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!)
Sunday 13 May 2018
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.
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