Category Archives: Shropshire

Rolling blog. Another Shropshire sojourn..

01 Thursday Dec 2022

Posted by in Photography, Railways, Rolling blogs, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, Travel

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11:10.

I’m working in Shropshire and North Wales tomorrow but it’s going to be a long day with an early start, so I’m making my way from West Yorkshire to Shrewsbury as I’ll be staying this evening in readiness for the first trip of the day. I’ll be meeting up with an old friend and colleague as it’s a two-person job. Right now I’m on my way to Chester aboard the direct train from Sowerby Bridge. Northern introduced hourly direct Leeds – Chester via Halifax trains in October 2019. It’s a very useful service as it provides a direct connection with the West Coast Main Line (WCML) at Warrington Bank Quay, as well as making it easier to get to North Wales. My service is worked by a pair of 2-car CAF built Class 195s, which are staple traction on the route. Modern trains like this add to its attraction. I’ve a table so set up the mobile office. Sadly, this particular unit isn’t in the best of health. There’s no working power sockets and the passenger information system’s lost! It’s half a dozen stations behind where it really is, so it’s announcing we’re about to arrive in Sowerby Bridge whilst our next stop’s actually Manchester Victoria! I’m travelling in the front car of the leading unit. Loadings are good, between 65-70% from what I can see, although I expect that figure to drop after Manchester.

The weather’s still grey and gloomy this side of the Pennines. Hardly ideal for photography as skies will be completely washed-out in pictures. Even so, I’ll be stopping off a couple of times en-route on my roundabout way to Shrewsbury in order to get some pictures, so expect a few shots to appear later.

11:30.

We’ve just left Newton-le-Willows and my train’s busy again thanks to a goodly number of people joining us at this rebuilt station. The facilities have really improved since the new building and lifts replaced the long staircases that used to be the only way to reach the platforms, but it’s sad to see the original building boarded up and unused.

12:00.

During our stop at Warrington Bank Quay I grabbed the chance to move tables and found working power sockets. Hurrah! The Only downside is I’m now sat over the leading bogie. The 195s are known for rough-riding and this unit (007) is no different. I’ve already had a couple of spine-jarring thumps as we’ve passed over rough track joints. Passing the freight yards at Warrington was rather a sad sight as they’re nowhere near as busy as they once were as the coal traffic that provided a lot of their business has disappeared – as have the rakes of hopper wagons that moved the stuff. Now many of the sidings are disused, the deep patina of rust on the railhead giving away the fact they’ve not been used for a long time.

14:00.

Well, that’s been a busy couple of hours. I’m still at Chester and will write more about my experiences later when I’m on the move again. In the meantime, here’s a few photos showing the variety I’ve observed. Right now I’m having a few minutes in the warm as it’s bleedin’ Baltic out on the station!

A pair of Transport for Wales Class 153s, aka ‘Dogboxes’ sit in one of the bays underneaththe truncated station roof before working a service to Liverpool Lime St.
An old friend. This class 150 used to work Silverlink services on my local line in London before moving on. First to GWR, and now Northern. In the background is a Merseyrail electric class 507.
The venerable Class 507s were introduced by British Rail back in 1978 but like many old BR fleets they’re living on borrowed time. Covid delayed their demise, but you won’t see sights like this for much longer.
New CAF built 3-car 197101 in between test runs, having worked in from Llandudno Junction.
Freight along the North Wales coast has been a rarity for many years now, so seeing stone trains from Penmaenmawr return is a welcome sight. Here’s Colas 60076 working a loaded train to Tuebrook in Liverpool.
The obligatory ‘but no-one’s travelling by train, they’re all working from home’ shot. A TfW Class 158 swops hordes of passengers en-route to Holyhead.

15:30.

I left Chester aboard another train which is reaching the end of its current career. In fact, unless DfT start making some sensible decisions it may even be the end of its career. Here’s Avanti West Coast ‘Voyager’ 221107 at Crewe, where it carried me to from Chester. These trains are only 20 years old but they’re soon to be rendered surplus by new-build bi-mode trains from Hitachi.

Ivwasn’t in Crewe long, less than 20 mins as I caught TfWs 15:09 to Milford Haven which will take me to Shrewsbury. Sadly, the weather remains grim. The sun did threaten to break through at Chester, but not here. This service is a 3-car Class 175, yet another fleet soon to be displaced. It’s packed, so yet again i’m exiled to a vestibule. What I found interesting was my fellow travellers. I’m sharing the vestibule with a young lady who’s just flown in from Malaysia. Meanwhile, the saloon luggage racks are rammed with suitcases carried by an extended family who’ve also just arrived via Heathrow. Why they’ve chosen this train’s a mystery…

16:00.

Journey’s end for me for the moment. Now it’s time to check into my hotel. Relax for a while and meet up with Pip…

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Back in Yorkshire…

08 Friday Oct 2021

Posted by in Railways, Shropshire, Travel

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We’re now back home after a brilliant week in Shropshire. We left this morning but took most of the day to come back in order to prolong the holiday. First off we nipped back down to Ironbridge for breakfast in the hope we’d see the place in the sunshine that was predicted. Sadly, that wasn’t the reality. Low cloud and mist cloaked the area leaving the light looking flat. Even so, we enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere of the town – and a decent breakfast of smashed Avocado and poached egg on toast at a cafe overlooking the bridge.

Bidding adieu we decided to ignore the motorways and cut across country in order to explore. As much as we’ve enjoyed Shropshire we’ve noticed a marked difference to home as we’ve toured the county. Many country pubs are derelict or are intact but remain closed, meaning it’s hard to find somewhere to stop for a drink or bite to eat. In contrast, most of Yorkshire’s establishments have reopened. Why there’s such a disparity is impossible to fathom. We know some of our locals are struggling to find staff. Is the situation worse in Shropshire, and if so – why?

Heading back the first major town we looked at was Market Drayton. As the name suggests it’s a market town. There’s some fine old half-timbered buildings but we weren’t tempted to stop as we’d been spoiled earlier in the trip when we’d visited marvelous Ludlow (and also Shrewsbury). So, we kept driving across country. Passing through Loggerheads (no, really!) to skirt Stoke and pass through Leek before hitting the Peak District. The weather improved the farther North we got, so much so that by the time we arrived in Buxton the temperature felt more like June rather than October! It was so good we decided to take a break and found a pub with a beer garden where we could sit and soak up some rays over a drink and watch the world go by.

Buxton is known for its waters (bottled and spring) but for people with an interest in railways the area’s also known for its rail connected quarries which ship stone all around the UK. Dawn was happy to drive past the one at Peak Forest in order than I could grab a couple of library pictures as the weather conditions were perfect. Here’s a sample.

An empty DB Cargo train backs into the loading area at Peak Forest. Each one of those wagons can carry almost 78 tonnes of stone. There’s 22 of them in that formation. Loaded, they’ll carry 1,700 tonnes. In contrast, an 8-wheel HGC road vehicle can carry just under 20 tonnes, meaning each train like this is taking 85 8-wheeler lorries off the roads. Oh, and that’s before we even think about the amount of Co2 saved, not to mention all the other environmental benefits.

The rest of the trip home was in weather akin to what you can see in the picture. Sadly, it’s not forecast to last, but hey-ho. We’ve had a great break in Shropshire which we both thoroughly enjoyed – and we’ve still got the weekend to look forward to (and a busy week after that)…

I’ve a favour to ask…
If you enjoy reading this blog, 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 to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site – and right now (because of Covid), us freelances appreciate all the help that we can get to aid us in bouncing back from lockdowns. Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website –  https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/

Thank you!

– and relax! (Shropshire diary. Day 6)…

06 Wednesday Oct 2021

Posted by in Photography, Shropshire, Travel, Walking

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Just a short blog from me today – although I’ll flesh it out when I have a little more time when I’m back at work.

Today the pair of us passed the day walking on the Long Mynd above the little town of Church Stretton in Shropshire. The Mynd’s a heath and moorland plateau that’s been designated and Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). It’s reached by a series of steep climbs from the town – which it towers over. Unlike when we climbed nearby Caer Caradoc we were lucky with the weather, as these pictures show. I’ll describe the area in more detail soon…

I’ve a favour to ask…
If you enjoy reading this blog, 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 to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site – and right now (because of Covid), us freelances appreciate all the help that we can get to aid us in bouncing back from lockdowns. Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website –  https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/

Thank you!

– and relax! (Shropshire diary. Day 5)…

05 Tuesday Oct 2021

Posted by in Aircraft, History, Photography, Shropshire, Travel

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The weather forecast for Shropshire was lousy today. It claimed we’d be awash with rain, so we’d planned accordingly and arranged a couple of indoor visits. After a leisurely start to the day that involved lots of coffee and a healthy breakfast of porridge, blueberry compote and toasted coconut flakes we drove off to our first assignment – a visit to the Royal Airforce Museum at Cosford. For anyone interested in aircraft it’s an amazing place packed full of aircraft right through from World War 1 Sopwith Pups right to prototype Eurofighters – with lots more in between. The aircraft and other exhibits are spread over several halls, most of which are old aircraft hangers but the building dedicated to telling the story of the ‘cold war’ is a custom-built structure and a great exhibition space. Due to Covid rules we were encouraged to pre-book and register for add-ons like the 4D ‘Red Arrows’ experience, where you feel like you’re in the cockpit of one of the planes flying in their famous displays. The museum was quiet when we visited so we had the 4D experience (which costs £5 apiece) to ourselves. The pair of us found the museum so interesting we ended up spending several hours there, from 11:00 until after 14:30. Admittedly, we did take a coffee break in the cafe in-between halls!

An English Electric ‘Lightning’ interceptor aircraft on display in the ‘Cold War’ building. The Mach 2 Lightning was in service with the RAF from 1960 until 1988. It was designed to protect the RAF’s nuclear deterrent ‘V-Bomber’ airfields from Russian bomber aircraft. It’s displayed like this in homage to its incredible rate of climb capability which led to the nickname pilots gave it – the ‘Frightening’.
This is the British Aircraft Corporation TSR-2 strike and reconnaissance aircraft, one of only two ever built before the programme was cancelled back in 1965. The decision was controversial with some people maintaining this was the best aircraft we never built.
Here’s the Sikorsky S-65/HH-53C ‘Super Jolly Green Giant’ helicopter which was converted for special operations – hence the rotary cannon sticking out of the side behind the cockpit!

On leaving we drove back to our next appointment which was in Shrewsbury where we’d booked to see the new James Bond film “No time to Die”. At 2 hours 40 it’s hardly a short film but to be honest, the time flew by! It’s a blockbuster of a film with a real twist that I won’t reveal but fans of the franchise won’t be disappointed by the action scenes, chases, locations or gadgets. Daniel Craig’s as excellent as ever. Personally, I’d have to say he’s been my favourite Bond since Sean Connery started the ball rolling.

Now we’re relaxing at ‘home’ with a drink after scoffing a home-made veggie noodle stir-fry. Tomorrow the weathers meant to change once more so we’ll be back outdoors. The plan is to spend much of the day walking on the Long Mynd at Church Stretton, which is a wonderful bit of countryside. Watch this space…

I’ve a favour to ask…
If you enjoy reading this blog, 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 to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site – and right now (because of Covid), us freelances appreciate all the help that we can get to aid us in bouncing back from lockdowns. Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website –  https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/

Thank you!

– and relax! (Shropshire diary. Day 4)…

04 Monday Oct 2021

Posted by in History, Shropshire, Travel

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*another blog to be fleshed out when I have time*

There’s not been much relaxing today. We were up early as we had a full day planned in order to beat the weather as the forecast wasn’t great. We really wanted to get some walking in so as soon as we were ready we drove over to Church Stretton, a place I’ve not visited since 2003 and that Dawn’s never visited. Our mission was to climb Caer Caradoc, a 459m tall hill (and old hill fort) to the East of the town. Despite the weather it was a glorious walk, the views from the top are superb. Plus, you get to see what weather front you’re likely to be facing, which in our case was heavy rain! So after enjoying the views and getting a selection of pictures we high-tailed it out of there! Here’s why…

Back at base we sheltered in the car before driving South to Ludlow in torrential rain. Mercifully, the downpour eased after we arrived leaving us free to explore the town which is an architectural gem. It also has more drunken buildings than I think I’ve seen in any English city.

More soon…

– and relax! (Shropshire diary. Day 2)…

02 Saturday Oct 2021

Posted by in Food and drink, Musings, Shropshire, Travel

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We’ve certainly taken to taking it easy here. We knew the weather wasn’t predicted to be up to much today so we hadn’t planned anything more than having a slow morning and venturing out to collect some supplies – and possibly a bit of exploring.

As it was the day very much went to plan. The rain started dropping from leaden skies about 10:00 and never let up so we relaxed and enjoyed a leisurely brunch before sallying forth to nearby Wellington where I’d (thanks to the wonders of the internet) found a decent but typically tatty Asian supermarket where we could stock up on a few exotic culinary ingredients to add to our collection. The drive into the town via the backroads was interesting as it showcased just how much new housing is being built in the area. Wellington appears to be expanding at quite a rate and not just on the outskirts, we passed several new developments in the town centre where brownfield sites were being reused. For me, this always begs the question. If we’re demolishing factories for housing, what are people doing for a living nowadays?

Much as it would’ve been good to explore the town we had other bits to pick up so made a bee-line for the town’s bigger neighbour, Shrewsbury. I have to admit to having a soft spot for Shrewsbury. In some ways its one of England’s most underrated and undiscovered towns. Yet it has a wealth of history and some amazing architecture, which is hardly surprising as the town has 660 listed buildings! There’s a glut of timber-framed buildings dating from the 15th-16th centuries and medieval street layouts with lots of winding, fascinating alleys. Plus, far more independent shops survive here than in many comparable towns. Sure, there’s all the big names you’d expect to find (M&S, Boots, etc) as well as all the charity shops that have become a fixture of UK high streets but then there’s many bespoke boutiques, tailors, pottery shops, cafes and many others that give the place a real local feel and identity. Oh, there’s also some cracking pubs, like the Loggerheads, a tiny, multi-room real-ale pub that looks drunk even if you’re not. There’s probably not a true vertical line in the place!

The three-storey building has an 18th century brick shell which is believed to encase an earlier stone structure from the 1600s. One of the rooms is identified as having been ‘men only’ until 1975. With the weather being what it was today it seemed like a good excuse for the pair of us to pop in for a quick drink. Dawn’s never explored the town before, so really enjoyed what she saw. No doubt we’ll return when the weather picks up.

Right now we’re back in the warm and dry, cooking some of the ingredients we picked up earlier in Wellington and the Sainsbury’s on the outskirts of Shrewsbury. Not only had the supermarket run out of petrol, there was many gaps on the shelves. Odd, some people are desperate to claim that none of this has anything whatsoever to do with Brexit – no siree! Odd then that I can’t find any mention of either shortage hitting any EU country or their national media and politicians going to town on the problems. Funny, that…

Meanwhile, we’ve had a lovely evening at ‘home’ doing what we both enjoy doing. Cooking. I made spicy Bombay potato whilst Dawn steamed some beans and cooked Salmon in spices, then improvised a dish that produced an aromatic beetroot curry. Here’s the result…

I’ve a favour to ask…
If you enjoy reading this blog, 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 to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site – and right now (because of Covid), us freelances appreciate all the help that we can get to aid us in bouncing back from lockdowns. Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website –  https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/

Thank you!