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Paul Bigland

~ Blogging on transport, travel & whatever takes my fancy.

Paul Bigland

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I’m back – again…

09 Monday Nov 2026

Posted by Paul Bigland in Calder Valley, Community rail, Community Rail Network, Musings, Photography, Railways, Travel

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blogging, Calder Valley, Community rail, Community Rail Network, life, Musings, Photography, Railways, Todmorden, Travel, writing

Sorry for the long break from blogging but there’s just been one thing after another that’s kept me away from scribbling down my thoughts and activities. Now things have settled down a bit. I have free time at hand and can pick up the (metaphorical) pen again. So, welcome to my first blog of November!

Whilst I’ve not had time to write I’ve certainly been busy having hardly moved from Bigland Towers since I returned from Europe. Much of my time was spent editing the 1000s of pictures from my trip but I’m pleased to say that the end of all that is nigh. Having waded my way through Swiss pictures (you can find travel shots here and railway ones here) I moved on to Italy and added travel images here and railway ones here on my Zenfolio website. All the Italian and Swiss galleries contain pictures of the superb Bernina railway that traverses the Alps from Chur in Switzerland to Tirano in Italy. I hope you enjoy viewing them as much as I did taking them!

Now all that’s left to do is finish the Innotrans pictures (which are slowly appearing here) then shots from my side trip to Deurne in the Netherlands – the only country I’ve yet to add pictures from. Talking of Deurne, my visit was timed rather well as the station is entered in this years community rail awards – and in a section that I’ve spent most of last week judging! My fellow judge and I had 38 stations to look at, from Scotland right down to the garden of England. There’s amazing entries that showcase the best that community railway stations have to offer, and I get to learn something new each time. Now I know there’s one station in the UK whose gardening repertoire includes growing avocados (and olives) – not something I expected to find at all!

As if that wasn’t enough to do I ended up having to run some new pipework to the loo in Bigland Towers due to a leak having developed. As one was lacking I added a gate valve to the pipework, allowing me to be able to isolate the loo rather than having to turn off water supplies to the entire cottage every time I needed to do something with it. The plumbing was accomplished with a little bloodshed and a lot of swearing!

Having completed my tasks by Friday I’ve now joined Dawn at our retreat in Todmorden where we’re spending the week cat-sitting whilst friends enjoy a holiday. To be honest, it’s a break for us too as we both enjoy the shops, restaurants, pubs and market here – not to mention the chance to walk amongst the hills, although the weather’s not been very conducive to such activities. Like many parts of the country we’ve seen a lot of fog and mist these past few days, although that didn’t detract from an excellent firework display that was laid on in the town on Saturday.

Today I handed in my judge’s scoring sheets for both ‘It’s your station’ and the shortlist for the photographic competition, which frees me up to be less office-bound and more mobile. As Dee has to work in Huddersfield tomorrow I’m going to cadge a lift with her so that I can explore progress on the Trans-Pennine Route Upgrade (TRU) which I’ve not seen for a while. Then, on Wednesday it’s our 9th wedding anniversary which will no doubt involve a few drinks and some good food!

As you can see, there’s plenty to blog about this next week. Now’s a good time to be back and out and about as the autumn colours are still evident in the copious woodland that the Calder valley is blessed with. I managed to nip out for a couple of hours this afternoon, so I’ll leave you with this shot as an example.

With autumn colours providing a vivid backdrop a Class 195 bound for Leeds rounds the Southern side of the triangle with the route to Burnley.

I’ve a small favour to ask…
If you enjoy reading this or any of the other blogs I’ve written, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course – although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab! – but the revenue from them helps me to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site (which isn’t cheap and comes out of my own pocket). Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website – https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/

Cheers,

Paul

29th October picture of the day…

29 Thursday Oct 2026

Posted by Paul Bigland in Photography, Picture of the day, Railways, Switzerland, Travel, West Yorkshire

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Musings, Photography, Picture of the day, Switzerland, Travel, West Yorkshire, writing

Another month staggers towards a close – having seemed to fly by – although I’ve done little with it since getting back from Europe as most of my time’s been spent working from home. October’s always a bit of an odd one, partly because it contains my birthday but also because the clocks change here in the UK and the evenings become rather dark and dismal, making it the last of the fun months of the year.

My birthday was a low key event this year. Dawn was otherwise occupied so I spent much of the day working before strolling into Halifax on my own to pick up some shopping, have a quiet pint and watch the world go by – which it did in no-time! That’s another year added to the clock…

That said, the past few days have been productive as I’ve managed to edit and caption several hundred pictures, which means the end of my European travels are starting to appear in sight. I’ve finished hundreds of pictures from Germany and uploaded them to my Zenfolio website. You can find the railway ones here and the travel ones here. I’ve also been kept occupied trawling through my archives for potential library shots for a client, which was rather time consuming although an interesting trip down memory lane. Even I forget what pictures I’ve got stashed away sometimes!

Now I’ve moved on to Switzerland and uploaded the first few images. Finishing the rest will keep me out of trouble for a few days but I may put the process on hold in order to get back into my fitness regime. I’ve just taken delivery of a new Fitbit Charge 6 as my old Charge 5 was failing on an almost daily basis. The thing would shut down and I’d lose 1000s of steps as well as other data. I had to start carrying a battery pack to keep rebooting it which was frustrating. It’s completely skewed my stats for October, so I’m going to try and claw a few back for the month ends. Thankfully, the weather forecast looks like it’s going to co-operate so I’m not going to need to endure torrential rain or gales!

In the meantime, I’ll leave you with today’s picture, which is from Switzerland and the Bernina railway through the Alps to Italy. Here’s the Brusio spiral viaduct where the train loops up and over itself. It’s quite a sight! I’d love to go back when the weather’s right and spend a morning getting lineside shots. Maybe next year…

I’ve a small favour to ask…
If you enjoy reading this or any of the other blogs I’ve written, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course – although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab! – but the revenue from them helps me to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site (which isn’t cheap and comes out of my own pocket). Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website – https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/

Cheers,

Paul

22nd October picture of the day…

22 Thursday Oct 2026

Posted by Paul Bigland in Germany, Musings, Photography, Picture of the day, Railways, Travel

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Photography, Picture of the day, Railways, Travel, writing

Life feels a little like ‘Groundhog Day’ right now as the routine’s pretty much the same. I wade through 1000s of my European pictures, keep a wary eye on the weather in the hope I can go for a walk without getting soaked, complete some paperwork – then act as chef for lunch and dinner whilst Dawn slaves away in her office upstairs. Not that I’m doing all the cooking, Today Dee took some time off to make some delicious millionaires shortbread – something my skills don’t stretch to.

I’m starting to get a little stir-crazy. A feeling not helped by my picture editing as I’m reliving my adventures around Europe. Today I polished off Poland. You can find the Polish travel pictures here and the railway pictures here. I have to admit, I really enjoyed Poland. Warsaw’s a fantastic city and the Polish intercity trains are like a step back to a gentler age with many services having a full catering car serving freshly prepared and cooked food. I’m looking forward to returning and exploring the country in depth. Now my picture editing’s moved on to Germany. Well, my first of three visits anyway. I passed through on my way from France to Denmark when I first arrived, staying one night in Hamburg. I’ll edit all the different pictures together, just to save things from getting messy. I’ll be having a busy morning tomorrow, tying up some loose ends. After that (weather permitting) I’m hoping to take a break and stretch my legs for a while as being tied to a computer has really eaten into my step count this month.

For now, I’ll leave you with today’s picture which is from the incredibly busy Hamburg Hauptbahnhof – which is more of a multi-level village than a railway station. It’s always busy and buzzing with both trains and people. It’s a truly international feel due to the international trains serving it and also the people using it. It’s a fascinating place to watch the world go by.

You’ll be able to find the full selection of German railway pictures by following this link.

See you tomorrow…

I’ve a small favour to ask…
If you enjoy reading this or any of the other blogs I’ve written, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course – although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab! – but the revenue from them helps me to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site (which isn’t cheap and comes out of my own pocket). Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website – https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/

Cheers,

Paul

The grand tour. Day 28. Aachen to Calais.

05 Monday Oct 2026

Posted by Paul Bigland in France, Germany, Photography, Railways, The Grand Tour, Travel

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adventure, europe, France, life, Photography, Railways, The Grand Tour, Travel, writing

Today I’m homeward bound and heading for the coast to get a ferry back to the UK, but not without exploring some very different styles of architecture. I left Aachen aboard one of DB’s fleet of ICE trains, which are without doubt the best trains I’ve used on this trip. The levels of comfort in 1st Class are hard to beat, plus the fact they can nip along at up to 250kph. In just over 20 minutes I was across the border and at my first stop, Leige’s Guillemins station, which is a stunning piece of modern architecture. I was there in ideal conditions too as it was another beautifully sunny day, which really showed off the station’s roof to best effect.

Having spent a couple of hours admiring and photographing the place I moved on by local Belgian trains which left a bit to be desired – even in 1st Class. Whilst the double deck coach I travelled in had plug sockets, there was no wifi. Plus, there was a problem with the sockets if you’re using UK plugs with an adaptor. You have to use the plug upside down, but there’s so little room between the socket and the seat cushion that they don’t fit – which is why this blog’s a day late!

Still, the train was comfortable and uncrowded and I got to Brussels on time to catch my next connection to Tournai. This was a station I passed through on my first day. I didn’t have time to stop and explore then but I was fascinated by the sheer size of the station building. This time I decided to tarry and I’m glad that I did as it’s a classic – both inside and out.

Moving on again I changed trains ay Lille – where there’s desks with plug sockets on the concourse for anyone to use – before arriving in Calais, another place I didn’t have time to explore on my inward trip. This time I did. What a contrast to Dover, its counterpoint across the channel, which is a bit of a shithole. Calais has life and vibrancy, some attractive restaurants and cafes – and this…

I’ve a small favour to ask…
If you enjoy reading this or any of the other blogs I’ve written, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course – although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab! – but the revenue from them helps me to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site (which isn’t cheap and comes out of my own pocket). Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website –  https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/

Cheers,

Paul

1st September picture(s) of the day…

01 Tuesday Sep 2026

Posted by Paul Bigland in Musings, Photography, Picture of the day, Southport

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Musings, Photography, Picture of the day, Southport, Travel, writing

Well, here we are in another month and on the edge of autumn. The weather’s become far more mixed with heavy rain and thunderstorms (at least here in Southport) and the nights are drawing in. There’s no doubt the seasons are changing…

This bank holiday weekend saw the annual Southport airshow. It’s a popular event but as with many outdoor events it’s at the mercy of the weather – and the weather wasn’t particularly kind. After weeks of sunshine there was rain and even thunder and lightning – all of which plays havoc with an airshows plans, especially when you have precious and historic vintage aircraft meant to take part. I managed to attend both days with the Saturday providing the best and most consistent weather. Sunday was more of a bust. The day started off with glorious sunshine but as the time came for the ariel displays to begin the clouds rolled in. They made for some very dull photo’s. But a couple of acts provided their own contrasts. Like this…

The Red Arrows making a stunning contrast against grim skies.
This little helicopter provided its own firework show which really lit up the sky.

Bank holiday Monday was much like the traditional UK event we’ve come to expect. It chucked it down with rain during the morning, which (surprise, surprise) seemed to keep a lot of people at home, including me. But then I had plenty to do with picture editing and planning for my tour around Europe which is drawing closer. A chunk of today was spent arranging travel insurance. I’ve now reached that age where some companies take the pee. Fortunately, I’ve managed to get an annual policy that’s flexible enough that I can extend the length of time away if I need it.

So, on to September – and France, Belgium, Holland, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Switzerland and Italy – here I come…

I’ve a small favour to ask…
If you enjoy reading this or any of the other blogs I’ve written, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course – although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab! – but the revenue from them helps me to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site (which isn’t cheap and comes out of my own pocket). Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website –  https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/

Cheers,

Paul

Bits and bobs from Southport…

27 Thursday Aug 2026

Posted by Paul Bigland in Musings, Photography, Southport

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life, mental-health, Travel, writing

Apologies for the lack of blogs recently. A combination of being busy with other things and the muse not being about me has led to the drought. Not that there’s an actual drought back here in Southport as the weather has very much turned to wet! Here’s how the skies looked this morning during my walk into town!

I’ve been back in Southport since last weekend, when I had chance to attend a fun night at the Settle Inn which is in Botanic Gardens. Billed as an ‘alternative night’ the 3 DJs involved played some classic music from the 70s-90s. I bumped into many old friends, from one of my former London flat mates from the 1980s to people I grew up with whom I’ve not seen for 40-odd years. Talk about memory lane! As it was a ‘night off’ I didn’t take the camera with me, which I kinda regret as it would have been lovely to document the evening – and the people, as the passing of time has meant there’s quite a few faces from those days who’re no longer around. Maybe another time, if there is one?

Now I’m sheltering in the Atkinson library on Lord St, researching and booking next month’s adventure either side of working at Innotrans in Berlin. With an Interrail ticket booked it’s now a case of planning routes via train and ferry that will take me in a broad loop around Europe to take in several countries I’ve never visited before. Exciting! One of today’s little tasks has been to buy a new small suitcase to take with me. Whilst not being constrained by airline baggage regulations I don’t want to be towing a suitcase the size of a caravan, so I’ve cut my cloth. Travel insurance is next on the list, although I’ve mixed feelings about finding out that the best place place I can go for that now is SAGA!

Back in Southport it seems time is accelerating. A couple of days ago I spotted this, then today I was in a shop called ‘Home Bargains’ where they’re already selling Xmas decorations! Give it another month and there’ll be Easter eggs in the shops.

Much as the rain is welcome, it couldn’t have come at a more awkward time. This bank holiday weekend it’s the Southport airshow. No more clear blue skies for that as the forecast is for a very mixed couple of days. Ho hum…

Even so, some people are continuing to do their best to brighten up the town. In an era when so many people seem to spend their time spreading doom and gloom on the internet it’s great to see that others are more bothered about raising a smile with their work.

I’ve a small favour to ask…
If you enjoy reading this or any of the other blogs I’ve written, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course – although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab! – but the revenue from them helps me to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site (which isn’t cheap and comes out of my own pocket). Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website –  https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/

Cheers,

Paul

20th August picture of the day…

20 Thursday Aug 2026

Posted by Paul Bigland in Birmingham, Hs2, Photography, Picture of the day, Railways, Travel

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Birmingham, books, Hs2, Photography, Picture of the day, Railways, Travel, writing

After a long day (and early day) yesterday I luxuriated in a lie-in until 06:00 here at Bigland Towers. I’d like to have slept in longer but we had a commitment. We were meant to be having the boiler replaced today, which meant getting up in plenty of to perform our ablutions and prepare for the cottage to be upheaved for the day. But there was a problem. After weeks of wall to wall sunshine, today the weather was chucking it down, and part of the boiler replacement meant that the guys had to get onto the roof to replace the boiler flue too. So, (apologetically) they cancelled and arranged to come back next week. The weather put the kibosh on another plumbing job I’d planned to do too. So, whilst Dawn disappeared to her parents I spent the day sheltering from the rain and editing pictures from yesterday. meaning the day wasn’t entirely wasted.

I managed to get a few other things done too – as well as get out for my daily perambulations, which I’ve not done as much of here compared to being in Southport, but what you lose in distance on the flat you make up with exertions on the hills, as my Fitbit cardio results show!

Whilst inconvenient in some ways the amount of rain we’re having is a blessing. Grassland that was showing several shades of brown is beginning to return to green – at least in some parts. The problem is that the ground’s so hard-baked much of the rain is running off fields which are hardly renowned for being flat in this neck of the woods. Hopefully, more rain will follow now that the ground’s being softened up.

Not that I’ll see the results. I’m heading back to the seaside for a little while.

I’ll try to keep you entertained with various blogs over the next few days. I’ve one in preperation right now from yesterday’s HS2 visit. The pictures are all ready, I just need to do the words so you know what you’re looking at as it’s quite a project with lots of facts and figures.

Right now I’ll leave you with today’s picture, which relates to both Birmingham and HS2.

With the massive Curzon St HS2 station rising in the background, a West Midlands metro tram calls at Albert St on the latest extension to the city’s tram network.

I’ve a small favour to ask…
If you enjoy reading this or any of the other blogs I’ve written, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course – although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab! – but the revenue from them helps me to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site (which isn’t cheap and comes out of my own pocket). Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website –  https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/

Cheers,

Paul

17th August picture of the day…

17 Monday Aug 2026

Posted by Paul Bigland in Climate Change, Photography, Picture of the day, West Yorkshire

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Climate Change, life, Musings, nature, Photography, Picture of the day, West Yorkshire, writing

We’ve kicked off another week with something everyone’s been desperate to see – rain. Only there’s been nowhere near enough of the stuff. It hasn’t even matched the forecast predictions. Some hours of the day delivered little more than a smattering. Just enough to dampen the dust and little else. Even so, it’s welcome. The landscape here in West Yorkshire’s as dry as a bone – and we’re nowhere near as bad as the South of England.

Anyone with half a brain can see that the climate’s changing before their eyes. We’re breaking record after record, but there’s always a few who refuse to believe what they see and take refuge in conspiracy theories and fossil fuel lobbyist propaganda. Their problem is none of it will stop what’s actually happening.

I’m hoping that the new Labour leadership will step up to the plate and start tackling the issues that face us. There’s a few encouraging signs but not that much of a sense of urgency – despite the fact the country’s already started burning. One wonders what sort of event will need to occur before there’s that ‘oh, shit!’ moment when things become very real indeed?

Still, there’s more rain supposed to be on the way for us, which is a blessing. Well, apart from the fact I’ll be off on my travels again later this week. On Wednesday I’ll be down in Birmingham on an HS2 site visit, then I’ll be back in Southport for the weekend. The rail network has been very fragile of late due to the long dry spell and heat so travel could get ‘interesting’. Our Victorian network simply wasn’t built with these conditions in mind – and it’s starting to show. Climate change coupled with a cutback on investment is causing havoc across several routes, and there’s little sign of the powers that be grasping the implications.

On the bright side, expect more blogs from the week as I start to stretch my wings again.

In the meantime, here’s today’s picture. You may remember that last year I did a series of ‘reservoir blogs’. I’ve not the time to do it again this year but Dawn and I did visit one location recently that featured heavily. Baitings reservoir has a sunken bridge that appears when levels get very low. This time last year it was almost fully exposed. It’s not as bad as that (yet) but levels are dropping rapidly.

Peek a boo! The old bridge in the foreground is gradually being exposed. Normally, the water levels are just below the new bridge in the background. This used to be a rare event. Now it’s becoming almost yearly. This picture was taken a week ago. Water levels have dropped a lot more since.

I’ve a small favour to ask…
If you enjoy reading this or any of the other blogs I’ve written, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course – although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab! – but the revenue from them helps me to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site (which isn’t cheap and comes out of my own pocket). Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website –  https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/

Cheers,

Paul

22nd July picture(s) of the day…

22 Wednesday Jul 2026

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

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life, Musings, Picture of the day, Southport, writing

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

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

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

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

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

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

I’ve a small favour to ask…
If you enjoy reading this or any of the other blogs I’ve written, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course – although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab! – but the revenue from them helps me to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site (which isn’t cheap and comes out of my own pocket). Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website –  https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/

Cheers,

Paul

Southport: The 12th July’s come early…

11 Saturday Jul 2026

Posted by Paul Bigland in History, Photography, Politics, Religion, Southport

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Photography, Politics, Religion, Suthport, Travel, writing

Why? Becasue today the Orange lodges parade in Southport instead of the traditional 12th of July as the 12th is a Sunday and they’re not allowed to march.

What’s this all about I hear you ask? well, Southport is one of the last towns that allow the Protestant Orange order to hold marches. The history is complicated, but here’s an explanation.

Now, ignoring politics and religion, I remember watching these parades since I was a kid. They were always a feature of summer in Southport. That said, I haven’t seen one since the early 1980s before I moved to London. I always meant to come back and photograph one, but stuff always got in the way. Today, I got that chance.

They’re a lot smaller than I remember. Back in the 1970s special trains would arrive from Glasgow, carrying pipe band and all manner of supporters. The rail network would be packed with supporters arriving from Manchester and especially Liverpool.

Now it all seems a bit more sedate and a lot smaller. My local pub (the Old Ship Inn) would host one of those Scottish pipe bands, who would turn up and pipe outside before requesting admittance from Monica, the landlady. after which they’d be hosted in a room upstairs whilst the pub would be swamped with their supporters. I’d volunteer as a glass collector, and a jolly (and pissed) time was had by all.

Today’s procession mostly arrived by coach, and there’s no pipe bands, sadly. But I’ll hang around in town until they leave later in order to get picture. Here’s the first few,

It’s 11:00…
I always remember the leader of these bands performing amazing stunts with their staffs as they were thrown high in the air and caught – sometimes behind their backs.

I’ve a small favour to ask…
If you enjoy reading this or any of the other blogs I’ve written, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course – although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab! – but the revenue from them helps me to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site (which isn’t cheap and comes out of my own pocket). Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website –  https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/

Cheers,

Paul

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