Category Archives: West Yorkshire

Rolling blog. Wandering…

05 Thursday May 2022

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09:30.

It’s Thursday so it’s time for my weekly visit to the ‘other’ valley (the Colne) and Milnesbridge. I’m taking a modified route this week but it still involves walking, trains and canals. I’ll be blogging through the day as I travel, so feel free to pop in and see what I get up to….

10:30.

Having walked down into Sowerby Bridge instead of through to Halifax I’m on my first train of the day, Northern’s 10:22 to Leeds which will carry me as far as Dewsbury. This turned out to be a wise choice as the onboard Passenger Information System (PIS) screen shows onward connections and I noticed the Grand Central service I used last week is cancelled. That would have really screwed me up! Instead I’m on a quiet 3-car Class 195 and stress-free as I’ve time in the bank.

Today’s a good day for a wander. The Mercury is creeping up and the sun is shining through high broken clouds so I’m glad I’ve brought the camera. Plus, it’s interesting to observe early progress on the Trans-Pennine route upgrade (TRU). There’s nothing major to see yet but preperations are much in evidence. Many new safe access to trackside walkways have been installed, existing work compounds enlarged with many new ones being built. Vegetation clearance has been carried out over the past few years (with more needed).

11:00.

My visit to Dewsbury was brief – around 10 minutes. I had just enough time to grab some shots of this attractive and well-maintained station before moving on. As well as being good-looking the station boasts a good little cafe and the excellent West Riding refreshment rooms with its great range of real ales.

My next train was a six-car TPE service fromRedcar to Manchester Airport. Unlike the Northern train it was rammed. A situation exacerbated by the number of students here at Dewsbury who were travelling to college in Huddersfield. Being wedged in a TPE vestibule felt like the old days had returned!

11:30.

Like the students, I decamped at Huddersfield. Running earlier than last week I had plenty of time to buy a delicious bacon roll and coffee at the cafe and get some pictures before my next train.

A few weeks ago this area between the tracks at the East end of Huddersfield was a mass of Buddleia. Now it’s all been cleared, reopening photo opportunities that disappeared several years ago.

12:55.

Everything came together. My train arrived in Slaithwaite on time and the walk along the Huddersfield narrow canal was even easier this week as a lot more of the towpath has been resurfaced. I made it in under 50 minutes. Here’s a view from my journey.

OK, back later…

16:15.

I’m back!

Meeting over I had a mooch around Milnsbridge for an hour and checked out a photo location I’ve not visited before on the road bridge high above the railway to the west of the viaduct and next to the old goods yard. Here’s the view looking West towards Slaithwaite

It won’t look like this in a few years time! Here’s looking in the opposite direction as 802208 comes off the viaduct and passes the site of Milnesbridge goods yard which is now an industrial estate.

Right now I’m back at Huddersfield waiting for the 16:35 to Halifax and basking in the sun as I do so. There appears to be quite a few traincrew issues today with several services (Northern to Sheffield and TPE to Redcar) cancelled with staff shortages being given as the reason. At least my train’s turned up in the shape of a refurbished ex-West Yorkshire PTE Class 158.

22:00.

I’n now home and putting this rolling blog to bed as I’ve got to pack. Why? Because tomorrow our little gang (the 5 from the 6) are off to Berlin for a few days. It’s mine and Dawn’s first trip outside the UK since the pandemic, so we’re really looking forward to it. The next week or so will see me doing a lot of travelling and touring as well as attending a trade fair back in the UK, so expect lots more blogs to come – starting tomorrow when our merry band make our way to Germany via Manchester Airport…

I’ve a 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

Thank You!

2nd May picture of the day…

02 Monday May 2022

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

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We’ve had another low-key day here at Bigland Towers. It’s a bank holiday Monday so (of course) the weather’s been dull and wet! Not that it mattered as we spent most of our time pottering around indoors, catching up on a few chores but generally taking it easy. Well, isn’t that what bank holidays are for?

Later in the day we did sally forth to brave the drizzle and walked down to Sowerby Bridge which was surprisingly quiet, but then many restaurants were closed as the bank holiday coincided with the end of Ramadan and the Eid festival. Still, we enjoyed the chance to stretch our legs and watch ‘newbies’ cautiously navigating their first locks on canal narrowboats they’d hired from local operator Shire Cruises. We stayed long enough to have a couple of drinks in less than packed local pubs before strolling back along the canal, where we kept an eye out for this season’s ducklings. We passed a couple of broods en-route and it’s fascinating to see how different in size the little beggars are when there’s literally only a few days between the hatchings. These little balls of down certainly grow up fast. Heading back uphill from the canal we traversed our local woods which are ablaze with carpets of Bluebells, making it a lovely time of the year for a woodland walk.

So, here’s today’s picture – from said woods…

I’ve a 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

Thank You!

Rolling blog. More Yorkshire wandering…

28 Thursday Apr 2022

Posted by in Photography, Railways, Rolling blogs, Travel, West Yorkshire

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11:00.

I’m on my way to Huddersfield for an appointment that was cancelled at the last moment this time last week. Today it’s so far, so good. The meeting’s not until this afternoon but I’m taking the ‘scenic’ route on foot and public transport.

Walking from home to Halifax station I was struck by the lack of political posters. You’d be forgiven for not knowing there’s local elections happening next week! Apart from a few Labour banners I’ve seen nothing from any of the other parties. I’ll cover this more (and why we should be concerned about it) in another blog.

My first steed was Grand Central train heading for Mirfield. It’s hardly a direct way to get to Huddersfield but in their wisdom the Treasury – sorry, the Dept of Transport have reduced the hourly Halifax – Huddersfield service to two-hourly as a cost cutting measure, making it very unattractive.

On the bright side, the GC service was well loaded. As an open-access service they don’t recieve any Govt subsidy so stopped running completely during the height of the pandemic.

A short walk under the attractively lit and decorated subway brought me up to the Westbound platform where I found the 11:11 is running 3 mins late. Not untypical but not a problem as I’ve no other connection to make. This used to be a good place for photography but the growth of lineside vegetation had reduced visibility so much that any shot of a train heading East would look like it’s running through a field! All this will change soon when the Trans-Pennine route upgrade (TRU) begins. This section will be restored to four tracks, the station rebuilt and the line electrified.

11:55.

Slight change of plan. I was going to walk along the canal from Huddersfield to Milnsbridge but I got distracted by the delious smells emenating from the station buffet so I popped in for a chat with Chris and his wife and to purchase one of their delicious bacon teacakes (as they call rolls in this part of the world) and a coffee.

Now I’ll get the train to Slaithwaite and walk to Milnsbridge from there which is a bit further but should be a nicer canalside walk. I have just enough time to do it..

12:58.

Phew! A brisk 55 minute walk has got me to my appointment on time. The canalside walk’s far nicer this way and the Canal and River Trust are busy resurfacing the entire towpath, which will make for some easy walking.

Right, catch you later…

15:00.

Appointment over I caught the bus back into Huddersfield to save some time and also because that section of the canal towpath isn’t as attractive due to it being a favourite for rubbish dumping and fly-tipping. Plus, it got me back to the station in time to catch a train back towards Bradford rather than having to go via Leeds. I’m currently enjoying the ambience of a refurbished former West Yorkshire PTE Class 158/9 that’s been refurbished with new seats as well as being fitted with USB sockets and wifi (hence this update). I’m not going to go home straight away. I feel the need for some further wandering. The question is – to where?…

18:30.

And the answer was – Skipton. Having caught the train to Bradford I traversed the city twixt Interchange and Forster Square stations which neatly cut out the meed for Leeds and added to my daily fitbit ‘brownie points’. Oh, and the chance to travel on another parochial train fleet. The Class 333s are limited to the local electrified lines West of Leeds covering Bradford, Ilkley and Skipton. They’re comfortable trains that were recently refurbished – just not up to a specification folk expect now – hence the absence of power points and sockets, even if (perversely) they were some of the first Northern trains to be fitted with Wifi!.

They do look smart inside tho’

My Skipton sojourn was brief. I’d come here for two reasons and with it being such a gray day photography wasn’t one of them! Dawn had expessed an interest in some new outdoor clothing and Skipton is full of such shops. Plus, a group of retired and still serving railway staff were on on a regular outing. I’ve been invited along for years but the stars never aligned. Today I gave said stars a nudge – even if that meant I was only for an hour!

It was lovely to catch up with some people whom I’ve not ssen for years. I could have stayed a lot (lot) longer – but another time maybe..

Right now I’m heading into Leeds having missed my Bradford option by the skin of my teeth. This train’s quiet as it’s operating contraflow so it’s only carrying early revellers who’re heading for a night out in Leeds.

I’ve a 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

Thank You!

The BR built era. The West Yorkshire class 155s.

27 Wednesday Apr 2022

Posted by in British Railways, Class 155, Photography, Railways, West Yorkshire

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In the past couple of years the size of the old British Rail designed or built train fleets has decreased dramatically with many classes disappearing completely. Others are in terminal decline or are seeing members being sent for store with their future uncertain. One class which has survived intact and that shows no sign of being retired is the seven strong , 2-car class 155 diesel fleet built by British Leyland at their Workington plant back in 1988. Numbered 155341-347 they were the tail end of a much larger order of 40 2-car trains which were converted to single-car units in the 1990s which are now being retired, leaving the West Yorkshire sets as the last of their kind. The reason the seven still exist is that they were paid for by the West Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive, who took a proactive approach to developing rail transport by funding mew trains (the Class 158/9s being another example).

The 155s were bought as a replacement for the ageing but powerful class 110 ‘Calder Valley’ units built by the Birmingham Railway Carriage and Wagon Company (BRCW for short) in 1961. To show their allegiance Yorkshire 155s were delivered from new in the WYPTE livery of red and cream with ‘metrotrain’ branding. With the onset of privatisation management of the 155s was taken on by Porterbrook leasing, on whose books they remain to this day. The 155s have remained in the North, having passed through the hands pf all the various Northern franchises right from the original Arriva Trains North. The units have always been allocated to Leeds Neville Hill depot although nowadays they’ve spread their wings and can be seen on other routes than just the Calder valley thanks to the arrival of the new CAF built Class 195s.

Here’s a pictorial review of their lives, times, liveries and the locations where they used to be found (and can be now).

155341, the first of the Yorkshire units is seen in Northern advertising livery approaching Sowerby Bridge in the Calder valley with a service from Manchester to Leeds via Bradford on the 21st January 2013.
The builders and owners plate inside 155341 seen in 2017.
Seem from the Pennine hills around Todmordon (which can be seen in the background) 155342 has just crossed the historic Gauxholme viaduct on the 12th September 2009 whilst working from Leeds to Manchester.
Here’s 155343 carrying WYPTE ‘metrotrain’ branding and the simplified original livery (but operated by the Northern franchise) calling at Todmorden on the 4th September 2006.
Here’s when 155344 was almost new and before the 1st generation DMUs they helped displace were still around. This is the very shabby looking Manchester Victoria station shortly before rebuilding on the 18th June 1991.
One of the classic locations in the Calder Valley is Hebden Bridge where the station retains many of its original features including a fine selection of wooden signs. 155345 is pictured calling on its way to Manchester Victoria on the 25th September 2007.
155346 is pictured in revised WYPTE livery stabled in York station on the 13th August 2004.
Here’s 155347 pictured leaving Halifax station en-route to Bradford with the monolithic Halifax Building Society building dominating the skyline in the background. Seen on the 30th May 2017.
Here’s 155347 in original condition with the full livery including the orange stripe seen at Blackpool North on the 5th April 1991. In BR years these units weren’t uncommon in the North-West, making it to Blackpool, Preston and Liverpool.

The units interior layout has always been superior to earlier units like the Class 150s. Here’s some views over the years.

Here’s the interior of 155346 seen on the 3rd March 2013. The view’s taken from mid-car, showing the 2+2 seating arrangement and table bays. The seats are covered with the original Northern mocquette.
Cycle and luggage storage on the same unit and same date as above.
The generous luggage space on 155342. The steel bar construction makes the units seem more airy than the likes of the 150s and 158s.
155344 on a quiet evening. 1st September 2016.

Here’s a few units in their later years when they began to spread their wings…

On the 29th July 2019 155345 is seen under the magnificent station roof at Hull. It’s sporting the latest variation of the Northern Liveries, this time the predominantly white Arriva Northern version.
155345 seen keeping company with converted classmate 153351 (in the old Arriva Northern livery) crossing the viaduct at Knaresborough on the 22nd August 2007.
155344 is seen heading West from the bay platform at Selby on the 12th August 2016.
155341 waiting to return to Leeds after reversal at Knaresborough on the 10th August 2017.
155346 calls at Ulleskelf on the 2th November 2021 whilst working 2R21, the 1546 York to Bridlington.
155346 leaves Hull with an unknown service on the 18th April 2023. Hull’s the best place to see these units now as the units are allocated to the local depot and work many services from the town, including the routes to Bridlington, York, Leeds and back to their old haunts at Halifax.
The Leyland logo embossed into the steel paneling above the cab end vestibule doors on 153344. Seen on the 18th April 2023.

I’ve a 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

Thank You!

Rolling blog. Yorkshire roundabout…

26 Tuesday Apr 2022

Posted by in Community rail, Photography, Railways, Rolling blogs, Travel, West Yorkshire, Yorkshire

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09:30.

Today sees me travelling around the shire from West to South as I’ve a variety of things to do. First off this morning is one that’s familiar – and local. The friends of Mytholmroyd station are having a big volunteer event where Northern Rail staff volunteers are descending for the day to add extra bodies and muscle-power to help tackle some of the bigger and more complex jobs around the station that could do with a hand (and younger sinews). As an old friend of the group I’m dropping in to capture shots of the day, documenting what these partnerships can achieve and also showcase what the community rail sector gets up to.

After Mytholmroyd I’ll be travelling across to South Yorkshire to visit Sheffield where I’ll be catching up with at least one old friend (and maybe more). Feel free to keep popping back to see how things pan out as I document the day.

10:25.

Not the greatest start. Having walked down to Sowerby Bridge station for the short hop to Mytholmroyd I find my train is losing time by the minute. Due in at 10:24 it’s now scheduled to arrive at 10:29, having slipped as each minute’s passed. It’s a minor inconvenience in the scheme of things but it makes me late for the briefing and being late is one of my personal bugbears.

10:30.

Hmm, a 2-car 195 working all the way to Chester. That’s going to be cosy!

12:15.

I arrived just in time to miss the group briefing in the local church hall, but as I’m very familiar with the station and the group it wasn’t a big deal. Seventeen volunteers from Northern rail had turned up to offer a hand and they were allocated a variety of tasks such as digging up old Daffodils, repotting the planters on the platforms, general weeding or moving larger plants that had outgrown their spaces. The place was a hive of activity as people dressed in high-vis buzzed around like a swarm of angry bees! Here’s some examples of the activities.

Northern Rail volunteers clearing out old plants from the recycled plastic planters on the platforms before replanting them with a fresh display.
The platform approaches at Mytholmroyd have steep banks on either side. Here, volunteers clear the entrance to the car park of old Daffodils and weed the area before replanting.
Doing the hard work (digging out and moving plants) under the watchful eye of one of the station friends.
The latest art installation is these terracotta impressions of the various station friends!

Sadly, I couldn’t stay for lunch so I bid adieu and caught the 11:53 to Leeds via Bradford Interchange, which gave me enough time to download, edit and post the pictures as a Class 195 makes a decent mobile office – unlike the train I changed onto in Leeds where a Class 150/2 was waiting to take me to Sheffield. These things have neither tables nor power sockets and I dislike balancing my laptop on my knee. So, it’s back to typing via my smartphone.

My steed awaits…

18:45.

Well, that’s been an interesting day…

Due to timings Richard Clinnick and I ended up catching the same train to Sheffield. I joined it at Leeds whilst Richard picked it up at Wakefield where he’d been to meet the staff at the Rail Business Daily offices where he was inducted into his new role as Editor of Inside Track magazine. On arrival at Sheffield we met up with another rail industry partner in crime – Lucy Prior. The three of us spent over an hour swapping intel and gossip before I headed off to explore parts of the region I wasn’t familiar with. In this case, Rotherham. Having taken a short break between towns I now know why I’d never had it on my radar. It’s a depressing place. Ignoring the fact the station is famous for turning into a place where you’re more likely to use a canoe than a train in heavy rain, the town itself isn’t exactly what I’d call buzzing. Here’s my introduction to the town centre after leaving the railway station.

Nice…

Frankly, if you wanted to make a ‘zombie apocalypse’ film, Rotherham’s your place. Not only does it have the right levels of decay and dereliction it’s also pretty much deserted. Plus, many of the few souls still shambling around the town centre could easily be signed up as extras – and it wouldn’t cost you much money in make-up either…

I didn’t hang around. One lap of the centre was enough. After that I was on the train back to Sheffield!

– but not on one of these tram-trains, seen here approaching Rotherham Central central station earlier. I caught the Northern rail service following behind. At least the fact I managed this shot was worth the trip…

21:15.

I’m now back at Bigland Towers after uneventful journey’s home. Neither of my Northern trains back to Halifax was particularly busy but then neither was Leeds station. Mind you, Halifax was even quieter – almost everything seemed to have closed down for the night despite it being before 8 ‘o clock. Even the pubs had given up and decided to shut up shop.

Now I’m having an easy evening editing pictures from the day. I might as well make the most of my time – Dawn’s gone round to a friend’s for supper, so there’s only me in! Ah well, it’s another day tomorrow…

I’ve a 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

Thank You!

Rolling blog. Back on the rails…

15 Friday Apr 2022

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

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08:30.

After my enforced absence due to Covid I’m back on the rails today for the first time in a couple of weeks. It’s nothing terribly exciting – I’m taking a trip over to my birthplace to drop something off for my niece’s husband, but there’ll be time for a few pictures and the change of scenery is certainly appreciated. And who know what might happen?

Right now I’m crossing the Pennines on Northern’s 08:05 from Sowerby Bridge to Wigan North Western which is worked by a pair of Class 158s. Once the ‘top flight’ units in Northern’s inventory these 90 mph trains have been relegated to the 2nd Division by the newer, faster and more nippy CAF built Class 195s. With it being Good Friday there’s no commuters aboard, merely a few family daytrippers and people dragging suitcases who’re away longer. I’ll be interested to see what the footfall looks like at other stations en-route.

Feel free to keep popping back to see how my day unfolds…

08:40. My train’s the ‘all shacks’ stopper which calls at every station on the line, most of which have been very quiet. Having crossed the Pennines I’ve lost the sunshine as Lancashire’s covered in wavy low grey cloud. Add in the fact it’s a chilly start to this bank holiday and I can understand why not many people are venturing out right now – it’s a day for a lie-in! Our stop at Rochdale did manage to generate an extra dozen passengers, many of whom seemed less than enthusiastic to be travelling so I’m assuming they’re shop workers!

10:00.

As expected, Manchester Victoria was busy with day-trippers making the most of the bank-holiday but I didn’t stop as I was changing trains at Salford Crescent in order to pick up a Southport Service. There were few students about so the station was quiet. The heaviest traffic was for the bird-feeders that station staff have hung up on a station sign. These saw a stream of Pigeons, Tits and Jays taking advantage of the feeding station!

Feeding station…

I’m still getting used to seeing electric trains on this route which is a far cry from how it was in my youth. The feeling of oddness is compounded by seeing old friends in the form of ex-Thamelink trains converted to bi-modes plying the route. One of which formed my train to Southport.

100mph capable trains to Southport. Who would have thought?

Our route was via Bolton where we successfully swapped from electric to diesel power, a transition that doesn’t always go smoothly but teething problems seem to have been ironed out nowadays, reducing the numbers of failures.

Having changed traction we continued to Wigan, calling at the beautifully tended stations of Westhoughton and Hindley bothe of which have gorgeous station gardens maintained by local volunteers.

Wigan Wallgate provided plenty of custom for the train as large groups of families and friends were waiting to take a trip to the seaside. Buckets and spades may be in order, but any suntan lotion will be surplus to requirements!

11:30.

My neice was waiting for me at the station so the Tux’ was handed over in double-quick time. I didn’t want to stay long but I gave myself long enough for a quick lap of the town centre just to see what had changed. It was all a bit depressing. Many more shops are empty and shuttered, as is another old haunt – the ‘Coronation’ pub opposite the market which has been dying a death for years gas finally expired. I did pop into the indoor market which has changed completely. All the tradional stalls are gone. Instead, a large bar surrounded by tables occupies much of the space. Fast food stalls line two sides whilst on sode’s been opened up to encompass outdoor seating.

I have mixed feelings about the redevelopment. None of the food outlets appeal, it’s all bog-standard, uninteresting stuff (pizza, tex-mex etc) not world cuisine or Asian street food and it’s displaced specialist food stalls – one of which sold a fantastic array of Lancashire cheeses. I’ve no idea where to go to buy those now. Still, Ivwish it well and hope the new market prospers – even if I’ve no reason to visit anymore.

Taking my leave via the same train I arrived on I stopped off at Burscough Bridge to get a couple of pictures. After being derelict for years the old station building’s being renovated. It was a private residence so I’m assuming its finally been bought by someone. It’s a fine old building that’s very much in need of some TLC – which it’s now receiving.

14:30.

My next stop was at Wigan, a town that was really buzzing as it was match day. Not that I have the faintest clue what sport that involved. To be honest, portly blokes wandering around in very tight copies of team strips was never going to engage my attention. It might be football, it might be rugby, but to be honest, I don’t have a ‘Scooby Do’!

What was nice was the fact the atmosphere was quite relaxed (but then, it’s early doors and no-one’s lost yet). Whilst in Wigan I called in to a hostelry I’d always meant to visit but never got around to. Wigan Central is a large, railway-themed bar that fills two arches under Wigan North-Western station. The bar spills out onto the pavement to give a large outdoor seating area which copes well with events.

14:45.

I really enjoyed my visit to Wigan, a place I’ve not always flattered (sorry Sheila!) but on this occasion I found the people whom I met and talked to lovely.

Right now I’m heading back to Yorkshire. The weather didn’t pan out quite how I’d have liked so some of the photos I wanted were non-starters. Even so, I’ve ideas for the future. I’ve not expored the old Lancashire and Yorkshire main line via Walkden for years. I’ve always meant to but it’s never been prominent on the list.

22:30.

Time to bring some closure! I stayed on the train from Wigan all the way home – ish. Lulled into a false sense of security by the fact I was on a Class 195 I ignored the stopping pattern I knew in my head until we pulled out of Sowerby Bridge when the PA announced the next stop as Brighouse, not Halifax. Bugger! On the bright side – I was able to retrace my steps with a 20 minute delay – and there’s a real ale pub right next to the station…

Having met up with Dawn at home the pair of us adjourned to the ‘Big 6’ pub to join friends and enjoy the quiz. As usual our quizmaster bans me from answering the geography questions – much to everyone else’s amusement. It’s not that I’m that encyclopedic (honest), but I have travelled a bit! Dawn and I had a lovely night laughing and joking as you bounce humor off friends – the stuff you miss when you’re isolating. Hopefully, this is the precursor for the Bank Holiday…

I’ve a 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

Thank You!

11th April picture of the day…

11 Monday Apr 2022

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

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Finally, after what seems like an age, my morning Covid test was negative – which was a great start to a new week. Time seems to have dragged over the past 10 days, but at last I’m in the clear. All I want to do now is one last test tomorrow to make sure the result wasn’t a fluke and then my mind’s at rest. Mind you – so’s Dawn’s mind. She’s been hugely supportive whilst I’ve been a (sometimes temperamental and impatient) patient.

Dee’s off work this week so the pair of us celebrated by going out for a long (ish) walk. Rather than going local we drove over to Todmorden to explore the hills to the North of the town. We’ve been walking on the tops of the valley to the North of the Todmorden to Burnley railway several times. There’s some great walking around there as the views are fantastic. Add in the fact there’s some fascinating old buildings and wonderful rock outcrops and it’s a winner. But today we tried somewhere different and explored the opposite side of the valley and the area known as Todmorden moor. Our experiences were mixed. On an O/S map the area teems with footpaths but when you’re on the ground it’s obvious many of them are so little used they’re almost impossible to find. That said. the views across the valley were superb, as was looking down from on high into the valley around Lydgate and the A646 road to Burnley. I’d certainly come back with the camera sometime, but if it’s the quality of walking we’re after we’d stick to the North side of the valley. What was interesting was finding out that Todmorden moor was once the site of industry. Collieries and a tramway once graced the area which must have been a desolate place to work. Imagine tramping all that way uphill from Todmorden only to return 12 hours later?

Having enjoyed our wanderings we headed back via an old haunt that we realised we’d not visited since before the first Pandemic lockdown. We used to walk from home to the Robin Hood pub in Cragg Vale above Mytholmroyd several times a year but Covid put a stop to all that. Our last visit was in 2019 so today we thought ‘why not’? and dropped in for a drink at this brilliant local boozer. It still retains its character (and characters) despite everything that’s happened in the last few years. It was lovely to be able to sit at the bar, enjoy the heat from the fire and join in the banter and laughs between the bar staff and regulars. It’s something I’d really missed in isolation.

Now we’re back at home preparing for the week ahead which is looking a lot more optimistic – and far busier! But for now I’ll leave you with the picture of the day which was taken from our walk.

A pair of Northern Class 150s (150149 and 150127) cross the viaduct at Lydgate whilst working 2N98, the 12:53 from Kirkby to Blackburn. As you can see, it’s not exactly flat around here! The bizarre thing? This is the first picture I’ve taken in 10 days…

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10th April picture of the day…

10 Sunday Apr 2022

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

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Right, I’m bored now. I first tested positive for Covid last Thursday. I felt shit for several days, then bounced back, but I’m still testing positive – including this morning! Unlike many people Dawn and I are taking this seriously and not putting anyone else at risk so I’ve had no close contact with anyone since I first tested positive. Well, apart from my wife – obviously! Oh, I’m tempted, there’s a few people who I’d quite happily give the Rona to but as they’re nowhere near me the chances of that happening are minute! I’m frustrated as I’ve no idea when I’ll start testing negative again. In the meantime it’s really cramping my style and the things that I can do.

The pair of us are feeling frustrated as there’s so many things we’ve had to put on hold – including family gatherings. So, to lighten the mood the pair of us had a long amble around the streets of Halifax today, exploring side-streets and areas we’ve never visited before. I find the town fascinating to wander around as the architecture is so diverse. It ranges from huge mansions to back-to backs and with a timespan that covers centuries. Many building have changed form and purpose over the years which leads to the opportunity for some detective work, trying to guess what the places were used for originally. There’s also some impossible building footprints too as properties have been squeezed on to odd plots of land, leading to some very oddly shaped structures which must be almost impossible to furnish well.

Back at Bigland Towers we’ve enjoyed another quiet night in. Dawn decided to take over the cooking tonight as I prepared last night’s meal, which leads to the picture of the day. I really enjoy cooking but it’s once in a blue moon we cook red meat at home. Maybe it’s the result of the ‘Rona’ but yesterday I fancied trying something different and found an Asian recipe for a beef Red Curry which sounded delicious so I gave it a go. When I cook I like to have everything prepared beforehand and laid out in a selection of bowls we’ve brought back from our travels in Thailand and Vietnam. So, here’s last night’s meal broken down into its constituent parts. Vegans, look away now…

I’m hoping that tomorrow I’ll finally test negative and can start to come out of my shell as (potentially) we’ve both got a lot on in the next week or so. Time will tell…

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31st March picture of the day…

31 Thursday Mar 2022

Posted by in Calder Valley, Covid 19, Musings, Photography, Picture of the day, West Yorkshire

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Not a day that I was expecting at all – in more ways than one! My first surprise was on opening the bedroom blind this morning to find we’d had an inch of snow overnight which left the valley looking wonderful. There wasn’t a breath of wind so the snow had stayed on all the trees and bushes, adding to the winter wonderland effect. Flurries were still arriving but in between we had patches of blue sky which shed pools of glorious sunlight around the valley. This seemed like too good a chance to miss from a photographic perspective so I began packing the camera bag in order to head out and make the most of the opportunity for some snow shots before the scene changed and the snow melted in the sun.

Before I did I decided to err on the side of caution and take a lateral flow test as Norah, my Mother In Law had tested positive for Covid 19 at the beginning of the week and we’d seen them on Sunday. I’d taken a test on Monday which was negative so I really wasn’t expecting anything to change. Dawn had done a test yesterday which was also negative. Having done the test I went for a shave and thought no more about it until I returned to the bedroom and gave a cursory glance at the strip once more.

It was positive.

Oh, sh*t! Now I understood why I’d thought I was maybe coming down with a cold and felt achy and out of sorts. So, that was my plans for the foreseeable out of the window. Deciding that discretion was the better part of valour I cancelled my engagements and took myself off to bed whilst Dawn also re-arranged her calendar as the both of are confining ourselves to barracks until I get the all-clear. Hopefully Dawn will remain Covid-free.

Having mentioned my discovery on Twitter and Facebook I was amazed by the number of friends who’ve either only recently recovered or have also just tested positive for Covid. The pandemic hasn’t gone away in any way, shape or form – despite the fact the Government are doing their best to pretend it’s no longer an issue. It’s frustrating as the pair of us made it this far Covid free – as did Dawn’s mum and dad. The only saving grace it that I’ve presumably contracted the less damaging Omicron version and that my symptoms seem mild. Even so, I’m not going to push myself. Instead I’m going to sit this one out and give my body the chance to shake it off – and not put anyone else at risk of infection either.

If I feel up to it I may blog about a few things, but if not you’ll have to excuse my absence for a while.

As for the picture of the day, it’s the view from our bedroom window this morning when the world seemed rather a different place…

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Thank you!

11th March picture of the day…

11 Friday Mar 2022

Posted by in Musings, Tony Allen, Travel, West Yorkshire

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It’s been a funny old day. Having started it spending a few hours working from home I had to head over to Milnsbridge in the Colne valley so I decided to give myself plenty of time to do it by a mix of walking and public transport.

The first leg involved a pleasent stroll into Halifax in fine spring-like weather which really lifted the spirits. Sadly, the Halifax – Huddersfield train service was cut back to 2-hourly on January 6th, so I had plenty of time to enjoy a wander around the town centre and explore the Piece Hall before catching the 11:50. Unfortunately, the spring-like weather was blown away by rising winds, leaving me under-dressed and rather chilly! At least the train was warm. I’m not a fan of Class 150s but today I was happy to see one arrive.

I arrived at Huddersfield in plenty of time to walk to Milnsbridge. Cutting through the centre of town I headed for the Huddersfield narrow canal to walk the towpath West. Well, that was a disappointment after being used to walking my local canal. The route of the Huddersfield narrow is an absolute shit-tip. You couldn’t go more than a few metres without finding fly-tipping as people slung stuff down the canal banks from the adjacent roads. Talk about depressing. It was only when I got within sniffing distance of Milnsbridge that things improved. Detritus and derelict mills gave way to new canal side housing estates and at least a modicum of civic pride.

Appointment over I had to hot-foot it back to Halifax for another engagement. First off was a bus to Huddersfield which was fine even if I’d never done it before – thanks to the Google Maps app on my phone. It was only when I got back to Huddersfield I started to chafe. I’ve never used the bus station before but it wasn’t a bad experience. In fact I must get pictures sometime as it’s in the same iconic design mould as Preston bus station. My issue was the bus back to Halifax was 15 minutes late and I was due to be meeting with a group of compatriots to scatter a friends ashes.

The bus turned up eventually, but queuing at Huddersfield was an interesting experience – because no-one does. Bill Bryson once wrote that the British would have been so much better at Communism than the Russians ‘cos we knew how to queue. It seems those days are long-gone. OK, my timing wasn’t great as I ended up travelling at the same time as students who’d knocked off from college, but that was an interesting lesson in itself. They don’t queue. They sidle up to the front, assuming no-one will challenge them. Mind you, so did one young woman with a pram who barged her way to the front of the queue despite the obvious fact another woman was there before here. When I finally got on the bus and made my way to the top deck there were few seats available so I pissed off a young girl who’d spread across two so that her feet and her bag could have the other one but I had the (polite) audacity to tell her to shift ’em! I’m confused. When did young people become so entitled? I’m not claiming that we were angels when I was a kid back in the 1970s, but even so. Is this just me realising the tables have turned and I was once that teenager?

My reason for hastening back was that a group of us had arranged to get together to scatter our old friend Tony Allen‘s ashes. Thankfully I made it on time and we rendezvoused in his garden to carry out the mission before ending up in the Big 6 pub. It’s what he would have wanted! Tony’s 70th birthday would have been yesterday so it was a fitting time. The deed done we all made our way to the Big 6 in order to eat home-made cake, pork pie and drink beer as a fitting tribute to the man.

I’m now back at home, but I’ll leave you with this picture. Tony’s ashes-scattering was a private event, but here’s the beers with which we toasted both his birthday and his departure afterwards. For a change – none of them were his…

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If you enjoy reading this blog, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course – although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab! – but the revenue from them helps 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/

Thank you!