Tag Archives: Photography

14th December picture of the day…

14 Tuesday Dec 2021

Posted by in Bali, Indonesia, Musings, Photography, Picture of the day, Politics, Travel

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My usual apologies for the absence of blogs recently. This has been due to trying to clear the decks in the run-up to Christmas, the odd festivity – and the fact my diary keeps changing due to the uncertainties around Covid regulations and the reactions to them as people try and work out what to do – such as scrabbling around trying to find Lateral Flow Test kits after Johnson dropped his latest bombshell on the NHS without any prior warning. To be honest, we’re lucky on the flow test front. Whilst I was up at COP26 in Glasgow kits were being given out on Glasgow Central station so I picked up several boxes to bring home. Try getting them now. Dawn tried online only to be told there’s not one available for 30 miles! Quiet how people are meant to do a daily test when there’s no bloody test kits available is a mystery known only to Johnson. Anyone would think he’s making this up as he goes along. I mean, only a complete idiot would announce such a policy without checking that there’s sufficient stocks of test kits available, wouldn’t they? Oh, wait…

In response to the news I’m seeing a number of things being cancelled. Thursday’s annual Railway Carols service in London was cancelled at the end of last week and postponed until 2022. This week I’ve had a dental appointment cancelled with just 48 hours notice. I know of many other people who’re seeing Xmas meals and parties cancelled at short notice – just what the hospitality industry needs right now. Now, I understand the need to stay safe, I really do – but this is turning into yet another omnishambles and there’s a lot of very unhappy people faced with making tough choices who’re looking at what’s coming out about Johnson and Co’s behavior this time last year and thinking ‘you’re having a laugh!’. Actually, what many people are saying is far more expletive-driven but I’d get banned from a lot of social media for articulating it verbatim and with the passion it deserves. It will be interesting to see how all this anger may manifest itself in Thursday’s by-election in the Tory safe-seat of North Shropshire. Maybe some of us will be getting an early Christmas present.

Maybe the new Covid variant will do us all in the UK a favour by finally dropping the scales from some people’s eyes so that they finally appreciate just what a bunch of incompetents and shysters have in Government at the moment, but I won’t be holding my breath. Instead, I’ll be trying to make the most of the festive season and hope 2022 will be the year we finally see the back of all this crap.

OK, sorry for the political rant but some times I’ve got to do a spot of spleen-venting. I’ve tried to be a good boy recently, despite everything that’s going on (and don’t even get me started on the Brexit shambles otherwise we’ll be here all night), but sometimes needs must.

Right, back to cuddly, fluffy things like the picture of the day. Today’s is another in the series of old slides I’ve been scanning which were taken in Bali in January 1995.

These brightly painted outrigger fishing boats are pulled up on the beach at Padangbai on the Eastern end of Bali. Padangbai’s the port for ferries across to the island of Lombok further East. Between them you cross the Wallace line. This is a faunal boundary line drawn in 1859 by the British naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace and named by English biologist Thomas Henry Huxley that separates the biogeographical realms of Asia and Wallacea, a transitional zone between Asia and Australia.

Behind the boats are a row of simple beachside restaurants where fresh fish straight from the boats would be sold freshly grilled or baked. You really can’t get much fresher than that!

I’ve a favour to ask…
If you enjoy reading this blog, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course (although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab!), but the revenue from them helps to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site – and right now (because of Covid), us freelances appreciate all the help that we can get to aid us in bouncing back from lockdowns. Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website –  https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/

Thank you!

12th December picture of the day…

12 Sunday Dec 2021

Posted by in Bali, Indonesia, Musings, Photography, Picture of the day, Travel

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I’m off to a good start – I got the month right today! Yesterday, for some unfathomable reason, I managed to move us back a month in time until a friend (thanks Trevor Stone!) spotted the error and Tweeted ‘November’? Oh, the joys of getting older and trying to do too many things at once!

Today’s been a quiet day here at Bigland Towers. It’s the one day of the week where a lie-in is in order. Mind you, the fact the weather was dull and dark wasn’t exactly an encouragement to leap out of bed. When I did most of the day’s been spent catching up on work, making lists of all those things I should have done but haven’t – or cooking. The cooking bit meant that the pair of us did get out for a short walk, but only to a local supermarket to pick up the last few ingredients I needed to make tonight’s meal.

On our way home from the concert last night we decided to throw caution to the wind and get one of our rare ‘take-outs’ from an Indian cafe/restaurant we knew in Huddersfield. This was only our fourth during the whole of lockdown and beyond so you can et the idea of how rare a treat it is. We’d eaten there before so were looking forward to it. A combination of chicken Balti, Prawn Curry, Saag Aloo and a Garlic Naan set us back £30 which was a heck of a price increase over 2 years ago. Not only that, the quality was nowhere near as good as before. We were both disappointed but then we remembered why we rarely get take-outs. We can cook far better meals ourselves. So, to make up for the let-down I cooked a way superior (home-made) dish tonight that was far tastier and as cheap as chips in comparison – a Malaysian Yellow curry packed with chicken and vegetables which fed us both and left enough to add to our collection of home-cooked ready meals in the freezer.

This brings me (tenuously) on to my picture of the day. I’ve managed to scan a few more old slides from Indonesia, where the quality and cost of food is far superior to what we get in *dear* old Blighty. But then so much is grown locally – as this picture shows. Much as I love walking around the Pennies, there’s something rather special about wandering through the rice paddy fields of Bali…

I too this picture in January 1995 at Tirtagangga in Eastern Bali on a walk from the homestay in the fields where we were staying. The fields are kept irrigated by an amazing system of ducts and channels which allows water to cascade from the mountains to the sea. It’s said that the local ‘Banjars’ (village councils) always make sure that the farmer at the bottom of the system is put in charge of irrigation as it’s in their interest to ensure that water gets through!

I’ve a favour to ask…
If you enjoy reading this blog, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course (although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab!), but the revenue from them helps to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site – and right now (because of Covid), us freelances appreciate all the help that we can get to aid us in bouncing back from lockdowns. Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website –  https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/

Thank you!

11th December picture of the day…

11 Saturday Dec 2021

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

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Apologies for the lack of blogging recently. This has been due to a busy work and social calendar. Yes, social! Despite the latest tightening of the Covid rules (rules that of course only apply to us little people, not to the people who make them) we managed to have a very successful Community Rail awards, then I joined a group of old friends in London for our first Christmas gathering since 2019. Today Dawn and I joined her mum to watch her dad perform in the Honley male voice choir who were taking part in a Christmas Carol service in the gorgeous Concert Hall at Huddersfield town hall. So it’s been a very sociable time. As usual we’ve both been taking lateral flow tests between events to ensure we’ve not contracted Covid and to keep ourselves and others safe. Fingers crossed, we’re still in the clear.

There’s still a couple of events in the calendar before we finally wind-down for the festive season but this next week I’ll mostly be based at home as I wrap up various projects and prepare for the end of the year. I can’t say I’m going to be sorry to see the back of 2021. We’d all hoped it was the one that would see us escape from the Covid restrictions, but that hasn’t exactly gone to plan has it?

Anyway, I’ve still a few blogs to complete and new ones to write before the end of the year but tonight I’m going to call it a day and leave you with a picture from today, taken at the carol concert earlier.

The choir appeared with the award-winning Carlton Main Frickley Colliery Band, conducted by Steven Roberts and the young ladies of the Rastrick High School Chamber Choir, directed by Charles Rhodes. It was lovely to be back at such a wonderful location and be able to hear live music again. Something that both audience and performers had really missed. Oh, my father-in-law is 2nd from the left in the 3rd row down from the top.

I’ve a favour to ask…
If you enjoy reading this blog, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course (although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab!), but the revenue from them helps to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site – and right now (because of Covid), us freelances appreciate all the help that we can get to aid us in bouncing back from lockdowns. Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website –  https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/

Thank you!

The Community Rail Awards 2021…

09 Thursday Dec 2021

Posted by in Community rail, Photography

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I’ve been too busy to blog today as we’ve been preparing for tonight’s Community Rail awards at the Guildhall in Southampton. We should have been here last year but Covid put the mockers on the event so we postponed it for a year. Tonight’s event will be hosted by Jools Townsend, Chief Executive of Community Rail Network plus Mark Hopwood, MD of GWR and Claire Mann, MD of Southwestern Railway. As I’ll be busy throughout the event I’ll add pictures when I can to give you a flavour of the evenin – so stay tuned. We’re kicking off in 10 minutes (at 17:00) when the drinks reception begins – so stay tuned…

Rolling blog. Breakaway…

06 Monday Dec 2021

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

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10:00.

I’m breaking free of a damp and dismal Calder Valley today to head down to London for business and a break. There was no leisurely stroll to the station for me today as the rain was too heavy. Instead I hitched a ride with Dawn who was off to work in Huddersfield. I was just in time to catch the 09:44 to Manchester Victoria which is ‘cosy’ as Northern have only provided a 2-car Class 195/0 to work it – much to some other passengers dismay! It was already busy by the time it arrived in Halifax, I expect it to be full and standing by the time we leave Rochdale! The good news is that mask wearing is being taken seriously again with almost everyone on this train sporting one. I’ll be interested to see what the situation’s like on other services and in the capital…

It feels good to be travelling again. As much as I’ve enjoyed time at home recently, my feet were starting to itch. Sadly, it doesn’t look like I’m going to see much sunshine as the forecast is dismal across the country. Never mind, there’s always things to photograph anyway as I can always disappear underground in London.

10:15.

We’ve pulled out of Rochdale and may prediction we’d be full and standing was optimistic as for once, Rochdale was quite quiet! Even so, our loadings look to be around 80-85% which is pretty good in such awful weather. Why would you venture out in such gloomy weather unless you had to? It’s so dark security lights are on all over the place and cars headlights are beaming as low grey cloud’s filtering out most natural light.

11:30.

And breathe! I’m now on a very busy Avanti Pendolino heading for Euston via Crewe after a cold and soggy trudge across Manchester city centre which was hardly looking its best. The homeless people who congregate around Piccadilly Gardens looked even more wretched. I saw one guy in a sleeping bag who was oblivious to the fact he was getting soaked. Others huddled miserably in doorways, waiting for the rain to stop. Still, it’s nice to know that despite ordinary people’s privations our political ‘leaders’ will still be enjoying Xmas parties at everyone else’s expense as rules are only for the little people…

This is the busiest Pendolino I’ve been on since COP26. Even the unreserved coach (U) is packed which is highly unusual – especially on a Monday, but then passenger numbers really are bouncing back and the latest Covid variant appears to be having little effect other than making people wear masks. I’m sharing a table with a younger couple travelling to London who got on at Wilmslow, something I’ve rarely had to do these past coupe of years.

11:40.

The weather’s not getting any better as I head South! We’re South of Crewe now and it’s still raining cats and dogs. The amount of flooded and waterlogged fields we’ve passed on the way bears testament to how heavy and persistent the rain’s been. Crewe was interesting. A new W Mids Class 730 sat in the station on a test run, whilst East Mids Rail normal Class 153 on the Derby service had been supplanted by an ex-Scotrail 3-car Class 170! The Arriva traincare shed South of the station contained a pair of ‘new’ Vivarail D78 trains for Transport for Wales whilst the yard hosted several newly-built Stadler EMUs for Merseyrail. With ‘no room at the inn’ on Merseyside these vehicles are cycled between Kirkdale and Crewe depots in order to gather their acceptance mileage.

South of Basford Hall yard I noticed several orange-clad teams out in the surrounding fields and lanes who looked like they were preparing the ground for the early stages of construction of the new High Speed 2 railway, part of which will join the existing line at this point. It’s something I’;ll have to keep an eye on.

12:25.

Having sped through Rugby we’re less than an hour from London. I’ve suddenly realised how many locations on the West Coast line like Rugby I’ve spent Easter or Xmas day trackside for Network Rail or its alliance partners recording the work upgrading this vital artery. In one way I miss that life, although many wouldn’t envy me or any of the other men and women putting in 12 hour shifts in all weathers and living out of hotels whilst ‘normal’ people are spending time on their family festivities.

17:45.

Sorry, where was I? I got rather distracted just as soon as I landed in London. I’ve missed the buzz, hustle and bustle but I couldn’t spend long soaking it up as I had things to do. My first task was to head over to Vauxhall to collect an old friend. My Nikon D5 and a long lens has been languising in camera specialist Fixation since October as they’ve been waiting for parts to repair them both. Last week I finally got the all-clear on the D5 which I was keen to get back in time for Thursday’s Community Rail Awards. I took a tumble with both bits of kit back in September and it’s taking an age to get them repaired. Whilst I’ve been able to fall back on uising my Nikon D4 I’ve really missed the D5 as its performance is up another notch.

Thankfully, my insurance company were excellent and approved the four figure repair bill without a quibble. They were really helpful throughout the process too. All I had to pay was the £150 excess. Now I’m looking forward to putting the D5 through its paces again – although the weather here in London’s been less than helful as it’s been unremittingly awful. Still, there’s always tomorrow…

In the meantime, I met up with a friend at Victoria for a quick drink then set out to explore some old haunts to look at photographic possibilities. Here’s one such location (Denmark Hill) which has changed enormously since I first visited due to enjoying a dalliance with a young lady nearby back in 1981…

I’ve a favour to ask…
If you enjoy reading this blog, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course (although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab!), but the revenue from them helps to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site – and right now (because of Covid), us freelances appreciate all the help that we can get to aid us in bouncing back from lockdowns. Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website –  https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/

Thank you!

2nd December picture of the day…

02 Thursday Dec 2021

Posted by in Bali, Coronavirus, Indonesia, Musings, Picture of the day, Travel

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I took a day off from blogging yesterday. Mind you – I took a day off from almost everything yesterday! That’s because I came down with the ‘Lurgi’ and felt universally crap so decided to have a ‘Duvet Day’. It’s not that I came down with anything major – just a heavy cold, but as I have a busy few days ahead of me I decided discretion was the better part of valour so tried to sleep it off whilst being supercharged with Dawn’s home-made hot lemon and ginger drink. The aches I can work around. It’s the snots that get me down. Anyone who’s old enough to remember ‘The Young Ones’ on TV and the episode where Neil got such a heavy cold his flatmates bound him up in a bin-liner will know what I mean!

My other reason for taking time off was that today I was booked in for my Covid booster -and there was no way I was going to miss that!

Dawn’s tincture and a day in bed seemed to work as this morning I felt a lot more human so I rose from my bed and ‘commuted’ to the office in the backroom. I even got dressed before-hand! Having spent a few hours catching up on stuff I’d neglected and having recharged my batteries I wandered into Halifax to get my jab. Our local centre for boosters is Boots in the middle of town. As usual, it was very well organised but they weren’t offering drop-in appointments today as they only had enough vaccines for people who’d booked appointments – much to some people’s dismay. To be honest, I had mixed feelings about this. It was sad to see the having to turn people away but also reassuring that people where coming in off the street to get boosted. I was in and out within 30 minutes – with no side effects. The young lady who ‘jabbed’ me did it in such an easy fashion I never felt a thing, but then I was very relaxed about it anyway, so there was no stress. Having been handed a leaflet about the jabs on the way in I asked why it mentioned we’d get two boosters a month apart. Her reaction? “I’m glad you asked that as it shows you’ve bothered to read the leaflet! It’s an old (unrevised one) and now we only do one jab” But that’s me all over. I always read these things. It’s why I always offer the same advice to anyone who buys any new kit of any sort: R.T.F.M. (Read The Fu*cking Manual!). Jabbed, I decided to have a wander around Halifax before heading home. I felt no ill-effects at all. In fact, my 5G signal was so clear I was picking up instructions from ‘Russia Today’ perfectly…

I’m now back at home, having a quiet night in and catching up on some off the stuff I’ve let slip. Dawn’s out with friends but as a ‘Leper’ I’ve been left behind! This enforced period of Purdah is only temporary as next week life will be back in full swing – with the added knowledge that I’m boosted, cold and Covid free…

Meanwhile, here’s today’s picture which is another from the series of old slides that I’ve been scanning. This particular shot was taken in January 1995. Here’s the view from our rented bungalow in Tirtagangga in Bali, Indonesia, looking down onto the village and the Water Palace, where we’d go swimming most days in the pools of the old Royal Palace that you can see in the picture.

The area’s lush, being surrounded by paddy fields and with fantastic views across the island and down to the coast and across to the island of Nusa Penida off to the left of this picture. You can find many more images of Bali and Indonesia in this gallery on my Zenfolio website.

I’ve a favour to ask…
If you enjoy reading this blog, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course (although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab!), but the revenue from them helps to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site – and right now (because of Covid), us freelances appreciate all the help that we can get to aid us in bouncing back from lockdowns. Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website –  https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/

Thank you!

29th November picture of the day…

29 Monday Nov 2021

Posted by in Art, Bali, Indonesia, Musings, Photography, Picture of the day, Travel

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‘Tis been a cold start to a new week here in the Pennines. The snow’s stayed around all day as temperatures have never really got above freezing. I’ve not been too concerned as today was always going to be one where I was chained to the office because I had an article to finish writing for a magazine – and supply all the pictures, which kept me occupied until after early afternoon checking quotes and captions. I didn’t even manage to get out for my usual daily tour of the town in order to get some exercise. I figured I’d make up for that later in the week when conditions underfoot aren’t so treacherous. Besides, I’ve got a jaunt to London in the pipeline and needed to clear the decks of paperwork first. So, I can’t complain, I’ve had a productive, if claustrophobic day – and stayed warm, which has been a bonus!

Having finished my programme of work and with the world outside looking decidedly monotone I decided to add a splash of colour to my day by scanning a small batch of old slides from a place that’s anything but black and white: The island of Bali, which has supplied the picture of the day. This was taken in Ubud, the town widely regarded as the cultural capital of the island in December 1994.

Here’s a young woman performing the Legong dance. The dance is considered one of the island’s most revered classical pieces, known for its physically demanding postures and fast-paced movements which require a significant level of flexibility among its generally young female performers. As you can see, the costumes are incredibly rich in style and colour- an ideal subject for photography, even if it was a technical challenge with the slow-speed slide film I was using in those days!

I’ve a favour to ask…
If you enjoy reading this blog, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course (although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab!), but the revenue from them helps to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site – and right now (because of Covid), us freelances appreciate all the help that we can get to aid us in bouncing back from lockdowns. Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website –  https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/

Thank you!

28th November picture(s) of the day…

28 Sunday Nov 2021

Posted by in Calder Valley, Halifax, Musings, Photography, Picture of the day, Sowerby Bridge, Weather, West Yorkshire

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Winter’s arrived with a vengeance here in the Pennines although we’ve been very lucky where we live as our little patch of the valley side’s normally sheltered from the brunt of the weather – and this time was no exception. Storm Arwen hit on Friday evening but we’d no idea just how bad it was as we were protected from the height of the winds. Oh, we knew it was gusty but it was only when we woke up on Saturday morning and saw that the high ground around the valley was covered in a blanket of snow we started to realise what had really occurred. Then we started seeing comments from friends on social media and the news wires that made us appreciate just how fortunate we’d been. But, it was a close run thing. Norland, on the opposite side of the valley had the electricity knocked out with places not seeing it restored until this afternoon (Sunday). There but for the grace of God…

This morning the snow returned and stayed with us nearly all of the day, giving us several fresh dustings of varying severities, all of which clung as temperatures were so low and there was hardly a breath of wind. The trees looked magical and the valley below eerie as tendrils of cloud toyed with with the town, grasping at sections whilst leaving other areas unmolested. It was so attractive that the pair of us wrapped up warm and went for a walk through our local woods, along the promenade where we could admire the vista, then circumnavigated an almost deserted Savile Park before returning home to the warm, feeling like we’d earned our evening in together where we relaxed in front of the TV, but not until I’d rustled up a Chicken Vindail curry which added some spice to keep out the cold on a day when you really did need it.

Here’s a few shots from our perambulations…

The view from our bedroom window – looking down over Sowerby Bridge with Sowerby beyond partially hidden by low clouds which slowly drifted through the valley.
Looking across to Norland, which was still suffering from a power cut caused by the storm. It looks beautiful – as long as you don’t rely on electricity for heating! The top of the valley kept disappearing as low cloud kept overwhelming it. This is one of our regular walks because there’s the wonderful Moorcock Inn as a refuge at the end of the trek.
The edge of Norland and Sowerby Bridge just at the edge of the picture on the right hand side. The row of trees in the valley bottom disguise the railway between Halifax and Manchester.
Just a few minutes walk from the house our road has this avenue of trees which look superb in this weather.
Scarr Woods looked stunning after the latest snowfall without a breath of wind to blow the dust off the branches.

I’ve a favour to ask…
If you enjoy reading this blog, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course (although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab!), but the revenue from them helps to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site – and right now (because of Covid), us freelances appreciate all the help that we can get to aid us in bouncing back from lockdowns. Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website –  https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/

Thank you!

26th November picture of the day…

26 Friday Nov 2021

Posted by in Indonesia, Musings, Photography, Picture of the day, Travel

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There’s no magnum opus when it comes to blogs from me today. After the past few days travels and the fact the weather’s very much in winter mode I’ve been happy to stay at home! There’s been plenty for me to do anyway what with getting pictures off to clients, wading through paperwork and scanning/editing old slides. Besides, I’m going to be doing a lot of travelling soon enough so days like this should be savored.

That said, it’s been an odd one. The world seems spooked by the idea of a new Covid variant from Southern Africa. So much so that the world’s financial markets have had an attack of the vapours and wiped billions off their values. Just what you want before Xmas! Meanwhile, the UK weather’s preparing to take a very definite turn for the worse, which (if it happens) could make my forthcoming travels ‘interesting’ to say the least. Never mind, as the old saying goes “shit happens” – and we’ve had plenty of that over the past 2 years…

So, this weekend is very much going to be home-based. But that’s no bad thing as I’ve more than enough to keep me occupied – and I’ve an article to compose for a magazine by Monday, so let the weather do its worst..

Which rather neatly brings me on to the picture of the day which is from somewhere where the weather was doing very much the opposite! Here’s another old slide from the island of Gili Trawangan in Indonesia which was taken in December 1994. This was the view from the verandah of our balcony at dawn as the sun rose over the island of Lombok. It was certainly worth getting up for!

I’ve a favour to ask…
If you enjoy reading this blog, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course (although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab!), but the revenue from them helps to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site – and right now (because of Covid), us freelances appreciate all the help that we can get to aid us in bouncing back from lockdowns. Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website –  https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/

Thank you!

Have sunshine, will travel…

25 Thursday Nov 2021

Posted by in Hs2, Photography, Politics, Railways, Yorkshire

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I hadn’t intended going anywhere today, exactly the opposite. I’d a shedload of pictures to sort out after my trip to the North-East the other day plus paperwork and all manner of gubbins. But I was up bright and early so managed to crack on with a lot of stuff, then realised that – actually – we’d been gifted a stunning day weather-wise. I didn’t want to venture too far, but the North’s railways are very much in the news at the moment due to the weapons-grade dishonesty from the Prime Minister and Grant Shapps (the Transport Minister, but don’t feel embarrassed if you’ve never heard of him before, he’s a classic Johnson appointee in that respect). So, I decided to head out to the railway between Leeds and York which is being electrified. Well, sort of – ish.

At the moment the wires are extending West from Colton Junction on the East Coast Main Line (ECML) along the route to Leeds but they peter out just before they get to the junctions East of Church Fenton. For those in the know, Church Fenton was *meant* to be where HS2’s Eastern leg joined the existing network. Well, before Johnson mothballed it anyway. Here’s the view from the footbridge at the station looking East. No, that’s not a railway bridge in the distance. That’s where the overhead masts end…

Although the day was sunny it was also bloody cold – and the existing train service isn’t exactly what you’s call ‘metro style’ either. Having arrived at Church Fenton I hung around long enough to get some useful shots and the early signs of hypothermia, then decided to move on to Ulleskelf, slightly further East. The only thing was – it was quicker to walk the two miles between them than it was to wait for the next train! OK, maybe I’m a glutton for punishment (and exercise) but the walk seemed like a good idea. Besides, this part of Yorkshire’s flat – which is why it’s so cold! Little old me was one of the few things in the way of the wind.

To be fair, there’s not a lot of reasons to hang around in this part of the world anyway. The old station building at Church Fenton’s been converted into an Indian restaurant but it’s not open until later. Neither’s the pub, but there is a very good community run shop only a few minutes walk away. It’s a friendly little place that stocks an amazing range of stuff – including some bottled real ales from local brewers.

The walk to Ulleskelf was mostly on farm tracks apart from the last mile, so it wasn’t taxing. Sadly, my timing wasn’t particularly good as I still had far more time to hang around than I’d needed to get the shots I’d planned – and the nearby pub only opened 3 minutes after my train was due to depart, so I spent a fair bit of time wondering what the hell I was doing this for. Talk about suffering for one’s art! Still, I did get the pictures I wanted – and more – as the light played ball for once.

Here’s a sample.

Remember, this line was meant to have been electrified years ago, but it was cancelled by a Tory Transport Minister. Now it’s being done piecemeal with no real plan, but this is the line Boris Johnson’s spinning as a ‘quicker’ upgrade than HS2. The fact HS2 would have acted as a bypass here and would have meant places like Ulleskelf (where this picture’s taken) could have had a far better service than the piss-poor one it has now is the last thing he’s bothered about.

I’m of the opinion George Osborne, the Tory Chancellor who championed the ‘Northern Powerhouse’ actually meant it. With Boris Johnson, what we’re left with is a (Peppa) Pig’s arse…

I’ve a favour to ask…
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