Category Archives: Railways

Rolling blog. Rail rover 2022. Day 4…

25 Thursday Aug 2022

Posted by in RAIL magazine, Railways, Rolling blogs, Travel

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07:45.

After arriving in Exeter I had a quiet night in my lovely old hotel, The Mercure right across the road from Central station. The kind and friendly young lady on reception offered me an upgraded room and complimentary breakfast. Having a large room in such a grand (if slightly faded) hotel was luxury so I made the most of it and spread out on the king size bed to catch up with some writing and paperwork. Here’s a few pictures.

Free buffet breakfast? Oh, go on then!…
The foyer of the grand, but slightly faded and frayed Mercure Exeter Rougemont hotel.
The rather grand staircase and stained glass windows.

Now, after not kicking the arse out of the free breakfast (I limited myself to bacon, beans and scrambled eggs, honest!) I’m on the 07:29 to Waterloo as far as Salisbury which is worked by a pair of SWR Class 159s. These units are tired and seem a throwback now. I’m in 159001 which has no power sockets or USB and where the noise from the a/c is a constant presence. At least it’s helped drown out the chatter from the two middle-aged women on the table opposite. Animated and coffee and cake fueled, one hasn’t paused for breath since we left Exeter. I think she must be able to breathe through her ears!

10:50.

I changed trains at Salisbury, swapping from SWR to GWR who were running a pair of Class 158s down to Portsmouth Harbour which I used to get to Southampton Central. It seems I’m on the edge of the heavy rain passing through the South-East. There was a real scrum at Southampton with people everywhere. I’m assuming a cruise ship has docked. My next train was a 4-car Southern service – which looks like this. Hardly a pleasent travelling experience. It also shows the entitlement of some people. Just how many seats do you need?

13:05.

I abandoned my even more packed train (you should have seen what it looked like after stopping at Chichester!) at Barnham for a trip down the branch to King George 5th’s favorite town – or not – if you believe the alleged death-bed quote!

After seeing a series of basic stations in Wales and the South-West I’m now back amongst Victorian finery and in 3rd rail land.

14:40.

The weather’s slowly improving as I head Eastwards along the South coast but it still looks unpredictable. What it isn’t is cold, which makes lugging my combined camera/day bag somewhat sweaty – especially when I’m on the move so much. Of course it could be worse, I could still be stuck in the conditions I encountered in Southhampton. Now I’ve no worries about weilding the camera.

I arrived in Brighton aboard one of the oldest passenger trains still in daily use – the class 313s. These were built in 1976 for the newly electrified suburban services from Kings Cross and Moorgate. The last survivors of the class are now exiled to the South coast.

313208 at Brighton.

Right now I’m continuing my journey East on another Southern service to Hastings via Eastbourne.

22:30.

I’ve moved – a lot. Right now I’m signing this blog off from my hotel room opposite St Pancras station in the heart of London. It’s a cheap and cheerful hotel that’s much more upmarket from the days when this area was famous for rooms you could rent by the hour! Getting here was fun as I traversed such a variety of railways, including the ‘Marshlink’ line from Hastings to Ashford, then onto the most modern line we have (for now) – as I took ‘High Speed One’ from Ashford right into the centre of London. I’ve had another fascinating day exploring the UK rail network in 2022 – and there’s lots to see yet…

Meanwhile, here’s a couple more pictures from today.

My Javelin train from Kent to central London rests at the blocks at St Pancras. I spent years photographing the stations transformation back in the 2000s and still have a sense of awe when I experience the result.
Time for a ‘swifty’ before bed. I nipped down the road to an old haunt – the Euston Tap for a pint as an end to the day.

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/

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

Thank you!

Rolling blog. Rail rover 2022. Day 3…

24 Wednesday Aug 2022

Posted by in Photography, RAIL magazine, Railways, Rolling blogs, Transport for Wales (TfW), Travel, Wales

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06:30.

We’ve had a wet evening here in Fishguard and when I woke up and looked out of the window this morning little had improved. There’s heavy grey cloud closing us in and more rain forecast. Just as well that I’m going straight back to Cardiff on the first train! I’m staying down the road from Goodwick station so the plan is to catch the first train from there (the 07:38) into the Harbour station and begin my return journey from the port.

Right now It’s time to enjoy a coffee and pack. See you soon…

08:30.

I’m now traversing Pembrokeshire on the 07:51 from Fishguard Harbour – where I was the only passenger!

The port was deserted and so was the harbour apart from a solitary cruise ship that (judging by the lack of lights) that’s laid up. What was interesting was the absence of any HGVs. Is this a result of Brexit and the fact many ferry companies are now running services that bypass the UK and sail straight from one EU country to another? I watched last night’s ferry unload and there were plenty of cars coming off it, but again an absence of lorries.

My train’s slowly picking up passengers as we head West, a handful at each stop bar Whitland, where no-one joined.

10:33.

I’m on the last leg into Cardiff now and this train’s been rammed since Carmarthen. There’s a huge number of young backpackers around (has there been a festival?) as well as lots of families with several children. Add in the rucksacks and suitcases and there’s little room left – although there are some bikes aboard too! I’m looking forward to bailing at Cardiff and the chance to stretch my legs…

Carmarthen earlier where my train paused to reverse. This give folk chance to grab a coffee or sandwich from the locally run station cafe.

13:30.

My visit to Cardiff was all to brief. My train was late and held outside the starion waiting for a free platform so I missed my planned connection to take me up to Taffs Well, the site of the new TfW tram/train depot. As the weather was mizzly I acted on a whim. Sat in the next platform was ‘Castle’ class short HST bound for Penzance – stopping at every blade of grass on the way. But, it would get me to my next port of call (Bristol) sooner so I hopped aboard.

The ‘Great Western’ lives on in various different ways (and eras) in this picture taken earlier.

After 50 mins of picture taking around Bristol I caught the train I’m on now, the 12:45 Cross-Country service to Plymouth which is worked by one of their HST sets, so that’s two in a row – in 2022! The journey’s proving to be really interesting, but you’ll have to read my articles in RAIL to find out why…

21.45.

Sorry for the gaps in my progress but it’s been another busy day where I’ve often been too busy picture and not-taking to blog. I’m now back in Exeter at my hotel for the night after visiting Plymouth before heading off to Cornwall for a trip on the Liskeard to Looe branch, a route I’ve not traversed for many years. Afterwards I made my way back West via a variety of trains and a stopover in Dawlish to have a look at how the new seawall has changed a famous site for railway photography. Sadly, the weather at Dawlish was lousy for getting anything more than record shots. I’ve had some really busy trains tonight as tourists flock to Cornwall and Devon, and I’ve had some quiet ones heading in the opposite direction. Still, it’s all grist to the mill.

Tomorrow I’ll be heading West and some very different railways. Stay with me to see what I get up to…

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/

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

Thank you!

Rolling blog. Rail rover 2022. Day 2…

23 Tuesday Aug 2022

Posted by in Photography, RAIL magazine, Railways, Rolling blogs, Travel, Wales

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07:30.

I’ve spent my last night at home for several days. Now I’ve an extra bag to add to my kit as I prepare to head off this morning. As a consequence I’m getting a lift to the station off Dawn as starting off a long day as a hot, sweaty mess is never a good idea!

Besides, the weather’s not particularly good right now – even if it’s beautiful. Tendrils of cloud have infiltrated the valley below, enveloping Sowerby Bridge and threatening rain.

The view from our bedroom window is a window on an ever-changing world…

Now I’m at Halifax station, waiting for my forst train of the day which will carry me to nearby Huddersfield. This service was introduced over 20 years ago now, bringing back to life a disused freight line from Greetland Junction to Salterhebble Jn and providing a direct rail link between Bradford, Halifax and Huddersfield. It was hourly but the recent DfT cut-backs have reduced it to two-hourly. This and the fact the train is often cancelled have made it impossible to rely on, damaging passenger numbers and the railways reputation. It’s daft as it saves just a single 2-car train plus Driver and Conductor.

09:00.

Ah – the ‘good old days’ are back. I’m now on a hot, and late 3-car Trans-Pennine service heading for Manchester. We had an extra couple of pax from Marsden. The doors in the front car didn’t open (SDO I assume) but no-one announced the fact so one man and his dog couldn’t get off before we pulled out!

14:00. Apologies for the gap in blogging but I’ve been a busy bee! Since the last update I’ve passed through Manchester and Liverpool, crossed the Mersey to the Wirral and made my way South into Wales at Wrexham. Right now I’m South of Craven Arms on the Welsh borders heading down via Ludlow, Hereford and Abergavenny to Cardiff. I’ve had a variety of weather on the way but managed to stay dry. Fortunately, the problems Network Rail had yesterday when they were forced to shut this line due to a shortage of signallers have been rectified today. Even so, I’m not taking any chances by stopping off en-route! I’ve a long way to travel to get to my hotel for the night so discretion’s the better part of valour!

21:30.

More apologies for the gaps in the blog. I’m on my final trip of the day right now, the 21:03 service from Carmarthen to Fishguard Harbour and the end of the line until tomorrow.

I made it to Cardiff without incident and spent a couple of hours around the city’s railways, appreciating just how much has changed. The ‘Pacers’ are all gone now. In their place is a real mixture of hand-me-down units. There’s ex-Anglia 170s, Thames Valley Class 165s and even a Northern liveried Class 150/2 on loan. Then there’s the Class 769s, converted from former Thameslink Class 319s. It’s very strange seeing these former 100mph electric units with their pantographs removed and running on diesel power. I tried a trip on one up the bank from Central to Queen street which it made very heavy weather of. Having spent time photographing these beasties I headed for Swansea on a GWR Class 803, then swapped to a pair of Class 153s for the leg to Carmarthen. TfW are the only company operating these in regular passenger service nowadays and they certainly bring back memories. Here’s a couple of pictures from the day.

769002 stands at Cardiff Central earlier today.
Double “dogboxes” at Swansea before working the 19:34 to Carmarthen.

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/

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

Thank you!

Rolling blog. Railrover 2022 – day 1…

22 Monday Aug 2022

Posted by in RAIL magazine, Railways, Rolling blogs, Travel

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07:45.

The odyssey’s begun! I’m on the first of over 80 trains that will carry me around the UK’s rail network for the next 7 days as part of my bi-annual adventure for RAIL magazine. I’ll be blogging about some (but not all) of the adventure. You’ll be able to read about the whole trip over three editions of RAIL from October.

Right now I’m on train No1, the 07:17 from Halifax to Manchester Victoria which is a crowded 2-car Class 195 heading to Chester. The weather here in West Yorkshire’s turning gloomy and the forecast for where I’m headed is wet, so today could be ‘fun’. Feel free to keep popping back to see what I get up to – and where…

Here we go…

10:10.

I’ve just left Blackburn having taken a rather roundabout way (and several different trains). My trip took me to Bolton, then along the mostly single-track line via Darwen to get here. Now I’m on my way to Preston aboard a relatively busy 2-car Class 158 on an all-stations service.

Blackburn rovers…

12:45.

Well, that was an interesting interlude. My train was 10 mins late into Preston, leaving me just four minutes to kae my connection, which I managed due to it being put into an adjacent platform for a change. My next stop was Blackpool South. The predicted rain never arrived so the 40 minute walk between South and North stations was dry but hot as a consequence. Then things started to go wrong.

I’d planned to get the 11.59 back to Preston but it was cancelled due to staff shortages, leaving me with no option but to catch the 12.28 instead. Thankfully, my timetable has some slack in it and I can catch up with myself later this afternoon before traversing a route where you really don’t want to miss a train!

As you can imagine, this time of year Blackpool services are very busy. My two car diesel to Blackpool South was rammed as far as the Pleasure Beach. Blackpool North station was heaving as people queued for trains at the end of their holidays.

I arrived in Blackpool at the single platform South station.
Queuing for trains out of town at the 6 platform Blackpool North.

18:00.

A lot’s happened since I left Blackpool although one constant has been late trains eating into my connection times and opportunities to take pictures. That said. I did manage to catch up with myself at Lancaster as I’d arranged a layover to visit the excellent ‘Tite and Locke’ pub on the station. OK, my time was halved, but that still gave me time to sample the beer and get pictures.

Leaving Lancaster I headed up the stunningly scenic Cumbrian coast line. The first leg was to Barrow in Furness where I changed trains. Now I’m on the final leg into Carlise. There’s so much that I could write about but now’s not the time. I arrive in Carlise very soon, then head back South on another clasdic scenic railway – the Settle and Carlisle.

20:30.

What a stunning journey down the Settle and Carlisle – made more interesting by the moody weather. The stations along the line are all well-kept, despite the harsh climatic conditions. The only station that seemed to be suffering was Kirkby Stephen, where both the BR era signalbox and old Midland Railway footbridge needed propping up with scaffolding. Here’s some views from my train.

21:45.

The last leg of today’s trip. I had time for a quick pint in Shipley where I changed trains (there’s a story there for later). A quick walk across Bradford got me from Forster Sq to Interchange and now I’m on yet another Class 150 for the last leg home…

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/

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

Thank you!

16th August picture of the day…

16 Tuesday Aug 2022

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

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It’s a short blog from me tonight as the pair of us have had a very convivial night at the house of friends. Normally they cook for us but today we turned the tables and brought with us food we’d already pre-prepared. All that was left to do was cook the potatoes in chilli and the spicy chicken kebabs to go with all the salads and demon garlic mayonnaise we’d brought with us. Needless to say, a fine time was had by all – but I wouldn’t stand downwind of us in the morning!

The earlier part of the day saw Dawn commuting into the CRN office in Huddersfield whilst I worked from home planning more of next weeks round Britain odyssey and prepping a lot of old slides and other memorabilia which went live on eBay this evening. Follow this link to see what’s on offer, which includes 90 new slides which I’ve only added today. Oh, there’s also a selection of old badges and branded moleskine notebooks which may tickle your fancy.

As for today’s picture, this is identical to one of the slides that are now up for sale (starting price £1.99). I’ve added a selection of pictures of the railways of Sri Lanka, taken in 2003. The railway still uses a couple of British-built locomotives classes, including these examples, the M7s, which were built by Brush, Loughborough in 1981.

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/

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

Thank you!

14th August picture of the day…

14 Sunday Aug 2022

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

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It’s been another slow Sunday here at Bigland Towers. We’ve both been having a busy time over the past few days so it’s lovely to have one day in the week where the alarm clock can bugger-off! Mind you. the weather’s still been pushing temperatures into the edges of 30 degrees so that fact the pair of us had a couple of hours work to do in the cool of the cottage was no bad thing. I’ve managed to upload all the pictures I’ve taken over the past few days which can be found by following this link.

By late afternoon we’d finished all we were doing and incoming clouds took the edge off the heat so we sallied forth to Sowerby Bridge and a couple of drinks in some of the local venues. Both of us were surprised just how quiet the town was. There’s several pubs with large beer-gardens/outdoor seating that I’d have expected to be packed but they’d all enough room to dump an elephant! Had everyone had a skinful the night before and were still recovering? Were they all having barbecues at home – or was it the fact it’s the school holidays so many folk are away? Who knows! Whatever, it made for a more relaxed day. Just to feel virtuous (and to get our steps in) we walked back along the canal which was also very quiet, but at least it’s not affected by the drought and unnavigable the way some are.

Now we’re having a quite night home. Well, once I’d watered the gardens anyway. We’re predicted to have thunderstorms tomorrow but I’m taking no chances as we’ve hear these tales before. I must admit, I’d love a good thunderstorm right now. Next week will see me mostly working from home as I’ve a lot of paperwork and planning to sort out before I begin my round Britain trip for RAIL magazine on the 22nd. I’m really looking forward to the adventure but I need to plan the last few days first.

Right now it’s time to leave you with a picture of the day, but what to choose? Oh, I know – here’s an image from yesterday’s trip to Todmorden that shows how Victorian engineering suffers from the ravages of time and the fact they didn’t always get ground conditions right. Here’s the railway viaduct which crosses the centre of the town and possesses a real kink when viewed from the right angle…

Northern’s CAF built unit number 195127 arrives at Todmorden station across the ‘kinky’ viaduct whilst working 1J15, the 12:12 Leeds to Manchester Victoria.

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/

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

Thank you!

Diverting times…

13 Saturday Aug 2022

Posted by in Food and drink, Halifax, Photography, Railways, Travel, West Yorkshire

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We’ve had another hot and sunny day here in the Calder valley which prompted me to venture out with the camera as on Saturdays Trans-Pennine Express trains are diverted from their usual route and traverse the Calder valley. I’ve been meaning to do this for a while but as Dawn had to work this morning this gave me the excuse I needed. I’ll be documenting the diversions at several locations over the coming months but as I only had a few hours today I headed over to Todmorden as I could swap between a couple of locations quickly.

Here’s a few examples.

185126 (rear) and 185138 speed through Todmorden station whilst working 1P71, the 11:02 Manchester Victoria to Darlington.
802206 passes Hall Royd Junction just outside Todmorden whilst working 9M20, the 09:47 Newcastle to Liverpool Lime Street. This is the junction for the line to Blackburn which is off to the left.
802217 approaches Todmorden station working 1P25, the 1154 Liverpool Lime Street to Newcastle.

There’s plenty of other pictures to be added to my Zenfolio website later, but these give you a flavour of what the day was like. On another day I would’ve stayed longer but I was keen to tear Dawn away from her computer, so the two of us arranged to meet up in Halifax for a wander and a couple of drinks.

I have to say I was amazed at just how busy Halifax was and what fun people were having. The Piece Hall was as stunning as ever. Right now the courtyard hosts a roller-skating rink which is proving to be very popular. What was equally popular was the nearby Westgate Arcade which hosts a variety of bars, cafes and restaurants. The covered seating area was jam-packed and the crowds were being entertained by a swing band and dancers who were performing nearby. The town’s really come on as a place to go to in recent years and it’s lovely to see. Here’s a few pictures to give a flavour.

The stunning Piece Hall
Life in the Westgate Arcade
Our final stop was in the ‘Meandering Bear’ which always has a great selection of beers on offer at prices that surprise many Southerners.

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/

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

Thank you!

Rolling blog. Blackpool bound…

11 Thursday Aug 2022

Posted by in Photography, Railways, Rolling blogs, Tourism, Travel

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08:20.

It’s another hot and sunny day here in West Yorkshire so I’m heading to the seaside for a few hours to get a selection of pictures for a client. Right now I’m packing my kit before heading off to the station. It’s going to be a flying visit as I need to be back in Halifax this evening as we’re out for a meal with a friend this evening. I’ll update this blog as I go along…

09:20.

With the sun already heating the place up I decided descretion was the better part of valour,so rather than walking up our steep hill to head to Halifax I took the shorter and easier downhill route to Sowerby Bridge. The only problem is there’s no direct trains to Blackpool from here anymore (bar weekends) so I have to arrive slightly earlier to catch a Manchester Victoria service as far as Hebden Bridge and change there. Here’s my train now…

09:45.

Well, there’s worse place to change trains!

As expected, this 3-car service to the seaside is packed with ‘the bucket and spade brigade’ – young couples, families with prams and a brood of kids or elderly solo travellers whose only encumbrance is a suitcase.

10:05.

We’ve just left Burnely Manchester road where we gained dozens of new passengers including a family with a mamber in a wheelchair plus two old dears with wheeled walking frames which have been added to the pram collection.

At the last moment we were joined by a second wheelchair which has made this vestibule rather cosy – and we haven’t reached Blackburn yet…

10:20.

In order to insulate myself from the onboard mayhem and chatter I’ve retreated into listening to music. As a homage to my destination I’m playing the album ‘Too old to rock and roll, too young to die” by Jethro Tull. It’s an old favorite and those who’re familiar with it will know the connection.

10:25.

During our stop at Blackburn we lost a handful of folk but gained far more – and plenty of suitcases! Looking around I’ve observed several people who’ve clearly kept the local tattoo parlours in work. Shame it wasn’t the dentists…

11:40.

Well, this is fun! I changed trains at Preston where I had plenty of time to observe the melee as hundreds of day-trippers and holidaymakers changed trains. Many had kids in tow which was a bit like herding cats! Not easy as the island platform used by trains to the resort (1 and 2) is narrow so staff were constantly exhorting people to stay behind the yellow line. Unlike the unwary and uninitiated I knew our train would be a 2-car so stood in the right place to ensure I was one of the first one and able to get a perch seat to observe the fun. To say this 156 is rammed is an understatement! On days like this the train really could to to be a 3-car at least.

16:00.

I’ve bid adieu to Blackpool to head back to Halifax and prepare for our evening out. I’ve certainly had an interesting time. I managed a handful of pics that fit the clients needs but also captured many others that will sit quite happily in the archive for future use. It’s a shame the trip was so rushed as the weather was ideal. I need to spend a day documenting the Blackpool South branch. It’s a curious hangover from the days of BR rationalisation in the 1960s when it was reduced to a ling siding from Kirkham and Wesham. I’ll add some links later to show just how important a railway it used to be, complete with an express link. Now it’s hopelessly under capacity. It really needs to be trains a minimum of every 30 mins, not once an hour – and not 2-cars either!

Having got the shots I needed at Blackpool pleasure beach I walked along the promenade all the way up to Blackpool North, taking pictures on the way. I first visited as a child back in the late 1960s and have one abiding memory of the family visit. We visited a cafe serving fish, chips and peas (as one did). My late sister Ruth was a baby who was duly plumped in a high chair. Not being old enough to use a knife and fork she was given a spoon. This worked well until it came to eating the peas. The sight of her determinedly chasing the peas around her plate with a spoon still raises a chuckle half a century later.

To be fair to Blackpool it’s a town that’s invested heavily in the seafront and tried to reinvent its image somewhat. I didn’t see one ‘kiss me quick’ hat or anyone eating candy floss and only heard one bingo caller in the whole time I was walking. The town’s visitors have become much more multi-racial too. It’s no longer just a refuge of the white working classes. Southport, just down the coast where I grew up was always known as the place the middle classes holidayed, although it was also a big venue for Scousers on a day out.

Whilst Blackpool’s changing, the clientele isn’t always. I passed several couples deep in arguments and the use of four-letter words (even in front of small kids) was endemic. ‘Fcuk’ and its derivatives are used by many almost as punctuation.

Anyway, I’ll add a few pictures from my trip tomorrow, but here’s a few for now.

The ‘Paris of the North’, allegedly…
Vintage trams are still running tourist trips.
The concourse at Blackpool North has been improved with new retail outlets. Despite the infamous reputation it has with both railstaff and enthusiasts I found people polite and helpful.

18:10.

I’m home, showered and changed, ready to pick up our friend before heading over to Honley for an evening eating tapas – and not just the Yorkshire kind* either!…

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/

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

Thank you!

*’Yorkshire tapas’ – slang for bags of nuts and crisps.

6th August picture of the day…

06 Saturday Aug 2022

Posted by in Environment, Green issues, Hs2, Photography, Picture of the day, Railways

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Well, it took up some time but I managed to get all of the last few days pictures edited, titled and filed on my Zenfolio website. Follow this link to see which galleries they’ve been added to. Of course the ‘big’ one is the gallery of High-Speed 2 (HS2) construction pictures. If that’s your bag, you can find ’em here.

The rest of the day’s flown. Dawn’s been out for the day to spend time with her folks whilst I’ve been chained to a computer but we’ve both had good times in out own way. I managed to escape later in the afternoon to enjoy a long walk before meeting up with friends in our local pub for a few games of pool. I’m slowly rediscovering the old skills but sometimes my shots are shocking! I blame the fact my glasses have got smaller over the years. Remember Dennis Taylor, the snooker player and the fact he looked like he wore his upside down? That’s what I need! Still, none of us take it seriously. It’s merely an opportunity to have a few beers whilst laughing, joking and doing something other than just propping up a bar. Now the pair of us are back at home for a quiet night in with some home-cooked food and a movie. Not exactly the ‘rock and roll’ lifestyle but it suits us as we’ve got some busy weeks ahead of us.

As it’s nearly showtime I’ll leave you with today’s picture which is one from my trips out earlier in the week. This HS2 environmental mitigation site at Ladbroke in Northants hit the headlines in 2008 when the national media latched on to a story from HS2 opponents that mitigation work was ‘greenwash’. Why? because many of the newly planted trees died in the 2018 heatwave as it simply wasn’t practical or economic to water them. What made more sense was to replace them with new saplings, which is what happened. But, contrary to the anti HS2 hype, not all of them did die. Plus, you don’t know what’s in many of those plastic tubes (used to stop deer eating everything) until you peer into it or the tree makes it to the top.

I visited the Ladbroke site on Thursday. Dead it ain’t…

Oh, and if you’re still unsure, here’s what you see when you peer into some of those ’empty’ tubes…

Unlike the anti HS2 protesters I’ll be visiting sites like this on a regular basis over the next few years in order to document the reality on the ground. Watch this space…

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/

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

Thank you!

Rolling blog. Trains, tunnels – and HS2…

04 Thursday Aug 2022

Posted by in Hs2, Railways, Rolling blogs, Travel

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07:30.

After such a long day yesterday I must admit I slept like a log, falling asleep as soon as I lay down. Now, refreshed, I’m ready for another busy day – and a warm on to boot. It’s not a heatwave, but 22 degrees is plenty warm enough when you’re wandering around a construction site in full PPE! Right now it’s time for a coffee before heading out to meet an old friend who’s staying nearby before we head of to the HS2 green tunnel construction site near Chipping Warden. I’ll update the blog as and when…

13:30.

Sorry for tge delay with updates but it’s been a busy few hours. We were given an access all areas tour of the Chipping Warden green tunnel site, including access to the Birminham bound bore. Here’s a few phone pictures (for now) until I can add proper ones and details of tunnel construction.

Looking at the tunnel from the Birmingham side. This section of the tunnel is being built first as the nearby road will be diverted over the top (at the far end). As a consequence, those segments are the slightly bigger type 2 ones.

The twin bores seen from the London end. Both are having steelwork and concrete fitted that will form the tunnel floor and guide barriers either side of the rails.

Me with the route of HS2 to Birminghsm behind me. The green tunnel will finish by those portakabins just to the Right of my head.

17:40.

Sorry, another long interlude! Our visit finished by 13:00 – bang on the expected time which gave us the opportunities for some informal chats before we departed the site. Whilst my colleagues headed off to catch their trains I was met by a friend who took me Northwards to Leamington, stopping to examine several HS2 construction sites on the way (pics later). Right now I’m back on the rails, heading for Birmingham. Leamington was teeming with people who are here for the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. whilst folk were flooding off the staion after a day out at the games, many more were heading into the city.

My brief visit to Leamington delighted me for a different reason. The wonderful old buffet on the Birmingham bound platform closed down during Covid. To be honest, it had become a shadow of its former self so wasn’t that much of a loss. Now it’s been reopened under the aegis of the people who run the excellent ‘Centenary Lounge’ on Birmingham’s Moor St station. I popped in for a chat. They’ve been busy restoring the woodwork and other fittings but that’s just the start. Soon they’ll replace the furniture with something far more sympathetic and introduce the excellent choice of food and drink they offer in Birmingham. I’ll report back when they do!

19:30.

I’ve just left Sheffield on the penultimate leg of my journey home. We were late into Birmingham as earlier delays were exacerbated by being held outside the station to wait for a platform. Thankfully, my connection was also running behind time so the dash between platforms still gave me the chance to grab a few pictures en-route.

The Edinburgh service I was catching was being cut back to Newcastle due to staff shortages but that’s not going to affect me. It’s still a busy train as (like most Cross-Country trains) it serves different markets en-route. Looking around my coach now I’m one of only a handful who were on at Brum.

20:20.

The last leg! I managed to get some work done on the train and get all today’s pictures downloaded before we arrived at Leeds where I had a twelve minute turnaround. Now I’m heading home on one of Northern’s 3-car class 195s which is busy but not enough that I couldn’t find a free table where I could set up the laptop to start key bashing! It’s a glorious summer evening in Leeds although I really noticed the difference in temperature as soon as I stepped off the train. Yorkshire’s several degrees cooler than Warwickshire. Still, it’s going to be lovely to be home after such a hectic few days – although the pace won’t slacken I won’t be walking miles with a heavy camera bag on my back or sweating away in PPE!

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/

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