The camping part of the trip is now over as I’ll be stopping at a pub for the next couple of nights. I left yesterday’s blog with some indecision on what to do today. One thought was to go for a walk up on the moors, however a combination of freezing weather and a sore back put paid to that so it was another museum visit instead.
If I had a feeling that The Armouries glorified weapons and skipped over how they’re used the same could not be said of the Bankfield Museum in Halifax. Apart from incorporating the Duke of Wellington’s Regimental Museum they’ve also got a World Wat 1 exhibition which focuses on local people and artifacts. There are other exhibitions such as shoes, sweets (particularly Quality Street) and toys plus the Akroyd family who sold the house to the Corporation in the first place.
Although the DoW regiment was originally based around Gloucester it became the 33rd (or First Yorkshire West Riding) Regiment in 1782 and the Duke of Wellington’s in 1852. The display covers every major conflict from the American War of Independence through to peace keeping duties with the UN in Bosnia. The regiment was incorporated into The Yorkshire Regiment in 2006.
The next stop from there was Slaithwait (pronounced Slowit or Sluffit) for lunch. When in Yorkshire, on a Friday there’s only one real option so Fish, Chips and Bits it was. I had a wander round the town as well, and a short stroll along the canal. With time to kill I drove up into the hills and stopped off at a reservoir car park to relax and read; shame about the noise of the M62. From there I drove round via Saddleworth to the pub and a welcome pint of Black Sheep (the first of many!)
Friday 19 October 2018
Thursday 18 October 2018
Oop North- Day 2
The fan heater did sterling service overnight in the ‘van. It was noticeable that the temperature must have dropped about 4am as the heater then ran almost continuously, earlier the thermostat kept cutting in and out. I had a fairly early start to get the train in to Leeds for the day but I’m glad I don’t commute by rail, I was fortunate to get one of the last remaining seats and the train ended up so full that they cancelled the last two stops for safety reasons. The first stop after arriving in the City was Wetherspoons for coffee and breakfast before I set the SatNav for the walk to The Armouries museum, the main target of this part of the trip.
I have to admit I didn’t realise just how big the museum actually is. It was quite enough for me to walk round, and I’m not sure I didn’t miss a bit whilst dodging untethered children. The collection is split into themed areas such as Hunting, War, etc. arranged around a central atrium. It works well in my view. The only issue I have, and it’s a personal view, is that it’s very easy to get caught up in the magnificence of some of the weapons and forget that, with the exception of some purely ceremonial and presentation pieces, they’re all aimed at killing or harming people and animals. To be fair to the museum there was a display section aimed at street crime, pointing out the blades that are (or may be, depending on circumstances) illegal to carry. You do have to be careful, many multi-tools have locking blades which means they are not classed as having folding blades and therefore largely exempt from knife laws.
I think the most magnificent guns were not actually the most highly decorated, a pair of pistols with exquisite blued Damascus steel barrels. Anyone who watches Forged in Fire on TV will know that Damascus Steel is made by forge welding multiple layers of metal together, they’d also recognise quite s few of the blades on display, particularly in the Oriental section.
Lunch was a reasonable baked potato and coffee before I looked round the last couple of floors. I nearly missed a whole floor which included the First World War display. This highlighted the transition from man-to-man fighting to machine guns and mass killing, but with reference to the hand-to-hand fighting in the trenches where knives, clubs and even lances were used. I timed my departure just right to hear the peace of Leeds Dock being disturbed by a demonstration of the iconic Lee Enfield .303 rifle. I should point out that it was a deactivated rifle firing blanks but it was still blooming noisy.
I didn’t want to be too late back to the station, bearing in mind the crowded train of the morning, but I wandered up through the shopping quarter on the way without seeing anything of interest. There wasn’t too long a wait for a train, they’re fairly frequent during the day, and this time it was only moderately full. It does get a bit confusing on that line as the train reverses direction at Bradford Interchange! I had planned to walk up to the pub for supper but after a long day just couldn’t be bothered so a tin of chicken soup and a couple of bread roles sufficed. I’ll definitely be having an early night, I’ve got a couple of options for tomorrow depending on how I feel.
I have to admit I didn’t realise just how big the museum actually is. It was quite enough for me to walk round, and I’m not sure I didn’t miss a bit whilst dodging untethered children. The collection is split into themed areas such as Hunting, War, etc. arranged around a central atrium. It works well in my view. The only issue I have, and it’s a personal view, is that it’s very easy to get caught up in the magnificence of some of the weapons and forget that, with the exception of some purely ceremonial and presentation pieces, they’re all aimed at killing or harming people and animals. To be fair to the museum there was a display section aimed at street crime, pointing out the blades that are (or may be, depending on circumstances) illegal to carry. You do have to be careful, many multi-tools have locking blades which means they are not classed as having folding blades and therefore largely exempt from knife laws.
I think the most magnificent guns were not actually the most highly decorated, a pair of pistols with exquisite blued Damascus steel barrels. Anyone who watches Forged in Fire on TV will know that Damascus Steel is made by forge welding multiple layers of metal together, they’d also recognise quite s few of the blades on display, particularly in the Oriental section.
Lunch was a reasonable baked potato and coffee before I looked round the last couple of floors. I nearly missed a whole floor which included the First World War display. This highlighted the transition from man-to-man fighting to machine guns and mass killing, but with reference to the hand-to-hand fighting in the trenches where knives, clubs and even lances were used. I timed my departure just right to hear the peace of Leeds Dock being disturbed by a demonstration of the iconic Lee Enfield .303 rifle. I should point out that it was a deactivated rifle firing blanks but it was still blooming noisy.
I didn’t want to be too late back to the station, bearing in mind the crowded train of the morning, but I wandered up through the shopping quarter on the way without seeing anything of interest. There wasn’t too long a wait for a train, they’re fairly frequent during the day, and this time it was only moderately full. It does get a bit confusing on that line as the train reverses direction at Bradford Interchange! I had planned to walk up to the pub for supper but after a long day just couldn’t be bothered so a tin of chicken soup and a couple of bread roles sufficed. I’ll definitely be having an early night, I’ve got a couple of options for tomorrow depending on how I feel.
Wednesday 17 October 2018
Oop North - Day 1
I’m having another long weekend trip, part campervan, part pub, this time to Yorkshire. The main purpose is the season end “do” for the canal theatre company I’m a supporter of but I’m taking the opportunity to visit some museums.
Today it was Armley Mills, the Leeds Technial Museum. After an easy drive up I got there at just the right time. Although it was originally a corn mill it was converted to a woollen mill in the early 1800’s and that’s still the main part of the displays. The downside was that there was a large school party visiting, but that did mean the Spinning Mule was demonstrated. Apart from that it’s all static displays (the steam Mill Engine does run but only on bank holidays). I managed to largely dodge the untethered children and had a decent look round. As I was leaving I got caught by a researcher doing a survey on the museum. I don’t really mind doing these as they are important for direction and funding but it was a bit long.
I then made a fatal mistake. The caravan site is near Hebden Bridge so I thought I’d go there for some lunch. I should have stopped in Sowerby Bridge on the way as every single parking space (bar one that there was no way I’d get in to) in HB was full. With Mytholmroyd being dug up as well I gave up and went to the site. I’d got lunch makings and beer anyway so it wasn’t an issue. The site is quite small so if you arrive in the afternoon you just pitch up and pay when the office opens. In the end I’m not sure if it was recent lack of sleep or the can of Tanglefoot but I had a decent snooze in the afternoon before visiting the office and coughing up just over £16 for two nights.
The Robin Hood is s bit of a pull up the hill (it’s the longest continuous incline in the country) but as with the last time I visited it’s great. First thing when I came in (I’m still there!) was being asked if I’d seen a missing dog. I hadn’t but before I’d finished the first pint it had been found and was shut in one of the cars awaiting collection. It’s a real locals pub, but one of those where you’re regarded as one of them as soon as you walk in. It’s also very dog friendly, there are free dog treats available!
The ‘van will be staying on site tomorrow as I’m getting the train to Leeds. More on that in the next blog.
Addendum
The hill is a popular challenge to the cyclists (it featured on La Tour). I saw a couple riding up in the near dark as I walked up to the pub and now a couple have appeared in the bar.
Today it was Armley Mills, the Leeds Technial Museum. After an easy drive up I got there at just the right time. Although it was originally a corn mill it was converted to a woollen mill in the early 1800’s and that’s still the main part of the displays. The downside was that there was a large school party visiting, but that did mean the Spinning Mule was demonstrated. Apart from that it’s all static displays (the steam Mill Engine does run but only on bank holidays). I managed to largely dodge the untethered children and had a decent look round. As I was leaving I got caught by a researcher doing a survey on the museum. I don’t really mind doing these as they are important for direction and funding but it was a bit long.
I then made a fatal mistake. The caravan site is near Hebden Bridge so I thought I’d go there for some lunch. I should have stopped in Sowerby Bridge on the way as every single parking space (bar one that there was no way I’d get in to) in HB was full. With Mytholmroyd being dug up as well I gave up and went to the site. I’d got lunch makings and beer anyway so it wasn’t an issue. The site is quite small so if you arrive in the afternoon you just pitch up and pay when the office opens. In the end I’m not sure if it was recent lack of sleep or the can of Tanglefoot but I had a decent snooze in the afternoon before visiting the office and coughing up just over £16 for two nights.
The Robin Hood is s bit of a pull up the hill (it’s the longest continuous incline in the country) but as with the last time I visited it’s great. First thing when I came in (I’m still there!) was being asked if I’d seen a missing dog. I hadn’t but before I’d finished the first pint it had been found and was shut in one of the cars awaiting collection. It’s a real locals pub, but one of those where you’re regarded as one of them as soon as you walk in. It’s also very dog friendly, there are free dog treats available!
The ‘van will be staying on site tomorrow as I’m getting the train to Leeds. More on that in the next blog.
Addendum
The hill is a popular challenge to the cyclists (it featured on La Tour). I saw a couple riding up in the near dark as I walked up to the pub and now a couple have appeared in the bar.
Saturday 29 September 2018
An Expensive Week!
It was annual service time for the campervan, and at 11 years old I decided a cambelt change was also due. The service itself wasn't too expensive, unfortunately they couldn't do the cambelt at the same time so that meant two successive Saturday morning visits to MK. They also picked up that there was uneven front tyre wear indicating a tracking fault. I wasn't surprised as the 'van has tended to pull slightly to the left.
A garage near to work offers laser wheel alignment so I booked for that and two new tyres. It took two attempts for them to get the steering wheel centred (it's still very slightly off) but they certainly made an improvement. I am going to have to watch my speed though. Rebalancing the front wheels has eliminated the slight vibration that used to come in at just on 70mph which has removed a useful warning!
The cambelt change took a bit longer than I'd hoped so the planned coffee with friends led on to brunch as well! All told it's cost me around £700 but I don't reckon that's too bad. The tracking is the only non-routine expense and I doubt I'll ever have to do the cambelt again.
A garage near to work offers laser wheel alignment so I booked for that and two new tyres. It took two attempts for them to get the steering wheel centred (it's still very slightly off) but they certainly made an improvement. I am going to have to watch my speed though. Rebalancing the front wheels has eliminated the slight vibration that used to come in at just on 70mph which has removed a useful warning!
The cambelt change took a bit longer than I'd hoped so the planned coffee with friends led on to brunch as well! All told it's cost me around £700 but I don't reckon that's too bad. The tracking is the only non-routine expense and I doubt I'll ever have to do the cambelt again.
Saturday 15 September 2018
End of the Trip
The last few days of the trip were spent in a hotel in Llanberis with friends. It was our third (and probably last) year there, we've decided we'll find a different area next year. I visited the Great Orme on the way, and had a minor overheating issue driving to the top. It wasn't significant, just a long steep climb and no chance really for the engine to then cool down. I did note that the bus which arrived a while later had similar problems.
The major reason for being there was to ride on the cable hauled tramway, being on the first service down I had the trams (there are actually two pairs covering the upper and lower halves of the journey) to myself. After a wander round Llandudno it was a lot more crowded on the ride back up!
Saturday I had a short train ride as the Snowdon Mountain Railway had a visiting Swiss loco giving free rides. After that we went for a walk round the lake, it turned out to be a bit further and steeper than I'd anticipated but it was a good walk. Sunday was very wet but we had a wander round Beddgelert then a short walk back over a path I used last year.
There are a couple of conclusions from the trip. I'd like to fit some permanent roof ventilation, whether that's something like a Heki rooflight or just a van ventilator may depend on how brave I am about cutting a hole in the van roof! The advantage should be a reduction in condensation on a morning and hopefully things won't get quite as hot inside. I found the two days where I could leave the 'van on site were great so when planning future trips I'll be looking for sites near railway stations and bus routes or close enough to attractions to use the bike,
The major reason for being there was to ride on the cable hauled tramway, being on the first service down I had the trams (there are actually two pairs covering the upper and lower halves of the journey) to myself. After a wander round Llandudno it was a lot more crowded on the ride back up!
Saturday I had a short train ride as the Snowdon Mountain Railway had a visiting Swiss loco giving free rides. After that we went for a walk round the lake, it turned out to be a bit further and steeper than I'd anticipated but it was a good walk. Sunday was very wet but we had a wander round Beddgelert then a short walk back over a path I used last year.
There are a couple of conclusions from the trip. I'd like to fit some permanent roof ventilation, whether that's something like a Heki rooflight or just a van ventilator may depend on how brave I am about cutting a hole in the van roof! The advantage should be a reduction in condensation on a morning and hopefully things won't get quite as hot inside. I found the two days where I could leave the 'van on site were great so when planning future trips I'll be looking for sites near railway stations and bus routes or close enough to attractions to use the bike,
Thursday 30 August 2018
Back to Normal
Normal service has been resumed today as I went to play trains.
I haven’t actually been into Llangollen since we arrived by boat around 30 years ago so it was a primary aim of this trip. Having noticed the availability of a bus service (just, it shuts down a week on Saturday) I decided it wasn’t worth driving in to the town. There was nearly a problem as the bus doesn’t take contactless (it’s EasyCoach who operate the service, owned by one of the pioneers of internet based travel!) I thought I’d only got a £20 note which the driver reckoned he couldn’t change, fortunately I managed to find the £5 fare in change.
First order of the day was a coffee, I was fairly early as the bus only runs every couple of hours, but one of the cafes was open. I resisted the temptation of a sausage sandwich having had bacon butties in the ‘van before I left. I took the opportunity of the early morning sunshine to take some photos of the River and had a bit of a wander before having another coffee at the station. The line is definitely more scenic than some I’ve been on recently as it follows the Dee up the valley. They’re gradually extending things and don’t yet have a passing loop beyond Carrog so the train has to reverse completely back from the end of the line. I’m not sure how they reconcile this with H&S as I know other lines have had issues doing this with longish trains. We stopped for about 20 minutes at Carrog for the engine to run around which gave us a chance to get off. The LNER Teak coach that was shown on telly being restored is there and you can go inside. It does look good!
The train was crowded on the way back as a lot of people had joined (including a tour party) but I grabbed a few more pics. It was lunchtime when we got back but inevitably the station tearooms were packed so I walked back into the town. I’d noticed the Oggie (pasty) Shop already and decided to try a minted lamb one. I finished it but it nearly defeated me! It was huge! In hindsight something a bit smaller might have been a better bet. I again fell fowl of the infrequent bus service as I didn’t want to leave immediately so then had a couple of hours to fill. The local museum took up a bit of time, it’s OK but very disjointed. I also popped in to an outdoor equipment shop primarily to drool over the Granfors Bruks axes, they are superb bits of workmanship but eye wateringly expensive. Strolling down by the river led me to a small Christian books and crafts shop. I didn’t buy anything but it filled a few minutes and I had a brief chat with one of the ladies manning it. I also found a spot to get a last photo of the railway.
The bus back took a much more scenic route than on the way there, once the driver had got his cup of tea! He arrived but then locked up the bus while he went to fill his mug. I wonder why they’ve timetabled a stop at Fron Community Centre which is barely 50 yards from the stop on the main road and which entails the bus backing in to a narrow entrance where people are walking about. A couple of the other stops seemed almost as pointless. Back at the ‘van it was time to relax before having dinner (sausage, potato and shallot all fried up together). After washing up I did have a sort out and tidy ready to move to a hotel in Llanberis. That included emptying the toilet as frankly it’s a lot easier using the site facilities than it is at home.
I haven’t actually been into Llangollen since we arrived by boat around 30 years ago so it was a primary aim of this trip. Having noticed the availability of a bus service (just, it shuts down a week on Saturday) I decided it wasn’t worth driving in to the town. There was nearly a problem as the bus doesn’t take contactless (it’s EasyCoach who operate the service, owned by one of the pioneers of internet based travel!) I thought I’d only got a £20 note which the driver reckoned he couldn’t change, fortunately I managed to find the £5 fare in change.
First order of the day was a coffee, I was fairly early as the bus only runs every couple of hours, but one of the cafes was open. I resisted the temptation of a sausage sandwich having had bacon butties in the ‘van before I left. I took the opportunity of the early morning sunshine to take some photos of the River and had a bit of a wander before having another coffee at the station. The line is definitely more scenic than some I’ve been on recently as it follows the Dee up the valley. They’re gradually extending things and don’t yet have a passing loop beyond Carrog so the train has to reverse completely back from the end of the line. I’m not sure how they reconcile this with H&S as I know other lines have had issues doing this with longish trains. We stopped for about 20 minutes at Carrog for the engine to run around which gave us a chance to get off. The LNER Teak coach that was shown on telly being restored is there and you can go inside. It does look good!
The train was crowded on the way back as a lot of people had joined (including a tour party) but I grabbed a few more pics. It was lunchtime when we got back but inevitably the station tearooms were packed so I walked back into the town. I’d noticed the Oggie (pasty) Shop already and decided to try a minted lamb one. I finished it but it nearly defeated me! It was huge! In hindsight something a bit smaller might have been a better bet. I again fell fowl of the infrequent bus service as I didn’t want to leave immediately so then had a couple of hours to fill. The local museum took up a bit of time, it’s OK but very disjointed. I also popped in to an outdoor equipment shop primarily to drool over the Granfors Bruks axes, they are superb bits of workmanship but eye wateringly expensive. Strolling down by the river led me to a small Christian books and crafts shop. I didn’t buy anything but it filled a few minutes and I had a brief chat with one of the ladies manning it. I also found a spot to get a last photo of the railway.
The bus back took a much more scenic route than on the way there, once the driver had got his cup of tea! He arrived but then locked up the bus while he went to fill his mug. I wonder why they’ve timetabled a stop at Fron Community Centre which is barely 50 yards from the stop on the main road and which entails the bus backing in to a narrow entrance where people are walking about. A couple of the other stops seemed almost as pointless. Back at the ‘van it was time to relax before having dinner (sausage, potato and shallot all fried up together). After washing up I did have a sort out and tidy ready to move to a hotel in Llanberis. That included emptying the toilet as frankly it’s a lot easier using the site facilities than it is at home.
Wednesday 29 August 2018
I Must be Mad!
Why else would I spend the best part of the day walking several miles in the footsteps of a fictional monk around a town that has few buildings from that time left?
I was reading the Cadfael stories long before the TV series (which I didn’t watch due to the dreadful casting) made them popular. I’ve got the full set of books and do reread them occasionally. Having made an eatlyish start I walked down to the station and got the train in to Shrewsbury. As there isn’t even a ticket machine at Chirk I used the Trainline app to buy an e-ticket. I have to say it worked very smoothly. It’s only a 20 minute journey, my first aim on arrival being breakfast. I have two go-to options in towns, either Wetherspoons or the local market cafe, this time it was the latter where £4 procured a respectable meal including toast and coffee. I then stopped off at the Tourist Information to get the walks guide (I’d already sussed this out from the ‘net). I was already spotting a lot of recognisable place and street names.
The 3 walks all start at the Abbey, of course, so that’s where I headed next. Sadly the bulk of the buildings, including much of the church itself, were destroyed in the Refomation and any ruins were lost with subsequent road building and development. The town part of the church was retained, and the remainder was later partly rebuilt in Victorian times. The first walk is basically just around the Abbey itself, inside and outside. The second is up the Abbey Foregate to St Giles which was a Leper Hospital. Again, the church survives although it’s largely Victorian incorporating parts of the original walls.
The third, and longest, walk is around the town. By this stage I decided on lunch and found a nice cafe where I managed to knock everything off an adjacent table! The only damage was the glass being used as a sugar basin and the two ladies serving were very nice about it. The food was good too! I’ll leave the full description of the walk until the photos go up on the website but suffice it to say there’s very little flat involved! It was up from the English Bridge, down to the Town Gate and back up again then down to the Welsh Bridge and back up. It’s more about the places than any buildings, apart from the Abbey, a watchtower and a few places with early parts incorporated in them everything has gone. However it’s a tribute to Ellis Peters’ research and accuracy that you can visit the locations from the stories at all. I did a little bit of shopping on the way round, finding myself outside M&S I popped in for a couple of packs of underwear!
I wanted some pics of Shrewsbury Station however there was a bit of an incident going on so I had to be careful. Nothing major but as far as I could make out an itinerant (for want of a better word as I’m not sure if he was homeless, begging, or what) and his dog had been intimidating passengers, whether deliberately or not, and had then been abusive to station staff. The police in attendance were really just suggesting he move on, which he was reluctant to do. He was then starting to be abusive again, and the Police were genuinely trying to keep it calm from what I heard and saw. I don’t know how it ended up as I’d gone into the station and then come out again as Platform 3 has a separate entrance!
Having a little bit of provisions shopping to do I went into Chirk itself when the train got in to visit the butchers (breakfasts) and the grocers (beer and bread). I also had a pint at the Hand Hotel before walking back up the hill to the site. Overall a long and tiring day but well worthwhile. I’ve now got a much better sense of perspective on where the places in the books actually are but it also makes you realise how small places actually were back then. Even St Giles, which as a Leper Hospital was well away from the town, is less than a mile from the Abbey.
I was reading the Cadfael stories long before the TV series (which I didn’t watch due to the dreadful casting) made them popular. I’ve got the full set of books and do reread them occasionally. Having made an eatlyish start I walked down to the station and got the train in to Shrewsbury. As there isn’t even a ticket machine at Chirk I used the Trainline app to buy an e-ticket. I have to say it worked very smoothly. It’s only a 20 minute journey, my first aim on arrival being breakfast. I have two go-to options in towns, either Wetherspoons or the local market cafe, this time it was the latter where £4 procured a respectable meal including toast and coffee. I then stopped off at the Tourist Information to get the walks guide (I’d already sussed this out from the ‘net). I was already spotting a lot of recognisable place and street names.
The 3 walks all start at the Abbey, of course, so that’s where I headed next. Sadly the bulk of the buildings, including much of the church itself, were destroyed in the Refomation and any ruins were lost with subsequent road building and development. The town part of the church was retained, and the remainder was later partly rebuilt in Victorian times. The first walk is basically just around the Abbey itself, inside and outside. The second is up the Abbey Foregate to St Giles which was a Leper Hospital. Again, the church survives although it’s largely Victorian incorporating parts of the original walls.
The third, and longest, walk is around the town. By this stage I decided on lunch and found a nice cafe where I managed to knock everything off an adjacent table! The only damage was the glass being used as a sugar basin and the two ladies serving were very nice about it. The food was good too! I’ll leave the full description of the walk until the photos go up on the website but suffice it to say there’s very little flat involved! It was up from the English Bridge, down to the Town Gate and back up again then down to the Welsh Bridge and back up. It’s more about the places than any buildings, apart from the Abbey, a watchtower and a few places with early parts incorporated in them everything has gone. However it’s a tribute to Ellis Peters’ research and accuracy that you can visit the locations from the stories at all. I did a little bit of shopping on the way round, finding myself outside M&S I popped in for a couple of packs of underwear!
I wanted some pics of Shrewsbury Station however there was a bit of an incident going on so I had to be careful. Nothing major but as far as I could make out an itinerant (for want of a better word as I’m not sure if he was homeless, begging, or what) and his dog had been intimidating passengers, whether deliberately or not, and had then been abusive to station staff. The police in attendance were really just suggesting he move on, which he was reluctant to do. He was then starting to be abusive again, and the Police were genuinely trying to keep it calm from what I heard and saw. I don’t know how it ended up as I’d gone into the station and then come out again as Platform 3 has a separate entrance!
Having a little bit of provisions shopping to do I went into Chirk itself when the train got in to visit the butchers (breakfasts) and the grocers (beer and bread). I also had a pint at the Hand Hotel before walking back up the hill to the site. Overall a long and tiring day but well worthwhile. I’ve now got a much better sense of perspective on where the places in the books actually are but it also makes you realise how small places actually were back then. Even St Giles, which as a Leper Hospital was well away from the town, is less than a mile from the Abbey.
Tuesday 28 August 2018
I Got It Wrong!
When I planned this trip I’d got Ironbridge and Llangollen in mind and was just looking for something to do on the journey in between. The Severn Valley Railway fitted the bill but I now realise that it deserves more than being just a quick stop between sites.
I got away on schedule* and managed to find the car park at Bridgnorth Station (it wasn’t just me, as I was paying a couple asked if they were in the right place). The station itself is being redeveloped at the moment so the facilities are a bit limited. I’d timed it about right for the first train to Kidderminster. It was a fairly unremarkable journey, hauled by a 1930’s pannier tank. I was sat just behind the engine and there did seem a bit of concern before we set off about whether there was enough boiler pressure - we made it but the loco struggled with a long, fairly full train.
We had just under an hour at Kidderminster, long enough to have a look round the small, but good, railway museum. I was also able to watch them load a permanent way engine onto a low loader whilst waiting for the train to depart. I got quite a few photos on the way back so I was fairly happy. What I missed out on was stopping at some of the intermediate stations, in particular I’d have liked to stop at Highley where they’ve built an engine shed and visitor centre. I definitely think another visit is needed.
The drive along the A5 to Chirk was slow in places, just weight of traffic, but I got on site and booked in at a reasonable time. I was debating what to do, and feeling a bit “bleugh” for no real reason, but settled on a walk down to the village, about a mile. There’s not much to see really! There isn’t a pub as such, only the Hand Hotel, so I walked down the hill to the Bridge Inn, thus passing back into England! They only do a limited menu early in the week but the burger I had was passable. I might not have stopped for food but I got talking to a couple from the site who are on their way home from Shrewsbury Folk Festival, we had a good chat and then walked back to the site the scenic route, up to the canal, over the aquaduct and through the edge of the estate. They were a lovely couple and talking to them really cheered me up.
I’m still in two minds tomorrow. Plan A is to get the train to Shrewsbury, I haven’t decided yet if there’s a plan B!
*It was only when I pitched at Chirk that I realised I’d left my pitch sign at the previous site. Not a major issue but I’ve had to buy a new one and fix it with gaffer tape for the moment.
I got away on schedule* and managed to find the car park at Bridgnorth Station (it wasn’t just me, as I was paying a couple asked if they were in the right place). The station itself is being redeveloped at the moment so the facilities are a bit limited. I’d timed it about right for the first train to Kidderminster. It was a fairly unremarkable journey, hauled by a 1930’s pannier tank. I was sat just behind the engine and there did seem a bit of concern before we set off about whether there was enough boiler pressure - we made it but the loco struggled with a long, fairly full train.
We had just under an hour at Kidderminster, long enough to have a look round the small, but good, railway museum. I was also able to watch them load a permanent way engine onto a low loader whilst waiting for the train to depart. I got quite a few photos on the way back so I was fairly happy. What I missed out on was stopping at some of the intermediate stations, in particular I’d have liked to stop at Highley where they’ve built an engine shed and visitor centre. I definitely think another visit is needed.
The drive along the A5 to Chirk was slow in places, just weight of traffic, but I got on site and booked in at a reasonable time. I was debating what to do, and feeling a bit “bleugh” for no real reason, but settled on a walk down to the village, about a mile. There’s not much to see really! There isn’t a pub as such, only the Hand Hotel, so I walked down the hill to the Bridge Inn, thus passing back into England! They only do a limited menu early in the week but the burger I had was passable. I might not have stopped for food but I got talking to a couple from the site who are on their way home from Shrewsbury Folk Festival, we had a good chat and then walked back to the site the scenic route, up to the canal, over the aquaduct and through the edge of the estate. They were a lovely couple and talking to them really cheered me up.
I’m still in two minds tomorrow. Plan A is to get the train to Shrewsbury, I haven’t decided yet if there’s a plan B!
*It was only when I pitched at Chirk that I realised I’d left my pitch sign at the previous site. Not a major issue but I’ve had to buy a new one and fix it with gaffer tape for the moment.
Monday 27 August 2018
No Railways!
It’s fairly rare that I manage a whole day away with no railway connection at all but I just about managed it today.
I started off at the Museum of Iron, interesting enough and fairly quiet. Some of the castings are incredible although of course the bulk of the output was routine products; Abraham Darby’s first venture into ironwork was with a patent for sand casting cooking pots more cheaply than with other processes and materials. On the same site is the Old Furnace which has been hailed as the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution. You can stand on the spot where, in 1709, they first charged a furnace with coke instead of charcoal thus enabling the production of the iron needed for the machines, etc. Sadly I suspect most visitors ignore it in favour of the more spectacular attractions. Just up the road are the two Darby houses which were the family homes for many years. Not entirely my sort of thing but I walked round the main house (the smaller one relies on volunteers and wasn’t open). The brief introduction from one of the guides was interesting and informative and many of the artefacts were worth seeing. The kitchen, inevitably, has the most spectacular range I’ve ever seen!
I decided to leave my car in the museum car park and walk down to Ironbridge itself, there is parking in the town but it’s expensive and I needed the exercise. It started drizzling heavily so I stopped at the ‘van and swapped my fleece for my anorak, of course I’d only gone a short way before it stopped again! The first stop down by the river was the Museum of the Gorge where I met yesterday’s guide from the Pipe Museum again - they do tend to move them around the attractions apparently. A lot of what’s there is told at the other museums but it ties things together and really gives a sense of the scale of the industry in the area.
By this stage I was thinking of a sit down and some lunch so found a fish and chip shop with cafe. Cod, chips and a can of coke were duly consumed before I visited the Bridge itself. You can’t see very much of it at the moment though, it’s covered in scaffolding and plastic. There’s a narrow section open on one side for people to cross but that’s it. You can, however, get a close view of the work as they’ve also installed a walkway alongside the bridge with viewing windows. As friends know I’m not generally good with heights but I was ok, and had a chat with a very knowledgeable gentleman from English Heritage. Basically due to the river banks subsiding and spreading large cracks, about 20mm wide, have formed right across the ironwork at each side and the deck is also lifting clear of the supports.
The first stage of the fix was to install a concrete invert in the river to stabilise everything and they’re now sandblasting, repairing and repainting the ironwork. Surprisingly it’s being painted in red, not black. This is on the basis of a contemporary painting and also analysis of the paint layers. What they can’t be sure is that the red wasn’t a primer and it was always black over the top but in the absence of an invoice for “20 gallons of red undercoat and 20 gallons of black topcoat” turning up they’re going with it. At the far end of the bridge the Tollhouse has been made into another small museum so that was the final punching of my passport. I visited 6 of the 10 attractions so I reckon I did OK. I missed out the China Museum and Tar Tunnel*, the Tile Museum and Enginuity (an interactive display aimed at kids). The pottery side doesn’t interest me all that much otherwise I’d have done those tomorrow.
After a wander along the river and a quick look round the local antiques warehouse** I walked back up the hill to the ‘van. It’s not a long way but like a lot of the valley it’s quite steep. I had a brief chat with the car park attendant who was just going off shift, I’m guessing he was another volunteer, as he’d noticed that I’d been there first thing. Like a lot of the people I’ve met he seemed a genuinely nice person so I’ll complement the museums on that. I’m glad that’s my penultimate drive over the roads to the site, they’re pretty dreadful in places and I hate to think what would happen if two caravans met on them as there are long stretches of single track. It’s not a site I’d bother to come back to unless there was a really pressing reason.
*The Tar Tunnel was originally started for an underground canal as part of trying to move materials more cheaply to the river however they struck a seam of bitumen and decided it was more valuable to mine that, hence the Hay Incline was built instead.
**People keep telling me that we don’t make anything in this country, which I find surprising given that I’ve spent the last 30 years working for manufacturing companies! The antiques shop is part of the Merrythought Village complex where they’ve been making high quality teddy bears since 1930. At the back of where Enginuity is the building is still a casting works. The gates may say Coalbrookdale Co but the sign says Aga Rayburn, they make cast metalwork for the ranges there.
I started off at the Museum of Iron, interesting enough and fairly quiet. Some of the castings are incredible although of course the bulk of the output was routine products; Abraham Darby’s first venture into ironwork was with a patent for sand casting cooking pots more cheaply than with other processes and materials. On the same site is the Old Furnace which has been hailed as the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution. You can stand on the spot where, in 1709, they first charged a furnace with coke instead of charcoal thus enabling the production of the iron needed for the machines, etc. Sadly I suspect most visitors ignore it in favour of the more spectacular attractions. Just up the road are the two Darby houses which were the family homes for many years. Not entirely my sort of thing but I walked round the main house (the smaller one relies on volunteers and wasn’t open). The brief introduction from one of the guides was interesting and informative and many of the artefacts were worth seeing. The kitchen, inevitably, has the most spectacular range I’ve ever seen!
I decided to leave my car in the museum car park and walk down to Ironbridge itself, there is parking in the town but it’s expensive and I needed the exercise. It started drizzling heavily so I stopped at the ‘van and swapped my fleece for my anorak, of course I’d only gone a short way before it stopped again! The first stop down by the river was the Museum of the Gorge where I met yesterday’s guide from the Pipe Museum again - they do tend to move them around the attractions apparently. A lot of what’s there is told at the other museums but it ties things together and really gives a sense of the scale of the industry in the area.
By this stage I was thinking of a sit down and some lunch so found a fish and chip shop with cafe. Cod, chips and a can of coke were duly consumed before I visited the Bridge itself. You can’t see very much of it at the moment though, it’s covered in scaffolding and plastic. There’s a narrow section open on one side for people to cross but that’s it. You can, however, get a close view of the work as they’ve also installed a walkway alongside the bridge with viewing windows. As friends know I’m not generally good with heights but I was ok, and had a chat with a very knowledgeable gentleman from English Heritage. Basically due to the river banks subsiding and spreading large cracks, about 20mm wide, have formed right across the ironwork at each side and the deck is also lifting clear of the supports.
The first stage of the fix was to install a concrete invert in the river to stabilise everything and they’re now sandblasting, repairing and repainting the ironwork. Surprisingly it’s being painted in red, not black. This is on the basis of a contemporary painting and also analysis of the paint layers. What they can’t be sure is that the red wasn’t a primer and it was always black over the top but in the absence of an invoice for “20 gallons of red undercoat and 20 gallons of black topcoat” turning up they’re going with it. At the far end of the bridge the Tollhouse has been made into another small museum so that was the final punching of my passport. I visited 6 of the 10 attractions so I reckon I did OK. I missed out the China Museum and Tar Tunnel*, the Tile Museum and Enginuity (an interactive display aimed at kids). The pottery side doesn’t interest me all that much otherwise I’d have done those tomorrow.
After a wander along the river and a quick look round the local antiques warehouse** I walked back up the hill to the ‘van. It’s not a long way but like a lot of the valley it’s quite steep. I had a brief chat with the car park attendant who was just going off shift, I’m guessing he was another volunteer, as he’d noticed that I’d been there first thing. Like a lot of the people I’ve met he seemed a genuinely nice person so I’ll complement the museums on that. I’m glad that’s my penultimate drive over the roads to the site, they’re pretty dreadful in places and I hate to think what would happen if two caravans met on them as there are long stretches of single track. It’s not a site I’d bother to come back to unless there was a really pressing reason.
*The Tar Tunnel was originally started for an underground canal as part of trying to move materials more cheaply to the river however they struck a seam of bitumen and decided it was more valuable to mine that, hence the Hay Incline was built instead.
**People keep telling me that we don’t make anything in this country, which I find surprising given that I’ve spent the last 30 years working for manufacturing companies! The antiques shop is part of the Merrythought Village complex where they’ve been making high quality teddy bears since 1930. At the back of where Enginuity is the building is still a casting works. The gates may say Coalbrookdale Co but the sign says Aga Rayburn, they make cast metalwork for the ranges there.
Sunday 26 August 2018
Wet, wet, wet!
I’m not referring to the band but the weather.
It was tempting to stay on site today with the rain being very heavy but I did go out. Plans for the day were flexible as they depended on whether I wanted to go back to Blists Hill. As I didn’t I started off at the Telford Railway. I felt sorry for them when I got there, they were supposed to be doing a 40’s weekend but it was a wash out for the day. The journey isn’t hugely long, and is a bit confusing as you go up the line from one station, back down a different line then back to the top and return to the start. Having retrieved the waterproof camera from the ‘van I got a few photos, I just didn’t dare get the good camera out it was so wet. As well as the main line they also have a small tramway running in a loop around part of the site. The trip round included a stop at the engine shed and a chance to look round in there. Overall a worthwhile visit but I wouldn’t mind going again on a sunny day.
The second attraction for the day was the Broseley Pipe Works (that’s pipe as in smoking not drain!) It’s one of the Ironbridge museums that I’d never been to before. It was the last of many clay pipe factories in the area but closed in 1957 when the owner died and sat untouched until the Trust bought the site. We nearly didn’t get to go round as there was a problem with the lighting on the ground floor but the guide, having sought and not received any guidance, decided to go ahead anyway. He was a young chap from the village but did an excellent job. There is still a pipe maker who has a small workshop there, his products have appeared in the Lord of the Rings and Pirates of the Caribbean series.
That was about it for the day, I really didn’t feel like going anywhere else so headed back to site to relax.
PS (added later as I forgot about it). After the tram ride the driver plugged in the airline, I’m guessing it’s for the brakes as the engine probably doesn’t have a compressor. Unfortunately he then forgot to unplug it before setting off again! It was a good job somebody else noticed.
It was tempting to stay on site today with the rain being very heavy but I did go out. Plans for the day were flexible as they depended on whether I wanted to go back to Blists Hill. As I didn’t I started off at the Telford Railway. I felt sorry for them when I got there, they were supposed to be doing a 40’s weekend but it was a wash out for the day. The journey isn’t hugely long, and is a bit confusing as you go up the line from one station, back down a different line then back to the top and return to the start. Having retrieved the waterproof camera from the ‘van I got a few photos, I just didn’t dare get the good camera out it was so wet. As well as the main line they also have a small tramway running in a loop around part of the site. The trip round included a stop at the engine shed and a chance to look round in there. Overall a worthwhile visit but I wouldn’t mind going again on a sunny day.
The second attraction for the day was the Broseley Pipe Works (that’s pipe as in smoking not drain!) It’s one of the Ironbridge museums that I’d never been to before. It was the last of many clay pipe factories in the area but closed in 1957 when the owner died and sat untouched until the Trust bought the site. We nearly didn’t get to go round as there was a problem with the lighting on the ground floor but the guide, having sought and not received any guidance, decided to go ahead anyway. He was a young chap from the village but did an excellent job. There is still a pipe maker who has a small workshop there, his products have appeared in the Lord of the Rings and Pirates of the Caribbean series.
That was about it for the day, I really didn’t feel like going anywhere else so headed back to site to relax.
PS (added later as I forgot about it). After the tram ride the driver plugged in the airline, I’m guessing it’s for the brakes as the engine probably doesn’t have a compressor. Unfortunately he then forgot to unplug it before setting off again! It was a good job somebody else noticed.
Saturday 25 August 2018
A Victorian Experience
I’ve been a bit remiss in updating recently even though I’ve been doing some work on the ‘van, mainly related to carrying the bike. As I’ve not actually quite finished and have left the bike at home I’ll come back to that another time. I apologise there are no photos. There’s no site WiFi here and I’m not sure the mobile signal is up to it.
It’s been over 20 years since I last visited Ironbridge and the various museums in the group so I decided that another visit was well overdue. I made an early start from home, aiming to be at Blists Hill Victorian Town at around opening time. I would have been somewhat early if I hadn’t got five miles down the road and realised I’d left the cool box behind! I could have managed, of course, but it had the beer in.
Although you can buy single visit tickets if you’re going to more than one museum it’s best to buy the annual passport. This gives unlimited visits for a year to all 10 museums and if you miss some in that year you can still have a single free entry. Having dealt with that, and the gift aid of course, it was coffee and cake time. I was absolutely gasping for a drink by then (and the pub wasn’t yet open).
One thing with Blists Hill is that a lot of the shops sell stuff, you can buy pennies at the bank* or pay with modern currency. I didn’t actually want anything but it’s a good idea for the children. I wandered round some of the town then, inevitably, found a railway. They were running a replica of Trevithick’s Coalbrookdale Loco, almost certainly the first ever railway engine. This predated George Stephenson’s first attempt by some years. He followed that up with the Penydarren engine which did run commercially for a while although it may have been built primarily to win a bet! The trouble was these engines ran on iron plateways which couldn’t take the weight and forces so tended to fracture.
I walked along the canal** to the top of the Hay Inclined Plain. These canals were for tub-boats which were literally lifted out of the water on railway bogies and lowered down the valley sides to Severn***. Last time we were there we did things the wrong way round and had to walk up, although I didn’t use it there is now a modern plane lift part way along the route to avoid the climb. Having walked back towards the town I visited the Telford Toll House and a miner’s cottage. There’s a bit of a contrast particularly when according to the census returns the former originally housed just a man and a boy in a few large rooms while the latter, in two small rooms plus a store, once had 9 people living there. I decided it was refreshment time so left the rest of that end of the town for later and went to the pub. Unfortunately I didn’t have 9 1/2d on me so had to hand over £3.80 instead! It was a decent pint of Thwaites’ Cumberland Ale, not exactly local but the alternative was Banks’s which I really don’t enjoy.
The afternoon started with a train ride (inevitably). I’ve been down coal mines, a lead mine and a copper mine, here it was a clay mine, albeit just a replica tunnel. I hadn’t realised that the red clay was mined as rock, not clay as we think of it. Visiting the rest of the town I chatted with a few of the attendants about the exhibits, including the chap running a 60hp oil engine. I must admit the slow speed and lovely noise was mesmerising. Part of the discussion was about the fact they shouldn’t be called Diesel engines as he pinched the idea, similarly the Davey Lamp as it’s often known may have been preceded by the Geordie Lamp (back to our friend Mr Stephenson mentioned above). By mid-afternoon I’d really seen pretty much everything so headed to the caravan site. It really is in the middle of nowhere and took a bit of finding as the post code takes you some way away. It’s peaceful enough though. Being a no facility site I’m on my own resources. I can manage well enough for a few days.
Dinner had come from home anyway, I prepared a lamb casserole last night but didn’t cook it. Five minutes simmer this morning then into a wide-mouth Thermos flask for the day. It was just about still hot enough 10+ hours later but I boiled it up for a couple of minutes anyway so it was piping hot. I’d made a bit too much and overfilled the flask but it was lovely and tender whilst the potato wasn’t overdone. Tomorrow I’ll go to the Telford Railway but I’m not sure what else I’ll do. I’d left time in the programme for a second visit to Blists Hill if needed. I’m planning to visit the other museums I particularly want to see on Monday so I’ll have a look at the road atlas in a minute and see if I can play Brown Sign Bingo.
There were two things I saw at Blists Hill that I found disappointing. One I knew about already, the Spry, probably the last Severn Trow (traditional cargo boat) was rebuilt some years back. After a brief time in the water at Gloucester Docks it’s now stuck on dry land in a shed that’s been built around it. You can’t even really see it properly there’s so little space. A good few years ago on TV they helped restore a steam crane for the museum. That’s now sat outside with no protection and the boiler is rusting so will need replacing again.
*I wonder if I’m the only visitor who expects Pike to be behind the counter and Mainwaring saying, “You stupid boy!” It’s that sort of bank.
**The canal could do with serious attention from my friends in the waterway recovery group!
***Strictly it should always be referred to as just Severn, never The Severn or River Severn.
It’s been over 20 years since I last visited Ironbridge and the various museums in the group so I decided that another visit was well overdue. I made an early start from home, aiming to be at Blists Hill Victorian Town at around opening time. I would have been somewhat early if I hadn’t got five miles down the road and realised I’d left the cool box behind! I could have managed, of course, but it had the beer in.
Although you can buy single visit tickets if you’re going to more than one museum it’s best to buy the annual passport. This gives unlimited visits for a year to all 10 museums and if you miss some in that year you can still have a single free entry. Having dealt with that, and the gift aid of course, it was coffee and cake time. I was absolutely gasping for a drink by then (and the pub wasn’t yet open).
One thing with Blists Hill is that a lot of the shops sell stuff, you can buy pennies at the bank* or pay with modern currency. I didn’t actually want anything but it’s a good idea for the children. I wandered round some of the town then, inevitably, found a railway. They were running a replica of Trevithick’s Coalbrookdale Loco, almost certainly the first ever railway engine. This predated George Stephenson’s first attempt by some years. He followed that up with the Penydarren engine which did run commercially for a while although it may have been built primarily to win a bet! The trouble was these engines ran on iron plateways which couldn’t take the weight and forces so tended to fracture.
I walked along the canal** to the top of the Hay Inclined Plain. These canals were for tub-boats which were literally lifted out of the water on railway bogies and lowered down the valley sides to Severn***. Last time we were there we did things the wrong way round and had to walk up, although I didn’t use it there is now a modern plane lift part way along the route to avoid the climb. Having walked back towards the town I visited the Telford Toll House and a miner’s cottage. There’s a bit of a contrast particularly when according to the census returns the former originally housed just a man and a boy in a few large rooms while the latter, in two small rooms plus a store, once had 9 people living there. I decided it was refreshment time so left the rest of that end of the town for later and went to the pub. Unfortunately I didn’t have 9 1/2d on me so had to hand over £3.80 instead! It was a decent pint of Thwaites’ Cumberland Ale, not exactly local but the alternative was Banks’s which I really don’t enjoy.
The afternoon started with a train ride (inevitably). I’ve been down coal mines, a lead mine and a copper mine, here it was a clay mine, albeit just a replica tunnel. I hadn’t realised that the red clay was mined as rock, not clay as we think of it. Visiting the rest of the town I chatted with a few of the attendants about the exhibits, including the chap running a 60hp oil engine. I must admit the slow speed and lovely noise was mesmerising. Part of the discussion was about the fact they shouldn’t be called Diesel engines as he pinched the idea, similarly the Davey Lamp as it’s often known may have been preceded by the Geordie Lamp (back to our friend Mr Stephenson mentioned above). By mid-afternoon I’d really seen pretty much everything so headed to the caravan site. It really is in the middle of nowhere and took a bit of finding as the post code takes you some way away. It’s peaceful enough though. Being a no facility site I’m on my own resources. I can manage well enough for a few days.
Dinner had come from home anyway, I prepared a lamb casserole last night but didn’t cook it. Five minutes simmer this morning then into a wide-mouth Thermos flask for the day. It was just about still hot enough 10+ hours later but I boiled it up for a couple of minutes anyway so it was piping hot. I’d made a bit too much and overfilled the flask but it was lovely and tender whilst the potato wasn’t overdone. Tomorrow I’ll go to the Telford Railway but I’m not sure what else I’ll do. I’d left time in the programme for a second visit to Blists Hill if needed. I’m planning to visit the other museums I particularly want to see on Monday so I’ll have a look at the road atlas in a minute and see if I can play Brown Sign Bingo.
There were two things I saw at Blists Hill that I found disappointing. One I knew about already, the Spry, probably the last Severn Trow (traditional cargo boat) was rebuilt some years back. After a brief time in the water at Gloucester Docks it’s now stuck on dry land in a shed that’s been built around it. You can’t even really see it properly there’s so little space. A good few years ago on TV they helped restore a steam crane for the museum. That’s now sat outside with no protection and the boiler is rusting so will need replacing again.
*I wonder if I’m the only visitor who expects Pike to be behind the counter and Mainwaring saying, “You stupid boy!” It’s that sort of bank.
**The canal could do with serious attention from my friends in the waterway recovery group!
***Strictly it should always be referred to as just Severn, never The Severn or River Severn.
Thursday 5 July 2018
Burford and Bikes
This wasn't intended to be a campervan weekend but a change of circumstances turned it into one.
Before going away I found some bigger screws to reattach the curtain rail that had come down. It still needs something more though, possibly glue, as I think the screws will pull out again. I had my usual early start, getting breakfast on the way. For the second time in two trips down the A43 the McDonalds at Towcester was closed, this time due to an IT failure. The next door BP/M&S was at least open but the choice was limited. Next trip I'm going a different way!
Burford is a lovely Cotswold town, with the advantage of having plentiful free parking. I spent the morning wandering round, eating, drinking and shopping. After a mediocre lunchtime pint I drove the mile or so to Burford Garden Company for a drool! Their prices are not cheap although what I did buy wasn't ridiculously expensive. It was getting very hot by then and energy levels were dropping but I only had a short drive to the site where I was fortunate to find a grass pitch with shade from a couple of trees. An ice cream from the site shop was very welcome and then after a lunch of crackers and artisan cheeses I spent the afternoon relaxing and reading. Somewhere I've got a picnic blanket I acquired ages ago from Mum. I really must find it as I'd have liked to lie out on the grass. The evening was slightly spoilt by a noisy party nearby, fortunately it wasn't too close but there was shouting and screaming in the early hours.
Sunday was back to the original plan, visiting a friend in Benson near the Thames, home to a Vintage Cycle Museum and Rally. It wasn't an energetic day on our part, especially compared to the cyclists who were doing 13 or 26 miles in the heat of the day. They did have a pub stop though! We watched the cycles leave then had lunch before watching them return past my friend's house. I must admit I could be tempted by having a vintage bike (or trike) but it would have to be a major hobby to justify it. The reality is modern bikes are a lot lighter and easier to ride.
Overall it was a pleasant weekend away with a chance to relax and chat with friends. I really must do it more often!
Before going away I found some bigger screws to reattach the curtain rail that had come down. It still needs something more though, possibly glue, as I think the screws will pull out again. I had my usual early start, getting breakfast on the way. For the second time in two trips down the A43 the McDonalds at Towcester was closed, this time due to an IT failure. The next door BP/M&S was at least open but the choice was limited. Next trip I'm going a different way!
Burford is a lovely Cotswold town, with the advantage of having plentiful free parking. I spent the morning wandering round, eating, drinking and shopping. After a mediocre lunchtime pint I drove the mile or so to Burford Garden Company for a drool! Their prices are not cheap although what I did buy wasn't ridiculously expensive. It was getting very hot by then and energy levels were dropping but I only had a short drive to the site where I was fortunate to find a grass pitch with shade from a couple of trees. An ice cream from the site shop was very welcome and then after a lunch of crackers and artisan cheeses I spent the afternoon relaxing and reading. Somewhere I've got a picnic blanket I acquired ages ago from Mum. I really must find it as I'd have liked to lie out on the grass. The evening was slightly spoilt by a noisy party nearby, fortunately it wasn't too close but there was shouting and screaming in the early hours.
Sunday was back to the original plan, visiting a friend in Benson near the Thames, home to a Vintage Cycle Museum and Rally. It wasn't an energetic day on our part, especially compared to the cyclists who were doing 13 or 26 miles in the heat of the day. They did have a pub stop though! We watched the cycles leave then had lunch before watching them return past my friend's house. I must admit I could be tempted by having a vintage bike (or trike) but it would have to be a major hobby to justify it. The reality is modern bikes are a lot lighter and easier to ride.
Overall it was a pleasant weekend away with a chance to relax and chat with friends. I really must do it more often!
Sunday 13 May 2018
North East - The End
As I mentioned in yesterday's blog the M1 was closed at around Junction 24 today so I decided in the end to miss out on the Model Railway show near Derby and just come straight down the A1. Journey wise there's nothing really to mention. Traffic was a bit busier than I'd expected but that's about all so I was home for lunchtime.
I've got a few conclusions from the trip related to the campervan. This trip I swapped my bed around, sleeping head towards the front of the 'van; overall it seemed to work better as it means my feet are at the more constricted end of the bed. I've got a repair to do as one of the curtain tracks has come adrift. I've been expecting this as two of them are screwed in to the headlining with very small woodscrews. I think some slightly more substantial screws and the hot melt glue gun will easily resolve things.
I definitely need to source a bike rack and get some exercise time out on the eBike. There were at least two days this week where I wouldn't have had to move the 'van at all and with one of those I'd have been able to visit more places on the coast without worrying about parking.
Possibly because the initial plans were made for last year and then modified repeatedly I didn't quite optimise my sites. I should have spent last night at Barnard Castle* instead of driving back up to Durham. I've done this a couple of times when plans have changed, I just need to be a bit more thorough. This is probably anathema to many people but I like to plan things, that's part of the enjoyment for me, but I do get annoyed with myself when I get it wrong!
Storage in such a small unit will always be an issue. I can just about manage but at some point I think a roof box may be needed. That's something to work on when I add the bike as that means there'll be even more kit to carry!
*The hour or so I spent in the town confirmed it as being my first choice place to retire to (in about 13 years time!)
I've got a few conclusions from the trip related to the campervan. This trip I swapped my bed around, sleeping head towards the front of the 'van; overall it seemed to work better as it means my feet are at the more constricted end of the bed. I've got a repair to do as one of the curtain tracks has come adrift. I've been expecting this as two of them are screwed in to the headlining with very small woodscrews. I think some slightly more substantial screws and the hot melt glue gun will easily resolve things.
I definitely need to source a bike rack and get some exercise time out on the eBike. There were at least two days this week where I wouldn't have had to move the 'van at all and with one of those I'd have been able to visit more places on the coast without worrying about parking.
Possibly because the initial plans were made for last year and then modified repeatedly I didn't quite optimise my sites. I should have spent last night at Barnard Castle* instead of driving back up to Durham. I've done this a couple of times when plans have changed, I just need to be a bit more thorough. This is probably anathema to many people but I like to plan things, that's part of the enjoyment for me, but I do get annoyed with myself when I get it wrong!
Storage in such a small unit will always be an issue. I can just about manage but at some point I think a roof box may be needed. That's something to work on when I add the bike as that means there'll be even more kit to carry!
*The hour or so I spent in the town confirmed it as being my first choice place to retire to (in about 13 years time!)
Saturday 12 May 2018
North East Day 8 - I've Done It Again!
If there's been an ongoing theme to this trip it's the fact that I've been a few months too early for several things, and the same was true today. The last time I was in this area the Weardale Railway wasn't running. It's a complex setup whereby the track is owned by a Community Interest Company but the trains are run by a Trust (which has a minority holding in the CIC). I think there'd been some disagreement that season preventing the Trust operating. As a result it was fairly high on my list of attractions to "do", The heritage service currently runs from Stanhope to Witton-le-Wear but I found out that within a month or two they will be extending onwards to Bishop Auckland. It's another excuse to visit again!
The service currently runs with a single car DMU but they have recently purchased a two car set as well. They also have one steam loco currently undergoing restoration, No. 40. In the background to this pic you can see some of the coaches for "The Train to Christmas Town", a themed service run by the CIC.
It's not the most exciting railway I've ever been on, the scenery is reasonable, but it's possibly the bumpiest! Some of the line could definitely benefit from a bit of maintenance. There is some evidence around of the original purpose of the line, quarrying. "Frosterley Marble", a black limestone was quarried in the area, many local fonts are made with this and there are 9 columns in Durham Cathedral that also use it. There's a sample on display at Frosterley Station.
Rather than head directly back to Durham I popped over the hills to Teesdale for a quick wander round Barnard Castle. It's one of my favourite towns and a possible retirement location (in a lot of years unless Camelot surprise me). I did a bit of book shopping before deciding it was time to return to site. I had failed on the parking having missed turning into a free space so was in the long stay car park; it cost me a whole £1 coin to park there until 08:19 tomorrow, although I only needed an hour or so. On the whole where I have paid to park the charges have been very reasonable.
I have a dilemma for tomorrow. The plan was to visit a model railway exhibition near Derby however with the M1 being completely closed around Jn. 24 it really makes more sense to go down the A1 instead. I'll study the options later but I think going the M1 route will add a lot of time to the journey.
The service currently runs with a single car DMU but they have recently purchased a two car set as well. They also have one steam loco currently undergoing restoration, No. 40. In the background to this pic you can see some of the coaches for "The Train to Christmas Town", a themed service run by the CIC.
It's not the most exciting railway I've ever been on, the scenery is reasonable, but it's possibly the bumpiest! Some of the line could definitely benefit from a bit of maintenance. There is some evidence around of the original purpose of the line, quarrying. "Frosterley Marble", a black limestone was quarried in the area, many local fonts are made with this and there are 9 columns in Durham Cathedral that also use it. There's a sample on display at Frosterley Station.
After the railway I drove up into the village and, continuing another theme of the week, managing to snag a parking space right in the centre! It's always a busy enough place and the crowds were out even though there was still a chill bite to the wind. I walked up to the relatively new Durham Dales Centre, primarily a small shopping centre with mainly craft and gift outlets. They did have an exhibition about the Durham Light Infantry, in particular the musical history of the Regiment. Sir Malcolm Sargent served with them in 1918 (he was educated at Durham University). Following the closure of the DLI museum a few years ago the Councils did promise display such as this, but the reality is that very few people will actually see this. I also had to assist with trying to get the audio to play for them, the "technical" person who could work the iPad wasn't there!
Rather than head directly back to Durham I popped over the hills to Teesdale for a quick wander round Barnard Castle. It's one of my favourite towns and a possible retirement location (in a lot of years unless Camelot surprise me). I did a bit of book shopping before deciding it was time to return to site. I had failed on the parking having missed turning into a free space so was in the long stay car park; it cost me a whole £1 coin to park there until 08:19 tomorrow, although I only needed an hour or so. On the whole where I have paid to park the charges have been very reasonable.
I have a dilemma for tomorrow. The plan was to visit a model railway exhibition near Derby however with the M1 being completely closed around Jn. 24 it really makes more sense to go down the A1 instead. I'll study the options later but I think going the M1 route will add a lot of time to the journey.
Friday 11 May 2018
North East Day 7 - Ships (and Nowt Much Else)
Although Sunderland is my home town there wasn't too much of visiting old haunts today as I had a couple of specific purposes in mind. I'd toyed with the idea of getting the bus in rather than taking the 'van but ultimately decided I'd prefer to have the flexibility, and it would have been a lot more expensive. Due to where I planned to go and the availability, or otherwise, of parking there I used the Pay-and-Display at the Stadium of Light Metro (it's only £1 all day) and bought a one day ticket for another £3. The first stop was Pallion, where Doxfords Shipyard was located. My Grandpa and Dad both worked there and one of my model railways will be loosely based on the yard so I wanted a few photos. There's not really a lot to see to be honest, a lot of the site is now very overgrown with old cars and vans scattered around the roadways, it's also not accessible. Being there, and the photos I have taken, will help clarify my thinking and will help me make things as realistic as I can.
The new Northern Spire Bridge, mentioned yesterday, may bring some regeneration to the area.
There's already a newish shopping centre adjacent and one building, I believe it was part of the engine works, is in active use. Sadly there's also dereliction. The West Gatehouse to the yard was further damaged in an arson attack in late 2017, although there is a campaign to save it in its entirety it looks likely the Council will only preserve the gates and arch in a new location nearby.
Visitors to the heritage centre are very welcome when they're open and I was fortunate to have a personal tour around by the chap who's doing the bulk of the work on the Venerable and another volunteer. They are working on improving their heritage presentation and setting up a small café area for visitors.
As by now I was almost down on the quayside I continued to the river to see what was happening down there. There is still some cargo trade carried on, one ship was in, the bulk carrier Ocean Spirit.
The new Northern Spire Bridge, mentioned yesterday, may bring some regeneration to the area.
There's already a newish shopping centre adjacent and one building, I believe it was part of the engine works, is in active use. Sadly there's also dereliction. The West Gatehouse to the yard was further damaged in an arson attack in late 2017, although there is a campaign to save it in its entirety it looks likely the Council will only preserve the gates and arch in a new location nearby.
It would be much better if the whole building could be saved but I think that could only happen if there was a commercial use to fund the repairs. From Pallion I caught the Metro back into the City Centre, Sunderland Station has changed a bit since I was last there! It's still not very good, but it's better than it used to be, My next planned call was to Sunderland Maritime Heritage. Primarily this is a group of volunteers who're involved in various maritime related projects, in particular they have two main vessels they're working on.
The MFV Wildora is a Dunkirk Little Ship, built in 1901 and credited with saving over 200 lives in Operation Dynamo. The ship has few direct links with Sunderland but was purchased by the Council in the 1970s as a project for a school. She's very nearly ready to go back into the water in time for the Tall Ships Race later in the year. Another project they've taken on is completing a 1/10th scale model of HMS Venerable. In 1797 the Battle of Camperdown took place between the British and the Batavian Navy (the latter allied to the French). Venerable was Admiral Duncan's flagship and, at the height of the battle, her colours and signal flags were shot away. Amidst the confusion this would have been seen as a sign of surrender so Jack Crawford, a Sunderland lad, climbed up and, "Nailed the colours to the mast!" This act is commemorated in statues, songs and now in a replica ship! Although in theory the model will float, and it appears the two people who started the build intended it to be capable of carrying a couple of people, it's now been decided it will be a land-based model instead - it's on a trailer and is taken to schools and events.
Visitors to the heritage centre are very welcome when they're open and I was fortunate to have a personal tour around by the chap who's doing the bulk of the work on the Venerable and another volunteer. They are working on improving their heritage presentation and setting up a small café area for visitors.
As by now I was almost down on the quayside I continued to the river to see what was happening down there. There is still some cargo trade carried on, one ship was in, the bulk carrier Ocean Spirit.
Walking along the quaysides I did find one reminder of the shipbuilding heritage in the form of a mural.
Certainly at that end of the river though everything else has been swept away or redeveloped. Once I'd had a late lunch (Cheese and Onion Stottie*) I picked up the 'van and had a very quick drive down through Seaburn past where I was born before driving up the North bank of the river. I did get a couple of photos looking over towards Doxfords' Yard which may help slightly in placing things. All that remained of the day was a call in to a Farm Shop near the site to stock up on some fresh goods. Tea tonight is sorted anyway, the Fish and Chip van is due!
*Stottie Cake is a staple of the North East, although there is some dispute as to what it really is. For this purpose it's a flat, round, oven bottom loaf of bread (but some people would say that's Fadge!)
Thursday 10 May 2018
North East Day 6 - Vulcanic Monuments
Today was another shortish day in terms of the attractions, I'll probably make up for it tomorrow. Having packed up the 'van at Whitley Bay it was another trip through the Tyne Tunnel and on to NELSAM - the aspirationally named North East Land, Sea and Air Museums. In reality it's the old Sunderland Aviation Museum and the North East Military Vehicle Club collection, the Sea part may come later.
The aviation part is fairly typical, it mostly consists of a hanger absolutely packed with planes and aviation memorabilia, mainly military but with some civilian as well. The site was formerly part of RAF Usworth, the initial home of 607 (County of Durham) Squadron so there is a small tribute and a display dedicated to the pilots and crew. The planes on show inside include a Gloucester Meteor and a Hawker Hunter, two of the most famous British fighter jets. The larger planes are outside of course, the first of which is the Canberra WJ639 built in 1954.
The workshop hangar is partly accessible but mainly consists of a small collection of fire engines, which seem slightly out of place! The Military Vehicles hangar is again very full. The thing I found most curious was this:
As the sign says, it's a Trolley, Amphibious, 4x2 Morris Gosling! It was designed for airborne forces to carry loads across the battle field and could be steered on land by walking along behind as a motorised wheelbarrow or on (very still) water you could steer from inside. I reckon one would be handy for carrying loads to and from the yacht.
Arguably the star of the museum, and the least presented exhibit, is XL319, the Avro Vulcan. This particular plane was initially allocated to 617 (Dambusters) Squadron and was the first Vulcan to be released to a private collection. It's looking a bit sad and lonely at the moment.
On my way out I was talking to the gentleman manning the ticket desk and shop. The Museum do have plans which are partly dependent on development going on around the site. Ideally the Vulcan needs a permanent hangar but at £250k that's not going to happen any time soon.
To many people from County Durham there is one sure sign that you are nearly home, Penshaw Monument. Everyone has heard of the Angel of the North but over 150 years earlier an equally impressive monument graced the North East skyline:
Of course there is one huge difference; in 1840 monuments were built to honour "the great and the good", in this case The Earl of Durham, by the late 20th Century they were a tribute to the working men of the area. The climb up to the monument seems much steeper than it was 40 years or so back but the view from the hilltop is extensive. The new Northern Spire bridge is very clearly visible (more on that possibly tomorrow). I had a slightly disappointing lunch in the country park opposite the Monument, it doesn't really inspire confidence in a café when half the tables are taken up by staff eating their own food!
After getting set up on site outside Durham two good friends picked me up to go out for dinner; I will admit to eating rather too much! It was another good catch up with people I rarely see in person though. Tomorrow I'm off in to Sunderland. I'm still not sure whether to drive in or catch the bus, either way the plan is to pick up a Metro Travelcard and use that to get around.
The aviation part is fairly typical, it mostly consists of a hanger absolutely packed with planes and aviation memorabilia, mainly military but with some civilian as well. The site was formerly part of RAF Usworth, the initial home of 607 (County of Durham) Squadron so there is a small tribute and a display dedicated to the pilots and crew. The planes on show inside include a Gloucester Meteor and a Hawker Hunter, two of the most famous British fighter jets. The larger planes are outside of course, the first of which is the Canberra WJ639 built in 1954.
The workshop hangar is partly accessible but mainly consists of a small collection of fire engines, which seem slightly out of place! The Military Vehicles hangar is again very full. The thing I found most curious was this:
As the sign says, it's a Trolley, Amphibious, 4x2 Morris Gosling! It was designed for airborne forces to carry loads across the battle field and could be steered on land by walking along behind as a motorised wheelbarrow or on (very still) water you could steer from inside. I reckon one would be handy for carrying loads to and from the yacht.
Arguably the star of the museum, and the least presented exhibit, is XL319, the Avro Vulcan. This particular plane was initially allocated to 617 (Dambusters) Squadron and was the first Vulcan to be released to a private collection. It's looking a bit sad and lonely at the moment.
On my way out I was talking to the gentleman manning the ticket desk and shop. The Museum do have plans which are partly dependent on development going on around the site. Ideally the Vulcan needs a permanent hangar but at £250k that's not going to happen any time soon.
To many people from County Durham there is one sure sign that you are nearly home, Penshaw Monument. Everyone has heard of the Angel of the North but over 150 years earlier an equally impressive monument graced the North East skyline:
Of course there is one huge difference; in 1840 monuments were built to honour "the great and the good", in this case The Earl of Durham, by the late 20th Century they were a tribute to the working men of the area. The climb up to the monument seems much steeper than it was 40 years or so back but the view from the hilltop is extensive. The new Northern Spire bridge is very clearly visible (more on that possibly tomorrow). I had a slightly disappointing lunch in the country park opposite the Monument, it doesn't really inspire confidence in a café when half the tables are taken up by staff eating their own food!
After getting set up on site outside Durham two good friends picked me up to go out for dinner; I will admit to eating rather too much! It was another good catch up with people I rarely see in person though. Tomorrow I'm off in to Sunderland. I'm still not sure whether to drive in or catch the bus, either way the plan is to pick up a Metro Travelcard and use that to get around.
Wednesday 9 May 2018
North East Day 5 - Venerable Saxons
I knew in advance that my plans for the day would leave me time for some freestyle activities as I visited Jarrow Hall for the Bede Museum and Gyrwe Anglo-Saxon Farm. Neither exactly disappointed me but there could have been more. The museum does tell the story of early Christianity in the North East, and of Bede's life, quite well. There aren't a huge number of artefacts but it's reasonably presented without an excess of modern AV production.
The Farm is a bit or a motley collection of old animal breeds and a few reconstructed buildings. It's partly intended as a way for the historians to learn more about how things may have been done and obviously also as a teaching centre. It was pleasant enough to wander through but educationally I think it really needed the guided tour. The animals seemed contented enough, in fact they were as happy as pigs in...
The Farm is a bit or a motley collection of old animal breeds and a few reconstructed buildings. It's partly intended as a way for the historians to learn more about how things may have been done and obviously also as a teaching centre. It was pleasant enough to wander through but educationally I think it really needed the guided tour. The animals seemed contented enough, in fact they were as happy as pigs in...
After a decent cup of coffee I decided to follow the river out to the coast at South Shields. I stopped at the mouth of the Tyne for a quick photo or two, this one is looking over the river to Tynemouth Castle and Priory with Collingwood's statue to the left.
From there I drove into the town and picked up Fish and Chips at Colmans, who're fairly famous. You know the fish must be fresh when they can tell you which boat caught it! I'd parked just round the corner and as I sat eating in the 'van a couple of youths got out of a car and started wandering around. One had a bottle of vodka on the go and it was obvious something was happening. One knocked on the 'van window and asked if I knew somebody, which of course I just said, "Sorry, not a clue mate!" They weren't showing signs of violence but I'm betting if they'd found the person there would have been some sort of trouble so I decided to finish up and leave.
As I'd arranged to meet friends in Cramlington, but with time to spare, I drove back through the Tunnel and, after a brief tour of Wallsend (I did say I was freestyling) followed the river down to Tynemouth itself. Unfortunately I was about 10 minutes too late to get a photo of a car transporter coming in to the river mouth, by the time I'd parked and paid it was gone. I had a quick wander round then followed the coast up through Cullercoats and Whitley Bay to Blyth. I was interested to see what shipping there might be around as there'd been a bulk carrier anchored off since I arrived. There were a few vessels in but nothing terribly exciting. One of the features of Blyth these days is how close to the wind turbines you get. This is what happens when you photograph one with HDR turned on:
From Blyth it was a simple enough drive to Cramlington for a trip into Sainsburys to stock up on bread, salad and to replace a couple of tins I'd used earlier in the trip. With very limited storage I rely on regular shopping, ideally at independents where possible but supermarkets are handy. I then met my friends in the local Wetherspoons for a lovely meal and chat. It's some years since we'd seen each other but soon put the world to rights. Unfortunately by the time we left the rain had started and at the moment looks like it's set in for the night. The forecast for tomorrow is decent though when I leave here for Durham.
Tuesday 8 May 2018
North East Day 4 - Yer Canna Gan Back...
as Fleetwood Mack would have sung if they'd had Geordie accents!
When I first planned this trip I didn't intend to go into Newcastle but for various reasons changed my mind. One of those was that I wanted to visit the Discovery Museum to have another look at Turbinia (which I last saw when it was located in a building in Exhibition Park). Originally I'd planned to drive to one of the park-and-ride Metro stations but as there's a bus stop not far from the site I caught the bus into Whitley Bay and got the Metro from there. My navigational memory was a bit off when I arrived in the City, it is 33 years since I lived there, and quite a bit has changed! I managed to get myself back on track though with a quick look at Google Maps (just remember in City Centres, when it says 2.3 miles that's driving and it may be less than a mile walking).
The whole story of Parson's revolutionary steam turbine powered ship, and his demonstration at the Spithead Review, is available online. Bad timing has caught me out on a couple of things this trip and did so again. The Museum is currently undergoing some works ready for displaying Stephenson's Rocket later in the year so Turbinia isn't being displayed to her best, and isn't as accessible as normal. She looks very much like a model in this picture!
When I first planned this trip I didn't intend to go into Newcastle but for various reasons changed my mind. One of those was that I wanted to visit the Discovery Museum to have another look at Turbinia (which I last saw when it was located in a building in Exhibition Park). Originally I'd planned to drive to one of the park-and-ride Metro stations but as there's a bus stop not far from the site I caught the bus into Whitley Bay and got the Metro from there. My navigational memory was a bit off when I arrived in the City, it is 33 years since I lived there, and quite a bit has changed! I managed to get myself back on track though with a quick look at Google Maps (just remember in City Centres, when it says 2.3 miles that's driving and it may be less than a mile walking).
The whole story of Parson's revolutionary steam turbine powered ship, and his demonstration at the Spithead Review, is available online. Bad timing has caught me out on a couple of things this trip and did so again. The Museum is currently undergoing some works ready for displaying Stephenson's Rocket later in the year so Turbinia isn't being displayed to her best, and isn't as accessible as normal. She looks very much like a model in this picture!
The rest of the museum is interesting, with typical modern presentation, but I can strongly recommend the café - the piece of cake I had was big enough to mean I didn't need any lunch!
As the museum is down towards the River I thought I'd visit some old haunts starting with the Bridge Hotel, I used to go there for the folk club (still running, one of the two oldest in the country). It has changed somewhat, I was confused having so many hand pumps to choose from, they used to have two (Sam Smith's Old Brewery Bitter and a guest) and it was one of the very few pubs in the City that wasn't all keg. Having had a pint of Doom I thought I'd look out another pub, The Cooperage, by now I'd got my sense of direction back and came down the steps right alongside the building. Knowing the Quayside has been much improved I did wonder what I'd find, if anything, but it wasn't this:
The name is still just visible on the brown signboard, but that's about all. I'm not sure really why this affected me so much. It wasn't a particularly good student pub but holds some happy memories. Back in the day, as they say, it had an existentialist Aussie barman who was given to ask questions such as, on being asked for a pint of Scotch (ale that is, not whisky), "Why?" We used to often have two separate rounds running in pubs, one for the drinks and one for the crisps. I was fairly well known for the fact I don't like flavoured crisps and therefore would always have Ready Salted. Sitting in a crowded Cooperage bar one night a bag of plain crisps landed on the table in front of me unexpectedly, I looked around but couldn't see anyone I knew and never did find out who sent them. Having looked online apparently in 2009 the Council required better sound insulation due to noise complaints and Enterprise Inns decided not to spend the money so the place closed. It's a shame Wetherspoons, who've opened up just over the road, didn't take it on. The building itself dates back to the 14th Century and is definitely part of the City history.
Downstream from there I will say the rest of the quayside is much improved, it was busy and vibrant even the day after the Bank Holiday with plenty of locals and tourists about. I'd say it's somewhat spoilt by The Silver Slug (The Sage Arts Centre) across the river but that's probably just me! I had a walk over the Blinking Eye Bridge, a Millennium Bridge that actually worked first time, unlike the one in London. The name comes from the fact that it tilts to allow taller vessels through. From there I walked up through Sandgate (cue folk song) and back up Grey street. The cars on show, Porsche, Bentley, Rolls Royce, show how trendy that is now.
I was starting to flag a bit, it was very hot, but I did find that some things haven't, and hopefully never will, change. The Central Arcade is still there in its Victorian finery, and JG Windows are still there with their music shop, the M&S Penny Bazaar is still in the Grainger Market as it has been since 1895, and later I could still get an ice cream on Whitley Bay prom.
I caught the Metro again from Monument station, continuing around the old North Tyneside Loop back to Whitley Bay. One of the aims of this holiday is to get some walking exercise so instead of catching a bus I followed the coastal path back to the caravan site. It's probably a bit under three miles but it was still very hot (hence the ice cream mentioned above). On the way I noted that even Spanish City (cue Dire Straits song) is being redeveloped. It's probably long overdue for this and at least the famous appearance will be preserved.
It was only as I got fairly close to site that the weather started to deteriorate, with it clouding over and quite a strong cool breeze developing. Being in need of refreshment I dived in to the Delaval Arms at the site entrance, two pints later I came out to find it had been raining. It did pick up again around sunset after a bit more rain but the forecast for tomorrow isn't too bad.
Monday 7 May 2018
North East Day 3 - Ships, Pits and Painters (and a Train)
Today was time to move on from Alnwick and start back southwards, but first I went North to Bamburgh. The target of the visit, apart from another look at the Castle, was the RNLI Grace Darling Museum (she was born, died and is buried in the village). Everyone knows the basic story, Grace, the daughter of Longstone Lighthouse keeper William Darling, spotted survivors of the wreck of the SS Forfarshire which had struckthe Big Harkar Rock after her boilers failed. Grace and her father rowed out in their Coble boat and saved 5 people, returning to the lighthouse. Grace then helped look after the survivors whilst her father and two of the crewmen rowed back out to rescue another 4 people. It was an amazing feat when you consider how bad the conditions were, the North Sunderland (now Seahouses) lifeboat also reached the wreck site but, failing to find any further survivors then decided they couldn't row ashore safely and also ended up at Longstone. The museum is interesting for a brief visit, there are artifacts from Grace's life (she died only four years after the rescue) and plenty of information. The Coble is also there:
From an academic point of view it also has the Northumbrian Archive centre and the core collection from the "Pitmen Painters", the Ashington Group, who for 50 years met weekly to paint scenes from their lives and environment. Some of the paintings are powerful, many are naïve, but they all have a meaning. Interestingly there was another art exhibition on of coastal pictures. The winner was a load of modernist rubbish as far as I was concerned! I know things have moved on but in the catalogue the "medium" for a couple of the entries was listed as "Adobe Illustrator", they were actually very good.
The museum is on the same site as the QE II Country Park and there's a diesel hauled narrow gauge tourist railway between the museum and the main entrance area to the park. For £2 the return journey was reasonable value but I reckon the track needs relaying, it was very bumpy. The family in the "compartment" in front of me (the coaches are roofed over but otherwise open) had an autistic lad who seemed to enjoy the ride but had his hands over his ears throughout due to the screeching and rattling from the train. From the museum it was a shortish drive down to the site just north of Whitley Bay. Amazingly it's sunny (although there's a nip in the sea breeze) so I'm sat sitting looking out to St Mary's Island.
I'll leave you with another photo, I know the price of coal has risen but at this rate I reckon some pits must be economically viable again:
From Bamburgh I followed the coastal route south to Woodhorn Museum. It's another regeneration money funded enterprise but no less interesting for that. If you don't know much about mining or the lives of pitmen it's educational, and has the only remaining pithead gear in Northumberland.
The museum is on the same site as the QE II Country Park and there's a diesel hauled narrow gauge tourist railway between the museum and the main entrance area to the park. For £2 the return journey was reasonable value but I reckon the track needs relaying, it was very bumpy. The family in the "compartment" in front of me (the coaches are roofed over but otherwise open) had an autistic lad who seemed to enjoy the ride but had his hands over his ears throughout due to the screeching and rattling from the train. From the museum it was a shortish drive down to the site just north of Whitley Bay. Amazingly it's sunny (although there's a nip in the sea breeze) so I'm sat sitting looking out to St Mary's Island.
I'll leave you with another photo, I know the price of coal has risen but at this rate I reckon some pits must be economically viable again:
Sunday 6 May 2018
North East Day 2 - Trains and Books - Lots of Books
The main reason for coming this far north on the trips was to visit the Aln Valley Railway and Barter Books in Alnwick, both of which aims were achieved today. I was a bit early at the railway (I often am) and they were just getting sorted and set up but it meant I got a brief personal tour of the site and some interesting information. I know I often say it in these blogs but I can't believe the effort put in by volunteers and the friendliness they show to visitors.
This is another slight oddity of a railway as the site and station were built relatively recently on virgin (with a small v) ground. The line was cut off when the A1 bypass round Alnwick was built and the original station is now the aforementioned Barter Books.
This panorama from the footbridge doesn't quite show everything but it's captured most of it.
Until this year they generally just ran guards van trips up and down the platform area but they've now got about a mile of track opened up which dips down fairly steeply to the original line. They're working their way on from there towards Alnmouth, about 3 miles away. Fortunately the Cawledge Viaduct, on the way, has been professionally examined and declared sound. It will need further inspections once trains start running over it in the relatively near future.
I mentioned volunteers earlier, they have several groups working (mostly on a Tuesday). They are carrying out their own carriage and loco work there, the two coaches on the train had come out of their workshop and I can attest to the high standards of finish. Of course there are always more to work on, currently there's a diesel and an Inspection Coach being worked on inside. The latter had a kitchen and toilets, it's planned to get it fully restored so it can be hired out for posh teas, etc.
This is another slight oddity of a railway as the site and station were built relatively recently on virgin (with a small v) ground. The line was cut off when the A1 bypass round Alnwick was built and the original station is now the aforementioned Barter Books.
Until this year they generally just ran guards van trips up and down the platform area but they've now got about a mile of track opened up which dips down fairly steeply to the original line. They're working their way on from there towards Alnmouth, about 3 miles away. Fortunately the Cawledge Viaduct, on the way, has been professionally examined and declared sound. It will need further inspections once trains start running over it in the relatively near future.
I mentioned volunteers earlier, they have several groups working (mostly on a Tuesday). They are carrying out their own carriage and loco work there, the two coaches on the train had come out of their workshop and I can attest to the high standards of finish. Of course there are always more to work on, currently there's a diesel and an Inspection Coach being worked on inside. The latter had a kitchen and toilets, it's planned to get it fully restored so it can be hired out for posh teas, etc.
It was notionally their "Steam Gala Weekend" which basically meant they had two engines in steam. They have to run two locos anyway as there's no runaround at the end, so one pulls the train down and the other pulls it back up! One loco is their own, the other is on loan after it was decided it was surplus to requirements elsewhere. Given the steepness of the slope the returning train is quite noisy, I've got a video but that will have to wait until I'm back home. This picture is the Push-Me-Pull-You on the outward run.
From the railway I then drove in towards Alnwick town being very lucky to find a parking place at the old station. I know the story of the bookshop has been featured on various TV programmes recently but for the sake of simplicity it is a huge provider of second-hand and new books; it is also the place where the wartime Keep Calm and Carry On posters were rediscovered (an enterprising local caravan dealer has had Keep Calm and Caravan hitch covers produced). Even they don't know how many books they actually have! It's also an excellent catering venue, the Ploughman's Lunch I enjoyed was certainly nothing like anything any farmworker would have had, several thick slices of home cured ham, about 4oz of local cheddar and a delicious salad. I washed it down with a bottle of their own 1621 Ale (named after a locomotive, not the year) before starting to work my way through the bookshop itself. I was very good (given I've got very little spare storage in the 'van) and only bought 4 books.
As an aside regarding untethered children and modern parenting there is definitely still some hope! Two young lads, I suspect sons of a staff member, were having lunch alone in the bookshop Buffet. I struggle to judge ages but I'd say the elder might just have been a teenager. They were polite to the staff, chatted away without causing a nuisance, and obviously enjoyed their lunch. Later when I'd driven down into the town itself I had an ice cream (Mint Chocolate for the record). Whilst eating it a family came in and ordered 4 cones at £2.80 each, dad immediately had the two probably pre-teen girls working out the total and helping them ("What's £2.50 times 4? Then add 30p times 4!"). They got there between them.
Saturday 5 May 2018
North East Day 1 - I'm Inclined...
The first day of a holiday always involves a bit of a drive, of course. My usual practice is to get on the road early, however this morning was exceptional even for me! I was awake about 05:30 and on the road within the hour. Apart from the usual food and comfort breaks the first stop was the Bowes Railway.
I always look for somewhere to stop on the way to the first site, this one was a bit further than ideal being a couple of hundred miles from home. Remembering how the A1 used to be it was a bit of a shock to the system when I got onto it at Stamford and my next junction was showing as 183 miles! The Garmin SatNav has taken a bit of getting used to but it does seem to work very well now, I've managed to get it to show the distance and time for intermediate stops on a route which is ideal.
The Bowes Railway is a bit different in that it is partly rope hauled inclines. It was built to take coal from the local pits down to the staithes at Jarrow on the Tyne, the hills being too steep for loco haulage. The principle was all gravity, the full trucks would go down pulling a rope that ran round a wheel and back down the hill to pull the empty trucks up. This picture shows one of the downhill tracks which took the full trucks (on the right, you can also see the scissor brake that held them until all was ready). The wooden structure has the track the empties returned up, from here they rolled down to the pit under gravity ready to be filled again.
I always look for somewhere to stop on the way to the first site, this one was a bit further than ideal being a couple of hundred miles from home. Remembering how the A1 used to be it was a bit of a shock to the system when I got onto it at Stamford and my next junction was showing as 183 miles! The Garmin SatNav has taken a bit of getting used to but it does seem to work very well now, I've managed to get it to show the distance and time for intermediate stops on a route which is ideal.
The Bowes Railway is a bit different in that it is partly rope hauled inclines. It was built to take coal from the local pits down to the staithes at Jarrow on the Tyne, the hills being too steep for loco haulage. The principle was all gravity, the full trucks would go down pulling a rope that ran round a wheel and back down the hill to pull the empty trucks up. This picture shows one of the downhill tracks which took the full trucks (on the right, you can also see the scissor brake that held them until all was ready). The wooden structure has the track the empties returned up, from here they rolled down to the pit under gravity ready to be filled again.
There were two tracks where the full wagons were collected to minimise delays so they could send a train every 20 minutes. They do also have quite a bit of surface track and a few locos, unfortunately it's all out of use as the trackwork has failed inspection. The plus point though is that students from Newcastle College Rail Academy are doing some practical training there helping repair it.
It's not unusual with these places for the volunteers to outnumber the visitors, and that was certainly the case today. They were all very friendly though. You're guided round part of the site and can wander freely around some other bits. Something that had never really occurred to me is how you can get a rope down the plane, or another slope, if there are no full trucks. The answer is you use a Drift Bogie.
They'd fill the truck with any scrap metal they could find for weight and a man would stand on the white footplate facing down the hill controlling the speed with his foot on the brake lever. I certainly wouldn't do it even if they did give him a roof to keep the rain out! One wheel had a bell behind it that would ring with each revolution to warn that it was coming. After a coffee and home made sausage roll I hit the road again. Initially the SatNav was indicating a 13 minute delay on the A1 (almost certainly the Metro Centre traffic) but I accepted the diversion to go through the Tyne Tunnel.
I made a quick call in to an antiques centre just before the site, nothing much of interest, before arriving and booking in. The wardens are generally friendly and helpful but the lady broke off from her duties to go and find some suncream in her 'van for a lady who'd forgotten to bring any - that's good service! There were very few vacant pitches, inevitably on a Bank Holiday weekend, but I've found a reasonably quiet one. After an ice cream and a bottle or two of beer I went for a walk around the nearby nature reserve. It's a pleasant couple of lakes, privately owned but with permissive access. There are strong warnings about Adders though so I was a bit careful.
Tomorrow I'm going to Alnwick via the Aln Valley Railway.
Monday 23 April 2018
Norfolk and Good
Today was basically the journey home from Norfolk. I called in at the town of Wymondham on the way for no reason other than I've never been there. It's a pleasant small town, the Abbey is fairly simple but has a lot of history. There is plenty of evidence of the original monastic building but what's extant is the old Parish church and tower.
The town Heritage Museum is also interesting, typical of such places with enthusiastic volunteers. It also has a coffee shop in the old Bridewell, the coffee was ordinary instant but the cake was homemade - at £2.60 for the lot it's great value!
Unfortunately without going a long way round I couldn't easily avoid the A1 roadworks near Cambridge. These will be running through to the end of 2020 and even on a good day are adding 15-20 minutes to journey times.
I've added a few jobs to the list, nothing major though. I think I've got this 'van about sorted as I want it now. I've finally, by combining some bits, got the satnav well mounted. I've got to check some of the curtain rail mounting screws though. I still think I can tweak some storage, I'll look at that next weekend.
The town Heritage Museum is also interesting, typical of such places with enthusiastic volunteers. It also has a coffee shop in the old Bridewell, the coffee was ordinary instant but the cake was homemade - at £2.60 for the lot it's great value!
Unfortunately without going a long way round I couldn't easily avoid the A1 roadworks near Cambridge. These will be running through to the end of 2020 and even on a good day are adding 15-20 minutes to journey times.
I've added a few jobs to the list, nothing major though. I think I've got this 'van about sorted as I want it now. I've finally, by combining some bits, got the satnav well mounted. I've got to check some of the curtain rail mounting screws though. I still think I can tweak some storage, I'll look at that next weekend.
Sunday 22 April 2018
There’s an Old Mill by a Stream...
or more accurately there are several old mills by the River Ant, but that doesn’t scan. The photos will go up on the website in the next few days but I spent the morning walking along the river from the caravan site. Although the OS map shows the footpath as being right next to the river there’s actually a drainage ditch in between so views were a bit more limited than I’d hoped and there was no shade from the hot sun. The windmills (in this case using mill in its sense of referring to any machinery not just that used for grinding) were used to pump water up from the drainage ditches into the river. All the ones seen today were cap mills and in various states of dereliction or restoration. The most unusual was a skeleton mill, it is just a wooden frame instead of the familiar stone tower.
That last was at How Hill, the furthest point on my walk. It’s an education centre but with public access as well. I did spend some time sitting watching the boat movements and thinking people are much the same wherever you go. One group, a 50th Birthday party judging by the banners, were going so fast through the moorings that I was sure they’d either fail to make it round the bend there or would run into the back of the boat in front. Fortunately they did avoid hitting anything but it was close.
The best sight were the Hunters’ hire boats. These are traditional Broads sailing cruisers, with no engines. Tacking one through a congested mooring takes a bit of nerve, I was convinced one of them had failed to make the tack but it just managed to pick up the wind again. The rigging on these boats does help - being technical they’re gaff rigged sloops with boomed self tacking jibs (so when you go about, or turn, you don’t have to faff about with bits of string).
From How Hill I completed the circular walk mainly by road, coincidentally (and if you believe that I’ve got a bridge you might like to buy) that took me past the Dog Inn. It would have been churlish to not go in and have a pint or two. I had a chat with the barmaid, some lunch and beers then reckoned it was time to relax back at the ‘van. The forecast was for rain from about 4pm, in the end it was 6 before the storm hit and it didn’t last long.
Overall a pleasant day, other than walking about 6 miles I’ve not done as much as I’d usually do but having been here a couple of years ago there wasn’t really anywhere I was desperate to visit.
That last was at How Hill, the furthest point on my walk. It’s an education centre but with public access as well. I did spend some time sitting watching the boat movements and thinking people are much the same wherever you go. One group, a 50th Birthday party judging by the banners, were going so fast through the moorings that I was sure they’d either fail to make it round the bend there or would run into the back of the boat in front. Fortunately they did avoid hitting anything but it was close.
The best sight were the Hunters’ hire boats. These are traditional Broads sailing cruisers, with no engines. Tacking one through a congested mooring takes a bit of nerve, I was convinced one of them had failed to make the tack but it just managed to pick up the wind again. The rigging on these boats does help - being technical they’re gaff rigged sloops with boomed self tacking jibs (so when you go about, or turn, you don’t have to faff about with bits of string).
From How Hill I completed the circular walk mainly by road, coincidentally (and if you believe that I’ve got a bridge you might like to buy) that took me past the Dog Inn. It would have been churlish to not go in and have a pint or two. I had a chat with the barmaid, some lunch and beers then reckoned it was time to relax back at the ‘van. The forecast was for rain from about 4pm, in the end it was 6 before the storm hit and it didn’t last long.
Overall a pleasant day, other than walking about 6 miles I’ve not done as much as I’d usually do but having been here a couple of years ago there wasn’t really anywhere I was desperate to visit.
Saturday 21 April 2018
Wood and Water
It’s been a fantastic day with my TOG friends in Norfolk at Fairhaven, a water and garden park. The place is lovely, we had a short boat ride on the Broads, and the food was superb. It was great to catch up with people as well, although it seems sometimes like one long road trip as I met up with some of them recently in Lancashire and many of them will be in Devon in a couple of months.
The pub near the camp site, The Dog Inn, was a suitable venue for the 6 of us (including Amber the dog) who’re at the caravan site. The “live” music was OK, a decent singer doing mainly swing songs to a backing track. I’m not sure when he was booked to finish but there was only one couple left when we departed!
Tomorrow’s plans depend on the weather. Earlier the forecast suggested we’d be getting the thunder and rain other places have had tonight, but later the Met Office reckon a day of sunshine. If the latter is the case I’ll leave the ‘van on site and go for a walk down the river. The trip has confirmed one thing, I must get a bike rack sorted. The e-bike would be great tomorrow but it’s not much use in the shed at home. I’ve been considering the best approach to this as there are a few options but another campervan on site has a Thule rack on their towbar and I reckon that’s the way to go.
The pub near the camp site, The Dog Inn, was a suitable venue for the 6 of us (including Amber the dog) who’re at the caravan site. The “live” music was OK, a decent singer doing mainly swing songs to a backing track. I’m not sure when he was booked to finish but there was only one couple left when we departed!
Tomorrow’s plans depend on the weather. Earlier the forecast suggested we’d be getting the thunder and rain other places have had tonight, but later the Met Office reckon a day of sunshine. If the latter is the case I’ll leave the ‘van on site and go for a walk down the river. The trip has confirmed one thing, I must get a bike rack sorted. The e-bike would be great tomorrow but it’s not much use in the shed at home. I’ve been considering the best approach to this as there are a few options but another campervan on site has a Thule rack on their towbar and I reckon that’s the way to go.
Friday 20 April 2018
In the Workhouse
The first trip away this year is to the Norfolk Broads for a long weekend. This is partly a ”do” with friends (more on that tomorrow) but I’m taking the opportunity of a holiday. As I’d got the whole day I’d looked at the maps for something to do on the way. I came across Gressenhall Farm and Workhouse Museum. Basically it does what it says on the tin! There’s a mixture of rural equipment collections, the Workhouse displays and a working farm. I probably didn’t learn much I didn’t know but it helped put things into perspective.
There was a slight complication with the next part of the journey, a new road around Norwich that the SatNav didn’t know about! I managed though and reached Wroxham Barns (a touristy shopping centre) in time for lunch. From there it was a short drive to site where, after the few minutes it takes to set up, I had a beer.
Having met up with friends we made use of the visiting Fish and Chip van before spending the evening with a few drinks and a long chat. Nothing earth shattering, just a pleasant evening with good company.
There was a slight complication with the next part of the journey, a new road around Norwich that the SatNav didn’t know about! I managed though and reached Wroxham Barns (a touristy shopping centre) in time for lunch. From there it was a short drive to site where, after the few minutes it takes to set up, I had a beer.
Having met up with friends we made use of the visiting Fish and Chip van before spending the evening with a few drinks and a long chat. Nothing earth shattering, just a pleasant evening with good company.
Sunday 25 March 2018
Pockets and Power
A “feature” of the Berlingo fit-out is that there’s a handy space behind the seat cushion. I find this handy for putting the phone, etc. out of sight, the downside is that an iPhone will just slip down the very narrow gap between the seat base and side of the ‘van. Getting it out again is a right pain in the proverbial. While perusing a chandlery catalogue I found the ideal solution - an elastic net pocket that’s now bolted to the trim panel. Not cheap, it was a chandlery after all, but perfect for the job. Not visible in the photo below is that I’ve also fitted a lighter socket so I can plug a charger in. Whilst I had the end locker lid unscrewed I managed to rearrange the stowage of the occasional use items, it's gained me several inches in the locker which, with the very limited space, will be useful.
Talking of electrics I’ve added a dedicated DIN type socket for powering the fridge, with a piece of conduit to try and stop me tripping over the cables. The intention is that whilst away the compressor coolbox will be permanently plugged in on mains and battery (it automatically switches between). I couldn't really do that before as the 12v cable was stretched across the 'van. It was a deliberate choice to use an external socket as that way the plug doesn't stick out too far.
The final job was to complete the wiring tidy up I started last year. The converter had a liking for 30A fuses which was all very well but didn’t really provide adequate protection for the thinner cables. I’ve now added a small fuse box with 5 and 10A fuses for the lights and power sockets. The system still isn't very sophisticated but it should provide what I need.
Talking of electrics I’ve added a dedicated DIN type socket for powering the fridge, with a piece of conduit to try and stop me tripping over the cables. The intention is that whilst away the compressor coolbox will be permanently plugged in on mains and battery (it automatically switches between). I couldn't really do that before as the 12v cable was stretched across the 'van. It was a deliberate choice to use an external socket as that way the plug doesn't stick out too far.
The final job was to complete the wiring tidy up I started last year. The converter had a liking for 30A fuses which was all very well but didn’t really provide adequate protection for the thinner cables. I’ve now added a small fuse box with 5 and 10A fuses for the lights and power sockets. The system still isn't very sophisticated but it should provide what I need.
It won't be too long now before the first camping trip of the year. The jobs are done so I just need to convert back to camper mode (i.e. slide the front seat forward so I can fit the toilet in behind) and do a bit of a restock.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)