2nd July picture of the day…

02 Wednesday Jul 2025

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

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Musings, Photography, Picture of the day, Railways, Travel, West Yorkshire, writing

Here we are, over the hump of 2025 and into the slide towards the end of the year. Not that I’m being pessimistic, but this has been quite a mixed year. Hopefully, all it can do is improve.

There’s only a short blog from me today as I’m out and about tomorrow, visiting various stations and lines in order to research a future article for RAIL magazine. This means getting up at silly o’ clock in order to be on an 06:00 train from Halifax. Expect a rolling blog from my travels.

Today, I’ve been busy at home, sorting out bits for next weeks travels, paperwork, and yet more picture collating. Remember my recalcitrant hard-drive? The little sod is playing ball today so I’ve been busy stripping pictures from it. Hopefully, I’ll recover all I need.

In between all this the pair of us have been able to get out and enjoy the sunshine – although the wind has taken the edge off temperatures, although some people will see that as a welcome respite from the highs we’ve seen recently. Me? I’m used to tropical climes, so I’m happy as Larry in the heat! Even so, I can’t complain about the recent rains. It saves me watering the garden and depleting our perilously low reservoirs even more.

Now for today’s picture, which is one from the database I’ve just been recovering. They’re all from the year 2018. Looking back, it was a helluva busy one, with press trips to several countries, as well as holidays to the USA and SE-Asia. This image is from the press trip previewing Eurostar’s new service from London to Amsterdam. We were given access to the cab during different parts of the trip, and my picture shows the driver acknowledging a Netherlands railway service shortly after leaving Rotterdam on the 20th February 2018.

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30th June picture of the day…

30 Monday Jun 2025

Posted by Paul Bigland in Climate Change, Musings, Photography, Picture of the day, West Yorkshire

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It’s a new week and I’m back blogging after a few days off due to being busy at home. Dawn’s returned from her latest Surrey sojourn which means we’ve had a lot of things to catch up upon. Sadly, Dee’s been knackered after her time down South so I’ve been stepping in to take over various chores.

Added to that has been my ever-changing work calendar which now sees me trying to arrange some short-notice writing jobs in order to free up time later in the month for other travels. Oh, then there’s been the weather. Today’s been one of the hottest June days ever in the Pennines. The results aren’t yet in – but it’s not likely to have been short of the record reached in 2015. The fact so many records have been reached (and broken) over the past 20 years is worrying, but the Climate Change denialists still dismiss the changes and increasing average temperatures as just ‘weather’ (ignoring the graphs and mountains of other data).

As someone who’s not young enough to worry about how the climate will be in 20 years time, I’ve been enjoying the sun (if not the sweating). Having spent the morning working I was happy to get out for a walk into Sowerby Bridge in order to stretch my legs and pick up some shopping, then enjoy a stroll along the Calder and Hebble navigation (a fancy name for the canal heading East from Sowerby Bridge). Mind you. you’re not going to be going anywhere West from Sowerby Bridge on the Rochdale canal – because it’s dry. The pound below the Tuel Lane lock (the deepest in England) is barren and unnavigable due to a shortage of water. Several canals are suffering from the drought, including the Huddersfield narrow canal in the Colne valley next door. The UKs canal network is a fantastic resource, but it’s already being hit by climate change as weather patterns alter and droughts become more common.

I took this picture in mid-May. The scene is even worse today as that narrow stream from Tuel Lane lock behind the camera has become a trickle. It’s especially sad as the UK’s canal network helps tackle climate change, as the Canal and River trust explain on their website.

Anyway, that’s today’s picture – both photographic and pessimistic. In the meantime, I’m determined to make the most of the planet we have – whilst we still have it! What you buggers decide to do with it after I’m gone isn’t my concern. But perhaps think about what your children (or grandchildren) may inherit?

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26th June picture(s) of the day…

26 Thursday Jun 2025

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

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Apologies for the gap over the last couple of days but I’ve been busy with other projects, including a day out to see progress on the Trans-Pennine Route Upgrade (TRU) that saw me cover so much ground (over 35,000 steps) that there was no time to do a rolling blog worth its name. Today, I’ve been based at home. I’m in the final throes of ‘spring cleaning’ (OK, OK, I know it’s officially summer, but that’s when I started!) and sorting out plans for the rest of the year, but more of those anon.

The weather has begun to pick up again these past few days, but I’ve really enjoyed stopping to watch the changing skies over the Calder valley during my daily walk. We’ve had some really moody ones as the clouds and rain jostle for supremacy with the sun. They’ve been well worth getting caught by showers just to watch the displays – and get a few pictures like these;

Sun breaks through the clouds to illuminate a small patch of woodland and highlight the pylons and cables on the South side of the Calder valley.

Norland looking lovely in the evening sunlight.

I mentioned TRU earlier. I’ve lots of pictures in the editing queue, but here’s a taster.

A pair of Trans-Pennine Express Class 185s bound for Scarborough head East through Heaton Lodge Junction, where the line from the Calder Valley sweeps in from the left. There’s a huge amount of work going on here as a new alignment is being built. You can see the new cutting for the fast lines taking shape to the right of the big crane. The bridge I’m standing on to take this picture will soon be replaced by a new structure just in front of the camera. For those unfamiliar with the area, Heaton Lodge junction is between Deighton, Huddersfield (behind the camera) and Mirfield.

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23rd June picture of the day…

23 Monday Jun 2025

Posted by Paul Bigland in Musings, Photography, Railways, Travel, West Yorkshire

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I’ve had another productive day here in’t Pennines – even if the weather has been wild and windy. I’ve been reminded why growing Lupins in the front garden is leaving a hostage to fortune. There’s hardly a year goes by where their flowers don’t get battered and smashed by high winds! This year’s no exception, apart from the fact there’s been few flower stems this year. That said, the offshoots I’ve planted at the back of the house have fared better due to being sheltered from the winds coming off the valley. Whilst it’s been windy with some depressingly grey clouds hanging around, the only rain we seem to have had was overnight. To think, this time last week the sun was cracking the flags!

Much of my day has been spent wading through the hundreds of pictures I took last week. Now they’re all edited, captioned and on y Zenfolio website. There’s too many updated galleries to list individually, so here’s a link to the ‘recents’ section which will show you which ones have been updated. Now that’s done I can concentrate on other things – although that means another day staying in as I’ve a lot of stuff to sort out in the cottage. At least I don’t have to get goggle-eyed staring at a computer screen for most of the day!

Talking of which – it’s time to go. But first, here’s the picture of the day, which was taken at Manchester Piccadilly on my way back from London.

For the photographers amongst you. This was taken on a Nikon Z9 with a 100-400mm lens at 400mm – 1/000sec at F8 and 500asa.

Transport for Wales are one of several operators who run trains to Manchester Airport. Here’s one of their new CAF built Class 197s passing through Piccadilly station, having left Holyhead on Anglesey earlier in the day.

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22nd June picture of the day…

22 Sunday Jun 2025

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

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Funny old world, innit – eh? As I write this on the second day of summer the rain’s beating on the bedroom window as it’s hammering down outside. Summer was nice whilst it lasted, but that was what we normally call spring. Fortunately, I browsed various weather forecasts to find what they nearly agreed on, so I’m back in the warm and dry despite having ventured out for long enough to get my obligatory 5 mile walk under my belt.

All in all, it’s not been a bad day, despite the weather. I’ve sorted out lots of stuff – including picture databases and hard-drives which are always fraught with unexpected problems because ‘tech’ never really behaves the ways you expect, when you want. It also seems to have a sixth sense, working out exactly when to play up in order to give you maximum stress and inconvenience.

Now it’s time for me to relax and let hard-drive talk to hard-drive whilst I watch a film. In the meantime, here’s a picture from today. On my walk through the local woods I pass this lovely little ‘fairy’ tree. It’s grown quite a bit over the last few months as new items are always being added. I don’t know whose idea it was, or even who maintains it as I never see them, but the idea fascinates and uplifts me during these troubled times.

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21st June picture of the day…

21 Saturday Jun 2025

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

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Well, here we are. Midsummer – the longest day of the year. But thankfully, no murders where I am. Meanwhile, ‘Druids’ are off making up druidish things at Stonehenge whilst the rest of the UK basks in sunshine – unless you’ve had thunderstorms – that we haven’t, which has been most disappointing. I love a good thunderstorm, they’re such amazing natural phenomena. Sadly, all we’ve had is moody skies and a few desultory spatters of rain which are no use to man nor beast.

Most of my day’s been spent working from home, gradually working my way through the hundreds of pictures I’ve taken this week. In between, my computer’s CPU has been kept very busy copying files between old and new hard-drives. Needless to say, these gizmos have generated much more indoor heat, which I’d have happily done without, so I left them talking between themselves and went for a long walk before stopping off for a pint at my local on the way home.

Now the day’s wearing on. I’m still copying files between hard drives but I hope to have my machine back soon so that I can curl up (well, more like stretch out in this heat) with a movie before another busy Sunday…

Oh, today’s picture? I’ve chosen this one from the editing queue. Here’s the restored Crystal Palace station in South London. The station’s a multi-level architectural gem and the concourse contains a lot of history – as well as modern facilities. And yes – that is a free to use piano on the left.

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20th June picture(s) of the day…

20 Friday Jun 2025

Posted by Paul Bigland in London, Musings, Photography, Picture of the day, Railways, Transport, Travel, West Yorkshire

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Today’s been a hot and sticky one here in West Yorkshire. Temperatures have hit 28 degrees here in the Calder valley, yet much of the day skies have been overcast with little breeze to ameliorate the heat. Still, I’m not complaining. Much of my day’s been spent indoors anyway as I catch up with various chores after a few days away. The washing machine’s been busy and my computer keyboards taken a bashing as I catch up with emails, invoicing and picture editing – along with researching future opportunities. Expect several hundred pictures to appear on my Zenfolio website over the next few days.

By early evening I was ready for a break so nipped out for a long walk, picking up some food shopping before ending up in my local pub (the Big 6) in time to join friends for the Friday quiz – and a slice of free pork pie! The quiz is neither competitive nor serious, digressions and anecdotes are not only allowed, they’re de rigueur! Despite such meandering we were finished by 19:30, at which point is was time for me to wend my way home for a quiet night in (Dawn’s away with her family in Surrey). Now I’m editing the hundreds of pictures I’ve taken this week whilst listen to music. Tonight’s soundtrack is provided by Todd Rundgren.

I’ll leave you with two pictures today.

Waiting at Brixton for the very first Northbound underground train of the day at 05:41 yesterday. No riots, no graffiti just ordinary Londoners on their way to work (and me).

Meanwhile, back in West Yorkshire, it’s free pork pie Friday in the Big 6, with an ever-changing range of real ales as a backdrop.

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Rolling blog. Off to the North again…

19 Thursday Jun 2025

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

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07:00.

After two lovely days in London catching up with old stomping grounds (and old friends) it’s time to head back up North for a while. Admittedly, I’m doing so at an ungodly hour. Having caught a silly o’ clock bus from Streatham to Brixton and arriving in time to catch the first tube train of the day to get me to Euston I’m now flying North aboard one of Siemens finest class 350s as far as Crewe along a route that I’ve always considered as ‘home’ – the West Coast Main Line. It has so many memories attached to it, both business and pleasure.

It’s rare to see Euston this quiet. But check out the time..

Today’s another where the sunshine’s going to be cracking the flags. It’s only early but we’re already in T-shirt and shorts temperatures. I’ll be blogging on and off throughout the day, as the mood, trains and wifi take me. This trip is another where conditions are just too good to spend the trip glued to a laptop. Instead I’m going to enjoy window-gazing, with music as a soundtrack. So far I’ve had the Moody Blues, Paloma Faith and the Rolling Stones for company…

07:45.

We’ve just left Rugby, a station and town that has a huge place in my memories – for all sorts of reasons. Here’s two (rail connected) ones. Taking pictures of young professionals ‘speed dating’ on a Virgin Pendolino from London before they returned to London back in 2005. Later that year I spent much of Xmas and Boxing day stood in the middle of the tracks during an infamous Network Rail blockade which was part of the West Coast Route Upgrade. It didn’t go well…

08:33.

We’ve arrived at Stafford under cloudless skies. Remember I talked about trackside at Rugby? Ten years later I ended up doing the same thing here, spending much of 2014-15 splitting my time between major rail upgrades here and at Watford Junction. If I remember rightly, Xmas day 2014 was spent in a hotel here between shifts. Oh, this section of the journey’s musical accompaniment is ‘the best of Meatloaf’…

17:30.

Cor, is it that time already? My trip to Crewe was faultless. I had time to spare so I enjoyed wandering around a station I’ve known since my early teens. Admittedly, it’s changed a bit since then! Mail and parcels traffic (along with the associated infrastructure) is long gone. The diesel locomotive depot hangs on in private hands but it’s not the same. The massive lighting tower remains- but without lights – or the thousands of Starlings that used it as a roost.

Despite everything that’s happened over the decades (or, in the case of HS2 -what hasn’t happened) Crewe remains an important railway junction.

I moved on aboard a local Northern trains service to Manchester which was operated by a repainted but unrefurbished ex-West Mids Class 323. Now I’m taking time out in Maanchester where the sun’s cracking the flags in the same way it did in London yesterday. The heat’s starting to cause problems for the railway due to lineside fires and the threat of buckled rails. At Least all I have to do is make it back across the Pennines for now.

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/

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Rolling blog. A capital day…

18 Wednesday Jun 2025

Posted by Paul Bigland in London, Railways, Rolling blogs, Travel

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08:15.

My day’s begun here is leafy South London. I’ve stayed in Streatham, where an old friend has moved to from his former home in Clapham. Today’s plan is to spend the day exploring old haunts on the 3rd rail network before nipping North of the Thames, heading back into central London. It’s a beautiful day here, with wall to wall sunshine. – ideal for photography.

One of the train fleets I’ll be looking at is the old BR built Class 465-466s operated by South Eastern. These are gradually being withdrawn or stored, with the whole class due to be replaced in the next few years. Here’s one from yesterday, at St Johns.

I’ll be blogging throughout the day, so feel free to pop in and see what I get up to…

11:15.

I didn’t make it far, but that’s because I’d forgotten just how much fun pootling around on the South London suburban network actually is. Admittedly, I miss Southern’s old Class 455s, but as they’ve been replaced by more modern, air-conditioned stock with plug sockets – I doubt many other passengers do.

I moved two stops to Crystal Palace, a magnificent junction station with a rich Victorian history and home to one of the two TV towers that dominated the city. The other being another palace (Alexandra), which I lived in the shadow of for many years.

19:30.

Apologies for the gap, but I’ve been having a wonderful day discovering new places across South London whilst also checking out some familiar territory. A warning to any right-wingers reading this. I love multicultural London in all its diversity. It’s a breath of fresh air after the staleness of some parts of the UK.

Having left Crystal Palace I checked into another Junction (Norwood) only to find what was once a good spot for taking pictures is now overgrown. Never mind, there’s other opportunities. Businesses around the junction have obviously suffered these past few years with many empty retail units, but there’s still a lot of life.

Heading on, I caught a train to West Croydon – another old haunt from when I fist started coming to London solo back in the 1970s. I used to stay with an ex-girlfriend in a shared house just down the road in Wallington. My, how things have changed! I came here to take a few spins on the Croydon tram network, a system I was well overdue for visiting. I ended up taking pictures at several locations, including Croydon East, before stopping off several times on my way through to Beckenham Junction.

Croydon, like many multicultural areas get a slating from the right-wing. Is it the land of milk and honey – obviously not, but I love the diversity and vibrancy of places like this. By West Croydon station I popped into the bus station cafe cafe staffed by two young women which offered a great range of food – including some delicious veggie Samosas. Sure, there’s lots of fast-food outlets, but there’s also lots of shops selling fresh ingredients, be it vegetable, meat or fish. Far more than back in staid old West Yorkshire. I noticed a number of shops selling wet fish – something that’s very difficult to buy at home nowadays.

Of course, dominating the whole area has been the TV tower. Wherever I went it was omnipresent (as you’ll see in the pictures later). It was only when I escaped into the city and Thameside that other structures took over. Like this view – which I never tire of…

Now, after baking in the sun for much of the day I’m taking time out at where I’m staying in order to recharge mine (and other) batteries whilst having helped out a couple of other friends who’re staying here tonight. The group (sans me) are off to a black tie dinner in central London, so I’ve been playing butler, ensuring that everyone is suitably attired. Now I’m taking a break to catch up with this blog and download some pictures.

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Rolling blog. Back to London…

17 Tuesday Jun 2025

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

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08.30.

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

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

10:00.

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

16:30.

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

00:30.

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

Here’s another couple of shots from the day.

Sambit Banerjee, Joint CEO of Siemens Mobility in the UK, reflected in a mirror at Langans Brasserie as he addresses UK rail trade press journalists.

I forgot to mention this. When I was at Kings Cross earlier security and crowd control was very tight because of this. The India cricket team arrived to catch the train to Leeds, where they’ll be playing.

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