Category Archives: Travel

Rolling blog: The longest journey begins with the first step…

27 Thursday Dec 2018

Posted by in Railways, Rolling blogs, Travel

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, ,

That said, ours began with a hiccup! We were planning to leave Halifax on the 08:23 train to Leeds, then catch a London train, but Northern cancelled it! We’re now on the 08:43 to Leeds which means our plans to get to Farnham for lunchtime have gone out of the window. Mind you, it’s a strike day on Southwestern Railway, so nothing is certain at that end either. Today is a day to travel with hope rather than expectation!

Hopefully this stuttering start to our odyssey means we’ve exhausted the bad luck at the beginning and can look forward to plain sailing in New Zealand…

09:32.

Our interchange at Leeds was pretty painless as LNER’s 09:45 was waiting for us in the platform. Today it’s being worked by a Class 90 hired-in from DB.

Getting a table seat to work at wasn’t too much of a problem either as this isn’t the busiest of trains. I must say, I like the new electronic reservation system LNER have installed as it’s much easier to read.

10:52

We’re currently speeding down the East Coast Main Line in the same murky weather that’s dogged us for days despite a brief flirtation with blue skies and sunshine South of Doncaster which lifted the spirits as well as the visibility!

11:25.

After a stop at Peterborough our unreserved coach is now almost full with people returning to London after the holiday. Looking around, I notice that out of the eight people I can see, 7 of us are using smartphones, whilst the young Asian lad sat across from me is reading a weighty JG Ballard compilation. Sadly, one young girl is using her smartphone to engage in a mind-numbingly phone call which is mostly a recitation of everything she’s eaten and everyone she’s met over Christmas.

12:50.

After a hop across London on the tube we’re pulling out of Waterloo on the 12:50 to Salisbury as far as Woking. As it’s a strike day there’s no direct service to Farnham.

These diesel units are showing their age now despite their refurbishment. They also seem remarkably noisy, more so than their Northern cousins. That we still have DMUs operating out of Waterloo in this day and age is sad. OK, the line’s not electrified all the way to Salisbury, but how about replacing them with 3rd rail bi-modes for now until a business case can be made for stringing wires up West of Basingstoke?

The weather’s thrown another curve ball. London’s sunshine’s given way to fog to the West, with visibility down to a couple of hundred metres.

13:31

Everything’s gone to plan. Our connection at Woking was fine. We even had chance to grab an (expensive) sandwich from the station cafe that’s been taken over by Starbucks. Now we’re aboard a Siemens Desiro that’s been fitted with the new SWR seat moquette, replacing the attractive SWT red with a patterned dark blue. The carpets received similar treatment. It’s not bad but it does show up the dirt!

Tilford. 15:50.

We’ve kept ourselves occupied since arriving in Tilford. ‘Tilly’, the Platt family dog needed walking, so we volunteered as we were happy to get some exercise after sitting on trains all day. Mist still hung around the river, making it a really atmospheric amble.

Now we’re relaxing at the wood cabin Dawn’s parents have rented before the family all head out for an Italian meal. I wonder if it’s Norwegian wood?

Boxing day blogging.

26 Wednesday Dec 2018

Posted by in Calder Valley, Food and drink, Musings, Travel, West Yorkshire

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , ,

I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas day – unless you’re one of the 1000s of Network Rail engineers or contractors working over the holiday – in which case I hope you stayed safe had an easy shift! The weather here was remarkably mild for the time of the year, but then the valley was cocooned in cloud all day which kept the heat in.

We had a quiet day at home apart from a short stint at our local pub (the Big 6) at lunchtime.

Christmas Day lunchtime in the Big 6, when it’s all hands to the (beer)pumps…

It was a mix of regulars and unknown faces as people escape (or are told to bugger off out of the way) from family gatherings for a couple of hours before the real indulgences start around the dinner tables.

The rest of the afternoon and evening there was just the two of us enjoying some quality time together. Our Christmas dinner was anything but traditional. We’d bought some lamb shanks from a local farm shop which Dawn used for a 1st Class mutton (lamb) railway curry using a recipe from Rick Stein. It was divine! The mixture of spices (including cinnamon) really complements the lamb. Dawn served it with a home cooked Sambar (Indian veg curry) and red rice.

The rest of the evening was spent relaxing on the sofa and watching films whilst the cat curled up in front of the fire. Today the pace picks up considerably as we’re packing for New Zealand. Tomorrow we head down to Tilford(Surrey) to catch up with the rest of Dawn’s family for an afternoon, then head for Heathrow on Friday morning for the start of our delayed honeymoon! heading to New Zealand’s going to be a welcome break for a number of reasons. It’s an escape from the UK’s current political madness and shambles over Brexit for a start. There’s also the fact that January’s a drab month in the UK as many people are miserable because of a combination of factors, like the weather and because all the Christmas and New Year bills have come in. It also seems like a long haul to Easter and the next bank holiday!

Unlike our usual January escapes this one’s presenting an interesting logistical challenge on the packing front. Normally, we’d be going to somewhere Equatorial where the weather’s constant and we’d just need clothing for warm weather. Not so in New Zealand, where we’ll be doing a lot more walking and hiking in conditions that can mirror a UK summer. There’s quite a temperature variation too, so there’s a lot more to pack. Normally we’d only take one large suitcase between us. This time we’ve had to borrow a second one. I only hope we remember that when we’re travelling!

Jet (our cat) is most disgruntled as he’s been chucked off the bed to make way for the suitcases which currently look like they’ve been ransacked by overzealous customs Officers. The old boy (he’s 17) has been allowed on the bed recently as he’s been ill. We had to take him to the vets to get some infected teeth removed so he’s been given a lot of leeway and TLC. The problem is, he senses we’re going away, but at least he gets on well with the house-sitters who’ll be looking after him and keeping him company whilst we’re away.

23:13

Phew! Packing done, paperwork printed, instructions left. Now it’s time for a glass of wine and bed. Tomorrow’s going to be the start of a looonnng few days…

Rolling blog: Calder Christmas…

24 Monday Dec 2018

Posted by in Calder Valley, Rolling blogs, Travel, West Yorkshire

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , ,

‘Tis Xmas eve in the Calder valley and the weather’s been in the festive spirit, blanketing Sowerby Bridge in a long cotton wool cloud this morning. Opening the bedroom curtain often reveals an unexpected delight as the weather in the valley’s so changeable. This was the view today.

DG315326crop

Sowerby Bridge railway station’s down there – somewhere!

Pretty as the picture looks it took me a lot of sweat to upload it because the Nikon download software on my computer had a hissy-fit and refused to open. Why is it that 99% of the time you can rely on these things – until you’re actually in a hurry? Is there something built into the software that can sense when it can cause you the maximum stress and blue language? In the end I had to reload the software, wasting a precious hour of the day, but of all the kit that could go on strike, this is one I can’t do without. With it being a Monday (as well as Christmas eve) there’s still work to be done which entails a bit of running around and a trip over to Huddersfield.

14:08.

We’re now over in Huddersfield where it’s a beautifully crisp and sunny winter afternoon. Whilst I’m here I’ve taken the opportunity to get a haircut. I suppose you could call it my Christmas No1!

The town centre seems reasonably busy as people do their last minute shopping/panic buying but the number of shops that have closed this year has left gaps like rotten teeth even in the busiest of areas.

Take Greenwoods for example. I’ve always found them a good mens outfitter with great prices. Sadly, the Halifax branch closed in the summer. Now it looks like the Huddersfield one’s had it too..

They’d join firms like Poundland and Crawshaws as well as the local branch of Card Factory and a number of small locally run businesses. At least next port of call is still thriving: The Kings Head at Huddersfield station.

A trip to the station allowed me to capture what will probably be my penultimate UK rail pictures of 2018.

DG315339crop

A pair of Trans-Pennine Express Class 185s pass at Huddersfield.

DG315341crop

I love the shadows and quality of the light this time of year.

DG315346crop

The new age. One of the former Scotrail Class 170s that has been cascaded to Northern at Huddersfield whilst working 2J67, the 14:49 Huddersfield to Leeds. Although billed as a Trans-Pennine Express service the trains and drivers are provided by Northern.

20:46

We’re in the Xmas spirit now as Dawn’s finished work until February and the Christmas cooking’s begun. This year we’re staying at home and cooking for ourselves, so we don’t have to do traditional fayre. Far from it. Tonight we enjoyed seared tuna with roasted potatos and steamed broccoli with a lemon and herb sauce.

Now we’re in preparation mode and getting ready to cook a traditional Indian sambal to go with the 1st Class Railway mutton (lamb) curry. The lamb’s already marinating ready to be cooked tomorrow. Here’s the ingredients for the Sambal. Sadly, we didn’t have the time to get shallots and okra, so we’ve freestyled a little…

 

Rolling blog: foodie Friday

21 Friday Dec 2018

Posted by in Food and drink, London, Rolling blogs, Travel, West Yorkshire

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

, , , ,

06:34

I’m preparing to head to London for an Christmas lunch with old friends and colleagues today. It’ll be a very convivial afternoon, as will this evening, as I’ve got to head back to West Yorkshire as Dawn and I are out for a Thai meal with a couple of friends – such is the fun of packed social diaries in the run-up to Christmas.

08:21

For once, the Yorkshire weather defeated me. Persistent drizzle (the sort of stuff that manages to defeat umbrellas or waterproofs) meant I abandoned attempts to walk to the station and cadged a lift off Dawn – which got me there considerably quicker and a lot drier! I’m now watching the rain from the comfort of my mobile office, otherwise known as Grand Central’s 08:10 from Halifax to London Kings Cross. Here it is pulling in to Halifax, past the old signalbox which was made redundant in October.

For once, my train’s not too busy, that’s possibly because it’s so close to Christmas, but also the fact the first service of the day (the 07:07) tends to attract most business people as it arrives in London at 10:10 whereas this one doesn’t arrive until 11:14. As I don’t need to be there so early I’m enjoying the space and relaxing atmosphere, although I’m still catching up on some work.

09:32.

The path for this train is characterised by generous timings on the way to Doncaster. We’ve swung between being 1 minute late and 4 early. Having waited for a platform at Wakefield Kirkgate we’d been running early until we reached Marshgate Jn just outside Doncaster where we were held waiting time and for a platform to be free. Platform space has been at a premium here for years, which makes timekeeping difficult. We’re booked a generous 6 minutes to clog one of them up, which has meant our slightly late arrival has turned into a right – time departure. Next stop – London Kings Cross…

10:08

We’ve just passed through gloomy Grantham where the low cloud that’s dogged us all the way from Yorkshire still persists. Despite the fact these Grand Central Class 180s are capable of 125mph I doubt we’ve touched that today until now. We’ve dropped a couple of mins behind time but we’ve obviously got a clear road as the driver’s opened her up for a bit. The speed app on my phone tells me we hit 124 after Stoke Jn at the same time a rainstorm on the edge of the weather front hit us! We weathered that (literally) and now the sun’s managing to break through the momentarily fragmented clouds.

10:35.

The burst of speed didn’t help us as we crawled from Werrington Jn (where Network Rail are preparing to build a new ‘dive-under’) through an empty Peterborough station and on to Holme Jn, which we passed 7 mins late. Sun and speed have both deserted us. This section of line’s very busy, with Thameslink stoppers added into the mix as Great Northern locals, so could well lose more time.

11:54.

I take back my last comment, we did make up 5 mins!

Now, lunch beckons…

17:15

I’m Northbound again after an excellent lunch (if you ignore the eye-watering bill) that included one of my favourites: seared scallops.

Chatham House rules prevent me talking about the event, but there you go.

Right now I’m doing a Jeremy Corbyn – sitting on the vestibule floor of LNER’s 17:03 to Leeds. Any resemblance to ‘Magic Grandad’ is purely coincidental.

17:58.

We’ve just left Peterborough so I’ve graduated from a vestibule floor to a seat.

19:55.

Ho hum. Everything went well until I got to Leeds, when I found my connection (the 19:36) was cancelled. This meant I’d be 15 minutes late as my next train wasn’t until 19:51. I’ve now swapped this..

For something a little less speedy and spacious!

Saturday postscript.

What a fun day! Lunch in London and Thai tapas in West Yorkshire has led to a slightly slower than usual start to the day (I blame the Tequila shots that Froso insisted we buy). Both meals were delicious but I think it’s time to give my stomach a rest today!  If you’re in the area I can recommend Café Thai in West Vale. We’ve eaten here several times and never been disappointed. They have a traditional Thai restaurant on the ground floor whilst upstairs they serve a tapas style menu. Here’s one of last nights dishes.

A good time was had by all…

48411884_2224892187832848_628339035206582272_n[1]

Slowly but surely, the old slides are getting scanned…

20 Thursday Dec 2018

Posted by in Photography, Railways, Travel, Uncategorized

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, ,

It’s a painfully slow process, but I’m determined that 2019 will see the majority of my old railway back catalogue scanned and available on my Zenfolio website – although the travel pictures will have to wait a little longer! The past couple of months has seen me slog through a several hundred slides from 1996 onwards. Right now I’ve got as far as July, having uploaded or replaced another 40 images today. My plan is to continue my way chronologically through the years up the point I stopped taking slides and went digital, which was on the 20th February 2004, almost 15 years ago now! With the benefit of hindsight I’d wish I’d done it sooner – but hey ho!

These old pictures show just how much the railway scene has changed in the past 22 years. They’re all from the very early days of privatisation, when the railways had been ‘sectorised’ but not everything had been franchised. The first passenger service to be privatised was SouthWest trains in February 1996. This is adding another layer of complexity to scanning as the pictures are split up into different galleries on my website that are dedicated to each operator, so I’m having to do a lot of historical referencing as well. Here’s a few examples of today’s batch.

05865. 31421. Springs branch TMD. Wigan. 08.7.1996crop

A shot taken from a passing intercity service of the former Transrail depot at Wigan Springs Branch. Transrail was one of six companies the BR freight division had been broken up into as a way of introducing internal competition. In the end it, Loadhaul, Mainline Freight, Railfreight Distribution (RfD) and Rail Express Systems (RES) were bought by  American company Wisconsin freight which marketed them as English, Welsh and Scottish Railway (EWS). Many of the old BR locos you can see in the picture were actually stored.

05887. 3202. Herne Hill. 30.06.1996crop

A Eurostar set led by 3202 snakes through Herne Hill in South London. These services would run for another 11 years, until High Speed 1 and St Pancras International opened in 2007.

05925. 31455. 31255. Wolverton. 14.7.1996crop

A pair of class 31s work an engineers train during track relaying work on the West Coast Main Line North of Wolverton. These old locomotives would sit idle during the week as they were kept purely to work these trains. That meant their reliability was poor, often leading to engineering work being disrupted. Note that the adjacent pair of tracks remains open. This would never be allowed today due to the risks it passes to track workers, who can be seen ahead of my Euston-bound Intercity service.

New Zealand, here we come…

17 Monday Dec 2018

Posted by in New Zealand, Photography, Railways, Travel

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

, , ,

Today I put the finishing touches to our plans to visit New Zealand and booked the last set of accommodation for our month-long tour in December – January. It’s going to be an epic trip (and an expensive one thanks to Brexit and the devaluation of Sterling). I’ve wanted to revisit the country for donkey’s years. I was there in 1999 during an 18 month around the world trip. We’ll be visiting some of the places I saw then plus many new ones. Last time I made the trip entirely by public transport, this time we’re hiring a car to travel around the South Island – although we will be taking a trip on the Tranzalpine train from Christchurch to Greymouth which is one of the world’s great railway journeys. We’ll also be visiting one preserved railway near Dunedin, but the rest of the holiday will be taken up with outdoor activity and sightseeing as we’ve got a very busy schedule but then there’s no point in travelling half-way around the world just to sit on your bum!

One aspect I I’m really looking forward to is the chance to shoot more pictures. New Zealand’s a stunningly beautiful country but going through my slide archive I’ve been surprised at how few I took during six weeks there in 1999. I suspect that’s because it was towards the end of our trip and I was conserving rolls of film as Fuji Velvia was a rare (and expensive) commodity in that neck of the woods (and we still had Fiji and the Cook Islands to visit). Still, here’s one or two to whet your appetites.

T8899. Franz Joseph glacier. New Zealand 1999.crop

The Franz Josef glacier on the South Island seen from a helicopter just before we landed and went hiking on the glacier itself.

FR0644. No 7145. Kaikoura.NZ. 1999.crop

An intermodal train from Picton to Christchurch passes Kaikoura on the East coast of the South island. This line was closed after a devastating earthquake but re-opened earlier this year.

T9075. Queenstown. S Island. New Zealand. 1999.crop

Looking across Lake Wakatipu at sunset, Queensland, South Island

Expect a host of pictures from both North and South islands and regular blogs. It’s going to be good to take a break from the madness of Brexit before the sh*t really hits the fan.

Another change since 1999 has been in the ease of finding places to stay. Then, the internet was just taking off. I remember using dial-up in a post office in Yogjakarta, Indonesia to try and book a hotel, and how frustrating it was (but also exciting because of the possibilities). Now, I’ve been browsing properties via Booking.com and AirBnB from my smartphone!

Rolling blog: Birmingham return…

13 Thursday Dec 2018

Posted by in ACoRP, Birmingham, Northern Rail, Rolling blogs, Travel

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , ,

09:30

Dawn and I are on our way to Birmingham for the ACORP Association Of community rail lartnerships) AGM. It’s not the quickest of journeys to Britain’s second city due to our Victorian rail network. Right now we’re on one of Northern’s no-frills Class 150s heading to Manchester Victoria. In my opinion these are the worst trains Northern have – even the Pacers beat them. They’re very much in as-built form, which means there’s no tables, the seating’s 3×2, it’s difficult to find a rubbish bin and the views are poor because of the window and doorway arrangements.

Admittedly, there’s not a lot that you can do with the major design defects, but Arriva Trains Wales refurbished their 150/2s and brought them up to a much higher standard. I’ll see if I can dig out a picture to compare later.

10:39

After a brisk stroll across central Manchester we’re now sitting on Cross-Country’s 11:05 to Bristol Temple Leads which is being worked by a 5-car Voyager. I can’t wait to be doing this trip on Hs2, although I’ll have to as it’s not going to open until 2033!

11:49.

We’re well on our way to Birmingham now. The train’s pretty empty for a change, I’ve managed to get a table seat and crack on with some picture editing. Dawn and her colleague Hazel have the table opposite me, so I’m leaving them to it!

The weather’s picking up the further South we get, so I’m hoping to get one or two rail shots before the ACORP AGM starts…

12:52.

The ladies have headed off to AGM venue and I’ve nipped off for an hour to get some new library shots of the cross-city line which is operated by these old Hunslet built Class 323s.

26 of these trains (which date from 1992) work around Birmingham with another 17 based in Manchester. They’re nippy units that are comfortable to travel on as well as being popular with drivers. Despite this, they’re due to be displaced by brand new trains from 2020. However, there are plans to transfer these trains to Northern allowing them to replace the 4-car Class 319s there and work in multiple to run 6-car trains (2×319=8, which wouldn’t fit in most platforms).

16:06.

The AGM’s over and there’s six new board members elected from nine candidates.

18:00

Dawn and Hazel with the outgoing Chair of the ACORP board, Peter Roberts, who’s been keeping order for the last 18 years.

Rolling blog: Leeds liason..

12 Wednesday Dec 2018

Posted by in Rolling blogs, Transport, Travel, West Yorkshire

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , ,

Best laid plans and all that: I’m currently sat on a train to Leeds with my wife as Dawn’s having to have an ultrasound scan on a shoulder injury, so I’m going with her for a spot of moral support. It’s a pain in more ways than one as time is flying by at the moment and there’s so much to do before we fly out to New Zealand.

Mind you, the concept of time seems to be relative if you’re a member of the Tory party, especially if you’re an MP. Despite the sands running out rapidly on the article 50 date and us getting ever closer to crashing out of the EU in a no-deal scenario, they’ve found time for another round of the interminable civil war to stage a no-confidence vote in the PM. This is proof (were it needed) that the majority of the Tory party only cares about itself and the wealth and ambitions of its members. The rest of the country can go hang. I can see I’m going to indulging in a lot of spleen venting in these next few weeks as these fools take us ever closer to the edge of the precipice.

Whilst my spleen’s up to speed, I’ll have another gripe? What is it about some people who clearly have all the awareness to their surroundings as an amoeba? Here’s an example from today.

These two women have the whole bloody platform to stand on and a waiting room to sit in. So where do they choose to stand? Right in the middle of the doorway! Despite several people having to try and squeeze past them (and being typically British, they never said anytbing to the women) it never entered into their tiny minds that this wasn’t a great place to hand around! I’m beginning to despair of the English and I’m constantly reminded of an old NUT badge from the teachers strikes of the early 1980s that said “if you think education’s expensive, try ignorance”…

From Leeds we had a spin on one of Northern’s Class 170s which have been cascaded from Scotrail. This one was working the 11:55 Leeds-Selby. They’re certainly an improvement on the 158s!

13:48

For Dawn, this has been time well spent. Her shoulder injury is capsulitis which was diagnosed by ultrasound. A Corticosteroid injection was administered directly into her shoulder capsule to help ease the inflammation, so I came in useful as a hand-holder! Dawn was given advice on exercise and posture. We went private, so it cost £150, but it was worth it.

The clinic’s in Garforth, to the East of Leeds. It’s a place i’ve never visited before although I’ve passed through the station dozens of times. I was pleasantly surprised by the fact it still manages to retain a functioning High St. I was also interested to see clues to its past in the name of a pub (The Miners) and this building.

Those days are long gone. The last colliery (Rothwell) closed in 1983, the year before the bitter and destructive Miners strike of 84-85.

17:05

We’re now in Huddersfield. Slightly later than planned as the Trans-Pennine service we caught was (to no-one’s surprise) delayed. The stopping pattern of the Hull-Manchester service we used has changed, it no longer stops at Batley but the automated announcement still claimed it did, much to the Conductors annoyance!

As we left Garforth I spotted this historical plaque on the Miners pub.

Whilst Dawn’s returned to work I’ve been having a mooch around Huddersfield, looking for a few bits for our New Zealand trip. It’s bleeding freezing tonight, the temperature may be rising in Westminster but the hot air’s certainly not reaching West Yorkshire!

This festive season the town’s gained a new attraction in St George’s Square, outside the station. It’s a tent based pop-up pub (I saw the same thing in Lincoln last month).

I popped in to have a look but didn’t stop for a drink as we’re meeting up with Dawn’s parents for a meal later at the wonderful Thai Sakon.

21:20

The food at Thai Sakon was excellent as usual and so were the staff. Here’s my starter: deep fried crispy noodles with prawns in a sweet and sour sauce.

It was a lovely evening with Dawn’s parents. We shared food and laughter. We’re now making our way back home on one of Northern’s less attractive trains.

Rolling blog: Düsseldorf diary

07 Friday Dec 2018

Posted by in Germany, Rolling blogs, Travel

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, ,

It’s been a quite start to the day here in Düsseldorf, mainly because of the dull, grey weather, plus the fact I’ve used the time to catch up on some admin and picture editing from the comfort and warmth of my hotel. That said, I’m off to explore shortly and have a few hours wandering before I’ve got to head back to the airport and fly back to the madness of Brexit Britain. Here’s a couple of shots from yesterday to start the day.

DG314800crop

Dusseldorf has an extensive tram network and a variety of trams, including these vintage vehicles that people can hire for parties!

DG314804crop

The Hauptbahnhof gets into the festive feeling…

12:52

I’m back in the Altstadt (old town) after spending some time getting shots at the station. It’s very interesting to see the number of private operators on German rails nowadays. Two names caught my eye as they both operate in the UK: Keolis and Netherlands operator Abellio. Here’s one of the services Abellio operate. The other thing that’s caught my eye is the number of new trains here. I can see I’ve some boning-up on fleets to do.

DG314826crop

The weather’s not been as bad as predicted. Whilst it’s grey and damp, it’s mild and the rains failed to materialise, which has made picture-taking easier as I’m not having to start getting into the extreme end of the ISO range.

13:56.

There’s a lovely atmosphere in the Alstadt. What I like is the way that many of the bars have setting outside, so the walking streets are always lively. They’re equipped with heaters, but they’re mode for comfort on a mild day like today. Right now I’m having a beer outside one such establishment.

I have to admit to being a fan of Weissbier!

Meanwhile, here’s a few phone pics and a selection of camera shots from my wanderings

DG314875crop

Foxy lady!

DG314889crop

Watching the world go by from a bar in the Alstadt.

DG314894crop

I love the variety of architecture here.

DG314898crop

These regional trains take 7 – 9 minutes to get from the centre of town to the airport. This was the one that carried me.

17:55.

I’m now sat in the departure lounge ready to catch the plane. I can’t say I’m too enthused about returning to Brexit Britain. Whilst I was in the immigration queue a German woman spotted the ‘Bollox to Brexit’ sticker on my passport. “No need to guess which way you voted” she said (in English). She is also flying to the UK and asked “What have they done to your country”?

I wish I could have given her an answer, as it’s obvious that Brexit supporters are so immersed in their own little world I doubt they even know themselves.

Today, a Brexit supporting Tory MP of Indian heritage suggested we (literally) starve Ireland to ensure they drop the backstop. It’s such a stunningly stupid comment on so many levels it literally takes your breath away. Priti Patel clearly has no understanding of English/Irish history (try googling the potato famine for a start) so also has no idea of diplomacy. Does she honestly think these empty threats will intimidate Ireland – which has its back covered by the rest of the EU?

What the hell have we become as a nation?

18:20.

Ready for take off…

19:48 (UK time).

I’m back in Brexit Britain, having negotiated the rat-runs and cramped passages of Manchester Airport, I find that my journey to Huddersfield is going to be ‘fun’ as Trans-Pennine Express have cancelled a number of services. Plan B means I’m now on a Northern Rail service to Blackpool via Manchester Piccadilly, where I’ll see what’s running across the Pennines…

Rolling blog: A long and winding road…

03 Monday Dec 2018

Posted by in Railways, Rolling blogs, Travel, Uncategorized

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, ,

08:08.

Another day another dollar, I’m in Derby this morning ready to do a job for a company that’s getting a Ministerial visit. Once that’s done I’m heading back to Yorkshire to meet my wife as we’re off to help two of our local station friends groups (Mytholmroyd and Sowerby Bridge) with their annual ‘carols by train’ event. It’s another busy week as on Thursday I fly to Dusseldorf to have a look at Siemens new Mireo train. It’s a quick trip but I’ve decided to stay a night so that I can have some time to explore Dusseldorf before coming home. It might be the last chance I get before all the Brexit madness explodes.

Just as I left the hotel the rain started bucketing down! It’s a miserable morning here, as these two pictures show. At least the lights on Derby’s new island platform add a bit of brightness to the day!

In the waiting room on platforms 4-5 is an excellent information board that tells of the history of the station and the old locomotive works.

11:30.

Job done (which I’m not allowed to talk about as it’s embargoed) I’m back at Derby station with time to grab a few shots before (by the look of it) the heavens open again!

It’s actually been a fascinating morning as I’ve learned a lot about some very interesting technological innovations and also more about the damage being caused to our economy by the madness of Brexit. I heard from a company that’s having to move a sizeable chunk of its business to the European mainland because of the fact we’re hellbent on leaving and it needs to stay within the EU regulatory framework to continue trading. This isn’t ‘project fear’, this is project fact.

13:09.

On the way back I’ve stopped off for an hour or so to get photo’s of another transport innovation. Well, in the UK anyway. After a decade of talking and planning (and re-planning) tram-trains are finally running between Sheffield and Rotherham. I didn’t have time to take a spin on one (that will have to wait for another time), but I did manage to grab a few shots of them in service in Sheffield town centre. Here’s the first of the fleet, 399201.

DG314359crop

13:36.

I’m typing this on the 13:35 Sheffield-Huddersfield, which is late, so it’s still sat in platform 4a. The reason? Well 4a was already occupied by two other late running Northern services, with one trapped behind the other! First off was a late-running local to Leeds which was waiting for a driver. Trapped behind it was a Scarborough service, which got the road just as soon as it was clear. The inbound Huddersfield was stuck outside the station, waiting for the platform to clear.

It’s one of those situations ordinary passengers don’t quite understand when they say “Why don’t you just make trains longer”? The two late trains were both 2-cars, so they fitted in the bay. Double them in size and you can’t fit both of them. So where do you put the other one when platform space is at a premium?

My train’s a 3-car Pacer which is running 5 minutes late at the moment with little realistic chance of making up time on the Penistone line.

14:45.

We’re bouncing and screeching our way along the lovely Penistone line and all the while the weather’s been picking up.

16:39

Despite horrendous traffic (came from Huddersfield by road) we made it in time to meet up with the Mytholmroyd friends and Carol singers.

After singing at Mytholmroyd the merry band caught a train to Sowerby Bridge, where they met Santa in the Jubilee Refreshment Room.

Here’s the merry band at the end of the day before singing on the train back to Mytholmroyd.

DG314596crop