Dorset day 7 and 8…

08 Monday Jul 2024

Posted by Paul Bigland in Dorset, Photography, Railways, Travel

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There was no blog from me yesterday as – despite the weather – we were busy. It’s not that we did lots of things, exactly the opposite. We only visited one place, but we were all taken aback by how long it absorbed us and what time we left. Where did we go? Well, the weather forecast wasn’t great, so we decided it would be an ideal time to visit the tank museum at Bovington. This is military, not water (or fish) tanks, and it’s quite a place. If you’re interested in history and military history especially, it’s a fascinating place for several reasons. It’s not just the fact it tells the story of the tank as a weapon, from the original World War 1 machines to the present day, it’s the that it has an amazing archive of recorded stories and paper and physical records of the people who fought (and sometimes died) in these machines. A glorification of war it isn’t.

The museums WW2 German Tiger tank. This machine’s in working order so can be used as part of the annual ‘Tankfest’ event. When you see these monsters close up and compare then to allied tanks of the time, you can see why they inspired fear.

Today (Monday) the weather was even worse than yesterday. The plan was to revisit Weymouth and check out Portland and as time’s moving on I arranged to leave early and do some exploring by rail. Firstly by catching a train from Wareham to Bournemouth before making my way West to catch up with the others. Here’s a couple of pictures from my travels.

Bournemouth station possesses one of the railways great overall roofs, although today’s torrential rain and the leaks it exposed proved that this listed building could do with some TLC! On the left a SWR set has split, with the front train having left for Weymouth, whilst the rear set waits to return to London. On the right a Cross-Country service prepares to return to Manchester Piccadilly.

Rather more watertight is the roof over the bay platform at Bournemouth. Here’s 450075 arriving with a service from Winchester.

Nearby Poole station’s rather more basic, although it still enjoys a frequent service. 444023 calls with a service to Weymouth.

Having rejoined the family at Weymouth we braved the weather to drive over to Portland – famous for its stone – and lighthouse. None of us had visited before and I have to admit to being rather disappointed, but the weather didn’t exactly help. That said, this view looking back to the mainland and Chesil beach is rather spectacular, even in today’s conditions.

We did drive all the way down to Portland Bill and the lighthouse but when we found that the Crown Estates had taken over the carpark and were charging £3 for an hour we decided ‘bugger that’. I’m sure the Royal purse is well stocked enough without our offering.

Instead, we headed back to Weymouth, a place the family have rather fallen in love with. It’s an interesting mix of old and new. Side streets and buildings dating from the 1600s contrast with a marina full of £ms worth of yachts and motorboats. One things we spotted was this supposed ‘souvenir’ from the civil war, although I have my doubts about its veracity.

Now we’re back at ‘home’, relaxing before tomorrow. The weather’s meant to be at its crappest tomorrow, not that it’s a problem for me as I’m going to have to stay at home and write for a living whilst the others venture out. Let’s see how the day unfolds…

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Dorset, day 6…

06 Saturday Jul 2024

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Yes, I know I’ve skipped from 4 to 6, but there’s a good reason for that! It’s partly because I spent part of day 5 getting some sleep after staying up until 06:30 to savour the election results as they came in. I’ll blog about them separately, but what I will say now is just what a relief it is to finally see the back of the Tory kakistocracy and a return to having adults in charge. Starmer’s only been PM for little more than a day but he’s really hit the ground running, having got his cabinet in place – and with some excellent and unexpected appointments that promise some really positive developments.

The other reason there was no blog yesterday is that much of the day was a washout. The forecast had predicted heavy rain and high winds and it didn’t disappoint! We ventured out in the morning as we’d been lulled into a false sense of security. We sat outside by a large pond in a nearby farmshop/garden centre to enjoy a coffee whilst watching the antics of the massive Koi carp and squadrons of noisy sparrows but by the time we returned to Wareham the rain arrived – and never really stopped. Having completed some shopping there was little for it but to retreat to our rental and relax. Well, mostly relax. Dee had decided to make a meat and potato pie for our evening meal, so kept herself busy in the kitchen. I spent time catching up on editing some of a massive backlog of pictures, whilst her folks relaxed watching TV.

Today’s been different. The sun returned so we planned to be more active, which began with Dawn and I visiting the Saturday market on Wareham Quay. I have to say I was impressed. Rather than being full of cheap tat and ‘bargain’ foods it was a proper market. We bought some gray Mullet from the fishmongers and admired to quality fruit and veg on sale. If we hadn’t got other things to do I’d have been tempted by some of the cheeses or the wonderful artisan breads on sale.

Instead, we came back, picked up Dee’s parents and went for a tour. I’d spotted Studland and the peninsula sticking out towards Poole which seemed like an interesting place to have a mooch around. It contains nature reserves good sandy beaches – plus one of the few chain-worked ferries in the UK. Sadly, when we got there the winds were almost gale-force! A walk along the beach would have seen us sand-blasted in minutes! Still, it was entertaining to watch the ferry operations. This is a busy route between Bournemouth/Poole and Swanage, even buses cross on the ferry.

The wind cut short our stay, causing us to retreat to Studland itself, where we had a drink in the beer garden at the local pub. We’d planned to visit the nearby beach but the weather had other plans. A short but heavy cloudburst changed our minds. Instead, we got back in the car to head West of Swanage. It was just as well as another torrential cloudburst caught us as we passed through the town.

We didn’t give up on the idea of enjoying some scenic views and a country pub, but as the weather looked better the further West you went we ended up at the Square and Compass pub in Worth Matravers. It’s a quirky place popular with walkers as it’s just off the coastal path. This tiny multi-room pub also contains a small museum and extensive gardens with a variety of seating. It’s well worth a visit.

As there was a certain football match on today we didn’t tarry, but returned in time that the family could bite their nails whilst watching England play Switzerland. Fortunately, the match went England’s way. Whilst Dawn prepared food I excused myself to nip out to the station to make the most of the light and grap a quick couple of shots. The railways were in trouble again, some trains were 90 minutes late due to a fallen tree on the line East of Bournemouth. It seems the bad weather that had hit us had also hit the railways.

444009 was working 1W69, the 14:05 London Waterloo to Weymouth. It was terminated short at Wareham as it was running 85 minutes late. Passengers were left to catch a following train which was only a few minutes behind and 009 returned to London as 1W70, the 1753 Wareham to London Waterloo, which would should have been the 17:20 off Weymouth.

Sadly, the weather’s due to revert to heavy rain again tomorrow, so the plan is to visit the Tank museum in nearby Bovington. After that – we shall see…

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Dorset. Day 3.

03 Wednesday Jul 2024

Posted by Paul Bigland in Dorset, Food and drink, Photography, Travel

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beer, brewery, craft-beer, Dorset, Food, Food and drink, Photography, Railways, Travel

The weather wasn’t at it’s best today compared to earlier in the week. Overcast skies and a persistent wind lowered temperatures to the point where coats were required – although I pretended to be a ‘postie’ by refusing to give up my shorts – come what may!

We had another slow morning which allowed me to begin the process of editing the massive backlog of pictures that I have from the past week (there’s no such thing as a holiday for freelances). In between I amused myself watching the continuing political meltdown of the Conservative party. I honestly can’t think of a more badly run and executed election campaign, or one that’s resolutely failed to move the dial. There’s now no question that Labour will win, now the only question is – just how badly will the Tories do?

But…

Please, don’t fall into the trap of thinking that – because the result is a foregone conclusion – you don’t need to vote. Our political system is ‘first past the post’ which means that someone can quite literally win by just one vote. It’s winner take all. There’s no prize for coming second. So, if you’re tempted to think that it doesn’t matter if you don’t vote as someone else will get your back – please, please don’t. Imagine how you’d feel if you woke up the next morning to see that a Tory has been returned where you live by just a handful of votes – but you’d never cast yours? Also, ignore those people who say that the election’s a ‘done deal’ so you can vote for whoever you like as Labour will still win – because they’re lying to you. That’s not how ‘first past the post’ works either. We vote in constituencies under FPTP, not for lists where votes are transferable to other candidates. It’s the myth the hard left peddle when they pretend Jeremy Corbyn somehow ‘won’ because he got more of the national vote. They deliberately ignore the reality of FPTP and the inconvenient fact he lost (twice) because it’s the number of MPs that matter, not a national number of votes for a particular party. Please, when you vote tomorrow, vote with your head, not with some wishful thinking. We need to see the back of the Tories and right now that has to be the only consideration. After that there’s everything to play for.

Meanwhile, back in Dorset…

We decided to visit Dorchester today, it’s a town I’ve not been to since 2003 whilst the other have never visited. At first the Platts were dubious as they didn’t realise how small it was (just 22,000 souls) whilst expecting something a little more picture-box. But, after I’d guided them around and showed them some of the history and sights, they warmed to the place.

Dorchester has an interesting political history, from the Monmouth rebellion and Judge Jefferies through to the very early days of the trade union movement and the Tolpuddle Martyrs.

Like so many UK towns it’s looking a little shabby nowadays (that’s what 14 years of Government austerity does) but it still has some lovely buildings and interesting side-streets, plus a good number of independent shops.

There’s redevelopment too. Whilst the ‘fam’ nipped into a local cafe for coffee and cake I nipped over to Dorchester South station to get some pictures – and explore the redevelopment of the adjacent Eldridge Pope brewery site, which is massive. It’s a mix of historic old buildings and new -build, and they’re not making a bad fist of it. It’s certainly a good gateway to the town from the station. Plus, brewing on the site isn’t entirely dead, even tho’ Eldridge Pope closed in 2003. Right opposite the station in one of the new buildings is the Copper Street brewery. As well as brewing their own range of beers they sell beers from other local and regional breweries, either in bottles, cans or on draught. There’s seating inside and out, so you can quaff a beer in comfort during your visit.

The new Brewery Square development forms the gateway to the town centre from the station.

The mixture of new and old at Brewery Square.

Original Eldridge Pope brewery buildings given a new lease of life.

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Dorset. Day 2…

02 Tuesday Jul 2024

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We’ve had another easy but interesting day here in Dorset. Dawn and I were up early as we wanted to buy some fresh fish for an evening meal. Despite Dorset’s long coastline and seaside towns, it’s not as easy as you’d expect. There’s not as many fishmongers around anymore and some we investigated don’t get great reviews. I mean – what the hell’s an ‘artisan fishmonger’ – apart from a poncy name used to charge you more money? The pair of us ended up going over to a fishmonger’s in Poole. It’s only 15 minutes away from Wareham, so didn’t seem to much of a chore. It was OK, but the prices were far greater than the service levels. Nothing was labelled and they didn’t do anything more than flog you fish. If you wanted it gutting or descaling, that was down to you. Despite that, we picked up four very nice Sea Bream. Which we had tonight with a vermouth, lemon and butter sauce.

On out return we picked up Dee’s parents and headed off out for the day. First stop was Lulworth Cove, a place I don’t ever remember visiting before. I may have been here on a family holiday back in 1970, but memories dim after more than half a century – especially when I’d only have been 11 at the time! Lulworth was a lovely place, even though it’s touristy. One can ignore the people and all the tourist infrastructure that’s spring up to cater for them and simply enjoy the beauty of the cove and the geology that’s created it.

Next stop was nearby Durdle Door, another natural beauty. Whilst the light at Lulworth was lovely, it was mostly dull at Durdle. Even so, I managed a couple of half-decent pictures. Dee and I wandered down the steep path to Durdle but it was too much for her parents – hardly surprising at their advanced age – so we didn’t tarry. Instead, we moved on to Weymouth where we drove along the beachfront and visited the old harbour which took everyone by surprise. It’s a mix of active fishing harbour and yachty heaven, lined with eateries and bars. We all rather enjoyed it as we stopped for a drink and watched the world go by. John (Dawn’s dad) realised that it was here that he caught a ferry to the Channel Islands back in the 1960s. Sadly, the boat-trains, ferry and tramway are long-gone. The railway closed in 1987 but the tracks were only lifted a couple of years ago. Nowadays just a short stub is left in situ.

We’d have stayed longer, but we had other fish to fry. Well, not fry, but gut, descale and cook! However, we’ll be back later – this week or next. Here’s a few pictures from today’s adventures.

Lulworth Cove and some of the rock formations which make it such a fascinating place.

The massive chalk cliffs and pebble beach at Durdle Door, along with the coastal path which runs the length of this part of the coast. The view’s looking West towards Weymouth.

The only remains of the Weymouth Harbour tramway which closed in 1987. The area’s been redeveloped in recent years, but this reminder has been left in situ.

A history board on the former platform of the old Weymouth Quay station shows how things used to look over several incarnations.

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Dorset. Day 1…

01 Monday Jul 2024

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We’ve had an easy first day here in Dorset, which has been good for me as it gave me chance to catch up on my sleep deficit after last week’s charity marathon. So, instead of having an action-packed programme ahead of us I suggested a day of gentle exploration. The Platt clan don’t really know this neck of the woods, so the morning was spent exploring the delights of Wareham, wandering the backstreets and discovering what the town has to offer in the way of sights, history and culture. The reality is – there’s rather a lot. Whilst the others took a coffee break in town I wandered up to the station to grab a couple of pictures and reacquaint myself with the area.

A pair of SWR Class 444s pass at Wareham station. The station has a lovely station building which seems neglected by SWR it appears to spend a lot of its time closed and locked-up due to ‘staffing difficulties’.

Having whet our appetites we drove down to Swanage via the delightful village of Corfe Castle. This was no in-depth expedition, more of a recce for the week ahead, showing John, Norah and Dawn what was on offer on our doorstep. Unfortunately, Swanage wasn’t at its best due to clouds and a cold wind, but they got a flavour of what the town has to offer.

On the way back the weather improved, so we stopped off at Corfe Castle for an hour and explored the town. Whilst the family explored the shops I made the most of the photographic opportunities and checked out a couple of the pubs for beer and food choices.

Back at Wareham and whilst Dawn prepared a fabulous evening meal and her folks relaxed, I went for a wander down the town Quay to get some more pictures in ideal light – and check out the pubs!

Here’s a few pictures from the day…

Corfe castle seen over the rooftops of the village.

The Bankes Arms, a family run pub and hotel. Not only is it a great building, it also has good real ales and a fantastic beer garden at the rear which backs onto the Swanage railway – and has great views of the castle.

The Quay on the river Frome in Wareham has a good selection of pubs and restaurants. Or, you can just sit, relax and feed the ducks…

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Rolling blog. 3 Peaks by rail. Day 3…

29 Saturday Jun 2024

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3 peaks by rail, Photography, Railways, Rolling blogs, The Railway Children

04:30.

Ugh! After a few hours sleeping on the floor or cushions of the coaches as we headed into Scotland the train’s awake and the onboard volunteers are already serving breakfast. The train’s running 45 minutes late right now and we’re being greeted by the sight of dawn breaking over the Scottish highlands around Tulloch.

We’ll be leaving the comfort of the train by 05:15. Right now, everyone’s preparing themselves physically and mentally for what’s to come. Coaches are clouded in mist – a heady mix of deodorant and midge spray! The midge warning for base camp is at maximum level. There’s expected to be clouds of the little buggers so the first thing I check is to ensure I’ve packed my midge net and spray in the camera bag.

This is the bit of the trip that drags for me. Once walkers are ascending Ben Nevis there’s little for me to do until they return and I start getting the team pictures. So, I’ll probably be stretching my legs with a walk from the base camp into Fort William where I can sit and update this blog whilst editing pictures and sipping coffee in the local McDonalds – which is one of the only places open at that God-forsaken time!

Here are the first pictures from today…

The scene on the train last night aswalkers bedded down for a precious few hours sleep…

Smiles as we leave the train at Fort William to board the coaches which will take us Ben Nevis.

Being checked in before beginning the ascent of Ben Nevis.

07:20.

Well, everyone’s on the mountain. The last few began the climb to the summit at 05:40. Base camp and the finish line are all set up, all there is to do now is wait for the teams to return. No doubt there’ll be a few stragglers who are unable to complete the challenge due to injury or exhaustion. A handful haven’t climbed today for those reasons (and the fact safety’s paramount, so we wouldn’t let them risk themselves). Instead they’re talking short walks around basecamp whilst waiting for their team members to return.

As anticipated, I walked back into Fort William just in time for McDonalds to open, which is where I’m sat typing this. The weather here is a mixture of sunshine and showers, so I’m happy to kill some time in the dry. I’ll be heading back to camp in time to get shots of the walkers as they cross the finish line. We expect the first between 8:30-09:00. We have one team member who’s doing the 3 peaks as part of his army training. He’s been first up and down both Snowdon and Scafell and I expect him to complete his hat-trick!

14:30.

I’m back!

We’ve been reunited with the train and are currently South of Corrour. The team managed to get everybody off the mountain in good time and the train left Fort William spot on time at 13:05. Now the walkers can relax and get stuck into the food and drink on offer. Lunch is a fabulous chili with baked potato and the bar is open. I can’t let my hair down in quite the same way as I’m still on photographic duty, but here’s a few from earlier.

Returnees from Ben Nevis are piped across the finish line by Alex, a young bagpiper from Mallaig.

Some of the Ops and Railway Children team responsible for ensuring everything runs smoothly are seen with Alex, the piper.

Say ‘celery’ (a train catering in-joke, honest). This is the brilliant team who’re taking care of people on board on our return to Crewe. Seen at Fort William, just before we departed.

The money’s still coming in, but at the moment it looks like the event has raised £200,000 plus for the Railway Children to further the work it does.

16:00.

Time for a break. I’ve been busy taking pictures onboard, escorting the team who’re raffling off prizes of whisky, the headboard off the train – or the headboard of the narrow-gauge steam train we used yesterday. The walkers have been incredibly generous and we’ve raised even more money for the Railway Children. Here’s another selection of pictures of life aboard the train

Vast quantities of chili being prepared in the kitchen, ready to feed walkers and crew alike.

We have professional sports physio’s aboard, ready to massage tired limbs back into life.

Some of the prizes available in the raffle, ably sold by volunteers…

20:10.

After a long, painful crawl through Glasgow where we averaged around 15mph we’re now on the West Coast Main Line heading for Carlisle. This year the train’s quite subdued. Last year we had people doing a conga up and down the train. It’s a reflection of how the same event changes every year depending on people and circumstances. Some of the walkers coaches are full of sleeping people, others not – as people (despite the tiredness) party. In our staff coach it’s the same mixture depending on levels of exertion, adrenaline and age.

23:55.

I’m typing this last update from my hotel room in Preston. Do I have some stories to tell – just getting into my room was a saga, but not in any bad way. Right now I’m too knackered to do anything more than fall into a comfortable bed – which feels like a luxury after the past few days. I’ll explain and expound more tomorrow.

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Rolling blog. 3 Peaks by rail – day 2…

28 Friday Jun 2024

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05:30.

I’m not sure how rolling this blog will be because when we get to Cumbria phone reception will be patchy at best, but I’ll do what I can. Right now we’re winding our way along the North Wales coast after picking up the walkers at Bangor. The weather on Snowdon was windy but (mostly) dry and almost all of the walkers managed to reach the summit.

Those of us onboard the train were woken just before 04:00 as the train left Holyhead. A welcome cup of coffee was provided by the kitchen staff who were already awake. Now the train’s quiet as people try and get some sleep wherever they can before we arrive at Ravenglass at 08:47, where the next leg of the challenge begins. Here’s a few pictures from the train.

Breakfast’s already being prepared in the kitchen car.

Walkers leave the coaches that have ferried them from Snowdon to rejoin the train at Bangor.

Time to catch some sleep, bedded down wherever you can.

06:15.

We’re just North of Wigan now and whilst the walkers coaches look like someone’s set off a hand-grenade the kitchen car’s a hive of activity as the onboard crew have formed a production line to make and bag fresh sandwiches for everyone to take with them on Scafell.

This is only part of what’s going on behind the scenes…

07:30.

The train’s awake as breakfast is served. First course is orange juice and chocolate croissants and/or porridge.

Right now we’re heading along the Cumbrian coast, having just passed Arnside. The weather’s mixed here, with moody skies and the threat of rain. It’s certainly a lot colder than it has been which is no bad thing when you’re walking. Thankfully, there was only one minor injury amongst the walkers on Snowden so we should have a full complement on Scafell. But first we have to get to Ravenglass and a trip along the Ravenglass and Eskdale railway to Dalegarth, where the teams will walk 5 miles to the start of the climb up Scafell. When we reach Ravenglass I’ll lose contact for while, but I’ll be back this evening. with an update.

21:00.

I’m back! It’s been a long old day so here’s an update from the train as we head up the Cumbrian coast towards Carlisle.

Folks old and new enjoyed the trip on the Ravenglass and Eskdale railway up to Dalegarth. It’s such a pretty trip and for those who’d never explored this part of the world it was a revelation. That said, some of the old hands were very happy to use their cameras too (hello Sam D!)

At Dalegarth the teams were registered and their trackers logged in to Satlink, then they were off to walk the 5 miles to the start of the Scafell ascent. I couldn’t accompany them this year as it was arranged that some of the event team were bussed to Wasdale in order to set up the next tracking station. On the bright side this allowed my to climb Scafell ahead of the teams so that I could get pictures like this.

By late afternoon the weather on Scafell turned from dry to a series of showers and hail further towards the summit. Some teams got soaked, which wasn’t ideal due to the high winds and wind-chill. To add to the ‘fun’ many people (to their credit) made the trip ahead of time, but we couldn’t provide coaches to ferry them back to Ravenglass any earlier as the vehicles aren’t freed up until after the local school run. So, we got a double-soaking!

Back at Ravenglass the weather finally smiled upon us as we had a couple of hours of sunshine which helped people dray out. Well, mostly! Several people were reduced to wandering around in bare feet in order to allow their footwear to dry out!

Some people did pick up injuries – almost all minor, but safety comes first, so they weren’t always allowed to complete that days challenge.

Now, after a couple of hours rest and relaxation in the pubs of Ravenglass we’ve been fed and watered on the train and we’re heading for Ben Nevis – where the conditions are looking good…

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Rolling blog. 3 peaks by rail 2024 – it begins…

27 Thursday Jun 2024

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10:50.

Having spent the morning completing household chores and giving the gardens a good soaking before I go it’s now time to begin my journey over to Crewe to join the rest of the Railway Children volunteers and prepare for the arrival of this years teams and the train that will be our home until Saturday night. The weather here in the Calder valley’s bright and sunny, but I’ve packed for all eventualities.

But first, I’ve got to get to Crewe. I wonder which way I’ll go? I’m not going to be walking far as I have a rather large kitbag with me as well as a fully-stocked camera bag. So, let’s see. Next stop, Halifax station…

12:30.

Dawn very kindly gave me a lift to the station which saved mucking around with taxis. I managed to make Northern’s 11:16 to Chester which was ‘fun’ as a stock shortage meant that it was formed of a single 2-car Class 195, so it was full and standing when it arrived. I ended up standing all the way to Manchester as there was no way I was going to get a seat.

By the time we left Rochdale it resembled a sardine-can but after leaving Manchester it was only around 20% full, so now I’ve time to blag a table, plug in the mobile office and relax for a while. Unfortunately, we’ve lost the good weather now. The further West we go the gloomier the skies are.

14:15.

I’m now in Chester. Yes, I know it’s a little bit of a detour but I was still working on the train at Warrington and decided to stay on to finish what I was doing. Plus, there’s method in my madness. I can catch a direct train to Crewe from here and hopefully sample of of Avanti’s new Class 805s in the process. Mind you, it’s all a bit shambolic here. One Holyhead train was 72 minutes late. Diagrammed to leave from platform 3, announcements were made it would leave from platform 4, so passengers and luggage traipsed over the footbridge to the new platform – only to have to traipse back at the last moment when the signaller decided it could leave from its original platform anyway! Here’s a few shots;

Schrödinger’s 13:25, simultaneously cancelled and on time…

Chester is the Southern outpost of the Merseyrail 3rd rail network.

197005 sits on platform 3 whilst passengers on the island wait for their next service.

10:05.

The adventure’s about to begin…

We’re on the way! Our train left on time at 19:14, we’re now on our way to Chester and the North Wales coast before a layover at Llandudno Junction, where we let a service train pass. We’ve 42 teams aboard comprising 190 people, from companies like Siemens, train operators like Avanti and SouthEastern, engineering companies like Volker Rail and others such as HD2 and RSSB.

For the railway enthusiasts amongst my readers we have 47593 on the front and 57311 on the rear of the train.

23:55.

It’s almost time for me to go, but here’s how things have gone so far. As we hugged the North Wales coast the walkers were treated to a hot meal prepared in the kitchen cars that’s part of the train. Here’s the staff busy serving the walkers with the first course of a two course meal (the second course was cheesecake, which was divine). As you can imagine, it’s a military style operation to serve hot food to so many people in such a short time – and on a moving train! Some of the servers were ‘newbies’ to 3 Peaks , which is a challenge in itself.

We dropped off the walkers at Bangor at 21:26. Eve though they’d already been fed and watered they were provided with plenty of snacks to keep ’em going overnight.

Just as soon as they were all off the train the empty (well, empty of walkers) train continued to Holyhead where the onboard crew had the train cleared of rubbish and vehicles tanked. Meanwhile, the kitchen staff prepared a second meal, this time for the onboard crew. Now it’s time to get our heads down for a few hours before we’re up at silly o’clock to head back and pick up the walkers. Before our train departs Bangor for Ravenglass at 04:37 on Friday…

The train at Holyhead earlier. A short break before a very busy day tomorrow.

Right, see you in a few hours…

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26th June picture of the day…

26 Wednesday Jun 2024

Posted by Paul Bigland in 3 peaks by rail, Musings, Photography, Picture of the day, Railways

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3 peaks by rail, Musings, Photography, Picture of the day, Railways

This is the last blog from Bigland Towers for a while as tomorrow I head off to Crewe to join the Railway Children’s annual ‘3 peaks by rail’ charity fundraiser. I’d hoped to have been able to enjoy some of the gorgeous summer weather that’s arrived but instead I ended up stuck indoors for the vast majority of the day in order to clear the decks of various work before I decamp. Plus, I’ve had to pack for the family holiday which I’ll be joining once the 3 peaks is over. Dawn and her folks will be heading to Dorset on Saturday and I’ll follow on behind.

The logistics of these trips means packing for all eventualities and climates as it looks like we’ll be having changeable conditions depending on whether we’re in England, Scotland or Wales. Then there’s the Scottish midges to contend with, which means packing different protective equipment to keep the little buggers at bay! Right now I’m almost done. All the batteries are fully charged, spares packed, cables secured and the laptop cleared of pictures which have all been archived – just in case…

I’ll be blogging throughout the next few days as and when wifi and phone reception allows – which isn’t always. In the meantime, here’s today’s picture, which comes from a previous 3 peaks. One of the many delights of the event is the opportunity to take a trip on the Ravenglass and Eskdale narrow-gauge railway, which is used to move the teams from the coast inland, where they then walk from Dalegarth to the start of the climb up Scafell. Here’s ‘Whillan Beck’, the locomotive that was used in June 2018.

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Rolling blog. Behind the scenes…

24 Monday Jun 2024

Posted by Paul Bigland in Manchester, Photography, Railways, Rolling blogs, Travel

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Manchester, Photography, Railways, Rolling blogs, Travel

09:10.

We’re being treated to glorious sunshine here in the Calder valley this morning, although I’m not going to be around to enjoy it as I’m on my way to Manchester for another visit to Manchester’s Newton Heath depot in order to get the pictures and info I need for a future RAIL article.

My fellow passengers on the 09:02 from Sowerby Bridge are all dressed for the summer as everyone’s making the most of the good weather whilst it lasts. Finally, the winter layers and rainwear have been discarded – for now at least. The Class 158 I’m travelling on is in summer mode too – all the windows are open as the air-conditioning is struggling already!

After my depot visit’s concluded I’ll be spending some time exploring the railways around Manchester and making the most of the sunshine. Feel free to pop back later and see what I get up to….

16:00.

Sorry for the gap but things haven’t gone entirely to plan! My visit to Newton Heath was excellent. I was given a full tour, learned a lot more about operations and future plans whilst also getting pictures of different depot facilities.

An empty ‘parlour’. This is the only part of the 1876 steam shed that remains. Note the WW1 memorial which has been installed at the end.

Here’s a look inside the new St Mary’s building which is a world apart from the old steam shed.

It was only afterwards that things went a bit ‘Pete Tong’. I’d decided to make the most of the weather and explore the old ‘Oldham Loop’ rail line to Rochdale which is now part of the Manchester Metrolink tram network. I’ve not travelled this line for several years so today seemed like an ideal opportunity. I traversed Oldham on foot to get pictures then caught a tram out to an old haunt – Shaw and Crompton.

Tram 3097 calls at Oldham Central tram stop in Union St. To the left the old Prudential building is slowly reclaimed by nature.

Tram 3139 leaves Oldham Mumps tram stop on its way into Manchester. There’s a lot of regeneration happening around here but the amount of empty commercial properties is depressing. The old mainline station was down the hill to the right.

It’s changed a bit since I first got to know the area! The Metrolink station has been built to the South of the level crossing and site of the national rail station.

It was then I became aware of an issue with my footwear. I was wearing a pair of safety shoes with steel toecaps – sensible and required footwear for wandering around a depot – but I’d not worn them for a while as most of the jobs I do require safety boots, not shoes. As I walked along the platform at Shaw and Crompton I became aware of a flapping sound. Looking down I realised my shoe soles were very rapidly disintegrating as well as coming away from the uppers! There was nothing for it to head back home for a change of footwear and hope they’d last long enough to walk back in. Thankfully Dawn had a free moment and was a star. She drove down to Halifax station to deliver me spare shoes in order that I could complete my explorations. Talk about a life-saver. Needless to say, she now has even more credit in the bank!

Leaving Halifax I caught the local shuttle down to Huddersfield in order to check out TRU work. Since my last visit one of the platform shelters has vanished, while the scaffold and crash deck that’s being built under the existing roof has extended even further Eastwards. The wooden waiting room on the island platform is slowly disappearing too. It’s being dismantled piece by piece so that it can be stored before being re-erected on the station at a later date. The interior’s now been stripped out and the windows have all disappeared.

Right now I’m on a TPE service back to Manchester to pick up where I left off. The weather’s changed with cloud building up but I’m optimistic I’ll still be able to get some good library shots.

22:15.

I’m back home after a busy but productive day. I did manage some extra library shots but for once the weather changed for the worse in the evening, meaning we lost the sun and gained low cloud instead so I called it a day earlier than planned and made my way home.

Having been transferred to Northern from the West Midlands, 323220 has become a common sight in Manchester. It was at Piccadilly this evening before working a service to Crewe.

I’ve still got over 27,000 steps in the bank, which isn’t bad when all I’d had to eat was 3 bits of bacon and an egg for breakfast and an apple for lunch. Mind you, I’ve been guzzling water like it’s going out of fashion, so that’s helped fill the gaps. I’m surprised (and rather relived) that my fasting regime isn’t more challenging, although I was looking forward to getting home and consuming my last allowance. I’ve found baked beans fill you up nicely – and so far, there’s been no unfortunate side effects…

Tomorrow I’ll be working from home all day and prepping for both 3 Peaks by rail and the holiday afterwards, so expect a picture dump and a few other bits on the blog. Until then, goodnight!

Or – you can now buy me a coffee! https://ko-fi.com/paulbigland68312

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Paul Bigland

~ Blogging on transport, travel & whatever takes my fancy.

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