08:45.

After rain overnight the Surrey skies are threatening to play ball and come up with some sunshine for my final day in 3rd rail land. That would be ideal as I’ve a full day planned but one that’s reliant on clear skies for scenic shots.

Here’s a teaser for you. One of the stations I’m going to visit has what’s believed to be the only one left in the UK with its own water well. Can you guess where it is? I’ll give you the answer later.

Right now I’m on an earlier train than usual as the ongoing industrial dispute has knocked my normal Farnham – Guildford service out of the timetable. So, no pictures of loadings on the 08:58 to Waterloo I’m afraid. Instead i’m on the 08:35 from Farnham formed of a 4-car Class 450. As you can see, there’s plenty of spare seats.

10:30.

The Weather’s living up to the forecast and the skies are clearing. I’ve just left Guildford after an hour there taking pictures of services through the area (pics later). There’s a very handy footbridge spanning the junctions to the North of the station that’s an ideal vantage point. It’s also a great place for people watching too as it now leads to the huge University of Surrey campus. Watching the constant stream of students made me realise just how many of our academic institutions are reliant on overseas applicants. I remember seeing all the adverts for UK universities when I was staying in Malaysia earlier this year. And yet, the government seems intent on creating a less than welcoming atmosphere for people with their rhetoric and actions.

After a quich change from a packed Waterloo bound service at Woking I’m now on a more relaxed 5 car Class 444 heading for Portsmouth the long way round via Eastleigh and Fareham. The Conductor has announced we won’t be stopping at Fleet today due to the emergency services dealing with ‘an incident’ – which sounds ominous. Hopefully it’s not a fatality.

On this part of the trip I’m using the excellent line guide published by Three Rivers Community Rail Partnership. It’s packed full of useful information on the towns en-route and includes both local and railway history, places and sights to see and pubs and cafe’s to visit.

I love guides like this as you learn so much about the areas you pass through. OK, admittedly some of it is whimsical and of little use other than for setting quiz questions. For example. The Bridge Inn, the pub you see from the train at Shawford? It was the location of the demise of Victor Meldrew in the final episode of “one foot in the grave”!

12:30.

I’m now heading for Southampton after a flying visit to Romsey which is an interesting little place. I’d liked to have explored the town but I’m on a tight schedule. The imposing station building oerched atop an embankment is only part-used although the ground floor still boasts a ticket off and waiting room. There’s a tiny cafe with seats on the platform which is run by Marco who’s now expanded to Shawford. There’s also an 1870s signalbox just a few minutes walk away which has been restored to working order and opens to the public.

12:55.

Now I’m hoping the pace will slow a little as I wait for trains and the sun to coincide at St Denys. Not actually at the station tho’ but by the river (where the tide’s in), as you’ll see shortly..

Here’s me, hard at work…

15:25.

I managed to get the shots I wanted so decided to be optimist and go for a second bite of the cherry further down the line at Bursledon where the railway crosses another of the three rivers. At this point the river’s cammed with yachts and motorboats. It’s like being on the set of ‘Howards Way” (a 1970s yachty soap opera) but it makes a great scenic location for what I was after.

Now I’m on the move again, hoping to fit in one last scenic location if time, trains and weather allow…

18:45.

Things didn’t quite go to plan for a variety of reasons. The railway timetable began to fall apart as I headed East so I decided not to sally forth into the countryside. After all, I’d planned an hour long walk to get what would have been at best two pictures. Instead, I changed trains at Fratton and caught a late running Waterloo service that had most of its stops cut to get to Havant where I picked up another train to Haslemere. By then all the schools had chucked out so the trains were awash with teenagers. Some were very well behaved, others entitled arses. I’ve noticed that people putting their feet on seats is endemic down here, no matter what your social status.

After getting a few last shots of a working mechanical lever-framed signalbox (although you wouldn’t know it from the outside) I caught another late-running train back to Guildford. I’m here enjoying a quick pint whilst watching the world go by. I really like Guildford, apart from one thing. The traffic.

Getting from the station into the town centre involves negotiating multiple layers of sub-ring road full of cars where 90% have a single occupant.

As it’s a Friday it’s not just cars occupying Guildford, there’s a mass influx of people (mostly young) starting their weekend revelries. Events are fascinating to watch if you’re interested in observing the human condition. But, at the same time they’re rather depressing. There’s an element of ‘the last days of Pompeii’ about it.

19:30.

Time to go home. I’ve swum against the tide to get to the station and board the 19:23 to Farnham. I don’t envy rail staff working today as things are already getting messy – including this train – which is littered with fast food wrappers and other detritus. Standards certainly seem to have slipped in the South in the 13 years since I moved North. Many of our trains aren’t this bad!

21:00.

I’m now back at ‘home’ in Tilford, downloading today’s pictures so here’s a few images from my camera rather then just phone pictures.

Oh, before I go I promised to tell you which station still has a well. I didn’t manage to get there today, so a return trip is on the cards, but the answer is…Rowlands Castle.

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