Another week begins here at Bigland Towers, and it’s turning rather nippy. The balmy weather we’ve enjoyed for so long has deserted us, leaving us with a pronounced chilly spell and even (allegedly) the threat of snow – although I’ll believe that when I see it.
I’m not too perturbed as I’m back on my travels for the next couple of days. Tomorrow I head down to London in readiness for a press visit on Wednesday, but more of that nearer the time. I’m looking forward to getting out and about, making my way to the capital and having time to catch up with the dwindling suburban train fleets built in the 1980s-90s by British Railways. As an ex-Londoner, they’re very familiar to me and I’ll miss the 455s and 465s when they’re gone. Mind you, I’ll be heading to London via the West Coast Main Line where another, later fleet is also being retired. Owned by Porterbrook leasing, the 37 Siemens Class 350/2s were built between 2008-09, the majority have already gone into store with no firm future, which seems a criminal waste of such a good train. I’m hoping to catch one or two on my trip. Today’s picture is of the first of the fleet and one that’s still left in service for now.
350241, still wearing London Midland Livery but carrying London and Northwestern branding is pictured at Wolverhampton on the 18th August 2018.
Expect a rolling blog from tomorrow’s travels…
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/
After yesterday’s central London gig I’ve stayed in the capital with a friend here South of the river. I don’t head back to West Yorkshire until this evening, which leaves me free to explore some of the railways that were once familiar territory but which I’ve not visited for a while. So, expect a rolling blog from me today as I traverse 3rd rail country South of the river, with a potential diversion into East London where I once lived.
Here’s a shot of what I’ll be after. The class 465s were built for British Rail back in the early 1990s. They’re living on borrowed time now. Some are already stored whilst the rest of the fleet is due to be replaced in coming years. They’ve been stalwarts of the Kent commuter services from Charing Cross, London Bridge and Cannon Street for over 30 years.
1150.
On leaving Streatham Hill I caught the circular Southern service to London Bridge via Sydenham and the main line. I was tempted to stop off, but the light wasn’t right. Instead I ended up in Lewisham, where it was perfect for getting shots of trains crossing the complex scissors crossovers at the London end of the station (pictures later). Over 20 years ago I spent some time here working for the local health authority, documenting the work of their community TB team. I don’t recognise the place now as it’s become a mini-city full of high rise blocks. To be honest, it’s a change for the better. Lewisham was a bit of a dump and had a poor reputation back then. Now; with it’s new transport links like the Docklands Light Railway, it’s a good place to live.
Now I’m off exploring again. This time, by taking a train to Hayes aboard one of SET’s ‘citybeam’ Class 707 units built by Siemens which (foolishly) South-West Railway let go in favour of the Bombardier built Class 701s. That went well!
12:15.
The Hayes branch is an interesting little line that wanders through South London before ending at a simple two track island platform perched upon an embankment. Sadly, now that trains are all 10 car, but, it’s a crap place to get pictures.
13:40.
I’m gradually making my way from Gates to Lewisham, stopping at most of the stations along the line to get pictures – and a tan! I really like this route as there’s lots of interest. The train fleet’s a mixture of old and new, there’s some lovely stations – abd there’s even a tram interchange at Elmers End.
17:00.
Well, I’ve covered some ground so far. I’m now taking a break and gaving a pint outside an old haunt in Greenwich, having ventured along the Docklands Light Railway as far as Poplar, North of the river. When I moved to London in 1986, this scene didn’t exist.
But then so much of London has changed. I’m constantly surprised to see where new blocks of flats have sprung up like weeds on what used to be vacant or old industrial sites.
But I see that as a positive. When I moved to London it was a city in decline with a shrinking population. Not any more. Now it’s thriving. Forget what the racists and bigots try to claim, it’s also far safer too. Some folk try to pretend it’s an unfriendly place, the reality is the opposite. So many Londoners are from elsewhere, they’re here to naked the most of the opportunities the city offers, which means they’re more open to others. Just as I was when I came here. You can be who the hell you like here. No-one cares and no-one judges.
Being in Greenwich has brought back a lot of memories as it’s a place we often used to visit from the East End. Then an ex-girlfriend bought a flat here back in the early 90s, and I helped her renovate and decorate it, so I was over quite often.
22:00.
The end of the day didn’t quite go to plan..
As I was enjoying my pint in the sunshine in Greenwich I checked train times, only to find things had gone away. I’d left a bag at my friend’s, but getting back to his, then travelling across London to King’s Cross in time to get my Grand Central service back North was leaving several hostages to fortune. In the end I decided to head straight to King’s Cross. There’s nothing I’m my rucksack that I can’t do without for a while. Beside, it’s a good excuse to return to London and spend more time with Hassard.
Right now I’m almost home. We’ve just left Mirfield. This packed service has emptied out en-route but there’s still enough folk aboard to pay the train’s way. I’m looking forward to getting honest after two day’s travels. I’ve a stack of pictures to edit – which you’ll start to get to see from tomorrow.
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 off again. This time I’m heading back to London for a couple of days. I’m working at a Parliamentary reception this afternoon, but first I’ve got to get there, which involves travelling from Halifax on Grand Central’s first train of the day – the 07:12. Right now it’s time to get ready to head off to the station, so see you later. I’ll be blogging throughout the day.
08:00.
My walk to the station revealed the fact we’d had heavy rain overnight, which was welcome, but I doubt it’ll have made much of an impression on our empty reservoirs. Still, the stroll was pleasant as the coolness of the day meant I didn’t overheat en-route!
Now I’m sat on one of Grand Central’s two ‘Voyagers’ (221142) as it bumbles around the backwaters of West Yorkshire en-route to Doncaster in order to access the East Coast Main Line. This is a busy train with coaches fully reserved. Sadly, the wifi is kaput in mine, so I won’t be doing the work I’d hoped to.
09:15.
We’re currently speeding South along the East Coast Mainline, non-stop after our Doncaster call. It’s a bittersweet day to be heading back to the capital as today’s the 20th anniversary of the London bombings that killed and injured so many people. I was there that day. I’d been working at home in Crouch End when the first news reports came in. Public transport was at a standstill so I grapped my camera kit and cycled into central London. Getting a sense of what was going on and where was difficult as the mobile phone network was jammed. You were reliant on radio or TV reports to get an idea of the scale of things. Many office workers packed up and tried to get home, leading to massive queues outside mainline stations like Fenchurch St. Others gave up trying to get home and congregated in pubs. The atmosphere wasn’t panicked, it was more defiant. I felt very proud of my fellow Londoners that day.
Made it! Now to make my roundabout way across London to Westminster and the Houses of Parliament.
The ‘Cross…
10:40.
Crossing the river – just for the fun of it!
12:15.
Objective in sight…
21:30.
Sorry for the absence but it’s been a busy day and we’re restricted to what pictures we’re allowed to take and circulate of the House of Commons – even on the terrace. That said, the event was a very good one, with lots of MPs attending to meet their local community rail groups. The main speaker was Lord Hendy;
These gigs are always challenging for me as I know so many people and they know me – which means you can get embroiled in lots of conversations but appear terribly rude when you suddenly spot a picture opportunity so have to make rapid apologies and dash.
Meanwhile, here’s a few post-event pictures from my travels around London post the event.
London Bridge.
23:00.
Time to wind things down. After the Parliamentary gig I spent time revisiting old haunts before pitching up at my old friend’s new place in Streatham Hill where I joined him, his son and a Norwegian friend for a barbecue which became great cross-generational (and country) event. Now it’s time to relax and reflect. Understandably, the local media is full of stories (some very harrowing) of 7/7 – a time I’ll never forget. But, right now, I need to focus on the future whilst still remembering the past. Tomorrow’s going to be another busy day. I’ll be up early in order to edit todays pictures in advance of what I’ll be taking tomorrow. Oh, then there’s a decent chance of a rolling blog as I don’t have (lovely as they were – even the one’s with sub-machine guns) Parliamentary staff and police breathing down my neck.
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/
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.
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/
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.
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/
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/
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.
Trams old and new in central Croydon.
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…
The square mile bakes in the sun.
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.
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 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.
Another 200 miles of Adelante action..
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.
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 time for a day out in the metropolis, catching up with old friends and updating library shots of the capital’s railways. Right now I’m at Halifax station waiting for Grand Central’s 08:11 service to King’s Cross. I’ll be blogging throughout the day so feel free to pop back and see what I get up to…
08:30.
I’m now heading South (well, East right now) aboard one of Grand Central’s old Class 180 ‘Coradia’ diesel units built by Alstom back at the beginning of privatisation. These 5-car, 125mph cast offs from First Great Western have been the backbone of GCs West Riding services since it began in May 2010. They’re comfortable, if not always reliable and will be replaced in a few years time by a new fleet of nine brand new tri-modes built by Hitachi which are due to enter service in 2028.
180102 arrives at Halifax from Bradford, past the old flour mills that are now part of the confectionary plant which produces ‘Quality Street’ and ‘after eight’ mints. The abandoned signalbox is on the left, where the line once diverged through Halifax to Queensbury. Today’s mobile office. ‘Coradia’ saloons have always been rated for passenger comfort, either these Class 180s or their sisters, the Class 175s.
Our meander through West Yorkshires backwaters enables me to check out some of the work on the Trans-Pennine Route upgrade (TRU). The most significant change I’ve seen so far has been at Mirfield where the steelwork for the new footbridge from the carpark to the island platform has been installed. I can see that I need another trip out along the route as TRU work is really starting to gather speed. Another major change although slightly off route are the preparations for the reopening of the old Healey Mills yard, where a fan of sidings have been relaid in order to be used for engineers trains – although nothing has appeared yet.
09:05.
We’re now out in the wilds on our way to ‘Pontycarlo’ (as Pontefract is disparagingly known) having left Wakefield Kirkgate, a station which Grand Central has invested substantial sums in. As we left we passed a pair of new stabling sidings and staff accommodation which was installed by DB a few years ago but never really used. The tracks are rusty, not having seen trains for quite some time.
My trip’s been enlivened by meeting an old friend. Javid, the Train Manager is one of the original Grand Central staff who’s been with the company since the West Riding service started. It’s been lovely to catch up with him and swap news. Many of the ‘old guard’ have moved on, with several of the people I knew having moved up grades to become train drivers, either with GC or other companies like Northern. Apparently, GC are expecting to hear news about their application for a fifth Bradford – London path this afternoon. I hope they succeed.
09:20.
Having stopped at Ponty (where hardly anyone got on) we headed on past Knottingley, which was once a major railway depot that serviced the Yorkshire coalfields. The DB depot is a shadow of its former self now (I came here recently) as all the coal traffic has vanished but the shed hosted several locos – more than I’ve seen for a while. Just down the road from here was Britain’s last deep coal mine. Kellingley. It closed a decade ago – something that populist politician Nigel Farage is completely unaware of when he makes impossible promises like the idea he’s going to reopen South Wales Steelworks and coal mines, really? Sadly, he seems to have a ready supply of fools who believe everything and anything he says.
Of course, the curse of right-wing political populism isn’t just restricted to making impossible economic promises. For some time now the right-wing have been portraying London as some rundown multicultural hellhole that no-one in their right mind would want to live in or visit. Nothing to do with the fact it’s voted for a Mayor who just happens to be a Muslim (three times) of course. Here’s an example from Twitter.
As someone who was a Londoner for 25 years (when it really was rough) I can assure you that this is complete bollocks. Part of me has to laugh at English ‘patriots’ who spend so much time disparaging the country they supposedly love. ‘Benonwine’ has history. Like many of these accounts (many of whom aren’t even UK based) they’ve found a way of making money by ‘rage-farming’. Posting incendiary (often racist) stuff on Twitter and other platforms. Only it backfired on Ben. Ben worked for Waitrose in Henley-on-Thames and got found out. So they sacked him! He’s now ‘benonthedole’. Like most of these grifters he appealed for donations to fight his sacking and various dim people contributed. Just like they donate to that arch-grifter and jailbird Stephen Yaxley Lennon (aka Tommy Robinson). The old adage that a fool and their money are easily parted is never more in evidence than when it comes to the far-right. These people have tapped a rich seam of mugs to dumb to realise they’re being used.
So, will I be in fear of my life when I reach London? Give over!
10:15.
A few minutes ago we sped past Grantham (the best way to visit), now we’re almost hitting our maximum speed of 125mph under clear skies – and signals! The lineside is looking fecund right now as crops and trees have benefitted from recent rains. This is Britain at its most picturesque and there’s no better way to admire it then through the window of a train.
11:45.
I’ve arrived in London and met up with the first member of our merry gang. We’ve not been mugged or stabbed yet, much to ‘Benonwine’ disappointment…
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Paul Bigland 