

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This morning I woke up to the tragic and horrific news from New Zealand, where 49 people have been murdered by right-wing extremists in shootings at two mosques in Christchurch. For me this is no far away incident as I was in Christchurch in January. It’s a city that’s no stranger to suffering as it was devastated by earthquakes several years ago, but this latest tragedy is entirely man-made.

What it highlights is the rise of right-wing extremism, which is something we’re seeing everywhere, even in the UK. We have the likes of Yaxley Lennon (aka’ Tommy Robinson’) peddling his hate and door-stepping at midnight anyone who has the temerity to stand up to him or expose him. We have the far-right ‘yellow jackets’ who abuse MPs and ordinary people on the streets of London and cities like Manchester. Sadly, nowadays, far too many people are apologists for these fascists. It’s about time ordinary, decent people rejected these extremists. We need to become intolerant of intolerance.

14:49

After a few hours based at ACoRP towers in Huddersfield I’ve nipped out for a couple of hours in order to make the most of the sunshine whilst we have it as the weather forecast for tomorrow looks awful, so I expect to be stuck indoors.

Right now I’m on a busy Trans-Pennine service heading to Leeds, which us standing room only as usual. I’m looking forward to their new ‘Nova’ trains entering service later this year as then I might be able to get a seat!

16:21

Whilst in Leeds I managed to track down one of Northern’s refurbished Class 333 EMUs (013) and take a trip out to Ilkley and back. I have to admit, they look very smart.

17:08

Now I’m back in Leeds, having joined the throng hoping to get on the late running 17:06 back to Huddersfield. We’ve all made it on and now there’s 12 of us occupying the vestibule as well as folk stood in the saloon as ‘poets day’* is in full swing.

*Piss Off Early, Tomorrow’s Saturday!

Winter returns – with a vengeance!

10 Sunday Mar 2019

Posted by in Calder Valley, Musings, Sowerby Bridge, West Yorkshire

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The pair of us had a slow start to the day after a very convivial night with friends in Mytholmroyd last night. We’d popped round for a meal, a chat and a few drinks, but it was such a laughter-filled evening that it flew by. Next thing we knew 18:00 had turned onto 01:30! By the time we got home it was after 02:00 when we crawled into bed, so a lie-in this morning didn’t seem unreasonable. When we woke up it was to the sound of gales and sleet battering the cottage and that’s not changed all day. Winter’s returned with a vengeance! At one point it looked like we were in for some serious snow. Massive flakes the size of saucers were falling and we ended up with a fair dusting of snow atop the valley above Sowerby, but then the rain came in – as well as the sleet, and it soon vanished. To say that the weather’s remained ‘changeable’ would be an understatement. Discretion being the better part of valour we decided to can any idea of walking in the biting wind so restricted ourselves to nipping out to buy some DIY essentials, stock up on more condiments from our local Indian supermarket and nip into the Big 6 for a ‘swifty’. Well, for me anyway – Dawn’s been back on the wagon this week as part of her training for the Huddersfield half-marathon!

We’re now back at home, ploughing on with different things. I’m continuing to scan old slides whilst Dawn’s being industrious in the kitchen, making a vegetarian cottage pie but using Butternut Squash for the topping rather than potato.

Tomorrow the pair of us are off to Sheffield for a couple of days at an ACoRP conference, so expect different blogs about that. In the meantime, I hope you’re all staying warm and dry away from this turbulent weather.