Another (wet) week begins here in Bigland Towers as the Calder valley remains sodden and often shrouded in mist and cloud. We may be getting closer to Christmas but there’s little likelihood of us having a white one. Daily temperatures have been hovering around double figures and well above what they should be by a minimum of 2-3 degrees. We even hit a ridiculous 14 degrees last Tuesday. With such unseasonably warm weather it’s hardly surprising we’re getting so much rain, which isn’t encouraging me to get out and about with the camera very much.

That said, on Saturday the sun Gods smiled, which was just as well as it was the official opening of the restored and repurposed Mytholmroyd station building. Dawn and I have been involved on the periphery of the project so it was lovely to be invited to see the finished building. I’ll write up the day in a separate blog once I’ve dug out some of the old photo’s which show what the interior used to look like. It was a lovely event and chance to catch up with old friends and colleagues from the world of community rail and the wider rail industry. Then on Sunday, it was back to normal with rain, rain, rain!

I’ve another couple of days working from home before heading down to London for a couple of days starting on Thursday. Looking at the forecast this crappy weather’s due to follow me South, but I don’t mind too much as Thursday is the Railway Carols service so most of my time will be spent indoors anyway. I was hoping to maybe catch up with the few remaining Class 455s working for SouthWest Railways but I may have to take a rain-check on that – literally!

Friday’s a more social event, after which I’ll be heading North ready for the last weekend before Christmas, although that won’t be a frenetic as previous years. We don’t have to tour farm shops as it’s going to be (mostly) a meat-free Xmas – which is easy on the wallet as well as the stomach! We’re intending to get out walking too as the weather’s looking more promising, so it may prove to be one of the healthiest festive seasons we’ve had for a while.

In the meantime, I’ve a few projects to fill the next few days with, which will keep me occupied whatever the weather. In the meantime, I’ll leave you with today’s pictures which was taken with a long-lens from our bedroom window this afternoon. Here’s how the Calder valley’s looked for much of the day.

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