After yesterday’s silly o’ clock start I had a lie-in this morning. I’ve only just finished scoffing the full English breakfast provided by my hotel here in Leamington Spa. Now I’m almost ready to face a day of variety. First off is a tour of HS2 construction sites around Warwickshire. Later on I’ll be getting the train into London where I’ll be staying the night with a friend. The weather forecast is looking interesting to say the least, so it may be a fun day. I’ll be blogging throught the day but initially that may be mostly pictures. Feel free to keep popping back to see what I get up to…
09:50.
Whilst I wait for my contact and local guide to arrive I’ve some time to spend getting pictures at the delightful old GWR built station at Leamington where the staff obviously both enjoy their jobs – and have a sense of humour!
18:30.
Now, where was I? Oh yes – abject apologies for the gap in blogging but I’ve had a fascinating day touring Warwickshire in the company of Penny McGregor, whose family have been farming land in Warwickshire for generations. Part of their land at Cubbington has been taken by HS2 Ltd as the fields have been used as part of the mitigation efforts to translocate soil and trees from Cubbington wood which the route of HS2 was unable to avoid. Originally anti the project and a supporter of the protests to stop HS2 Penny came to realise the protesters weren’t telling the truth about the project and became a ‘critical friend’ of HS2. Penny has great local knowledge and is very interested in the efforts made to mitigate the alterations HS2 is making to the landscape and track the success (or failure) of replanting and rewilding efforts. Here’s some of the pictures I’ve taken during the day…
Cubbington wood, showing the trace of HS2 which cuts through the area. This was the scene of many protests back in 2020, all of which proved futile. But then many were little more than publicity stunts. Looking in the opposite direction to the previous picture. Looking back on the last picture from the distance. Not all the new tree planting on either side. Cut down after having over 30 new trees taken from it as cuttings the base of this tree was translocated and is now bursting into life once more. But this is no ordinary tree. This is the 350yr old Cubbington pear tree that the protesters made so much about.
Oh, God, back to early starts again. Still I really shouldn’t complain as today will be a fascinating one and the somewhat cryptic title of this rolling blog will explained later this morning when I do something few people ever get chance to do and that I haven’t done for about 20 years. But first, I’ve got to top up with caffeine then get my arse out of the door and walk to the station in time to catch the 06:17 from Halifax to Leeds. Feel free to keep popping back as I make my way by train to Leamington Spa, after which all will be revealed. Of course I’ve got to get there first, which can always be fun…
06:10.
The stroll to the station was very pleasant this morning even if I did feel like a Sherpa climbing up the cobbled hill to Spring Edge. I’m carrying all my camera kit plus clothing and toiletries for a few nights away but using a rucsac not a ‘wheelie’ suitcase. Still, it got the blood pumping! Thankfully the rain had abated, leaving the roads and pavements glistening but me dry. I passed nary a soul on my way, the only noise was from the dawn chorus as the area’s birdlife sprang into song.
My progress was so swift that I missed catching an earlier train by a minute, I heard the 06:00 to Leeds powering up the incline out of town as I arrived. There’s no rush. I have a nearly 20 minute connection time at Leeds and my train (the 06:17) starts from here as its the hourly service to Hull.
As I typed this the inbound service arrived in the shape of a noisy Class 158. Emptying out a couple of passengers before scuttling off to the reversing siding in order to head back.
06:20.
I’m now enjoying the warmth and comfort (and USB chargers) of 158756 as it trundles towards Leeds.
It’s not a busy service right now. There’s only 6 of us in the first of the three cars but I expect that to change once we reach Bradford.
06:30.
Sure enough, there were dozens of passengers waiting for us at Interchange and the numbers in my car have tripled. The station’s a hive of activity with 3 of the four platforms full with trains for East and West, plus Grand Central’s first train of the day to London Kings Cross.
Oh, I didn’t get chance to post this earlier but whilst I was at Halifax this notice caught my eye. You know when you scan something with half an eye as you know what you expect to read but then your brain says “hang on a minute”!
Why spellcheckers are important…
07:30.
Arriving at Leeds as the station was slowly waking up I had just enough time to grab a couple of pictures and stretch my legs before my next train arrived in the shape of a pair of 4-car Cross-Country Voyagers. Despite the hour the train was already quite busy although enough folk departed at Leeds to allow me to bag on of my preferred seats – the airline ones nearest the vestibule which have extra legroom. I’m settled in with laptop powered up and a flask of coffee as I’m on this train for the next 2 hours 10 minutes. We’re taking the ‘scenic’ route to Birmingham via Sheffield, Chesterfield, Derby and Tamworth. This will allow me to gauge just how busy this trains and the stations we call at are nowadays. Mind you, we called at Wakefield Westgate a few minutes ago where there was no shortage of trade for this train. Most rows of seats have at least one occupant now as we head to Sheffield.
The frustrating thing is that in a couple of decades time we were meant to be able to look forward to this journey’s time being slashed by 58% thanks to the Eastern leg of HS2. Now that’s been mothballed. It will still have to be built because the alternative, the Government’s (dis)Integrated Rail Plan is a fiction. It cannot possibly deliver the time savings claimed without seriously screwing up regional services and capacity on the East Coast and Midland Main Lines. Eventually, the penny will drop (it already has with industry experts) meaning HS2s Eastern leg will have to happen, but yet again we’ve kicked the can down the road in typically British penny-pinching fashion. In the meantime, it looks like I’ll be using Voyagers for some time yet, at least until HS2 as far as Crewe opens anyway…
07:55.
We’ve arrived at (and left) Sheffield, having traversed the rather depressing landscape of industrial and railway dereliction and decay around Rotherham. The gloomy skies and drizzle added to the effect. Some still cling to the fantasy that Brexit and empty slogans about ‘global Britain’ will restore the fortunes of places like this, but fantasies are all they are. The UK’s a service economy nowadays. We’ve not been the ‘workshop of the world’ for a century now and those days are never coming back, despite the nostalgic noises from some quarters. We need to be looking to the future, not trying to bring back the past…
My car lost the majority of its clientele at Sheffield but they were replaced by more people awaiting our arrival. My memory banks seem to remember that the average length of a journey on Cross-Country is between 50-60 miles despite the fact these trains run heroic distances like Aberdeen-Plymouth. I’m going to see how many time the two seats nearest me change occupants. Right now they’re both on their second passenger although the sex has changed from male to female in each.
08:05.
We’re now at Chesterfield and the seat shuffle begins again. Several Sheffield joiners have left, they’ve been replaced by a greater number of newbies so our numbers are still growing. Sadly, the weather’s deteriorating as the clouds have closed ranks to eject a barrage of rain. Once everyone had settled into the seats I took a trip to the loo and counted 32 people in this car which also houses the extended luggage/bike racks where the old buffet counter used to be.
08:30.
We’ve just departed a very wet Derby where the seat shuffle was less acute than before. Quite a few people have joined us but few have left and the two young ladies occupying the seats around me are still bashing away on their keyboards. The train’s obviously filled up as we’ve a constant stream of ‘walk-throughs’ (people walking along the cars looking for a free seat) passing by.
08:40
Having left Derby and turned west towards our next stop the trains really got into its stride. We’ve flown past field after field that have been turned into lakes by days of heavy rain – and there’s no end to it yet. A rapid deceleration brought us to a prompt stand at Burton-On-Trent where we picked up another gaggle of folk, leaving my coach almost full and people electing to stand in the vestibules.
08:51
We’ve made our last port of call before Birmingham. Tamworth, where several people have departed to be be replaced by a bedraggled troupe of newcomers who’ve been getting soaked in the rain which is being made worse by the wind whipping it along. I’m beginning to wonder what to expect when I get to my destination. It looks like I’m in for a soaking when I trek between New St and Moor St stations in Birmingham as I’m not sure my umbrella’s going to be much use in these conditions! We arrive there in 10 minutes so it’s time to pack up the laptop and revert to using my smartphone…
09:25.
Crossing Birmingham was just as wet and miserable as I expected. The rain seemed to have kept people at home which meant I made double-quick time between the two stations so was able to make an earlier train. It makes no difference in the long-run, it simply gives me longer to wait for my ride in Leamington. I’m currently sat on a Chiltern service to Marylebone which is pretty quiet. Or rather – it was until we stopped at Solihull!
A good indicator of how people are returning to work (via the railway) is looking at how busy station car parks are again now. At the height of the pandemic they were deserted. I’ve passed several this morning like the one on this line at Widney Manor where nearly all the spaces are taken.
10:15.
Arrived! The good news is the rain appears to be abating. The bad news is the lovely old buffet on platform 2 at Leamington Spa station has never reopened which is a great shame. It’s still a lovely looking station with its period buildings and beautifully kept garden. But I will miss the buffet. Now I’ve a little time to kill before my lift arrives…
11:33.
Now I can reveal who ‘Dorothy’ is…
This is a model of Dorothy.The real ‘Dorothy’ is in there – and I’ll going on her shortly!
17:20.
Well, that was a long day! The weather when we arrived at Long Itchington was appalling – as you can see from the puddles in the pictures which were taken from the visitor centre before we donned our PPE and headed down into the tunnel with out escort to have a guided tour of ‘Dorothy’. Visitor number are limited for safety reasons so rail engineer Gareth Dennis and I went first. These are amazing machines and you’ll be able to read the full details of my visit in another blogs and magazine articles. Here’s a few pictures to whet your appetite.
Tunnel Manager Axel Carus, our Spanish guide, who has 21 years experience of building tunnels around the world inside the tunnel with ‘Dorothy’ behind him.
Behind the business end of ‘Dorothy’ are 11 of these motors which power the cutting head.
Inside the control room aboard ‘Dorothy’ 8-10 metres under the ancient woodland of Long Itchington.
21:00.
Time to relax after a long day. I’m staying in Leamington tonight as I’m meeting a local farmer tomorrow whose kindly offered to show me around the area and some of the HS2 worksites but also (especially) some of the ecological and mitigation work that’s part of the project. If you listened to some of the projects opponents they make it sound like it’s Genghis Khan and the Mongol hordes sweeping across the landscape, laying waste to everything they come into contact with. The truth is very different and tomorrow’s a chance to see exactly what’s being done on this part of the HS2 route to ensure there’s a biodiversity net gain from HS2. I’ll explain more tomorrow, as the person showing me round is anything but a member of an HS2 PR team!
I must admit to having been a little apprehensive about staying in Leamington tonight as it and I have a long history which includes some bittersweet memories. Truth be told, they weren’t an issue, which surprised me. To be honest, the place feels very different from those days. It’s shabbier for a start and I’m not just talking about the fabric of the town. Genteel is not a word I’d use to describe the place, despite its Spa moniker. Seeing rough-sleepers huddled in the doorway of the old House of Fraser on the High St set the scene. Then overhearing a quartet of young adults in a pub (that wasn’t even a Wetherspoons) loudly broadcasting their attempts to arrange Social Services support over a mobile phone was another. This is not the Leamington I remember, although on reflection, there was always an element of that. Maybe it’s because I’ve been away for so long? The other side of the coin was the fact a lot of the pubs (and I suspect other businesses too) in the centre seem to be kept alive by the town’s student population as they’re the only people out and about on an early weeknight like today.
Anyways, it’s time to draw today’s rolling blog to a close. Tomorrow is another day which will see me exploring around the local area before pitching up in London. Stay tuned – as they say…
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Far from being housebound today I’m out and about on the Yorkshire rail network, getting some pictures for a client whilst also seeing how the network and its users are coping with the reduced services imposed by the Treasury and Dept of Transport. It’s already evident from complaints across the South-East that service levels are totally inadequate for the numbers of people returning to work, but what’s the picture in the North?
I’m currently on the 08:46 from Halifax to Leeds which is made up of a pair of 2-car Class 195s. It was easily 60% full heading for Bradford where there was a large exchange of passengers that kept the loading around the same. There’s plenty of people waiting at Interchange for other services and the station’s actually very busy. As we sat at Platform 4 two more Class 195 (one from Leeds and one from Halifax) rolled in simultaneously and in formation into platforms 2 and 3. It was almost choreographed! The service levels seem to be frequent enough not to have caused consternation here in the way they have elsewhere and the number of people travelling justifies the levels.
Here’s passengers departing my train at Leeds.
11:00.
Having changed trains at Leeds which was busy but nothing like it can be I caught a Trans-Pennine service bound for Newcastle as far as York, which is where I’m typing this. The 5-car TPE train was quiet, certainly in the front car where I was anyway. The journey to Yorkshire’s county town was releaxed and easy – even if the weather was worse than expected (you know that fine drizzle that gets in everywhere? That..). En-route I observed the progress on erecting the over head wires from West from Colton Junction on the East Coast Main line to – well, the middle of nowhere really…
The current scheme as approved peters out just before the Junctions at Church Fenton. We’re told the wires will continue to Leeds as part of the Trans Pennine Route Upgrade (TRU) but that’s going to take some time.
York station was subdued and suffering from recent storm damage. Part of the concourse and footbridge by platforms 5-9 is taped off due to the roof taking a hammering.
One thing that’s really evident at places like York is the absence of foreign tourists who used to make up a substantial proportion of the passenger flow. Admittedly, February was never their peak time but there was always a steady flow. I spotted one group of young (bemasked) Asian women, but that was it.
Well, it seemed that way at the time but today’s trip to London has got off to a mixed start! On the bright side – the rain we’d had overnight had abated by the time my alarm went off at 05:45 so the walk to Halifax was rather pleasant this morning. There were few people about apart from a couple of hardy dog-walkers (not that they have much option, really) and a trio of intrepid women joggers pounding their way uphill across Savile Park. The town centre was equally quiet although the area around the Piece Hall was still buzzing with film crews and all their kit.
My intention was to catch the 06:53 to Leeds in time to make an 11 minute connection with LNERs London service. This failed at the first fence as the Northern service was already running 7 minutes late. Ho hum! To fill in time I caught the Huddersfield – Bradford shuttle which was worked by one of the old class 158s pbought by the local PTE back in the 1980s. 158904 was busy, at least half-full, which surprised me. I didn’t realise so many people commuted into Bradford from Huddersfield. One at Interchange I joined the crowds for the late-running York service. Passenger numbers are certainly picking up again judging by the number joining and leaving the train.
We left Bradford Interchange 10 mins late and I’d visions of watching the LNER service pull out as I arrived, but I hadn’t accounted for the slack timing of my Northern service. It arrived at Leeds West Junction (just outside the station) 8 mins down, then magically recovered 6 minutes in the space of 26 chains* to arrive in Leeds just 2 minutes down!
This gave me plenty of time to cross the footbridge to platform 8 and wait for my train to pull in as it was arriving from Skipton. I was pleasantly surprised to find it was worked by one of LNERs loco-hauled Mk 4 trainsets rather than an Azuma. 91106 was doing the honours this morning. The advantage of the Mk4 sets is that they still contain a ‘quiet’ coach which is immediately behind the loco and isn’t reserved. It also lives up to its name as few people use it! So, I’m now bouncing my way South with that familiar stop, start, jerk motion that was a feature of the loco-hauled trains but that’s totally absent from the Azumas.
91106 arrives at Leeds with 1A13, the 06:56 from Skipton to London Kings Cross.
10:05.
In dire need of caffeine after such an early start I had a wander through the train to a sparsely stocked buffet in order to buy coffee. This gave me chance to counts heads. Getting back to my set just before we pulled in to Newark North Gate I counted just 49 people in Standard Class. Clearly, Covid is still having an impact as this is a premium train which would normally be full of business people. The majority of folks I passed fitted into this category with lots of expensive laptops on display and people busy bashing keyboards, but numbers travelling have obviously taken a hit since early December. Even so, now that restrictions are easing once more I doubt it’ll be long before they bounce back. I’ll be interested to watch how that goes through the year. This year I’m off on my biennial trip around Britain for RAIL magazine, which such be a fascinating contrast to my travels in 2020!
Right now we’re traversing the Cambridgeshire flatlands on the approach to Peterborough and running six minutes late. The weather’s gloomy, with layers of cloud some of which threaten rain, conditions that I expect to see stay with me all day. As we approached the station I noticed a fan of old sidings (Spital?) that have lain disused for donkey’s years have been cleared of weeds and fenced off to create a secure compound. It looks like they’re about to be brought back into use – but what for?
09:55.
We’re on the outskirts of London and it’s proving to be grim down South. The clouds have lowered, cutting down the slight so much that vehicles have already got their headlights on! This is a bit of a bugger, but such is life. It limits the range of shots I can get but thanks to the wonders of digital photography I can still get decent pictures. If this was my old film days it would have been a waste of time, the classic old camera joke of set your camera exposure for 3 days at F5.6…
16:00.
Phew! Where do I start? I’ve been having a frenetic time travelling around London in an effort to document the latest transformation that’s going on in 3rd rail land South of the Thames. The biggest change since the end of the old slam-door trains back in 2005. To do this I’ve been hanging around the Clapham Jn area – with an ulterior motive in mind. I’ve lent a spare zoom lens to an old friend who lives next door but needed to drop off the kit associated with it. We managed the transfer at lunchtime. Serendipity would have it that this was an ideal time to be taking pictures at the Junction as there were one or two unusual working such this…
I’m now taking a break in an old railway station building to update this blog and recharge various devices before moving on again…
19:15.
I’m now winging my way back up north after a brilliant afternoon in across South London, exploring old haunts and also discovering just how much the city has changed in the decade since I left. Some of the old London that I remember is till left, but so much has changed due to the mass of new buildings that have appeared. South London railways offer a great vantage point as many arrive into the city on viaducts. You can still pass serried rows of chimney pots and imagine what it must have been like when everyone relied on coal for heating. You won’t see Dick Van Dyke dancing amongst them or Mary Poppins floating past – instead you’ll see a backdrop of modern buildings dwarfing the traditional rooflines as London’s extended up, and up – and up…
Nowadays London’s railways are a corridor into a very built-up city South of the river. A train driver friend once described the route through Wandsworth past Vauxhall and into Waterloo as a bit like trying to bomb the ‘Death Star’ (Star Wars fans will know exactly what he means). At least the new blocks don’t house laser cannons!
During my explorations I stopped of in Denmark Hill again, but this time I visited the pub in the old station building. It was damaged by fire back in the 1980s then became one of the famous Bruces brewery ‘Firkin’ pubs of the 1980s. This one was named the ‘Phoenix and Firkin’ for obvious reasons. The Firkin chain is (sadly) long gone, but this pub survives under a different ownershio and seems to thrive. The road bridge outside is now blocked off and become a huge beer garden which is a fantastic summer space. Whilst I was sat inside I overhead a group of nurses from the nearby Kings College Hospital who’d called in for a drink at the end of their shifts before going home. Clearly knackered, they were talking about dealing with intubing patients with Covid. It was hard to listen to what they had to deal with and the obvious stresses they had o go through, yet tried to talk about in a matter of fact way. Not gallows humour by any means as the stresses showed and there was nothing but compassion for the people they’d been treating – which made it worse in some ways as I’ll bet many of the people they’re having to deal with now are the ones who’ve refused to be vaccinated.
Moving on I retraced my steps to Clapham via a brief stop at Wandsworth Rd station – just to see how much has changed – which is a lot. The Victoria – London Bridge trains are no more. Now the line’s part of the Overground and the trains run to/from Clapham Junction. Bushes and the nightmare that’s Buddleia have destroyed the possibility of recreating the shots I used to get in the 1990s whilst the skyline has changed completely as Battersea Power station has been invaded by new housing development. I’ll go back one day in an afternoon just to get some comparison shots.
21:30.
I’m now on the last leg home – by train anyway. I came back from London aboard another quiet LNER service, this time the 18:33 to Bradford Forster Square which was worked by a pair of 5-car Azumas. There was only about a dozen of us in the front car of the front train. The trip allowed me to spend time editing pictures from today which will start appearing on my website tomorrow but it may take a few days for the full haul to be processed as I’ve other things to do too.
I’m now on a rather busy 2-car class 195 heading to Manchester from Leeds. The difference between the two trains couldn’t be more marked. From ten cars to two! That said, they’re all new trains serving very different markets.
*A chain is an antiquated measurement (1 chain = 22 yards) that’s still used to calculate distances on the railways which is done in miles and chains. Although superseded by metric, it’s still used on many railway maps.
I’m out and about both sides of the Pennines today, starting off with a trip to Leeds. Sadly, it’s hardly a vintage day weather wise but that won’t affect either assignment as neither is about sesxy landscape shots. My walk into Halifax was fun. Passing the Piece Hall where the new Marvel comics ‘Avengers’ film is being shot I noticed the film industry’s answer to this problem towering over the area. Bring your own sun!
Here’s the ‘little’ brother of the other rig…
I’ve not bumped into any of the actors but Samuel L Jackson posed for selfies with locals outside a nearby restaurant the other day. Halifax seems to be much in demand by the media at the moment as another TV series of ‘Happy Valley is being shot here at the same time.
Leaving the bright lights (literally!) of the film industry behind I’m now on a Northern train to Leeds via Bradford. Passenger loadings are pretty good and seem to be recovering from the latest Covid knock. I’ll be interested to see how Leeds looks compared to my last visit.
14:30.
Well, that was an interesting interlude! I was being coy about where I was going as I didn’t want to draw attention to the fact that I was going to turn up to the anti HS2 farce (don’t you mean ‘day of action’? Ed) in Manchester’s Piccadilly gardens which was due to kick off at 12:00. It took me a while to find it as it was tiny! Just 10 people, a child and two others dressed as a white elephant where there. They were outnumbered by members of the media who patiently waited for them to assemble their banners and elephant before they set off on a circuit of part of Piccadilly Gardens. Their shouts were led by one Karen Wildin, an XR protester from *checks notes* Lreicester! In fact, I doubt any of the were actually from the city they were trying to prevent gaining green infrastructure, regeneration and thousands of jobs. It’s always been noticeable that there’s never been a single organised stopHS2 ‘action’ group in the whole of Manchester – hence them having to draft in people from elsewhere. I’ll do a separate blog about this whole farce, which lasted less then two hours before they traipsed back to Piccadilly station before catching their trains home to whence they came. The attitude of Manchester? Meh! Meanwhile, this afternoon, the HS2 phase 2b Crewe – Manchester Hybrid bill has been deposited in Parliament. It will get its 2nd reading in February, when it will fly through the vote as the opposition to HS2 has collapsed.
Here’s a picture of their farcical demonstration.
Somehow, I don’t think MPs will be quaking in their boots. I’ve seen more people turning up to protest about parking restrictions!
19:30.
I’m now on the train back across the Pennines after an interesting and certainly varied day. After attending the farcical and futile protest I spent a bit of time editing pictures and getting other images off to a client before their deadline, then had a wander around Manchester. I have to admit, the weather wasn’t exactly what you’d want for such perambulations but hey – this is the North in January after all. I did manage to bag a few more library shots which will appear on my Zenfolio picture website soon. After that, it was time for a trip to Chinatown to pick up some more edible goodies. I love mooching around the Chinese supermarkets as I always discover something new that I have to resist the urge to buy as – more likely than not – It’ll end up sitting in a cupbord as I don’t really know what to do with it.
Right now I’m on Northern’s 18:58 from Manchester to Leeds made up of a pair of 2-car Class 195s. It’s surprisingly quiet, not that Victoria station was. That was buzzing with hundreds of young people off to a gig at the Arena (just don’t ask me who was playing as I’ve no idea!).
As threatened I’ve escaped the Calder valley this morning. Having packed my passport I’m heading across the Pennines to Manchester and the North-West to (hopefully) obtain some scenic railway pictures as part of a long-standing commission. The weather’s certainly ideal. We’ve a crisp, frosty morning in the valley with clear blue skies that make the ideal backdrop. Having walked up the hill towards Halifax I paused for a moment to grab this shot which illustrates what I mean. I never tire of this view and will often linger here to watch the world go by.
Right now I’m on the 08:44 Northern service from Halifax to Manchester Victoria which is made up of a 2-car class 195. I’m assuming this is part of the Dept Transport inspired cost-cutting/service reduction as normally this would be a four car service this time of day. Admittedly, it’s not even half full, but we’re only just into the journey.
I’ll be blogging throughout my travels today, so feel free to pop back and see where I get to and what I end up doing…
09:15.
We’ve just left Rochdale where we picked up a handful of people heading into the city, but nothing like the numbers you can expect during rush-hour. This side of the Pennines is just as frozen and icy as the West. Th fields are blanketed in frost which is glistening in the low winter sunlight. The roofs of many houses display the same characteristics – showing who’s got decent loft insulation – and who hasn’t! I’m looking forward to being able to get the camera out but first I’ve got to cross the city to get to Piccadilly…
10:10.
My meander across central Manchester was interesting as everywhere was quieter than i’ve seen it in a long time. Victoria station was sonambulent and the city centre just as sleepy. Few homeless people graced doorways (thankfully) and shoppers were equally thin on the ground. Passing the Wetherspoons I noticed a group of young lads huddled in the window. Eschewing the usual pints of lager they were drinking pitchers of lurid looking cocktails. Their day may get messy…
Piccadilly station was busier than Victoria but only marginally so. For a railway cathedral this was hardly a feast day.
I’m now on a Northern Class 323 heading out along the truncated remains of the old Woodhead route. It’s a route I know well but it’s a shadow of the line I knew as a boy in the early 1970s when it was a major trans-pennine freight artery. All the sidings and yards, loco stabling points and engines are long gone as the line was closed in 1981. Now there’s just a passenger service that shuttles between Manchester, Glossop and Hadfield.
12:45.
I’m retracing my steps from Glossop and Dinting after a productive if frustrating couple of hours. The low winter light didn’t allow me to get the pictures I wanted in Glossop (too many long shadows) but it was ideal for shots around the Dinting viaduct. It felt odd to be back. I last spent time taking pictures around here 10 or so years back but I chiefly remember it from the 1970s when there was an active steam railway centre here based on the single road loco shed. All of this was abandoned at the beginning of the 1990s. Dinting station still retains its old buildings although those on the abandoned platforms aren’t ageing well…
This shot was taken from the footbridge East of Dinting station where the entrance to the old steam centre was. The bridge gives great views across the nearby allotments to the Dinting viaduct where a Northern Class 323 is pictured traversing the structure en-route to Glossop. The view from below, showing a Manchster bound train crossing the viaduct. The extra brick piers were added in 1909 in order to strengthen the structure for even heavier trains.
16:15.
I’m now on my way back to Manchester after taking a trip down the Mid-Cheshire line to Northwich to recce a few photographic locations. Sadly, nothing stood out and what did would only work later in the year with different lighting conditions. Still, it was a chance to reacquaint myself with a line I’ve not had need to traverse for several years. I ended up in Northwich, the source of most of the UKs rock salt – a precious commodity this time of year! Ignoring the fact using such a cortosive naterial in this day and age is rather mad I was curious to see the state of the station. Part of the original building suffered a rather spectacular collapse not that long ago and it was amazing no-one was killed. Repairs are still ongoing. As a kid I remember when this place was a hive of railway activity due to mineral traffic to and from the ICI (remember them) works. Now the sidings are abandoned and overgrown with Silver Birch trees whilst the site of the locomotive depot is a housing estate.
I had an hour to kill between trains so wandered into town which is a 10 minute hike. It looks to have some fine old buildings but town planners haven’t done it any favours by cutting it off with inner ring roads. One of the most impressive buildings is now a Wetherspoons, which says it all really. The actual pub is in a shed-like structure at the rear!
A Wetherspoons where the facade is nothing like what you’ll get inside
19:00.
Wow, so much that I want to write about – so this section will change as I travel.
I was sorely tempted to stop off in Stockport on my way back North as the light looked like it would’ve been ideal for sunset shots through the iconic viaduct but I hesitated as I needed to pick up some shopping in the city. More fool me as by the time I was approaching Piccadilly the conditions were perfect. Oh well..
Back in the city I headed over to Chinatown to grab some ingredients that are almost impossible to find outside major cities or university towns with a cosmopolitan student base. I stocked up on Red and Green curry pastes plus fiery red chillis and pea aubergines which are such a feature of Thai cooking.
During my wanderings I found myself drawn to the Northern Quarter and a friendly pub of old. I’ll be honest – I miss city life – especially so after the covid separations we’ve all had to endure. Sitting at a bar, overhearing (intelligent) conversations has been much missed…
19:00.
The train back across the Pennines was another experience I’ve missed. The 3-car 195 was busy from Victoria as many people were either returning home from work or an early evening in town. As usual, my camera (which was cradled in my lap) became a talking point. It started a conversation with the the chap sat next to me in the tip-up seats. He’d been out with his grandson playing virtual cricket and was blown away by the experience. Apparently, the one thing that isn’t virtual is the bat you hold and the balls that head your way! I really enjoyed the interaction as it’s one of the things I’ve always loved about train travel and missed because of Covid, People just haven’t been as willing to engage in the way we used to. Whilst I loved to hear his enthusiasm (and trepidation) for trying something that was obviously outside his comfort zone, the issue for me was realising that ‘grandad’ was obviously several years younger than I am! This is becoming a familiar story. I don’t feel old, it’s other people who make me seem that way – honest!
23:00.
I’m now back at home and taking the rest of the night off, but expect lots of more guff and stuff tomorrow.
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/
We’re putting the finishing touches to packing before loading the car ready for Dee to drive down to Farnham. Just to make it ‘interesting’ the Gods decided to dump some snow on us overnight! Here’s the view from the house right now.
Thankfully, it’s not heavy, although the leaden skies keep teasing us with more flurries. The forecast is crap across most of the Western side of the country this weekend, including the ‘sunny’ South so I many have to be inventive with the camera as I was hoping to have a day out tomorrow. We shall see…
I’ll blog about our journey down as it happens, so feel free to pop back and see what we get up to…
11:30.
We’re on the M1 and heading South now after avoiding the M62 by cutting across country along the A637. It’s a country road that takes us from Elland to Junction 38. The roads windy and narrow but it traverses the hills South of Wakefied and affords some wonderful views of Castle Hill at Huddersfield to the South. To the North you have views as far as the power stations such as Drax. We dipped in and out of the snowline which gradually petered out the further East we got – all in glorious sunshine. En-route we passed this interesting new house. Imagine the 360 degree views this affords you!
The weather here on the M1 is awful. It’s a combination of rain and sleet. The spray’s making visibility difficult so I’m going to finish for now to give Dee (who’s doing the driving) an extra pair of eyes…
14:30.
We’re off the M1 now which is a relief. Although the traffic wasn’t too heavy the changeable weather certainly made driving challenging.
One oddity was that we discovered a humbug shortage. Neither of us are great sweet eaters – except on long car journeys when we do enjoy boiled sweets with humbugs being a favourite. Normally motorway services and petrol stations are stuffed with ’em, but not today despite us trying several outlets. Oh, the irony, England suffering from a humbug shortage in this day and age…
We’re currently cutting across country via several A roads including the A43. We had a brief pitstop at Brackley to top up with fuel and allow me to have a look at early work on building the HS2 rail line which will pass under a diverted section of the A43, building the new dual carriageway has only recently started.
The Brackley roundabout. The new A43 will come off this roundabout in the centre of the picture. The ‘old’ road behind the HGV will be closed. HS2 will cross the picture from Left to Right in a cutting a few hundred meters North.
15:30.
We’re on the last leg nowhaving left the M4 at a humongous and complex roundabout by Reading to head South on the A33.
The roads have been surprisingly quiet for a Friday. Even the A34 which is normally congested around Oxford. Even the M4 was pleasant – not a word I’d normally use to describe the Thames Valley racetrack! I’m assuming a combination of folk isolating or working from home are the culprits. But it’s been to our advantage.
Sadly, the weather’s still crap, consisting of dull skies, rain and sleet. For the benefit of my many overseas readers who may find my seeming obsession with the weather odd – I’ll explain in another chapter of this blog after we’ve arrived…
18:55.
And relax! We’re now sitting by a wood fire here in Tilford, relaxing after the journey down. The weather deteriorated after my last post, the sleet turned into proper snow just before we hit Farnham but the ground was far too wet for it to stick even if it had persisted. Instead we’re in a very soggy Surrey, which isn’t what we’re normally used to, although there’s a certain feeling of festive deja vu as this is just how it was when we were here at Christmas.
But right now the weather’s behind us as we’ve a quite night in. Dawn’s planning on cooking so soon the house will be filled with the delicious aromas of chicken Korma and Bakewell tart to compliment the whiff of wood-smoke from the fire. Me? I’ve some picture editing to do…
I mentioned earlier about why the British seem to always be talking about the weather. For me that’s partly because it can have such a major impact of my job. I’m an outdoor, not a studio photographer so I’m often at the mercy of the elements. Sure, I do indoor jobs too, but the outdoors is a huge part of my work so I’m always keeping one eye on the weather map. I also live in the Pennines which is renowned for its micro-climates. We can have glorious weather in the Calder Valley whilst it could be blowing a blizzard in the Colne valley next door.
The British Isles benefit from the warm waters of the Gulf Stream, but this – and the islands location means that our weather patterns are unpredictable to say the least – and even more so now that the climate’s changing. It’s getting warmer, and wetter. I sometimes envy countries with more stable seasons, which is why I always love travelling in tropical SE Asia where there’s not the same variations and you don’t need to pack to cope with extremes. In the UK we can have snow in Summer! I shouldn’t really complain too much as the variety we experience can make for some dramatic skies and pictures – if you happen to be in the right place at the right time. Sadly, the law of Sod means that often, the opposite happens to me! However, it does teach you patience (and a certain amount of fatalism) to be stood out in the landscape in beautiful sunshine waiting for a certain train to arrive only for the event to coincide with a large, dark cloud muscling in to block the sun at exactly the wrong moment, then to clear just as the bloody train’s passed! Not a problem I encounter in Asia. I sometime joke that in the UK we don’t have climate, we have weather. Whether it’s snowing, rainy or sunny, it’s always whether! So this is why you may notice my keenness in noting the conditions outside.
Talking of the weather (sorry!) my plans for heading out tomorrow are looking dicey as nowhere seems to escape from the band of rain that’s due to sweep across the country which is making deciding where to go rather a challenge. Scenic shots are looking like they’re going to be out of the question, so I may have to decide my plans first thing tomorrow. Maybe a day indoors beckons…
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/
This wasn’t quite how I was expecting to be travelling, but when needs must…
Dawn and I packed the car early this morning before driving over to Huddersfield to pick up her parents as we were all going to be travelling down together. There was only one problem. Four of us, all the clothes and presents plus the other Xmas supplies (and my camera bag) meant that there was so little room left in the car that it would’ve been a very uncomfortable journey down to Surrey. We’d looked at hiring a bigger vehicle but the rates this year were ridiculous, it would have cost us nearly £1000! I’d a sneaking suspicion this might happen so I’d already planted the seeds of a plan B – which was me catching the train and meeting them down there. When Dee saw how little space was left in the saloon for her parents even she agreed! So, here I am on my Jack Jones heading down to London. It was cheaper to come via the West Coast and there’s less cancellations too (LNER have knocked out a lot of services due to Covid staff shortages). I jumped on a TPE service from Huddersfield across to Manchester and now I’m sat on Avanti West Coast’s 12:15 to Euston. It’s worked by a 9-car Pendolino which is around 60% full but I managed to find a table seat where I’ve set up the mobile office to get some work done – something I couldn’t have done in the car!
I’ll keep you posted how the journey across London and down to Farnham goes as it unfolds. Right now we’re heading for Stoke-on-Trent in the same miserable weather that’s followed me all the way from West Yorkshire. I hear from Dee’s mum that they’re heading down the M1 right now. I hope their weather’s better on that side of the country…
13:50.
We’ve had a classic Pendolino journey so far, speeding South with ease. Say what you like about these trains but they can’t half sift and you never even notice when you pass another service as there’s no pressure pulse or juddering like there used to be with the older Mk3 carriages. After leaving Stoke the train had filled up to around 70% occupancy. Now we’ve stopped for the final time at Milton Keynes where dozens more folk have joined us taking that up to 80-85%, thankfully the vast majority of people are wearing masks so the atmosphere doesn’t feel uncomfortable. There’s been no ticket check en-route, which is hardly surprising at the moment with the numbers of rail-staff off due to contracting Covid or self-isolating.
14:05.
We’ve just sped through Cheddington which (in 1963) was the site of the infamous ‘great train robbery’ which took place just up the line at Ledburn,. The weather here’s dry but just as gloomy as the rest of the country I’ve traversed today. It’s 2 o’clock in the afternoon yet most cars have headlights switched on and industrial estates security lighting has tripped in!
16:15.
Tempting as it was I didn’t hang around in London. Instead I caught a tube straight across to Waterloo. The Underground was far quieter than you’d expect this time of the year although Euston station was rammed with people heading North.
Waterloo was much more subdued but as much of its traffic is commuters that was no surprise. Rather than get a direct train I hopped my way down to Clapham Junction in order to see how busy services were. Here’s a Shepperton service after leaving Vauxhall. Good to experience an old friend (the Class 707) again. I drove one of these when they were being shaken down on the Siemens test track at Wildenrath in Germany!
Now I’m on another (earlier) Siemens product, a Class 450 heading for Alton. There’s half a dozen of us in this car, which is one of 12 making up this train…
17:05.
Beat them! I’m now sitting in the ‘Mulberry’ pub next to Farnham station waiting for the car team to catch me up. They pulled off the M4 20 minutes ago so it might be a while before they get here. In the meantime I’m nursing an indifferent pint of the local Hogsback IPA whilst downloading pictures from the camera to the laptop. I’d originally intended to go for a wander when I arrived but the weather’s even wetter here than it was up North. So much for the sunny South!
My train from London to Alton passes a service heading in the opposite direction at Farnham.
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/
I wish! The weather here in the Calder Valley’s gloomy and murky still, only with added drizzle for interest. So, I’m escaping the confines of the valley to head Westwards, mixing business and pleasure in order to drop in on a couple of family members before Christmas as the way things are going with Omicron we could well be in another lockdown in January – so who knows when I’ll get to see people again?
I’m currently on Northern’s 09:22 service from Sowerby Bridge to Chester. The train seems reasonably busy but as it’s only a two-car Class 195 instead of the normal 3-car that’s hardly surprising. There’s the usual mix of ages and reasons for travelling with ramblers rubbing shoulders with Christmas shoppers and other folk heading for a day out in the bright lights and colour of the big city, which must seem very attractive after a few days of monochrome weather here in the Pennines!
It’s grim up North…
I’ll update the blog as the day unfolds, so feel free to keep popping back…
10:20.
As expected, most passengers bailed out at Manchester Victoria, leaving a handful of us still aboard. I’ll be doing the same at Newton-Le-Willows in order to check out the rebuilt station before catching a connecting service to Liverpool Lime St.
10:45.
Flying visit to NLW complete I’m on my way to Liverpool once more. Newton station’s been massively improved with a purpose-built ticket office and staff facilities, level access to both platforms provided by lifts, a new bus interchange and a massive (and busy) car park. The original building still exists on the London-bound platforms but its shutteted and closed. The subway underneath the tracks is decorayed with a variety of artworks from local sources and lit with changing coloured lights. It’s a vast improvement on the old station where you had to climb a multitude of steps to reach the platforms. New waiting rooms have been installed at platform level too.
A copy of the commemorative tablet which is in a monument on the spot further up the line where William Huskisson was struck by a train is located by the new subway.
11:50.
Curses, foiled again! I’m currently en-route to Southport having lingered long enough in Liverpool to grab a series of shots at Lime St station before wandering across to Central.
Lime St contained a couple of shots worth grabbing. East Midlands Railway have a Class 156 on loan to Northern and the unit graced us with its presence. Meanwhile, Transport for Wales had scraped together a pair of Class 153s for their service from Chester. Nicknamed “dogboxes” many, these single-car units aren’t normally allowed out on their own anymore as most have toilets that aren’t disabity legislation compliant so have to work with a set that is.
I wonder what the Welsh is for “dogbox”?
Central station was eerily quiet. I’d have expected it to be buzzing this close to Christmas but many folk seem to be staying away. Having read the latest SAGE predictions on the way over this morning that’s probably a wise move. If it wasn’t for the fact what little moral authority this Government had has been shot to pieces I’d expect a new lockdown to be declared in January. Now, I’m not sure they dare…
Empty platforms…
My curse was due to the fact I’d hoped to have been able to get more shots of the new Merseyrail trains on test runs today but none are running. Mind you, the weather’s hardly conducive. The railways are starting to be hit hard by Covid with many staff self-isolating or off sick. This is bound to have an effect on maintaining service levels but also on training. I expect to see further delays in introducing new fleets on South-West Railway and Merseyrail next year.
Still. I’m now off for lunch with my Neice and her Husband, so not all’s bad..
15:45.
Well, that was a lovely interlude! The three of us had a lovely lunch in Birkdale, a village subsumed by Southport but a place that’s very much kept its villagy feel and become quite a little community. The area around the railway station’s a thriving place full of restaurants, cafés and independent shops, many of which nestle under Victorian canopies. When Adi had to go back to work Charlotte and I stayed for another hour chatting and swapping stories. Like me, she’s inherited the footloose gene and misses travelling. We’d arranged to meet up in Bali last year (a place we both love) but Covid put the kibosh on those plans. Who knows when we’ll be able to return?
Now I’m back in Southport proper, hoping to be able to meet up with one of my siblings…
Well, I hope our trip’s a cruise! We’re currently aboard Northern’s 09:44 from Halifax to Manchester Victoria on the first leg of out trip. Despite yesterday’s storm the railways seem little affected, which is great news. OK, out trains a couple of minutes late due to slippery rails and low adhesion, but when the weather’s as wet and windy as it has been that’s hardly a surprise. One of my first tasks this morning (well, after making coffee, obviously!) was to peruse various website to check on real-time train performance. Suitably reassured I’m relaxed about the trip.
Having stopped at Hebden Bridge where we picked up another member of the CRN staff we’re now on our way West though a dank and dismal Calder valley. At least Hannah and Dawn have added some colour!
12:05.
Everything’s going to plan! Our journey across Manchester went without a hitch and we rendezvoused with the rest of the CRN advance party at Piccadilly. Now we’re settled in on a 4-Car Arriva Cross-Country Voyager for the long trip to Southampton, which wouldn’t be everyone’s cup of tea (4 hours 18 mins on a Voyager probably qualifies for an ‘Iron Man’ award!) but so far, the train’s relatively empty so we’ve room to spread out.
The weather’s improving as we head South too. The rain was hammering on the roof of Piccadilly but here in Stoke-on-Trent we’ve managed to encounter some sunshine and a smattering of blue-sky. Meanwhile, the CRN staff have turned the train into a mobile office, sorting out some last-minute changes to the awards.
Yep, I’m outnumbered by the fairer sex…
14:10.
Leaving Birmingham we called at International where a railhead treatment train was sitting between turns Seeing these vehicles working this late in the year seems unusual, but as some leaves are still clinging on to trees by their metaphorical fingernails it’s hardly surprising. It’s been a long autumn!
Right now we’re heading for Oxford in the best weather I’ve seen for days as we’ve blue skies spattered with high cloud rather then the wall to wall dullness that’s been the norm. Our train’s filled up but seats are still available and the atmosphere’s stress-free.
15:30.
And it was all going so well…!
After an amble along the Thames Valley to Reading as we were already 5 minutes late we ended up kicking our heels for quite some time as one of the train crew who was meant to be joining us was stuck elsewhere. Five minutes became ten, then twenty, then twenty five, then – finally, whoever we were waiting for turned up and we got away twenty six minutes late. But we’d lost our path, so we were nearly 30 down by the time we passed Southcote Junction. We’re now at the mercy of signallers regulating the service and slotting us in as they can…
17:00.
Made it! As I predicted, we lost more time en-route, finally arriving in Bournemouth 39 minutes late. Judging by the amount of young women hardly dressed for the season who were joining the train as we departed there’s a concert in Bournemouth tonight!
We’re currently relaxing at the hotel sorting our kit out whilst watching the latest political omnishambles unfold via the TV. The PM’s Press Spokesperson, Allegra Stratton has announced her resignation but I don’t that’s going to stop the awkward questions. Such as – which press members of the Lobby attended, because it’s painful to watch some sections of the media completely ignoring the story. The suspicion is that there was a lot of colluding going on here and a lot of people have questions to answer – including the Metropolitan police. Now we’re being told there’s going to be a Prime Ministerial announcement at 18:00 which is sounding like another attempt to say ‘look over there’. Meanwhile, we’ll be watching the announcement with a drink in hand, hoping Johnson’s not going to try and pull a stunt that could affect tomorrow’s awards…
Paul Bigland 