Category Archives: West Yorkshire

16th April picture of the day…

16 Tuesday Apr 2024

Posted by in Flora and Fauna, Musings, Photography, Picture of the day, The USA, Travel, Weather, West Yorkshire

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I know April is renowned as the month of showers, but this is getting beyond a joke! It’s been more like four seasons in one day here in the Calder valley. After yesterday’s little jaunt I had a full diary for working from home, which was just as well as low temperatures and a chilly wind really didn’t encourage one to venture far. That said, when the sun did break through the skittish clouds you could feel the warmth there, it’s just that it was fighting a losing battle with the elements. As the pair of us had a productive and profitable morning we’d arranged to go for a walk just after lunch but the weather had other ideas! One minute there was glorious sunshine streaming through the windows, the next they were being assailed by hailstones! Thankfully, our walk was merely postponed rather than rained off. Conditions soon changed, allowing us to venture out to complete a two-hour circuit which also encompassed a bit of shopping. All the while I kept a wary eye on the skies as we could see storm clouds dropping heavy rain all around us. Fortunately, they kept away from our little patch right up to the last moment, allowing us to make it in the front door before the next onslaught. One of the beauties of living where we are is that when we’re out walking locally we’ve panoramic views around all points of the compass, which gives us time to run for cover if needed.

We survived, but I worry that some of my poor plants may have taken a battering from the weather. Ironic really as only the other day my mother-in-law was telling me I’d planted stuff out too early. So, that’s me for another ticking off then!

Tomorrow the weather may stay dry – although temperatures will be anything but balmy. We’ll be lucky to escape a frost tonight. I’ve some more paperwork to do tomorrow, but if we get the sunshine levels predicted I may venture out with the camera whilst I can. If nothing else, the cherry blossom’s putting on a wonderful display right now and worth pointing a camera at. Although it’ll struggle to match this famous display which forms today’s picture. I took this shot in Washington DC, a city famous for its cherry blossom. Here’s how it looked on the 3rd April 2007.

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

14th April picture of the day…

14 Sunday Apr 2024

Posted by in Photography, Picture of the day, West Yorkshire

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We’ve had another relaxed Sunday here at Bigland Towers, although it’s not been a day without either exercise or achievement. This morning Dawn was busy with her knitting needles, enjoying a productive hobby she’s rediscovered. Me? I was busy at an old hobby – gardening. All the bedding and other plants I’d purchased over the past week are now in situ in window boxes and flower beds at both front and back of the cottage. This afternoon we decided to continue the ‘feeling virtuous’ theme by going out for a walk in the country. Admittedly, it wasn’t as long as some but we did explore an area where we’d never walked before. Rather than staying local we drove over to Pecket Well to walk to a nearby waterfall at Lumb Hole. Considering how hilly this neck of the woods are there’s surprisingly few waterfalls so we were pleasantly surprised to find this one. It’s off the beaten track and not the easiest place to get to. The approach is down a bridleway that’s seen better days. The path’s badly eroded and overgrown. I doubt a horse has been down it for a very long time as even Shetland ponies would struggle to fit under the trees that have encroached along the route!

Still, it’s worth it when you get there…

Another bonus of the day was the fact it didn’t rain once – an event that’s as rare as rocking horse shit nowadays!

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

9th April picture of the day…

09 Tuesday Apr 2024

Posted by in Food and drink, Musings, Picture of the day, West Yorkshire

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Today’s been another miserable, wet and windy day here in the Pennines, so the pair of us have hardly left Bigland Towers. Both of us had work to occupy ourselves with so it was no loss. An unexpected reply from a client kept me occupied digging through my archives to find the pictures they were after, which kept me tied up long enough that I missed the window for getting out for a walk in the dry. I ended up donning full waterproofs to prevent me getting soaked as I did a circuit of our local woodlands, which are getting very soggy underfoot. Still, it could’ve been worse. I see other parts of the country have taken an even worse battering with Cornwall being badly hit and railways in Northumberland and Wales flooded or washed out.

There’s no sign of these conditions letting up either, which is bad news for farmers trying to cope with flooded fields in the sowing season. My recent travels have made me appreciate just how much of the countryside remains sodden after record rainfall. Hopefully, I’ll be able to get out with the camera later in the week if conditions improve. In the meantime, there’s always work to do at home – although some of it can be more of a pleasure than a chore. Like today’s picture. I haven’t posted one of these for a while but tonight I took over the kitchen from Dawn to assemble a spicy dish that’s become a staple dish for stocking up or freezer – Chana Masala. Here’s the raw ingredients, prepped and ready for cooking…

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 April picture(s) of the day…

07 Sunday Apr 2024

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

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We’ve had a fairly low-key weekend here at Bigland Towers, partly because of the weather but also because it’s good to take your foot off the pedal sometimes. On Saturday the pair of us headed over to Ossett as Dawn had an appointment. Me? I couldn’t resist the opportunity to visit the ‘Beer Huis’ which has an excellent selection of bottled beers from around Europe and the UK.

Afterwards we went out for lunch at a place we’d passed many times but never called in before. The Rams Head Inn at Denshaw, on Saddleworth Moor. Getting there was fun as the latest storm had kicked in and the winds were epic high up on the moors. But the Rams Head was cosy and the food very good. The menu wasn’t huge but all the better for it as what they had they did very well. For once the two of us plumped for the same thing, the home-made pie – which was excellent, as were the trimmings. It came with chips, a mixture of vegetables and gravy, but this was real gravy – not stuff made out of something from a jar. The pie was equally excellent, with no doubt that the pastry was home-made and the filling was full of meat. The staff were lovely too. If I had one complaint it’d be the fact they only had one real ale on (Tim Taylor’s ‘Landlord’). Even so, we’d certainly be visiting again.

Today (Sunday) we’ve been battered by the weather yet again – which is getting rather tedious. The land around here just can’t hold anymore water. Roads and footpaths are regularly becoming streams and the damage that’s causing is very visible – and not much fun to navigate. So, apart from a quick visit to the supermarket and me getting rained off during a walk we’ve both stayed busy at home. Dee’s been the hostess with the mostest – cooking up some fantastic veggie food whilst I’ve kept busy editing all the pictures I’ve taken over the past few days. Here’s one of them.

After 50 years of neglect and retraction the lineside lineside at Crow Nest Junction had become overgrown. Now, with electrification on the way the land inside the boundary fence has been cut back to prevent accidents in the future.

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

Trans-Pennine (TRU) changes in West Yorkshire. 3rd April 2024.

03 Wednesday Apr 2024

Posted by in Photography, Trans-Pennine Route Upgrade, West Yorkshire

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Today I had a little job to do in Huddersfield, which I managed to combine with a look at some of the Trans-Pennine Route upgrade (TRU) work as well as a meander from Huddersfield to Dewsbury. To be honest, the weather wasn’t exactly promising. But tide and tide – or in this case a 10 day rail blockade wait for no-man! Huddersfield station was closed to all rail traffic so the first leg of my journey was by the dread rail replacement bus service. Only in this case it was rather easy. The buses left from right outside the station where there were plenty of staff on hand to point you to the right one. I caught a coach as far Deighton, the first stop up the line. This was no battered old vehicle, instead, Star of Batley provided a brand new Volvo. Shame there was only two of us passengers!

I’d come to Deighton as major work was underway to reprofile the railway embankment on the Northern side of the line. Deighton station’s going to be completely rebuilt as this section of line will regain four tracks. Here’s what I saw.

The Flannery machine in the foreground’s working on what will be the new Fast lines.
As you can see, there’s some serious earth-moving going on! Meanwhile, the workers behind the platform fence are cutting back the vegetation.
Looking East from the footpath down to the Huddersfield bound platform at Deighton. The arch was over the former Kirkburton branch which left the main line at this site. The branch closed to passenger traffic in 1930 and freight in 1965, although traffic ran for a mile along the branch to an ICI works until 1971. As I had time to kill before the bus arrived I ventured down a rubbish strewn path off the main road to check out this – the old seven arch Whitacre Mill viaduct.

Hopping aboard the following RRB an hour later I turned out to be the only passenger for the trip as far as Mirfield, travelling along a route that often followed the existing railway whilst passing the remains of many others.

Was it something I said?

This area was once rich in local lines all of which (apart from the Trans-Pennine route) are history. On the bright side, the journey did show me a few new photographic locations which I’ll do my best to exploit over the course of the year.

Rejoining the railway at Mirfield I had time to check-out progress around the station, which has seen more of the former platform 2 fall to bulldozers as the site’s slowly cleared to allow the new station and track layout to take shape.

Catching the next available train I moved up to Ravensthorpe, an area which is also undergoing major changes. The station here will be moved to the West of the existing junction to the site you see in this picture.

.GBRf’s 66769 hauls TRU engineers train 6G88, the 1353 from Heaton Lodge East Jn to Belmont Down Yard over Thornhill LNW Junction and the site of the new Ravensthorpe station.

Rather than wait for the next train I decided to stretch my legs and walk from Ravensthorpe to Dewsbury. It takes 45 minutes, but it’s hardly the most scenic of trips. This is not a rich area. It’s a mixture of old and new industrial sites, shops and homes. Like much of post-industrial West Yorkshire, it’s seen better days. There’s a distinct lack of civic pride all along the route, with litter-strewn streets, unkempt building and closed and empty shops.

Empty and disused shops on Calder Rd on the way from Ravensthorpe station.

Despite the roughness, you still come across some interesting architecture. This unusual building caught my eye. It’s part of Our Lady & St Paulinus church on the way into Dewsbury.

That was as good as it got! I took a detour off the main road down to the River Calder which I followed into town. Well, I say footpath. It was more of a linear rubbish dump and really quite depressing. Then again, you could say that it’s a good preparation for Dewsbury itself!

There was one ray of sunshine, although today wasn’t my day for sampling it. The excellent West Riding refreshment room on the railway station is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year. It’s well worth a visit – even if you swerve the rest of the town and never leave the station. Although, if you did, you might be pleasantly surprised when visiting the old Calder and Hebble Navigation canal wharf in Savile town and the Leggers Inn. There’s also some good cycle routes on the old railway nearby which is part of the Spen Valley greenway.

Sadly, the weather closed in once I’d reached Dewsbury so there was little left for me to do but return home. However, this won’t be my last visit by any means. I’ll do regular (irregular) updates on the TRU work and nearby sites of interest as the work progresses.

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

Back from the Easter break…

01 Monday Apr 2024

Posted by in Food and drink, Musings, Photography, West Yorkshire

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S’cuse the lack of blogging recently but I’ve taken time off over Easter to concentrate on other things. However, the break is almost over, so normal service is about to resume. The pair of us have stayed at home over the holiday. Partly because we’d only just got back from a few days in West Yorkshire, but also because getting away over Easter can be expensive and a pain in the arse! Instead, we stayed local, but we were hardly inactive as we’ve been out and about in our local area and indulged in some good food. On Friday, after Dee had finished sorting out the end of the financial year for her work the pair of us walked into Halifax in order to get some exercise and explore. Despite it being the holiday, the place wasn’t as busy as we’d expected, but this became a common theme through Easter. Saturday saw us pottering around at home before the pair of us got ‘dressed up’ for meal with my in-laws over in Honley, near Huddersfield. It’s a pretty little village with a variety of places to eat/drink. We’d booked early evening at Punch, a tapas bar we’ve frequented several times before as the food’s always good. The place was packed when we first got there but by 20:30 it was almost deserted, which really surprised us. Staff didn’t even bother resetting the tables as they had no second sitting booked. Is this a new phenomenon nowadays – people coming out earlier rather than later, then going home afterwards? We enjoyed our night regardless as the food was plentiful and tasty.

Yum! Prawns to the fore…

As the weather remained good on Sunday we decided to stretch ourselves physically by walking all the way from home to the Robin Hood pub in Cragg Vale, high above Mytholmroyd. Normally we’d eat there after our exertions (the food’s fab) but with it being Easter we decided to be flexible and take sandwiches instead.

The cosy bar…

It was a wise move as the restaurant area was busy as was the bar, with a constant stream of dog-walkers passing through. By the time we’d walked back along the canal and uphill our Fitbits told us we’d completed 33,000 plus steps (or over 15 miles).

Industrial heritage and ruins along the Rochdale canal at Luddenden Foot

Such a stroll meant we’d earned the lamb shanks Dawn had put in the slow-cooker before we left, which we enjoyed with a healthy selection of vegetables. Well, if you can’t have lamb at Easter…

Today the weather’s been typical for a bank holiday. Miserable! We’ve had rain and low temperatures for most of the day. You couldn’t even see the other side of the valley for most of it. So, our plans – which originally included various home and DIY tasks became more of a ‘duvet day’ – at least for the first part! Now, with the bank holiday almost over it’s time to prepare for another hectic week. I hope my readers who’re celebrating Easter have had an equally enjoyable time.

Next week sees me resume my travels around the rail network as there’s a lot to catch up on. A tak made easier by the fact the clocks have changed with the days getting longer. Expect a few more rolling blogs and pictures. But for now, good night!

8th March picture of the day…

08 Friday Mar 2024

Posted by in Musings, New Zealand, Photography, Picture of the day, Railways, West Yorkshire

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Another bleedin’ Baltic day here in the Pennines where our section of the Calder Valley’s spent the entire day bathed in haze under gloomy skies, accompanied by temperatures and wind that’s made it feel like January, not March. The ‘Man flu’ I’ve been suffering from has mutated into a common or garden cold, sans sore throat and the ague – which is a relief! Having recovered enough to venture out I sallied forth to the supermarket to pick up some shopping – which is why I know just how cold it is out there. I wasn’t tempted to tarry…

Now I’m happy to be back in the warmth. Having finished penning my latest article for RAIL magazine this evening’s one for relaxing. Neither of us fancy venturing out, so tonight’s going to be a quiet one at home with some good food (Dawn’s already busy cooking up a storm in the kitchen) and a movie. We’ve time to enjoy a weekend at home together for a change. The next one will be different as we’ll be travelling to Swansea on the Sunday to get ready for the 2024 Community Rail awards. Plus, I’ve plans for a couple of trips this next week (weather permitting) to catch up with some recent changes on the rail network. But for now you’ll have to make do with another archive shot for today’s picture. Like yesterday’s, this has been dusted off for a special book.

If you think UK preserved railways have some major structures to maintain, then imagine what it’s like for this one! Here’s a train on the Taieri Gorge railway which is on New Zealand’s South Island. It runs from Dunedin all the way up to the plains at Middlemarch. To say it’s a spectacular trip is an understatement!

Locomotives 1240 and 1222 double-head our train on the return to Dunedin on the 16th January 2019.

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 March picture of the day…

07 Thursday Mar 2024

Posted by in Musings, Photography, Picture of the day, Railways, West Yorkshire

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This will be a short blog as I’m still recovering from ‘man flu’ – although you can cancel the lilies! Apart from a short walk along our road to the woods to admire the handiwork of the council staff who’ve been busy filling in the latest tranche of potholes* I’ve not been anywhere – and won’t be until the weekend at least. It’s not a problem as I’ve plenty to do at home, including a new RAIL article to finish writing. Mind you, the weather’s hardly been an incentive to go anywhere. For much of the day the valley’s been buried in fog with temperatures remaining in single figures, so being tucked up at home seemed very attractive indeed. I suspect tomorrow will follow much the same pattern.

One little job that has been completed was selecting railway pictures for a book for a young lad who’s not very well. I’m not going to go into details but I’ve chosen one of those images as my picture of the day. Some railway photographers put their cameras away in the winter, or when there’s anything but full sunshine. I don’t. In fact I love the variety that the English weather can provide as sometimes conditions can help make a picture. Here’s one. This shot was taken at Grantham on the 22nd July (yep, summertime) 2010 – just as an enormous rainstorm was passing – and so was this GNER service, hauled by 91116. A long lens (400mm) compresses the image and accentuates the weather. For the camera cranks this was taken at 1/400th on F8 with a Nikon IS lens on a D3.

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

*And if anyone dares to suggest that these fcuking potholes are only being filled in ‘cos Rishi (expletive deleted) Sunak has cancelled phase 2 of HS2 – you will be getting a piece of my mind!

Rolling blog. Another positioning move…

03 Sunday Mar 2024

Posted by in British Railways (BR), London, Rolling blogs, Travel, West Yorkshire

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16:40.

Another Sunday and another day where part of it’s spent getting into position for the next day. When arranging their events people sometimes forget that – whilst the media is notoriously ‘Londoncentric’ not everyone actually lives in the capital anymore! I have to be in Chippenham at 09:00 tomorrow morning. Whilst that’s doable from London, it’s impossible from West Yorkshire.

So, much of today’s been spent at home. We’ve finally had a respite from the rain. Today (whilst it’s still been chilly) there’s been clear skies and sunshine. Ideal conditions for the pair of us enjoying a long canalside walk after a leisurely start to the day.

Now – fortified by a large slab of Dee’s home-made lemon meringue pie – I’m on the move again, this time aboard a Northern service to Leeds where I’ll catch an LNER train to Kings Cross. Having spent the past few weeks travelling the West Coast route I’ll be back on the East Coast for a change. Let’s see how the trip goes…

I don’t often travel at a weekend except for pleasure. Unlike my normal trips today’s Northern fellow travellers are mostly people having a day out sightseeing or visiting family and friends. Not that the train’s quiet – far from it. Sunday’s a busy day on the railways nowadays. It make you wonder why we still have a separate and very distinct Sunday timetable.

18:10.

London bound! There was a frustrating moment when I arrived at Leeds as I saw the next London train on the adjacent platform. It was worked by Mk4 loco-hauled set but there was no way I was going to make the connection. Instead, I watched as the train powered out of the station, pushed by ‘Battle of Britain memorial flight’. The next Southbound service was worked by an LNER ‘Azuma’ and I was concerned that it might be packed. As it is – it’s not too bad.

My chariot awaits…

I managed to find a vacant seat in coach C and set up the mobile office. We’ve just left Wakefield where as many passengers left as joined. Next stop is Doncaster, which should be interesting. Sadly, we’ve lost the light now although I’m grateful that’s taking longer as each day passes. I’ve had enough of winter’s long nights.

18:30.

To my surprise we’ve still lots of empty seats available after Doncaster. Coach C’s filled up but there were nowhere near as many passengers waiting as I’d thought there might be. We have two more stops to make before London, at Newark Northgate snd Peterborough.

19:20.

We’re now accelerating away from Peterborough, our last stop before Kings Cross. This brings back loads of memories for me as – back in the late 1980s, early 1990s – this was one of my regular journeys. I still lived in London then and would often come up to Peterborough on a Friday night after work to spend the weekend with Nancy, an old friend from Southport. How things have changed since then! Peterborough was the edge of the London commuter belt and obviously still is. During the week I often see people wearing Transport for London uniforms joining trains here as they commute into the capital. Key workers who’ve been priced out of the city. What surprised me today wasn’t the number of people joining the train – it was the number disembarking – and their ages. They were overwhelmingly young. What’s the new demographic I’m no longer aware of?

00:15.

Really? Is that the time? Bugger. Here endeth today’s blog. I’ve got to be up at silly o’clock in the morning to make my way to Chippenham. I’ve no idea where the time – or years, went as the pair of us have been immersed in watching old British Transport Commission films from the 50s-60s. I’ll leave you with one last picture from my trip over to Clapham from Kings Cross. Spot the interloper at Victoria…

Expect another rolling blog tomorrow as the day unfolds…

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

2nd March picture(s) of the day…

02 Saturday Mar 2024

Posted by in Food and drink, Greater Manchester, Picture of the day, Pubs, Travel, West Yorkshire

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March? Where the hell did February go – other than underwater? We’ve gone from the wettest February on record to another month that seems determined to carry on in the same vein. The past two days here at Bigland Towers have seen miserable weather as we’ve had a combination of snow, sleet and rain. The snow’s clung on to the valley tops but the rest of the valley can be summed up in one word. Soggy. The ground’s so saturated any extra rainfall runs straight off, clogging roads and drains. The roads are already in an appalling state but constant flooding’s making them worse as fractured tarmac and gravel is washed away, making potholes both deeper and wider. Still it’s OK, Rishi Sunak’s potholes won’t exist as he’s spending £bns ‘diverted’ from HS2 to fix ’em. And if you believe that I have this really nice tower in Paris to sell to you…

Today the pair of us decided to have a day out and bugger the weather, so we drove over the border into Greater Manchester to a place called Uppermill. The idea was to have lunch somewhere, but the town was packed – despite the weather. We fell back on plan B and travelled the short distance to Delph and stopped at the Old Bell Inn where we found a table without a problem. We’ve eaten here before but not for a year or two. We weren’t disappointed. I ordered a local delicacy – rag pudding. It’s similar to a steamed pudding in that it comes in a suet case, it’s also delicious! Dawn decided to go for the fish and chips which was equally tasty. Here’s the rag pudding…

As we were on the Huddersfield road we decided to come back via Marsden and the Colne valley, calling in at the Riverhead pub on the way. This popular brew-pub on the rail ale trail has only just reopened after a major refurbishment. Here’s how it looks now.

The upstairs room in the Riverhead
At the back of the upstairs is a kitchen area and hatch which serves Asian-style steamed buns
Brew tanks at the back of the ground floor.
The revamped downstairs bar area looking out towards the main street.

Now the pair of us are relaxing at home before another busy day tomorrow. We couldn’t have fitted in a dessert course earlier but Dee’s decided to make one at home. So, whilst I’m penning this, Dawn’s in the kitchen making one of her divine lemon meringue pies!

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