Tag Archives: Musings

And the word of the weekend is – Petrichor..

26 Sunday Jul 2026

Posted by in Musings, Photography, Southport

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Finally, after weeks of dry and scorching weather there’s been been a respite. The weekend has brought cooler weather, cloud cover and even some rain, although not yet in the quantities that will make a huge difference. Yesterday I was grateful for the canopies that line Lord St as they provided shelter from drizzle and bouts of heavier rain than swept the town during the afternoon. We were treated to petrichor, that wonderful odour of damp rocks and soil after a downpour. I’d almost forgotten what it smelled like. Sadly, the heavier rain that was meant to arrive overnight failed to materialise, although this morning the ground and windows betrayed the fact at least some water fell from the sky.

As I walked into town this afternoon I was hit by several brief showers, with the rain being blown into my face by the heavy gusts of wind we’ve experiencing today. They didn’t last for long. Next thing I knew the sun was out cracking the flags again – not what was expected at all.

Whilst I was in town I stopped in a pub to raise a glass to my old man. The Guest House was his regular. It was also a pub I learned how to drink in at the age of 16 as I was vouched for and was taught how to behave in mixed company. Something that just isn’t possible now.

Cheers Dad…
Funny how the Guest House reminds me of my local in Halifax, the Big 6.

I had another park bench exercise set in today’s programme which meant leaving town for the long walk up to Blowick. Wouldn’t you know it – just as soon as I started my routine the rain arrived, leaving me soaked, as I was buggered if I was going to let it interfere with my set. Of course, as soon as I’d finished the skies cleared again! On the bright side, this rain has made a real difference to the park and the young trees that I’ve been trying to help save. The grass is starting to recover already and the majority of the trees look a lot less stressed.

How quickly grass recovers. If only trees did.

Tomorrow I’m on the move again in more ways than one. I’ll be heading back to my sisters as the friend I’ve been staying with no longer needs the pleasure of my company. That’s not a bad thing, honestly! Plus, I’ll be visiting Preston with my eldest brother, who’s invited me along for a day out, so expect some different adventures – and pictures.

In the meantime, here’s a few other shots from today…

I passed these two crashed (and seemingly abandoned) cars on Eastbank St bridge this morning. Looks like someone’s been having fun.
Looking out to sea across the Marine lake earlier. Rain? What rain?

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/

Cheers,

Paul

Southport memories. ‘Steamport’ and the old Meols Cop electric car sheds…

24 Friday Jul 2026

Posted by in Down memory lane, Photography, Railways, Southport

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I’ve been spending a lot of time in the Blowick/Meols Cop area of Southport recently. It’s and area I grew up in because until I started primary school my week was spent with my maternal grandmother so that my parents could concentrate on their business and my two older brothers as there was an age gap between them and I. ‘Nanna’ lived in Cobden Rd, in sight and smell of the gasworks and the railways out to Wigan. I could glimpse steam engines pass by if I ran upstairs to her back bedroom, where i could catch glimpses of them through the gaps in the houses. Ironically, my sister now lives just the other side of the railway, although you’re hard-pressed to see anything due the the tree cover that hides the line nowadays.

‘Nanna’ was always taking us for walks, so I got to explore a lot of the local area. one area that fascinated me was the old Meols Cop car sheds, where the Liverpool-Southport electric trains were maintained. The adjacent line to Preston had already closed, having finished in 1964, but coal trains still ran up the line to Hesketh park station and the sheds remained open until 1969.

Here’s a link to the ‘disused stations’ website which tells you all about the car sheds and surrounding railways and includes some fascinating old photographs.

The area’s very different today. You’d be forgiven for not knowing such a hive of railway activity had even existed. Now the area’s woodland and the site of a school.

I have a personal link and memories to the electric car sheds, which is through the old ‘Steamport, Southport‘ museum which once occupied the old locomotive depot adjacent to Southport station. As a very young teenager way back in the early 1970s I was one of the founding members. One of the first major tasks was to secure the loco shed. It had never been fitted with doors, but the closure of the electric car sheds presented us with the opportunity to acquire some. BR gave us permission to salvage stuff from the car shed, which included the large wooden doors. The only problem was how to move them. Now, this was in the early days of railway preservation, when ingenuity and muscle power could make things happen which modern Health and Safety simply wouldn’t allow.

So, one Sunday morning a band of us turned up on site at Meols Cop. One chap had brought a gas-axe, and soon a couple of the doors had been cut down. I can’t remember the exact method, but it was ‘inventive’. But how to transport the doors? We didn’t have a vehicle big enough? What we did have was one of the old iron-wheeled station trollies that used to be used on most LMS stations for moving parcels. We managed to load one of the doors onto it and pushed and pulled it through the streets of Southport back to Ste½amport. The iron wheels of the trolley left some interesting trails on the tarmac roads as we passed.As you can imagine, the whole process involved a lot of sweat, scatching of heads – and a fair bit of invective. I may have learned a few new words that day! Plus, Southport may be flat, but the most direct route involved a fair few railway bridges. Crazy, but fun! Such was railway preservation in those days.

Eventually, the doors were fitted to Steamport, giving us a secure shed. They were still there when the shed became derelict once more – as this January 2000 picture shows.

Here’s a few modern day pictures of the area around the car shed, taken this past week.

A pair of Class 150s heading to Wigan pass the site of Meols Cop Junction which trailed off to the right. The area behind was full of sidings with the car sheds behind.
769424 passes over what used to be Hawkshead St Junction which led off to the left. This was the line to Preston, with the car sheds in middle.
The Northen junction towards Preston? The footbridge over the railway was replaced decades ago. This is the view from the footpath now.

Sadly, I don’t have any photographs from those long-gone days, which is a shame. But I’m sure that some exist, somewhere…

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/

Cheers,

Paul

22nd July picture(s) of the day…

22 Wednesday Jul 2026

Posted by in Down memory lane, Musings, Picture of the day, Southport, Travel

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I’ve had a busy few days here in Southport, flitting between my sister’s and an old friend, whom I’m currently keeping company so that she’s not alone in the house at night. Of course, this means I’m keeping getting my steps in (over 30k covered today).

Having spent the early morning editing pictures and sorting out emails I had an appointment in town. Should have gone to Specsavers? I certainly had – and today it was time to pick up my new glasses. They’re not dissimilar in design to my old ones but the prescription is weaker. One thing I’d never realised is that – as you get older, you don’t always become more short-sighted. This is the second time I’ve had an eye-test and prescription that is milder than the last. the real bonus for me is that my ‘old’ glasses were knackered due to the photochromatic reaction breaking down. It was like looking through badly cleaned windows. Hardly a great thing for someone who’s a photographer and spends a lot of time outdoors and in sunny climbs. Let’s just hope these ones last longer than my last pair.

Having got my new ‘bins’ I spent time shopping before heading to my sisters where I swapped food for water. Why? Because for the past couple of weeks I’ve been trying to keep some young saplings in the local park alive. They’ve only recently been planted and have got terribly stressed during this hot weather. I go to the park to use the gym equipment there, so watering the trees is no big chore. Besides, carrying 8 liters of water per trip just adds to the exercise.

Having sweated over bench presses and trees I returned to Anne’s to cook a chicken Korma which was split between the two households. back at my current residence the two of us shared it before sitting down to reminisce in two very different ways I’ve known ‘P’ since the 1980s when we all frequented the same pub in Southport and partied at her and her husband’s house. What was of no significance all those years ago was that she was raised in Rishworth, West Yorkshire. Now that I’ve been living down the road in Halifax for the past 16 years and can share Yorkshire memories adds a whole new dimension to our conversations!

Tomorrow looks like another family orientated day, but for now I’ll leave you with a couple of pictures.

I don’t often publish pictures of myself but here’s me and my new glasses in all their glory. Yeah, I know – the flowers behind are far more attractive!
Staying alive…This is the row of saplings I’m trying to get through the drought. Fortunately, we have rain forecast for the weekend. It can’t come soon enough.

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/

Cheers,

Paul

19th July picture(s) of the day…

19 Sunday Jul 2026

Posted by in Music, Musings, Photography, Picture of the day, Southport, Travel

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Another week ends and another chapter begins. My time in Marshside is over. Anne and Steve have returned from their break in Croatia so I’m moving again as I go from cat sitting to people sitting (long story). Right now I’m back at my sisters, helping out with a few chores before my next adventure.

the weather here in Southport has remained wall to wall sunshine, which is lovely if you enjoy the outdoors and getting a tan. It’s also been fabulous for the golf and the Open has been in town all week. Oddly, despite the numbers of people it draws in, the place has never felt overrun, Far from it. Whilst I’ve avoided Hillside and the areas around the Royal Birkdale course, if you went North of the town centre to places like Churchtown you’d have no idea anything special was happening.

Now the golf is over, although it’ll take a few days for the logistics to wind down and everything to be cleared away. Who won? I’ve no idea!

My day’s been taken up by caring for some recently planted trees on a local park which are feeling the stress from a lack of water. The park contains some exercise machines that I’ve been using several times a week, so I’ve taken to carrying bottles of water with me to give the trees some liquid relief. I’m not sure all are going to survive, but I’m doing my best.

The trees I’m trying to keep alive.

Apart from that I’ve been continuing my perambulations around town, watching what’s going on. Southport seems to be undergoing somewhat of a cultural revival, with all sort of events being staged. Today it was the turn of the old bandstand on Lord St. It’s been restored and the past couple of Sundays have seen various music events laid on.

A great group of schoolkids playing a mix of rock and folk. Sadly, I didn’t catch their name.

In fact – thinking about it – Southport’s has a lot of live music going on, and all of it for free. On Saturday there were craft stalls and a music stage outside the old market hall.

Then there’s the Northern end of Lord St, which is popular with buskers, and you can often catch acts outside this bar in the backstreets.

This spell of dry and sunny weather’s predicted to last until next weekend, so let’s enjoy it whilst we can. I’ve a busy day ahead of me tomorrow, but I’m hoping to get a trip away from the seaside later in the week, let’s see…

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/

Cheers,

Paul

14th July picture(s) of the day…

14 Tuesday Jul 2026

Posted by in Architecture, London, Musings, Photography, Picture of the day, Railways

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Today’s been another hot and dry one here in Southport, although I’ve been nowhere near the town today. Nor have I got a ridiculous amount of steps in. Instead, I’ve spent much of it sitting in Steve’s kitchen, working and listening to Planet Rock on the radio.

Mind you, my days start early here. I get a feline alarm call around 06:00 when ‘Hubble’ or ‘Toil’ wander into the bedroom, demanding breakfast. So, today seemed like an ideal one to work, go for a walk to the local shops and let my body rest – exactly what my AI fitness trainer is telling me to do, so working in the cool of the kitchen with the occasional foray into the garden to break the monotony of picture editing was just what I needed as temperatures reached 26 degrees here today, but the forecast is for the weather to gradually cool over the next few days. Which is no bad thing – although the sun will remain strong. There’s no prediction of much needed rain for another week.

I’m expecting another early alarm call in the morning thanks to my feline friends so it’s an early night for me with more working from ‘home’ in prospect tomorrow.

In the meantime here’s an interesting contrast between pictures. I’ve finished editing all my London shots from the other week, which included pictures from Clapham Junction, only with a very different skyline to the one I used to remember. That set me thinking and trawling through the archives. I didn’t have enough time to find and exact match, but here’s how it looks now – and how it looked in 1995. See if you can recognise the buildings that appear in both pictures – although they’ve been reclad in the intervening years.

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/

Cheers,

Paul

Becoming a ‘Marshsider’, for now…

13 Monday Jul 2026

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After the fun of photographing orangemen’s day on Saturday I relocated to a different district of Southport. A place called Marshside, which is on the coast North of the town centre. There’s a clue in the name! I’m presently cat-sitting for my sister’s partner Steve, whilst he and Anne enjoy a week in Croatia. I’m now looking after Hubble, Toil and Blackjack, three cats with very different characters. My time here will allow me to crack on with some work as there’s really not a lot to do around here other than enjoy the walks, views across the marshes to the sea and watch the abundant birdlife as the area’s an RSPB reserve. It takes over an hour from here to walk the three miles into town along the coast road, but it’s a lovely walk – and flat so very different to home in West Yorkshire. Here you can see for miles with nothing to obstruct your view. In a clear day Blackpool Tower and the ‘big dipper’ at the fairground are easily visible across the Ribble estuary. A simple out and back walk gets me more than my daily quota of steps. Add in a bit of shopping and you’re talking 25-30k steps (12-15 miles). The weather here is still hot and sunny, but being by the sea we have a cool breeze which takes the edge off things. Here’s a few pictures from the past couple of days. to give you a flavour.

Whilst I’ve been here I’ve been catching up with picture editing, adding dozens of new images to my Zenfolio picture website. You can find out which galleries they’ve been added to by following this link.

The coastal road looking towards Southport with a pier a speck in the distance. In the 1960s we helped build this road. In those days it was done piecemeal. people were allowed to dump whatever hardcore they had they wanted to get rid of on the site and a council bulldozer levelled it and gradually extended the embankment along the route, getting the road built on the cheap!
Looking across the Ribble estuary with Blackpool Tower prominent. But don’t be fooled. The town you can see is actually Lytham St Annes. The coast curves which means you can’t actually see Blackpool itself.
The sleeping Southport pier, the 2nd longest in the UK. Work has started to reopen it to the public once again. See link.
There’s still a lot of old chimney pots in Southport, which give an interesting clue as to a building’s history and age. These are on the North end of Lord St.
Odin’s teeth! when the hell was Valhalla built by the Mogul Emperors?

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/

Cheers,

Paul

More Southport memories…

09 Thursday Jul 2026

Posted by in History, Musings, Photography, Southport, Travel

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Today my time here has taken a slightly different turn as my Sister and her partner have booked a weeok away in Croatia, which means cat-sitting is required. Not at my sisters (there’s cover here) but at Steve’s as he has three moggies which he brought back with him from Saudi Arabia. So, I’m moving into Marshside for a week.

It’s a very differenoljt part of Southport to where my sister lives. This part of town was a late Victorian/early Edwardian extensiojn. Marshside ki are still seeniip as a o typejkimjm of people to ordinary Sandgrounders (the nickname for people from Southport).

Having a place to mkkjpkopopyself (well, if you don’t count the cats) will allow me to finish a load of work I need to do, including a couple of articles for RAIL magazine. As Marshside is pretty isolated, I’ll still have the opportunity to get plenty of steps inip too.

Here’s a few pictures that illustrate the area. I walked there from the centre of town, which was interesting as I discovered things I never knew, like thkje fact Southport once boasted an aerodrome!

The Southport aerodrome existed from 1910-1966, closing when I was a child, but I’d never heard of it. It was only when I was walking to Steve’s that I passed this history board that I discovered its existence. Here’s more about the history of the site.
The Marshside fog bell. In 1869 seven men out shrimping got lost in fog and drowned. The community raised fund to build this fog bell so that the tragedy would never repeat itself. You can read more about it here.
An old fishermen’s cottage in Churchtown. Tiny, aren’t they?

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/

Cheers,

Paul

Another Farage farrago.

08 Wednesday Jul 2026

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So, Nigel Farage, the thinin-skinned and tetchy leader of Reform (don’t you mean owner of Reform PLC? Ed) has thrown his toys out of the pram again after being subject to scrutiny from the normally supine media over his million pound bungs and association with criminals.

His ‘big idea’ to divert attention? Resign from Parliament and call a by-election. Citing ‘harassment’ of your family by visiting your daughter’s ‘home”.’ (which is owned by him). The same home Farage was happy to pose outside for PR pictures and put into the public domain several times – and one he was registered to vote at in the last election. Plus, there’s the fact that Farage posed with his daughter, Isabelle on I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! in 2023.Oops!

Only it’s not that simple. That’s not going to stop the media looking into his affairs (financial or otherwise) and the Parliamentary Standard Committee looking into his financial declarations will only pause, not cancel, their investigations. If Farage is re-elected, the investigations will continue.

It’s classic Farage, using tactics he’s learned from the American MAGA movement and the likes of Steve Bannon. But they’re not as easy to get away with in the UK as they are in the US.

The other major parties have already called his bluff and said they won’t put up candidates. The only person who has said they’ll stand is parody candidate and comedian ‘Count Binface‘ Needless to say, a lot of people are making jokes about this at Farage’s expense.

It’s a typical Farage farce, and one that will run and run…

Oh, there’s one other thing. This tactic was tried before. People with an interest in politics may remember when David Davis, the Tory MP for Haltemprice and Howden staged a similar stunt in 2008. Then, as now – all the major parties refused to take part. One other party refused too. UKIP, who were led by…..Nigel Farage.

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/

Cheers,

Paul

5th July picture of the day…

06 Monday Jul 2026

Posted by in London, Musings, Photography, Picture of the day, Railways, Southport

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Sunday’s not been as lazy as the old song by the New Faces remembers (although more of that in the next blog). Instead, I’ve had a busy day here in Southport, catching up on exercise routines now that I have access to the park equipment that I’ve found so useful whilst I’ve been here. Admittedly, my muscles have felt the strain after a week-long gap, but it’s all good.

Apart from the physical endeavours much of my day was taken up with editing pictures from the first of my HS2 visits earlier in the week, in order to get them out to the writer and editor who need them first thing Monday morning. Then there’s all the other stuff I took on my second visit, along with a horde of other general railway pictures I took the opportunity to take whilst in the capital. They’re going to be keeping me busy for a while. On top of that I have other work and stuff to sort out, which is going to keep me occupied for the rest of the week. Hang on, I’m meant to be semi-retired, although it certainly doesn’t feel that way right now!

No rest for the wicked, eh? I’m not complaining, I’d rather be active than bored. One thing I notice about Southport after being back in London for a while is how the town resembles ‘God’s waiting room’. There’s an awful lot of retired people who seem to have little purpose other than to aimlessly wander the town centre, drifting from one coffee or charity shop to the other, or taking refuge on the benches that bedeck Lord St, like they’re living sculptures. At my most cynical, it reminds me of the old Colin Crompton joke about Morecambe, where he said ‘they don’t bury the dead in Morecambe, they just stand ’em up in the bus shelters’. I shouldn’t mock, as I’m now part of that demographic – although my bus pass sees bugger-all use!

Anyway, tomorrow’s another week and I’ve a lot to do. I won’t be travelling much, but expect a flood of pictures to appear on my Zenfolio website as and when. In the meantime, here’s a taster from my visit to the HS2 construction site at Old Oak Common in London. Regular readers will know of my interest in architecture. It’s why this shot inside the new HS2 station appealed to me despite their not being a train in sight…

If only someone in orange PPE had been stood in the background…

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/

Cheers,

Paul

Rolling blog. Back to the North…

03 Friday Jul 2026

Posted by in London, Musings, Photography, Railways, Rolling blogs, Travel

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13:00

My time here in London’s come to an end. It’s been a lovely break. Staying with a dear friend whilst having the opportunity to visit HS2 construction sites and just enjoy being back in a city that I loved living in. The trip’s not entirely over yet. I’m booked on a train out of Euston later this afternoon so I’ve still some time to explore, but right now I’m helping out by waiting in for a parcel whilst Hassard’s off at an event. As soon as said parcel arrives I’ll be off on my travels again.

I did manage to nip out earlier to grab some shots at Clapham Junction. It feels very strange nowadays, the old Class 455s which dominated suburban services when I first moved here (they were new then!) have all disappeared. Now the South-West Railways ‘Arterio’ Class 701s have taken their place whilst Southern services have gained a variety of ‘Electrostar’ type units transferred in from GWR and GTR, which adds some livery variation at least.

A Waterloo bound Arterio wends its way through the maze of tracks outside Clapham Junction station.
An Alstom built ‘Juniper’, Class 458/4 calls at Clapham Junction. The skyline is constantly changing here. You can see a crane building the lift tower of yet another high-rise block in the background.

14:00.

Hassard’s son Dante has arrived to take up parcel duties, so I’m off to meander across the city. In some ways the timing couldn’t have been better as a magazine’s contacted me about a cover picture – of London’s railways! Right, back to Clapham Junction is is then. The sun’s shining and conditions are ideal for what they want…

17:09.

For the second time in a week services out of Euston are stuffed! I made sure I arrived early, only to find the concourse crammed with people. Apparently, two seperate incidents have caused chaos. Avanti have cancelled several services and my 16:46 to Crewe didn’t leave until 17:09, which completely screws my connection to Liverpool Lime St. This might turn out to be a long day!

Euston how you don’t want to see it…

18:45.

We’ve just left Lichfield 30 mins late. To add to the fun the young lady Conductor has announced that the delay means we’ll be terminating at Stafford, not Crewe. Hopefully, I’ll be able to pick up a Liverpool bound service from there. It’s a shame, as the jourbey fom Euston’s been pretty good. I managed to secure one side of a table bay on this new Class 730. The train wasn’t too packed either. The only negative was that 2 out of the 3 toilets were out of order.

19:20.

The trip doesn’t get any better! Like far too many stations nowadays, lifts at Stafford were out of order. That wouldn’t normally inconvenience me but I’m dragging a suitcase today. Everyone scrambled over the footbridge from platform 1 to 5 only to find the next Liverpool bound service was actually an hour late and terminating at Crewe! Apparently, there’s another just a few minutes behind this 4-car Class 350, but I decided to catch it to Crewe – just in case!

I’m starting to look forward to a weekend without travel…

It’s a shame. The evening’s lovely and the countryside sublime as so many crops look to be on the cusp of being harvested. It’s just the journey that’s been fragmented and not as relaxing as I’d wanted. Plus, I’ve not been able to grab any pictures because of the melee.

19:55.

Said melee continued at Crewe when a trainload of people headed off in different directions in order to find out where to go next. Myself and several others ended up on a late-running Avanti Class 807 heading for Liverpool. Dispatch staff had checked that ticket acceptance was in place – so pile on! As this one only stops at Runcorn and Liverpool South Parkway I’m making up a little bit of time.

Despite the problems I’ve really enjoyed my trip over the West Coast Main Line. It’s part of my blood. I’ve travelled on it since I was a teenager. I’ve worked on it and it’s kept me linked with family and friends through good times and bad. I’ve never had the same relationship with its East Coast rival.

21:10.

Having arrived in Liverpool courtesy of Avanti instead of West Midlands trains I took a quick break (time for a pint) before catching a train to Southport. The contrast between London and the North is quite stark in my mind. London’s so much younger than the North, and I mean the people, not the history. It’s horrendously expensive compared to when I lived there but there’s still a real buzz and youthful feeling – a million miles away from Halifax  – or Southport.

One thing that amused me is the way the political right-wing try to paint London as a hellhole led by a Muslim Mayor. It’s world’s apart from the truth, as is some Northerner’s ideas that Londoners are stand-offish. Both are so far from the truth they’re laughable to anyone who’s ever lived or spent much time in London.

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/

Cheers,

Paul