Category Archives: Travel

Rolling blog. Back to London…

17 Tuesday Jun 2025

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

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08.30.

I’m on another Grand Central service from  Halifax to London, only this time my visit is less than fleeting. The weather over the next few days promises to be ideal for photography – if not for strenuous exercise as the capital will be treated to temperatures in the very high 20s. Even so,   I’m looking forward to it as I have clothes suitable. Thankfully, the thermometer wasn’t so high here in West Yorkshire as I walked to the station as I’m dressed for a more formal occasion first.

But right now it’s time to relax and enjoy the journey South.

Another 200 miles of Adelante action..

10:00.

Having bimbled through West Yorkshire’s byways of industrial heritage and rural retreats we’ve left Doncaster to speed down the East Coast Main Line to London. My car is around 80-85 full – not bad loadings for a Tuesday. There’s a real mixture of people, from businessmen, families and pensioners (oh, shit – that’s nearly me!). What’s good to see is the number of people of all ages who’re reading books rather than staring at screens. Me? I’ve briefly logged on to update the blog. Most of my trip as been spent offline indulging i n something I don’t do enough off – listen to music. Right now I’m being transported to different countries and eras in my life by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.

16:30.

Well, that was a long lunch! This year, the annual Siemens press event was held at Langans Brasserie in Mayfair. It started at 13:00 and I’ve just left – although others still remain. It’s a first-class event as it gives trade journalists access to Siemens UK senior management team, along with company staff across the echelons. It’s an informal do where staff rotate between (delicious) courses to allow as much access as possible. It’s always well-attended, and this year was no different. Meaning it’s also a good time to catch up with colleagues. I’ll add a couple of pictures later. Right now, I’m taking five in Green Park in order to soak up some sunshine, update this blog and check a few emails.

00:30.

Mind the gap! Technically it’s now another day, but as it’s been a busy one I wanted to bring this blog to a close with a few more pictures. After leaving Green Park I walked through central London, exploring old haunts in the city which I loved living in for so many years. The fact the weather was hot and sticky just added to my memories. I’ll explain more tomorrow as I have a full day to do so. Having hit Charing Cross I did a minor detour by rail to St John’s to update pictures. Now they illustrate just how much central Lewisham has become another suburban skyscraper satellite of central London.

Here’s another couple of shots from the day.

Sambit Banerjee, Joint CEO of Siemens Mobility in the UK, reflected in a mirror at Langans Brasserie as he addresses UK rail trade press journalists.
I forgot to mention this. When I was at Kings Cross earlier security and crowd control was very tight because of this. The India cricket team arrived to catch the train to Leeds, where they’ll be playing.

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

The start to a busy week…

16 Monday Jun 2025

Posted by in Community rail, Huddersfield, Photography, Railways, Travel

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I’d intended this to be a rolling blog because I was out early this morning as I had a commission in Huddersfield involving the start of Better Transport Week 2025. As is my wont I headed over there from Halifax in plenty of time, with the intention of having a look at TRU upgrade work after the gig. Ha! Today was one of those days where technology throws you a curved ball. On arrival at Huddersfield I tried to download pictures from the camera into the laptop – only to find the two were going through a divorce and wouldn’t talk to each other! I tried a couple of different USB cables, all to no avail. So, that buggered things up to start with as I was on a deadline.

The camera performed faultlessly during the job, but try as I might, I couldn’t get the two machines to kiss and make-up. Eventually I had to give up and head home many hours early in order to be close to home spares. Sure enough, after trying yet another cable out of my spares cabinet the pictures transferred perfectly! There was great rejoicing (and not a little swearing).

Now the evening’s wearing on and I’m almost packed for my next series of travels. Tomorrow I return to London for a couple of days, starting with a press lunch (but more of that tomorrow as and when it happens), after which I’ll be exploring old haunts from my time as a London resident. In the meantime, here’s a couple of pictures from today.

I’d arrived in Huddersfield with time to spare before the gig started, so I went for a wander around Huddersfield old market. It’s a fantastic old Victorian building which is still full of colour thanks to the fruit and veg and cloth stalls.
The massed ranks of folks outside Huddersfield station celebrating the start of better Transport week.

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

Rolling blog. A day out in London…

13 Friday Jun 2025

Posted by in London, Photography, Railways, Rolling blogs, Transport, Travel

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08:00.

It’s time for a day out in the metropolis, catching up with old friends and updating library shots of the capital’s railways. Right now I’m at Halifax station waiting for Grand Central’s 08:11 service to King’s Cross. I’ll be blogging throughout the day so feel free to pop back and see what I get up to…

08:30.

I’m now heading South (well, East right now) aboard one of Grand Central’s old Class 180 ‘Coradia’ diesel units built by Alstom back at the beginning of privatisation. These 5-car, 125mph cast offs from First Great Western have been the backbone of GCs West Riding services since it began in May 2010. They’re comfortable, if not always reliable and will be replaced in a few years time by a new fleet of nine brand new tri-modes built by Hitachi which are due to enter service in 2028.

180102 arrives at Halifax from Bradford, past the old flour mills that are now part of the confectionary plant which produces ‘Quality Street’ and ‘after eight’ mints. The abandoned signalbox is on the left, where the line once diverged through Halifax to Queensbury.
Today’s mobile office. ‘Coradia’ saloons have always been rated for passenger comfort, either these Class 180s or their sisters, the Class 175s.

Our meander through West Yorkshires backwaters enables me to check out some of the work on the Trans-Pennine Route upgrade (TRU). The most significant change I’ve seen so far has been at Mirfield where the steelwork for the new footbridge from the carpark to the island platform has been installed. I can see that I need another trip out along the route as TRU work is really starting to gather speed. Another major change although slightly off route are the preparations for the reopening of the old Healey Mills yard, where a fan of sidings have been relaid in order to be used for engineers trains – although nothing has appeared yet.

09:05.

We’re now out in the wilds on our way to ‘Pontycarlo’ (as Pontefract is disparagingly known) having left Wakefield Kirkgate, a station which Grand Central has invested substantial sums in. As we left we passed a pair of new stabling sidings and staff accommodation which was installed by DB a few years ago but never really used. The tracks are rusty, not having seen trains for quite some time.

My trip’s been enlivened by meeting an old friend. Javid, the Train Manager is one of the original Grand Central staff who’s been with the company since the West Riding service started. It’s been lovely to catch up with him and swap news. Many of the ‘old guard’ have moved on, with several of the people I knew having moved up grades to become train drivers, either with GC or other companies like Northern. Apparently, GC are expecting to hear news about their application for a fifth Bradford – London path this afternoon. I hope they succeed.

09:20.

Having stopped at Ponty (where hardly anyone got on) we headed on past Knottingley, which was once a major railway depot that serviced the Yorkshire coalfields. The DB depot is a shadow of its former self now (I came here recently) as all the coal traffic has vanished but the shed hosted several locos – more than I’ve seen for a while. Just down the road from here was Britain’s last deep coal mine. Kellingley. It closed a decade ago – something that populist politician Nigel Farage is completely unaware of when he makes impossible promises like the idea he’s going to reopen South Wales Steelworks and coal mines, really? Sadly, he seems to have a ready supply of fools who believe everything and anything he says.

Of course, the curse of right-wing political populism isn’t just restricted to making impossible economic promises. For some time now the right-wing have been portraying London as some rundown multicultural hellhole that no-one in their right mind would want to live in or visit. Nothing to do with the fact it’s voted for a Mayor who just happens to be a Muslim (three times) of course. Here’s an example from Twitter.

As someone who was a Londoner for 25 years (when it really was rough) I can assure you that this is complete bollocks. Part of me has to laugh at English ‘patriots’ who spend so much time disparaging the country they supposedly love. ‘Benonwine’ has history. Like many of these accounts (many of whom aren’t even UK based) they’ve found a way of making money by ‘rage-farming’. Posting incendiary (often racist) stuff on Twitter and other platforms. Only it backfired on Ben. Ben worked for Waitrose in Henley-on-Thames and got found out. So they sacked him! He’s now ‘benonthedole’. Like most of these grifters he appealed for donations to fight his sacking and various dim people contributed. Just like they donate to that arch-grifter and jailbird Stephen Yaxley Lennon (aka Tommy Robinson). The old adage that a fool and their money are easily parted is never more in evidence than when it comes to the far-right. These people have tapped a rich seam of mugs to dumb to realise they’re being used.

So, will I be in fear of my life when I reach London? Give over!

10:15.

A few minutes ago we sped past Grantham (the best way to visit), now we’re almost hitting our maximum speed of 125mph under clear skies – and signals! The lineside is looking fecund right now as crops and trees have benefitted from recent rains. This is Britain at its most picturesque and there’s no better way to admire it then through the window of a train.

11:45.

I’ve arrived in London and met up with the first member of our merry gang. We’ve not been mugged or stabbed yet, much to ‘Benonwine’ disappointment…

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

By the seaside (day 2)…

02 Monday Jun 2025

Posted by in Food and drink, Photography, Southport, Travel

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Yesterday was our second day at the seaside and one where we didn’t actually see the sea – but that’s not unusual in Southport – a town notorious for how far out the sea disappears to! We had a leisurely morning at the hotel we were staying in as there was no need to rush. The food and drink festival didn’t open until 10 so we could take out time. Typically, just as we left the hotel it started raining! The forecast had threatened showers but later in the day so we were rather glad to get ’em out of the way earlier as that promised better weather later. Sure enough, by the time us early-birds hit the festival the weather began to brighten up – although gusty winds caused a few nerves amongst the stallholders who had tents rather than more substantial structures.

I’d never attended this particular food and drink festival before so I was surprised at its sheer size. There were dozens of food stalls along with craft shops and people selling produce such as local honey. Kids were kept entertained with a selection of bouncy castles, bungy swings and sundry other devices. Victoria park covers a large area so there was plenty of space available for the ranks of stalls and associated tables.

We’d arranged to meet my niece there, but what I hadn’t realised was that she worked for the charity that arranges this and all the other major events held in the park – like the Southport flower show! We ended up spending a very enjoyable couple of hours catching up with her and her husband (who’d drifted in after work) as the park gradually filled up. Here’s a few pictures to give a flavour.

The beauty of caravans – they can’t blow away!
Thai pies? Hmm…
Making the most of the seating – although a lot of old hands brought their own chairs.
By the time we left the place was getting very busy indeed…

The event’s obviously very popular, but I was a little disappointed at the lack of variety in the food. Yes, there were all the fast-food favorites but when it came to world food the variety and authenticity was poor. For example, one curry house was obviously amending South Indian dishes for western tastes. It meant there was little to temp us as we both enjoy cooking, so nothing stood out. In the end we plumped for a hog roast. Still, it was great to see Southport putting on such a successful event.

By early afternoon we were ready to leave and headed back across the West Lancashire plain, stopping off once en-route at the Ship at Lathom, a busy little pub on the banks of the Rufford arm of the Leeds and Liverpool canal. It’s popular with foodies, drinkers and walkers of all ages.

The Ship at Lathom

Sticking to the motorways we made it home in a little over an hour after leaving Lathom. It was an impromptu weekend, but great to catch up with some of my ‘rellies’. I won’t leave it as long next time…

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

By the seaside (day 1)…

31 Saturday May 2025

Posted by in Food and drink, Musings, Photography, Railways, Southport, Travel

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The pair of us have abandoned West Yorkshire and the Pennines in favour of a weekend by the seaside. We’ve travelled West to Southport, the town where I grew up in and where the rest of my family live – some of whom we’re seeing this weekend. It’s also chance for Dawn to discover more of what the town and surrounding West Lancashire plain have to offer. We stopped off for lunch en-route, calling in at Parbold, a village on the railway line from Wigan to Southport. It’s a pretty little place that’s bisected by the Leeds and Liverpool canal as well as the railway. There’s a lovely pub next door to the canal called the Windmill, named after the old sail-powered cornmill which it shelters in the shadow of. Both the pub’s beers and food are worth sampling. I enjoyed a decent pint of Moorhouses ‘White Witch’ and the fish and chips (which Dawn also plumped for). The fish was very good and the batter just right – as were the portion sizes. We felt stuffed afterwards!

As we’d not visited Parbold for a while we took time to explore, see the changes and (of course) get a couple of pictures at the station!

Bi-mode 769448 passes the lovely old signalbox at Parbold. The unit is working a Southport – Stalybridge service.
Sadly, the attractive station building is vacant and slowly decaying.

Moving on we drove along the back roads through to Burscough before heading across the moss to Southport. Having checked checked into out hotel just off the promenade we set out to meet my younger sister for a couple of hours of catching-up on family and other news. Town was busy, but we managed to find a sunny spot outside the Bold Hotel on Lord St which was also an ideal place to watch the world go by.

Time flew. Anne had to leave to meet her partner, so Dawn and I set out to explore more of the town and for me to introduce her to some of my old haunts and childhood recollections. Talk about a trip down memory lane! My impression is that – after years of decline, there’s signs of new life and recovery in Southport. But it’s patchy. The place is no longer about shopping, it’s about eating and drinking. All the department stores are long gone and many shops remain empty, but there’s restoration work ongoing and Lord St was lined with people eating and drinking alfresco outside the many bars and restaurants.

Now we’re back at the hotel, having a quiet night relaxing before more of the same tomorrow – plus a visit to the food and drink festival, which neither of us have attended before.

Here’s a few more pictures to end the day.

The gorgeous Wayfarers arcade on Lord St. Many of the shops are vacant, but there’s signs of revival with the arcade being used for artistic events
I couldn’t resist a visit to this pub. The ‘Guest House’ is a bit of a Southport institution. It was also my Father’s local and the pub where I learned to drink!

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

Rolling(ish) blog. Making the most of the weather…

23 Friday May 2025

Posted by in Railways, Travel, West Yorkshire, Photography, TRU

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15:15

Having finished repainting my old office ready for Dawn to take it over – and with the weather about to take a turn for the worse, I’ve headed out to enjoy a last day of sunshine here in West Yorkshire as the weather forecast for the next week is wet, wet, wet. Admittedly, things didn’t quite go to plan. Dee is out with her parents looking at fireplaces (don’t ask). The idea was that I would meet them for a late lunch – wherever they were. Only I ended up in Mirfield whilst they went to where I’d left – Brighouse. That wouldn’t have been a problem if Northern hadn’t cancelled the train which would have transported me between the two in time to meet them. Ho hum. Instead, I’m now kicking my heels in the Navigation pub by the canal in Mirfield, waiting for the next train West (sorry Dawn!).

Despite the setback, it’s been an interesting day. I’ve explored some new photographic locations around Brighouse and captured some useful TRU upgrade work shots at Mirfield. Here’s a few shots..

A Drax – Liverpool empty biomass train passes through Brighouse past the site of the old rail yards (left).
No. I’ve no idea why a bloke would be riding a penny-farthing through Mirfield either! He certainly caught me by surprise.

Something else at Mirfield that surprised me was one of the TRU history boards on the hoardings hiding reconstruction of the new island platform. As they say – every day is a school day. Now I know why Geordies are called Geordies!

A TPE Class 802 speeds West to Liverpool past workers building the foundations for the new lifts and footbridge at Mirfield, which will allow access to the station from the adjacent carpark.

17:30.

Now I’m back in Halifax, having decided to cut my losses as I needed to do a little shopping en-route home. I popped in to the Piece Hall on the way where the stage is (quite literally) being set for the series of summer concerts.

22:15.

Time to call it a day. As I was back in Halifax in good time I decided to pop in to my local to meet up with friends and partake in the Friday quiz. The combination of good weather, the weekend and a bank holiday to follow meant the place was packed, but we managed to cram into our usual corner in order to enjoy a few brain-teasers, with beer!

Friday evening in the Big 6 wouldn’t be complete without free pork pie – and an ever changing range of real ales…

Now I’m back at home – in time for the weather to change. The sky’s changed from blue to moody grey, the wind’s sprung up and we’ve already had a spattering of raindrops – something we’ve not seen for weeks. Ah, well – the summer was nice whilst it lasted…

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

20th May picture of the day…

20 Tuesday May 2025

Posted by in Greater Manchester, Musings, Photography, Picture of the day, Politics, Travel

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Another week ticks by here at Bigland Towers. I’ve been busy enjoying the sun as an alternative to watching paint dry. Literally! Having moved out of my office I’ve been busy redecorating it so that Dawn can move in. So, in-between coats of emulsion I’ve been enjoying the good weather and strolls around the local woods. Admittedly, I’ve also been kept amused by the political scene and the absolute meltdown the Tories, Reform and the right-wing media have been having due to the Government announcing details of a new trade deal with the EU. It’s beyond parody!

“Betrayal of Brexit!” they all scream. But, hang on. Wasn’t the UKs ability to negotiate its own trade agreements meant to be a benefit of Brexit? And who negotiated the original fisheries agreement that the UK is rolling over? Oh, that would be Boris Johnson, as part of his ‘oven ready’ Brexit deal. So, how can negotiating improvements to a (admittedly piss-poor) EU/UK trade deal be a ‘betrayal’ of Brexit? It can’t be – but then Brexiters have never understood trade deals from the start.

Now, I’m not Starmer’s greatest fan, but I have to admit he’s playing a very clever game here. He’s slowly dismantling some of the worst aspects of the Brexit deal Johnson lumbered us with – much to the approval of just about every UK business organisation and trade body – by cutting red-tape, enabling UK businesses to trade easier, and helping the economy. At the same time, he’s set a trap for the Tories and Reform – and they’ve walked right into it. Straight away both have said they’d roll back these reforms if elected. Really? So, in 4 years time, when it’s painfully obvious these (and other) changes have made the UK better off and people have got used to the positive impacts, Reform and the Tories are going to commit to going back to Johnson’s shit deal? That’ll play well in an election campaign! Let’s not forget that – for all the noise the right-wing press, Farage and others make, this is not 2016. The referendum result will be 13 years old by the next election. A large number of those who voted for Brexit will be pushing up daisies (many already are). Brexit is not the issue it was, the faithful who still believe in it are dwindling. More people believe it was a dumb idea than support it – and have done for some time.

The same YouGov poll shows 66% of British people now want the Government to deliver a closer relationship with the EU, compared to just 14% who don’t.

Not that you’d know any of this if you listened to much of the media!

This presents a problem for the Tories. They’re in freefall at the moment, having been relegated to fourth (behind the Lib-Dems) in a recent poll. Sure, Reform are surging (taking over the Tories) but the cracks are already showing now they’re making a dismal start in running local councils they’ve taken control of (but that’s another blog). If a week is a long time in politics then the four years until the next general election is a lifetime! There’s plenty of time for Labour to find its political and economic feet and the signs that it will are there – they’re just drowned out by a media fixated on giving air-time to Reform.

Anyway. Enough politics for now. I’m currently relaxing for the evening, having finished painting all of the walls, ceiling and much of the woodwork in the office. Hopefully, I’ll have it all finished by this time tomorrow so Dawn can move in when she’s ready. We have a few days of sunshine left before the weather’s due to change with the arrival of some much-needed rain. Maybe I’ll have chance for another day out with the camera before it does…

In the meantime, here’s today’s picture. At the weekend the pair of us crossed the border in Greater Manchester to visit a place I’d often wanted to walk to, ‘pots and pans’ on the hill above Greenfield. As well as interesting rock formations and a WW1 memorial, the hill offers some fantastic views. Sadly, the weather was a bit hazy when we visited, but the views were still worth it.

Looking West towards Mossley with Manchester on the horizon. I’m amazed how the city has become high-rise in the past 20-odd years.

You can find more pictures from this and other of our recent walks by following this link.

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

Rolling blog. Tunnel vision…

09 Friday May 2025

Posted by in Hs2, Photography, Railways, Travel

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05:30.

Oh, God. Another silly o’clock start. I’m getting too old for this! Right job I’m sat in the hotel lobby waiting for a taxi which will take me to this morning’s event – details of which later as I’m respecting their media embargo.

06:10.

Ok, I’m now on site, and a lot of other media are arriving, so you’ll see why I’m here plastered all over TV soon. Here’s a clue..

06:25.

Time for a safety briefing.

07:05.

OK. Here’s why I’m here at an ungodly hour.See this concrete wall, I the next hour or so an HS2 tunnel boring machine will be poking its head through after completing the first of the Bromford tunnels.

Look who’s here!

10:30.

Job done! The TBM broke through far quicker than was anticipated. So much so that the machine had to be halted in order to let other VIPs and guests arrive for the main event. These things are not an exact science and can’t be timed to the minute. When the breakthrough was complete some of the TBM crew displayed flags from the nations involved in the project – although I’m not sure anyone expected an Everton flag to put in a brief appearance!

I have to say, finishing a job by 09:30 is rather nice – especially when the weather’s so good. My colleague John Whitehouse (the only other member of the rail media attending) gave me a lift from the site to Stechford station. Now I’m exploring the W Midlands rail network to add some library pictures to my archive – some of which will appear here as I relate my travels.

11:00.

Bugger! I travelled up to Wolverhampton on a local service with the idea of trying the tram back towards the city – only to find none were running due to a power failure. Ironic when the trams run on battery along this section of line! Still, the rebuilt station looks good.

Maybe I’ll try again later. Right now, I’m on my way to Tame Bridge Parkway…

12:45.

Travelling to Tane was an inter experience as it took me a long way into the past- as well as the future. The line from Wolves as far as Bescot wasn’t a regular passenger route for decades – unless it was weekend diversions in BR days. Now, two new stations are under construction on that section of the line.

Sadly, the Bescot area has gone in the opposite direction. I first got to know it back in early 1977 when I was in digs in Walsall, looking for work in the lock trade to continue my apprenticeship. I’d nip out to Bescot in my free time to watch the cast amount of freight passing through the marshalling yard and locomotive movements of the depot. Now, the depots canister and the yard is just a fan of empty and rusting sidings.

19:00.

Time (and I) have moved on. I’ve abandoned the West Midlands for Lancashire, having retraced yesterdays steps to Preston. My attempts to get traverse sections of the West Midlands tram network were foiled completely when I found the power outage I’d encountered in Wolverhampton had affected the whole network, including central Birmingham! Instead I took a circular route by rail back to Wolverhampton where I could mix basking in the sun with some photography. After topping up my vitamin D levels I headed back into Brum for a final time before catching an Avanti Pendolino North. I’ll add a few pictures from my trip when I get home. Right now I’m on a Northern Class 331 heading for Manchester via Chorley. I have to admit, these electric versions of the Class 195s can certainly shift. Their ability to accelerate seems to beat all the older kit Northern possesses. This six car formation is rather quiet, so I’ve had no problems setting up the mobile office in order to blog en-route. Sadly, the train’s accelerative properties are rather wasted as we’ve been signal-checked at Buckshaw Parkway in order to let a late-running Trans-Pennine Express service get ahead of us, but I should have ample time to make my next connection at Salford Crescent.

20:15.

My connections proved to be more touch and go than I thought as my late runner caused my connection to Manchester Victoria to be late as it was following behind. As it was, I made the 19:57 to Leeds with 3 minutes to spare. This is another quiet train, so I’m relaxing whilst enjoying the glorious evening sunshine. I must admit, I’ll be glad to get home. It’s been a long day!

I might get a little lie-in tomorrow, but the plan is for Dawn and I to make the most of the weather and get out into the countryside for the day. Well, I say plan – we haven’t actually got one yet – and no idea of where we’re going to go!

22:00.

OK, as promised, some more pictures from today.

Coming down in chunks!
After the breakthrough the TBM crew appeared through the cutter head to display flags representing some of the nationalities working on the site.
Flying the flags of Malaysia, England and Donegal.
Rail Minister Lord Hendy was in attendance.
How the site looks from above ground. The TBM is behind me as I look towards Birmingham.

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

Rolling blog. Birmingham (the long way round)…

08 Thursday May 2025

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

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11:45.

It’s time to head to Preston to meet up with an old friend, although his journey is proving to be ‘interesting’ due to problems on the West Coast Main Line (WCML) – hardly a rare occurrence. Apparently, an Avanti Pendolino has hir an obstruction in the four-foot near Grayrigg (a name infamous in railway history) and become disabled. Needless to say, this is causing fun on the two-track railway North of Preston.

Fortunately, my train doesn’t reach the WCML until just before Preston, so doesn’t seem to be affected. Time will tell…

Today’s a good day not to be working from home as we’re shifting our internet provider. I’ve been with Virgin for over 20 years (and can’t fault their broadband, but their prices have got silly. Despite my loyalty it’s not been possible to get s decent deal. Dawn took over dealing with the account and did a sterling job, but Virgin’s attitude was ‘take it or leave it’. So we left. Dee found us an excellent deal with Sky which is saving us over £50 a month, so switching has been a no-brainer. The switch-over happens this afternoon. I do feel a bit guilty for not being there, but I know Dawn won’t take any messing!

Right now I’m on my way to Preston aboard Northern’s 11:30 service to Blackpool North. It’s a half-full train where I have the luxury of a table seat, power-sockets and wifi, so I’m not complaining.

12:30.

Almost there on what’s been a very pleasant journey. Unusually, the train emptied out en-route, the sun’s put in an appearance and all’s well with the world. Well, for me anyway. Next stop – Preston.

19:45.

Where did the time go? I got to Preston only to find my meet-up with a friend was far more convivial and much more of a trip down memory lane than I’d expected. It turned out that Jon had also invited a lot of old friends from his British Railways (and Virgin) days. As you can imagine, the stories flowed, as did the memories as those of us who hadn’t seen each other for a while caught up. Here’s the gang in a classic old pub, the Black Horse. It’s not my photo by the way (the barmaid took it) which is why I’m in it for once!

Now I’m in Birmingham. A few of us caught the same Pendolino South, bailing out en-route so leaving me the sole member of the group by the train hit Birmingham.

Having delivered me from Preston, Pendolino 390002 waits time at Birmingham New St before heading for London Euston.

Now I’m relaxing and updating this blog from my hotel – which is another trip down memory lane. I’m staying in the Britannia Inns hotel in New St, just a stones-throw from the station. I’ve known this place of old as it was always a cheap and cheerful option when I was working in the area. It’s being refurbished and upgraded but the prices are still very reasonable. It’s not somewhere you’d come and stay for a romantic weekend – but it’s ideal for what I need.

Having checked in to my hotel and rested I’ll be nipping out shortly to get a few pictures, so expect another update later…

22:45

The last update. I’d intending doing a lot but happy circumstance meant that I pumped into an old train-driver friend outside Birmingham New Street which literally stopped me in my tracks. Danielle and I ended up chatting for ages. By the time we’d finished catching-up and had to part my plans were out of the window. But that’s been no bad thing as today’s been more about people than anything else. Still, here’s a Birmingham tram to end the day.

Now I’ve got to go as I have to be up at silly ‘o clock in the morning for a rather different 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

7th May picture of the day…

07 Wednesday May 2025

Posted by in Photography, Picture of the day, Railways, Travel

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My blog drought is about to come to an interesting end! This enforced absence has been due to a number of reasons but the time hasn’t been wasted. I spent all of yesterday holed-up at Bigland Towers having a good old mooch through various hard-drives in order to find some missing pictures. Mission accomplished, I’ll be adding them to my Zenfolio website shortly. Whilst that took up considerable time, so did cleaning out my email inbox, deleting lots of stuff no longer relevant but also filing some historical stuff. That endeavor proved useful as I was in my account when a very last-minute media invitation arrived which has completely changed the course of the rest of the week. The invite is embargoed, so I can’t say anything about what I’ll be doing until afterwards, other than that it’s altered my plans for both Thursday and Friday. Tomorrow I’ll be back on the rails heading to Preston on the West Coast to meet an old friend before having that evening/night in Birmingham as Friday’s event starts early (very early).

That means there’s two days of rolling blogs to come. Hopefully, you’ll find them entertaining and the event I’ll be attending fascinating as it’s something few people get to witness. The weather over the next few days is looking like it’s going to play ball, meaning both myself and the camera will be getting plenty of exercise as I’ll have spare time to collect library shots of the changing face of the railway, especially around Birmingham where the new West Midlands train fleets are taking over.

In the meantime, I’ll leave you with today’s pictures which is one from the series I took when I was out and about last week. The warm weather’s brought out the insect population en-masse, which isn’t much fun for train drivers, especially those at the controls of the older, less streamlined fleets (although many modern trains are struggling too). Here’s how the front of a Class 150 looked at Wigan…

Drivers visibility has been hampered by the sheer build up of flying critters on train front-ends. Windscreen washers are in danger of running out of water, so some busy stations have had extra staff drafted in to keep water supplies topped up and assist in cleaning.

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