I’m back in Halifax for the day after returning to visit the dentists for my six-monthly check-up. Fortunately, neither Dawn nor I needed anything doing other then the regular clean
Like most people across the North-West and Wales, I was woken up at 03:00 by the most i thunderstorm. I didn’t get to see any lightning, but the cracks of thunder and torrential rain certainly made an impression! When I left Southport this morning I was amazed to see hardly any sign of the storm. I’d half expected flooding, but the streets were dry. It was the same on the journey across West Lancashire as we were treated to yet another hot and sunny day. As I had an appointment to keep I only stopped off a couple of times en-route. The first was to admire the famous listed Deep Pit footbridge at Hindley, which has been rebuilt as part of the electrification programme.
There are now history boards at each end of the bridge which explain how it was constructed. There’s a massive new ramp on the Hindley side of the line which has been designed to fit in with the original structure. The bowstring bridge has been lifted to give clearance for the new electric wires. The width gives you an idea of just how many running lines there were here originally.
Now I’m having a relaxing night with Dawn before heading back to the coast for part of the weekend I have to travel South to work on Community Rail week – but more of that later. I’ll be blogging from my travels tomorrow, so see you soon…
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It’s the weekend so I’m heading back to West Yorkshire for the bank holiday weekend and to celebrate a special event on Monday.
But first, I’ve nipped into town to pick ip some shopping. The sun’s shining and the town centre’s slowly coming to life with early shoppers and the first pensioners (batteries fully charged) starting to race their chariots up and down Lord St. Talking of Lord St, I couldn’t resist having a look at the wonderful Art Deco Garrick Theatre building. It’s been empty since Covid struck time but an exciting restoration is due to start anytime now with the building being converted into a spa hotel and theatre with the original architecture restored, although some traditionalist bodies remain unconvinced. Personally, I’d rather see it repurposed than see it left in the state it’s in now. The Garrick featured in a famous railway poster from the 1930s painted by Italian artist Fortunino Matania which celebrated a very different age!
No tracksuits or electric chariots in those days! Now it looks rather less grand…
Right, time to start travelling…
11:15.
Having picked up some bits I’m on my way East. En-route I found this street artist who’s picked up the Sandgrounder* vibe by making sculptures from sand.
Right now I’m heading for Wigan aboard a vintage BR built Class 156, my favourite multiple unit of the era. Big windows and table bays make it an ideal regional train.
*Sandgrounder is a nickname for someone who hails from Southport.
12:05.
Having crossed the West Lancashire plain I’ve made it as far as Wigan (or Wiggin, as the locals pronounce it) to arrive at Wallgate station. I’m not saying I feel old but I remember the old Lancashire and Yorkshire railway building and the station being illuminated by gas lighting!
I resisted the temptation of the areas excellent real ale pubs and merely stopped for lunch on the hoof – chips and curry sauce from the chipshop outside the station. Making my way to North Western station which was thronged by young girls who seemed to be wearing more make-up than clothing and lads with cans of lager glued to their hands, I’m now waiting for a train to Preston.
Burp! International cuisine has hit Wigan as you’re now offered a choice between English or Chinese curry sauce on your chips!
13:45.
Having made it to Preston aboard a very busy Northern service bound for Blackpool I’ve now swapped to a more sedate service – a local Preston to Colne stopper which will carry me as far as Blackburn.
It stops at all stations en-route, which includes some well-kept stations that are maintained by local adopters (Pleasington being a good example). I’ve been meaning to stop of at some of these stations for years but have never found the time. Maybe one day…
20:15
I was greeted at Halifax by both Dawn and fabulous weather, so the two of us decided to get out onto the moors for a walk and catch-up whilst we enjoyed the great outdoors. We drove up through Ripponden to the moors and reservoirs above Cragg Vale, where these views awaited us.
Light Hazzles and Warland reservoirs on the moors above Walsden.
Looking the opposite way across to Manchester with Hollingworth Lake Country Park in between.
Now we’re back at home for a quiet evening in. Time to relax before a busy day outdoors tomorrow as we’ll be making the most of the weather in order to prepare the garden for the summer…
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/
We’ve had glorious weather down on the Merseyside coast today so I’ve been making the most of it before heading back to the Pennines tomorrow. I realised that, whilst I’ve been here off and on for a couple of weeks, the one thing I hadn’t seen is the sea! OK, cue all the jokes about Southport never seeing the sea anyway – but today my wanderings took me down to the beach before I headed back into town to meet up with an old friend for a catch-up. Here’s a selection of pictures from my perambulations.
Meols Cop is one of many that’s looked after by a local station friends group. The buildings may have been demolished many years ago but now they’ve been replaced by well kept gardens which include this display of Lupins.Down by the marine lake is the Lakeside Miniature railway. Opened in 1911, it seems to still be operating but rather slimmed down from when I knew it as a child. Sadly, it wasn’t open today. The Marine lake. Getting all your swans in a row…No jokes about ‘you never sea the sea at Southport’ please! Here’s the pier which is about to be rebuilt (again) after being closed for many years as the last ”value engineering” project was less than a success.Here’s a new success. This is an old Victorian building that was rebuilt with a gorgeous Art Deco frontage. Having fallen into disrepair for decades, it’s now been restored.In my youth, behind ‘Funland’ was a place called the Dixieland Showbar. It was famous for its rock nights featuring local and other bands, with the music provided by Darrell Jay. The light show was always enhanced by the fug of tobacco and other illicit smoke. It was a very special place that holds lots of memories for me and many others. The old Promenade hospital. I was a short-term stayer here back in the late 60s. Nowadays folk stay longer as it’s been converted into apartments.
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The weather’s really cramped my style here in Todmorden as it’s been bloody awful these past couple of days. My plans to get in some walking up on the valley tops have been frustrated by rain and low cloud that’s made it pointless. I’d have spent my time slipping around in the mist for nothing.
Instead, much of yesterday was spent working from home, editing the pictures I’d taken so far whilst sorting out others for future magazine articles and blogs. The weather’s been no better today as the rain’s been almost a constant companion. Even so, I decided to get out for the day, explore more of Todmorden and get a few pictures. Here’s the results.
I spotted these buildings at the back of some large Victorian houses a few days ago but couldn’t get pictures due to cars parked in the way. I took me a while to realise that they’re ornate sheds that combined a coal store (hence the wooden hatch) and an outside toilet. They were probably still in use as both up until the 1950s. It was only after the war that the new Labour government started funding home improvements that allowed people to install indoor bathrooms. Central heating to replace coal fires wouldn’t have been common until the 1970s.Unlike most West Yorkshire mill towns sho’s economy was wool based, Todmorden was a cotton town. It’s hard to imagine how it looked in Victorian times when there were 110 mills here! Today the daily empty ‘binliner’ from Teeside to Knowsley (Liverpool) was hauled by a smart looking 66011. I didn’t hang around after getting this shot as the weather was too miserable! Thursday is ‘tat’ day on Todmorden market with stalls selling bric-a-brac, old tools, clothing plus books and CDs. It was business as usual in the indoor market. This is our favourite butchers (one of several in the market). Nick Fielden is this butchers name. They have an excellent range of home-made sausages which we’ve been busy sampling. Their lamb Koftas aren’t bad either. We’ll be stocking up on supplies to take home with us before we leave. There’s also a cracking cheese shop nearby. Exchange coffee Co is a very popular stall with an great range of coffees from around the world. Drink in or take out – or buy in bulk…Dawson’s in a classic old hardware shop and stall of the sort men especially love to mooch around or admire. For a town of its size, Todmorden has more than its fair share of antique or arts and crafts shops, along with bookshops, making it an enjoyable place to wander around.
Sadly, tomorrow’s weather forecast is no better so I can’t see me getting into the hills at all. Instead I’ll try and get pictures of some of the more interesting buildings here. Then, once Dawn’s finished work we’ll be heading out for a couple of drinks and another excellent Thai meal. It’s a hard life!
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Another working week begins, but this one’s different due to our change of location. In truth, today wasn’t that different for Dawn as she had to head back to Halifax and work from our real home for various reasons. For once Dee had a real commute rather than just wandering across the landing for the bedroom to the office!
I stayed behind in the Todmorden ‘annexe’ to look after our feline charge, although to be fair to Luna, she doesn’t take much looking after. Being a young female cat (just a big kitten, really) she’s very independent, doesn’t crave much attention and spends most of her time outside. My main task is to keep here fed and ensure she doesn’t get up to mischief in the house.
As the weather here is so closed in, with very low clouds and mist, I wasn’t going to be venturing far anyway. Plus, most of Todmorden’s closed on a Monday, which adds to a general feeling of isolation. Undeterred, I went for a wander to at least try and get a few photos, despite the murk, and check out a few new photographic possibilities – just in case the weather does pick up. I also wanted to get a shot of the only scheduled freight service via the Copy Pit line to Burnley which is a limestone train from Shap in Cumbria to Drax power and the return empties. The loaded train only runs on Tuesdays and Thursdays, but the empties are scheduled to run Monday to Friday.
Long gone are the days when there would be banking engines based at Todmorden to assist heavy coal trains up the line to Burnley. The engines vanished at the end of steam traction in the late 1960s and the coal trains a couple of decades later. Until recently there was a regular oil train between Lindsay oil refinery in Lincolnshire to Preston docks, but that finished last year. Now, there’s just the stone train. So, I thought I’d try and get a picture for posterity. Only the bloody thing was cancelled! Still, I did manage a few other shots, as you’ll see here…
The classic view of Tod over the rooftops, with two trains passing on the viaduct. As you can see, the weather was less than ideal…Taken at the same location, a Headbolt Lane (Kirkby) to Blackburn service crosses Stansfield Hall Jn on the Todmorden curve which was only reopened in May 2015. Before then a short spur had been retained as a siding for banking engines, but it hadn’t been used for decades. Nearby is Hall Royd Jn where the line to/from Burnley (on the left) joins the Calder valley line. Here’s a DB Cargo Class 66 working an empty Tees Yard to Knowsley (Merseyside) empty ‘binliner’. It’s Monday, so the shops are (mostly) shut, including this cafe in the lovely former Co-op building. ‘Tod’ does have its bohemian elements, hence this book repository fixed to a telegraph pole on one of the backstreets. Having climbed the hill behind the town I found this gap in the trees for a more elevated view of the viaduct. Now, if the weather would only clear…
As the clouds closed in I returned to our temporary home to warm up and make the place cosy for when Dawn got back. I think Luna appreciated my efforts too!
Tomorrow’s weather isn’t expected to be any better than today, but I’m going to have another crack at that stone train…
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/
I’mstill 24 hours behind in my blogs but I’m hoping to catch up tomorrow as life here where we’re staying in Olhos de Água is a lot more relaxed. Our touring is over, now there’s time to enjoy beach-time..
Leaving Lisbon wasn’t without its regrets. We’d loved staying there to explore different facets of the city. It’s certainly changed since we were last here in 2010 and some of those changes haven’t been for the better, even so, it remains a great city.
Having checked out of our hotel we had one last superb pastry breakfast outside the station whilst admiring the trio of cruise ships which had arrived overnight. Some of these things are behemoths, more akin to a floating town than a ship.
Having fortified ourselves we caught a local train to Oriente station where our Intercity service to Albufeira was due to leave at 14:02. Oriente’s a really interesting multi-level, modern station built in 1998. In some ways it reminds me of Berlin Hauptbahnhof – only without the layered railways. Below tracks it’s an exercise in futuristic concrete and shopping whilst above tracks its roof owes more to Moorish traditions and austere platforms.
Dawn’s refective sunglasses were ideal for playing around with shots like this…Our train to the South, hauled by 5620, one of 30 Class 5600 electric locomotives built by Siemens and Sorefame between 1993-95 which are the mainstay of Portugese Intercity and regional services after the high-speed ‘Alfa Pendular’ EMUs.
Our train South was packed. As it was probably our last rail journey of this trip I’d booked us into 1st Class, which was an interesting experience as we had seats in the ‘half and half’ car which is split between 1st class and the buffet area. That’s fine, apart from the fact there’s bugger all luggage storage compared to a normal 1st class coach. Either you stick your cases in the overhead luggage racks or you leave ’em clogging the isles.
The train was packed, so people-watching was always going to be fun. We had one group of middle-aged American women who embarked at Entrecampos. Having dumped their bags in the racks they demanded a family move as they were occupying ‘their’ seats. Needless to say, the Yanks were in the wrong carriage! Once we were settled into the journey and Dawn was dozing in her seat I nipped next door to have a beer in the buffet car and indulge in more people watching as the coach wifi wasn’t playing ball, so the blogging I’d intended to do went out of the window.
The buffet car’s popular with late travellers who’ve booked a ticket but can’t get a seat reservation so some people ensconce themselves for the duration, either in the table bays or squatting on the stools lining the coach sides. Many others drift in and out, giving you an idea of how international the clientele are. The Portugese woman behind the counter was kept on her feet all the way but still dealt with the queues with aplomb. There’s all ages and backgrounds on these trains. One battered old Portugese chap caught my eye. His luggage consisted of a sleeping bag in a carrier bag and a small daypack. His clothes and straw hat were as weathered as his face. He kept himself to himself as he chugged red wine, but I got the impression he’d seen a few things in life. He was another people-watcher too…
What could be finer? Observing people and watching the world go by…
We arrived at Albufeira late, but that was no real problem. We grabbed one of the plentiful taxis at the station and within 25 minutes (and some confusion over door numbers) we entered our new abode – which is a lovely little villa on an enclosed estate. I’ll post pictures tomorrow.
Having settled in we explored our new ‘manor’. There’s several restaurants and a supermarket just down the road. We plumped for one local eaterie and ended up having some of the best (and best value) Sardines of the trip – just 9.95 Euros for this little lot!
Tomorrow we’ll be staying close to home and checking out the beaches as this is the restful part of the trip. Plus, we hear the weather back in the UK is less than clement, so we’re going to make the most of wall to wall sunshine and temperatures in the 30s whilst we can!
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/
I’m a day late with this blog, mainly because we were out most of the day and by the time we got home it was too late to blog as we were both knackered!
Staying in the gorgeous Editory Riverside hotel at Santa Apolónia station had many advantages (apart from me being able to photograph trains with ease). The station has a wonderful, boulangerie, the Marie Blachère – which became our go-to for wonderful pastries like this. Sitting out in the sun with a coffee and pastry was a great way to begin the day.
There’s also a well-stocked and reasonably priced ‘pingo doce’ supermarket where you can buy goodies for your journey. Our journey first took us out to Oriente station where we changed for a suburban train for the 50 minute trip to Sintra, a town to the North-West of Lisbon.
Sintra’s the terminus of two routes from Lisbon. One from Rossio station the the centre of town, the other from Oriente. Both routes are worked by these Class 2300 and 2400 EMUs seen at Cintra.
Sintra’s like Disneyland for the wealthy. It’s full of outrageous palaces and other architectural marvels. No wonder it was the haunt of people like Lord Byron. Nowadays it’s an even bigger draw with its narrow streets clogged with gawping tourists keen to get the perfect picture of themselves stood in the way of something. Even so, the town’s still worth visiting. Here’s a taste of what’s to be seen.
Quinta da Regaleira is an extravagant early 20th century palace and gardens. Castelo dos Mouros – If Monty Python built castles! In reality, this Moorish masterpiece was built in the 10th century. How’s this for a town hall?
Having baked in the sun and worn through a decent amount of shoe-leather we caught the train back into Lisbon, this time arriving at Rossio station in the centre of town. We toyed with the idea of catching the No 28 tram but seeing the queues at the start of the route we flagged that idea and walked home in order to have a rest and chance to freshen up before venturing out to eat.
Another of the advantages of our hotel is that it’s at the edge of the old Alfama district. Its narrow streets are packed with restaurants and bars to suit most tastes (and price brackets). As it was our last night we found one where we could dine alfresco whilst watching the world go by. We plumped for do Vigário Pub and Records, a laid-back and friendly little place which does good tapas style dishes, craft beers, local wines – and music.
Laid-back life on do Vigário…
Whilst our city tours are coming to an end we’re not leaving Portugal yet. We leave Lisbon to head back South by train to the Algarve and several more days kicking back in Olhos de Água, where I hope to have time to catch up with more blogging and picture editing…
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/
Back at home after a busy couple of days in London, I’ve dropped down a couple of gears. Much of today has been spent with my feet up as I begin the process of editing the hundreds of pictures that I’ve taken. The weather’s been rather cooler than in the capital, which is welcome, although temperatures are due to ramp up over the next few days. Just in time for the hosepipe ban which Yorkshire water are imposing from Friday. It’s hardly surprising. We’ve only had 15cm of rainfall between February and June, leaving reservoirs at 56 per cent capacity as opposed to the normal level of 82 per cent. Ah well, carrying watering cans full of greywater up and down the terraces at the back of the cottage will keep me fit! I’ve no idea how long the ban will last, but with this dry spell set to continue I can’t imagine the ban being lifted anytime soon.
Tomorrow I’ll be continuing in the same vein as today, although I expect to be a bit more active now that I’ve rested. Even so, there’s a lot of photos to edit and caption, along with preparations for my next RAIL magazine article. Right now I’m going to leave you with today’s picture, which was taken in Lewisham yesterday. I’ve mentioned how the area has become a mini ‘New York’ due to the rapid development and expansion of high-rise accommodation. Architecturally, some of it is rather colourful and pleasing. These aren’t the bland concrete monoliths that we threw up in the 1970s, they’re actually rather attractive. However, I can’t vouch for the build quality or what they’re like to live in.
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/
The 3rd day of our adventure saw us staying local to Church Stretton for most of the day, taking the chance to enjoy the dry weather and improving forecast in order to explore some of the excellent walks around the area. What’s great about staying in the town is the walks are literally on your doorstep, there’s no need to drive anywhere. Ours started by heading uphill from where we’re staying. En-route we passed this lovely little fairy grotto someone had installed in a tree.
At the top of Hazler Rd we left tarmac to head off into the hills and climbed up to our first port of call – Gaerstones. It’s not too strenuous a climb and it’s well worth it for the views.
The lone sign…
Moving on along past the stones we dropped down towards the valley between the stones and heavily wooded Helwith Hill which was full of bluebells. Skirting the edge of the woods we crossed over the steam at the bottom of the valley to begin our climb up Caer Caradoc. Despite the dry weather we’ve been having this area was still very muddy. That soon changed as we began the very steep climb – the toughest part of the walk – to get as far as here, Three Fingers Rock. It’s at the Southern end of the ridge so has great views over Church Stretton.
The rocks are at 360m above sea level, which means you gain just under another 100m as you walk along the ridge to get to the top of Caer Caradoc, which is the site of an old hillfort. Whilst walking between the two I caught this shot of a Transport for Wales service heading through the valley on its way from Cardiff to Manchester.
Whilst the weather was dry and not too windy there was a significant amount of haze which reduced visibility – as you can see from this next few looking North from atop Caer Caradoc.
Looking over to the Lawley (left) with Yell bank to the right.
We chose to descend via a different route which was another steep drop to little Caradoc then along the eastern base of the hill to gain access to footpaths which took us over the busy A49 and the adjacent railway to access All Stretton village and a blissfully flat walk along the road back into Church Stretton where we stopped for a well-earned drink before heading home.
That wasn’t the end of our day as we decided to explore further, only this time in the car by driving to nearby Much Wenlock in order to explore the town. It’s a pretty little place with some amazing half-timbered old buildings like this, but it was dead. All the shops seem to shut at 4pm, leaving the place bereft of life. Whilst looking pretty as a picture, it’s not a place I could imagine living as there’s little to do there. I can’t imagine what it must be like to be a teenager growing up in such a place. Still, it allowed me to get a few useful pictures like this.
Much Wenlock Guildhall dates from 1540. Sadly, it was closed when we arrived as the rooms inside sound fascinating (see link). The area underneath is still in regular use for the town’s market.
By now it was time to head home after a tiring an enjoyable day in order to enjoy a quiet night at home and recharge our batteries for another hill walk the next day.
I’ve a small favour to ask… If you enjoy reading this or any of the other blogs I’ve written, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course – although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab! – but the revenue from them helps me to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site (which isn’t cheap and comes out of my own pocket). Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website – https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/
It’s evening here in Indonesia and the pair of us are relaxing at our little homestay (an old house in the back streets of Yogyakarta), listening to the thunder and the torrential rain bouncing off the roof and into the little pool in the courtyard. It’s been a long, sweaty but enjoyable day that started at 06:55 when we were picked up by our driver who took a small group (just 4 of us) on a tour that took in the magnificent 9th century Buddhist temple at Borobudur and the huge Hindu temple complex of Prambanan (also 9th century).
I’ve visited both before, first in 1992 and again in 1998, but a lot changes in 26 years, as I was to find out. The biggest changes are at Borobudur. Tourists can no longer wander around the structure willy-nilly. Now there are strict controls. You can wander around the grounds until your heart’s content, but if you want to ascend to the top you have to book a 1 hour time slot (running from 08:30) and numbers are limited to 1,200 people a day in order to preserve the monument from wear and tear due to the increasing numbers of tourists visiting.
Now, you arrive at a brand-new, sprawling tourist complex full of shops to gain entry. First off is getting your paper wristband with a QR code, then you’re given a pair of flip-flops to replace your own shoes in order to lessen damage even further – and a bottle of water. The slippers are actually rather cool and comfy and come with a monogrammed bag, making them a nice souvenir! Once the formalities are over you’re taken by stretched golf buggy to a compound nearer the monument where you meet the guide who will escort you around the temple and make sure you’re off on time. We were lucky with both the weather and with our guide who was a lovely older chap with a keen sense of humour. The low clouds that have dogged us most days cleared away, which was great for pictures but the heat and sun were fierce. As the temple’s built atop a hill there’s often a decent breeze, but that doesn’t stop you frying! Here’s a couple of the pictures I took. I’ve loads more to edit when we get to Bali. Last time I visited I was still shooting film and had to be sparing with it as I was travelling for 18 months and the slide film I was using (Fuji Velvia) wasn’t easy to come by. This time I could indulge myself and also see what the Nikon Z9 could do…
With time up we left and headed off to Prambanan which doesn’t have the same restrictions as it’s a very different site. It’s actually a series of temples spread around a large site but this most impressive is this…
I’d have struggled to get this shot on a film camera. There are 4 statues in the main tower, this one is (as the nameplate suggests) Durga. For camera cranks, this was taken hand-held with a 50mm lens, F5.6 at 1/20, 5000asa.
We sweated (and I mean sweated) our way around all the other temples before our time was up and we had to head home where the first priority was a shower, then a drink. Tomorrow morning we leave Yogyakarta by train to hit Surabaya for the night and chance to catch up with an old rail-enthusiast friend, so expect some railway related images in tomorrow’s blog.
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/
Paul Bigland 