End of an Era

Given that I only managed 5 nights away in the campervan this year, and not many more last year, I’ve sold it. It’s the first time in many years that I’ve not had a boat, tent, folding camper or campervan. It’ll also bring to an end 37 years of Caravan Club membership (not all mine - I’m a joint member with Dad). 

The blogs will continue with more adventures in Suzie Too. 

Suzie’s Adventures in Sunderland - Conclusion

Having had a reasonably easy drive home here’s a few conclusions and thoughts from the trip. 

Stopping in a city hotel certainly had some advantages, for two days the car didn’t move as I could cycle or catch the train (and could have caught busses); the downside is it wasn’t a peaceful spot with building works behind the hotel and loud, often thumping, music from the adjacent buildings. The hotel itself was excellent though, with helpful friendly staff and good food and drinks. I’d probably not stay in this particular one again but would visit one of the others in the group. 

It wasn’t a cheap hotel but I reckon it cost me about £100 per night extra compared to using the campervan. As I’d estimate the ‘van costs over £1,000 per year in insurance, tax and servicing/MOT that means I’ve got to use it for a minimum of 10 nights to be worthwhile, and at the moment it’s just not happening. It will be different when I finally retire, and I’ll then think again, but my inclination is to sell this one on while it’s still got some MOT. 

The folding bike worked, if only used one day (it could have been more under other circumstances). It gives me an extra option when I’m away in the car. Cycling does restrict me camera wise, as I’ve found the normal camera is a bit too cumbersome on a bike, but the smaller waterproof camera has proved an excellent buy, with decent quality photos (and it has an electronic viewfinder, not just a screen, which is unique in that sort of cameras). 

I need to sort out the underfloor storage in the car boot slightly so that, for example, the tyre compressor is readily available. I also need to add a basic picnic set - I’ve been spoilt having the camper as it’s got knives, plates, etc to hand. It doesn’t need to be anything sophisticated, I’ve probably got what I need already, but when picking up pies and the like from farm shops it would be easier to be able to cut them up. 

Suzie’s Adventures in Sunderland - Glass and Planes

The day started early again - I’m generally awake anyway so I just popped out to the beach steps opposite the hotel for some more sunrise pictures. Conditions weren’t quite as perfect with just a little cloud on the horizon but I got a few more shots. 

The first port of call was the National Glass Centre, on one of the University of Sunderland’s campuses. It’s been on the bucket list for quite a while and it was only just over a mile from the hotel - if I hadn’t been going on elsewhere I might well have cycled. It was certainly worth the visit, and is free (apart from the reasonably priced parking), with more than just glass to see. The history of glass in Sunderland is interesting, at one point the town dominated UK production based on three things, starting with coal for fuel. The main ingredient of glass is sand, brought in as ballast on the colliers (coal carrying ships), and finally the access to shipping for carrying the finished products - glass tend not to survive long distance carriage on carts or pack horses! 

The Romans don’t seem to have spent much time around Sunderland, or at least little evidence of occupation has been found, so the first major appearance of glass in the area was at St Peter’s Monastery where it’s written that Bishop Biscup, who built it and the sister house at Jarrow, imported glass makers from Gaul to produce both window glass and vessels. Scroll on a few hundred years and the town became a centre for innovation in commercial glass production, both for plate glass and pressed glass vessels. 

The other glass that Sunderland is famous for is Pyrex. In 1921 James A Jobling and Co secured a license from American company Corning to produce and sell their borosilicate glass throughout the British Empire (except Canada), by 1960 the company concentrated solely on Pyrex  and employed around 3,500 people. Sadly the plant closed in 2007 and production was moved to France so it’s likely the jug I have in my kitchen isn’t from Sunderland (but I’m sure there’s some pieces at Dad’s that are!)

Also at the centre are a couple of contemporary art display spaces, one of which had little to interest me, I just don’t get a lot of modern sculpture but the other had an exhibition of photographs, mainly from around Teeside and dating back to my childhood. I could certainly empathise with many of them, even though I didn’t experience the world of commercial fishing that formed the basis of many of the images. I also have to commend the cafe there for an excellent cup of coffee. 

The next visit was to NELSAM, the North East Land, Sea and Air Museum. I’ve been before but there were a couple of things I specifically wanted to see so a return was required. The museum was developed by the Council out of the North East Air Museum, based at what was Sunderland Airport, which was struggling at the time. In addition a military vehicle collection was needing a new home so the Council planned a more comprehensive transport museum - unfortunately until recently the Sea part never really happened! The main attraction for many people is the Vulcan Bomber, XL319, which flew in while the airport was still open. Last time I visited it was looking very sorry for itself, and it still really needs an indoor home, but it’s undergone some refurbishment work including getting Engine 4 running (courtesy of the team that restored the boat Bluebird to working order) - sadly that was a one off. 

There is a new exhibition space since I was last there, which is mainly housing some trams and a trolley bus belonging to NEET, the North East Electrical Traction Trust, but there are also some pop lorries and a display of Nissan cars built next door (the factory takes up most of the old airport site). 

A friend will recognise one of the destinations on this Blackpool tram, The motor car in a rare two car set. 

Lorries from probably the three largest suppliers of soft drinks in the area. 


The red sports car isn’t a Nissan, it’s a Clan Crusader, also built at Washington and based on a Hillman Imp Sport - they weren’t very successful with only 315 produced in either kit or ready built form. The owner volunteers at the museum and bought it for display there. 

As it was time for lunch, and because a visit to Penshaw Monument is generally a given when I’m up here, I headed for the farm shop that’s nearby. It would have helped if the sat nav had taken me to the monument itself, not the pub of the same name, but they’re less than a mile apart. The cafe was absolutely packed with a long queue so I just picked up a couple of things from the bakery thinking I’d eat them on the beach. 

I was flying without aids heading back to the hotel,  knowing roughly where I was going until I took a wrong turning and ended up at the riverside in South Hylton. That was no bad thing though as it was a nice spot for lunch and there were a couple of interesting things to view, including this boat with a huge rock in it (and no, I couldn’t find an explanation but the Brother might) and a wooden crane post. One thing I must do on a future trip is to follow the River Wear Trail to the west of the city centre as there are a few interesting sights. 

On the way back to the hotel I spotted a Sainsbury’s so took the opportunity to fill up with petrol and attempt to sort the tyre pressure warning, however although the machine was pumping air it wasn’t getting into the tyres! I can fix it in the morning by getting the compressor out of the boot before I load the suitcase or I can ignore it until I get home. It’s showing 1psi under, but won’t reset until it’s back to 30 or over. 

Suzie’s Adventures in Sunderland - Trains and Boats but No Planes

No planes today, there might be some tomorrow!

The day started early as one of the photos I’m hoping for  from this trip is a sunrise picture. Having checked with the Met Office signs were good, a clear day and 06:40 being the critical time. I won’t know until I’m home and put them on the laptop but I’m hoping one of the pics works - I took a few. Aside from the photography though all I can say is wow! It’s easy to see why the ancients attribute mystical and religious significance to the sun. It’s probably nearly impossible to capture on camera but there was literally an aura appearing, rising out of the water, to herald the appearance of the sun itself. Of course, if you look at it scientifically, it’s just planetary motion and refraction artefacts! 

Not one of the planned photos, just a snapshot from the phone as I walked back to the hotel. 

The main aim of the day was a simple one - travel the entire length of the Tyne and Wear Metro system. I’d done most of it before, either as Metro or BR services but I hadn’t covered the whole system as it is now in one go. I decided to leave the car at the hotel and walk up to Seaburn Station - not the first time ever I’ve caught a train there but it’s probably over 55 years since I last did so! It’s changed a bit as well since being “Metrofied”, the picture I have at home is much nearer to what I remember. From there I traveled through Sunderland to South Hylton, one end of the Green line (there are only two!)

Seaburn Metro - The canopies and tower are relatively new. 

The line runs back through Sunderland, and along the old BR route to Newcastle then out to the airport. The stretch from Sunderland to Felling was used for my regular visits as a student to my Nan’s and Great Aunt’s in Sunderland, and Felling to Haymarket was my daily commute to the university, so I know those stretches of line very well - one oddity is that Boldon Colliery is now known as Brockley Whins - apparently it’s original name dating back to 1839 although it was Boldon Colliery from 1925 to 1991. 

I wasn’t aware they’re building a new footbridge across the Wear. It looks a lot more conventional than the Northern Spire Bridge of a few years ago. 

After the Airport station the next part of the journey was simply to swap lines so back to Monument then one station along the Yellow line to its terminus at St James. I could then stay on the same train for the long run round the North Tyneside Loop, back across the river and out along the riverside to South Shields. Unfortunately, and not for the first time, the on train indicators and announcements managed to  “lose” Byker station (some might say losing Byker would be no bad thing), announcing it as the next stop,  Chillingham Road, but by the time we reached the latter they were back in synch with reality. 

As we reached the coast I decided it was probably time for a wee break, I did hop off the train at Tynemouth just to get a pic of the magnificent canopy but then carried on a couple of stops to Whitley Bay where I visited The Old Fire Station, a Wetherspoon's pub, donned my mountaineering gear to visit the toilets then had an excellent pint of Black Sheep Bitter for the huge sun of £1.99! One thing with visiting Spoonies, you can generally tell where you are in the country by the clientele! No insult to the people there but you’d know you could only be in the North East. 

Part of the train shed roof at Tynemouth. 

South Shields provided lunch, a Cheese and Onion Stottie from Greggs, not up to the standards of the ones served in the Student Union but not too bad. The next stage of the journey was the Boats part of the title, the Shields Ferry. It’s included on the all zones travel card and I’d never done it so I couldn’t resist. 

In hindsight I should probably have crossed back but I had a tentative plan to get the Metro from North Shields to Howdon, cross under the river through the foot and cycle tunnel and then back to the Metro at Jarrow. The walk up the hill to the Metro convinced me that I’d struggle with the walking involved as I was starting to get tired and my back was complaining so it was straight back to Monument in the centre of Newcastle to pick up the train back south to Seaburn. It had reached the time of day when the trains were getting busy but I managed to get a seat so the way, albeit in the “Priority” seats at one point, my need was genuine!

I’ve had quite a few reminiscences while travelling, strangely many of them involving beer! There were several stations we’d used to visit outlying pubs, often on the hunt for a half decent pint. You do go through bandit country in places as well, the Stephenson Steam Railway runs to Percy Main (pronounced Porcy May-yen) but they have to take the signs up on the first train and return them on the last train otherwise they’re stolen or used for target practice! 

Suzie’s Adventures in Sunderland - A Lighthouse Bimble

I suppose a bimble implies something unplanned which today wasn’t entirely! I brought Mike, the folding bike, with me as I wasn’t keen on having the big bike on the back of the car for a few days, had I realised the hotel had some undercover bike racks I might have thought differently but it’s exactly why I have the folder. 

The loose plan was to cycle up the coast to Souter Lighthouse, somewhere I don’t ever recall visiting before. It’s now managed by the National Trust and, as a bonus, entry was free as it’s a National Heritage Day (although I did make a donation anyway). The route up is part of National Cycle Route 1 which runs 1,264 miles from Dover to Tain. From the hotel the route is on the pavement, sometimes segregated from pedestrians, sometimes not, then on a gravel path through a park. The next stretch of the coastal path looked beyond the bike’s capabilities (if I’d had the larger hybrid I’d have tackled it) so I stuck on the official route for the only on-road section, a couple of back streets then, obeying the sign, I rejoined the A183 carriageway for all of about 30 yards! I hadn’t realised the next bit of shared use pavement was that close, and it made no sense that it didn’t extend to the turning. 

Mike the Bike parked outside the lighthouse and foghorn. 

The lighthouse itself has an interesting history. It was the first purpose built lighthouse in Britain to be powered by electricity but, slightly bizarrely, it was later converted to an oil burning lamp. The reasoning was simple, there was no mains electricity (indeed the keeper’s cottages didn’t get mains power until 1952) so there were coal boilers powering generators, these were expensive to run and needed specialist staff to operate them. As well as the lighthouse there is a large fog horn, the machinery is still there for this (and is used occasionally), with an electric and a diesel compressor and an emergency diesel generator. Unfortunately when they used the fog horn last weekend the control box got rather hot and it took a long time to get up enough pressure, an electrician has been arranged, so it wasn’t sounding today. Hopefully it’s just a loose connection but there’s also a leak somewhere which needs sorting.  

Having had a coffee I had a good look round and went most of the way up the tower - I skipped the last bit up to the lamp room as it was very steep and my fear of heights was kicking in. Even at the level I reached there was a curiosity I’d never seen before. Lighthouses in general have “lost light” as they only shine out over the sea, at Souter this was directed by a series of lenses and prisms to provide an added safety feature of a white and red light shining Southwards; if ships could see the red light they were straying too close to rocks down the coast. 

The real version of the modern “Edison” LED bulbs. 

I returned back past the hotel to take in the two lighthouse I’ve known all my life, The White Lighthouse and Roker Lighthouse. 

It was getting quite dull by this time. 

There is a tunnel through the centre of the pier to the latter, used by the keepers in bad weather, which I’ve actually been through as it’s open to the public for guided tours when the pier is open (sadly at the moment storm damage means it’s closed with no indication when it will reopen). On that occasion I did get all the way up to the lamp room where they had the biggest LED bulb I’ve ever seen! 

Amongst the other well remembered landmarks along the coast are St Bede’s Cross, a memorial to the monk who was born near St Peter’s Monastery and spent time both there and at the sister house at Jarrow; another childhood favourite was the mine outside the lifeguard station, which has a slot for donations. 

As it was getting to about lunchtime I rode back down to the hotel and loaded the bike back into the car before going next door to The Stack, a shipping container built entertainments, food and drink venue. It’s not really my sort of place but it does have a major plus point, there’s a branch of Downeys Fish and Chips there. I sat out the front to enjoy mine, not the best I’ve ever had (they were very slightly better at their place in Seaham) but streets ahead of what we get at home.

I’m slightly hampered today having picked up a toe injury yesterday - I lost part of the nail bed on my left little toe and it’s very sore; cycling was fine, walking not so much, so I’ve had a lazy afternoon. One of the things I’m here for is to get a backscene photo for my planned tram diorama, so part of the task today was to scout out a suitable spot. I have found one, which doesn’t show too much modern stuff and should work from a panned photo so I dodged the afternoon rain and did a couple of test shots, of course the sun then came out just after I got back to my room! 

Trial panorama - I’ll go back for several more and some editing will be needed but it works in principal. 

Finally another nice touch from this hotel, it’s dog friendly to the extent of having a stack of dog bowls and a water dispenser available. 

Suzie’s Adventures in Sunderland - Do the Locomotion

The first visit of this trip was to Locomotion - The National Railway Museum outpost at Shildon (known as The First Railway Town). It was by no means my first visit, but they’ve opened a new exhibition hall since I went a couple of years ago so I thought a return trip would be productive, and I was right. 

Having set off early from home the drive up was fine, except that I’d just pulled out of the drive when the first orange lights appeared on the dash! They were nothing important, just one of the cameras was misted up so the lane departure and crash avoidance systems were inoperative, but they’d not long gone out when the tyre pressure warning came on - this seems to be an annual event when it gets colder. I did pull in and check the readings (you can’t do so while you’re moving) and one tyre is a couple of PSI down, nothing to worry about but I’ll have to put some air in when I get the chance. 

The main hall at the museum hasn’t changed much, a few changed displays but that’s all. They are working on a model layout of Durham which could be spectacular however it hasn’t got beyond the baseboard stage yet so nothing to see there.

It’ll be nice when it’s finished!

The new hall is very much given over to industrial locos and Shildon built freight stock - I don’t think there’s anywhere else that you could see the development of coal wagons from an early Stockton & Darlington 5 ton chaldron right through to the last 110 ton hoppers (I found it interesting anyway 😊). I took plenty of photos for future modelling reference rather than showing as it’s all a bit tight to get a decent pic. 

Modelling one of these would be tricky but possible. I’d use a motorised wagon behind it probably as there’s nowhere to put even a tiny motor. 

There is a secondary site of S&D related buildings about 1/3 mile walk alongside the active railway line so, as I didn’t go up there last time I visited, I decided to walk up before lunch. Sadly, at the moment, there’s not much happening and none of the buildings are open to the public but I had visited them on my first trip to Shildon so I wasn’t too worried. On the walk you go past the still active manual signal box, although it’s scheduled to close in 2027 (the building itself is listed so will probably remain). On my first visit they were still using a manual token system to control the single line running, literally someone had to come down from the box and hand over or collect the token from the driver. That doesn’t seem to happen now so they’ve clearly gone over to electronics. 

After lunch and a browse round the shop it was about time to travel to the hotel in Seaburn (Sunderland), very near where I was born. I took a slightly scenic route as I was going to be a bit early to check in, although in the end it didn’t really matter. The hotel is literally on the sea front although being a cheapskate my room is at the back. 

View from the hotel terrace! 

It’s not the quieter place I’ve ever stopped, particularly on a Saturday, but I’ve got some photography plans that mean being close to the sea front will be very useful. One good thing they do here is that if you don’t want your room cleaned the next day they give you a free drink which I think is an excellent idea. 😊 

Suzie in Somerset

Only a few weeks after my last trip to Somerset I was there again, this time with friends at the Warners Hotel in Cricket St Thomas. 

I had considered a stop on the drive down but in the end did it in one go, letting the SatNav do its thing on Eco did give me a different route to what I’d expected! I’d assumed it would go towards Swindon but instead it dropped down to the A303. I was prepared for the usual short delay at Stonehenge but if I’d been aware of some major roadworks (they’re dualing another stretch and the work is too advanced to be cancelled*) I’d probably have gone a different way, not that it mattered as I had plenty of time. The route also took me through some very narrow lanes towards the end of the journey, they’re really not very relaxing to drive on, I had a couple of reverses and one narrow squeeze, and you don’t even get a view due to the high banks! Once I’d checked in to the hotel I had a drink and lunch; the afternoon was spent greeting people and not doing much else! 

Saturday’s fun started with the Big Breakfast Quiz, where we did OK with 18/20 but the winning team got all the questions right. I was very good in not correcting the lad who was acting as question master, largely because he didn’t write the quiz, Thomas Edison was not the inventor of the lightbulb, he was one of several people at that time working on the problem and Joseph Swan (from Newcastle) demonstrated a sustained electric light some months before Edison. In the afternoon I joined a walk around the hotel grounds led by another member of the entertainment staff, shame he hadn’t been given any information on the estate, history, plants, etc. so we were teaching him things. I wasn’t bothered about the entertainment on offer (a Bon Jovi/Brian Adam’s tribute) so after dinner I had a last drink in the bar before heading to bed. 

Sunday started the same as Saturday, breakfast followed by the quiz. I’d planned to go for another walk around the grounds and take some more photos so went back to the car for my walking shoes, unfortunately by the time I’d got to my room at the far end of the hotel sciatica was kicking in. I headed out to the nearby terrace to settle down with a drink and painkillers while chatting with friends and basically didn’t get much further. Some of the group took part in various games, some of us didn’t - there was some more quiz answering to do as well but largely we just chilled until getting ready for dinner. The afternoon had included our supposedly responsible adult getting up a tree but that’s just normal for us. Given that we had two large tables in the restaurant, and things started getting just a little boisterous, it’s a good thing the couple sat near us were friendly - they even threw back the misdirected paper aeroplane that landed on their table! 

The drive home largely mirrored going down, although I avoided the really narrow roads. I made a brief stop at a Sainsbugs for supplies and arrived home in time for a late lunch. This is the second time we’ve had this annual event at a Warners hotel, and in the end the organising all worked out, but I believe it was quite a strain as answers weren’t forthcoming before arrival. They redeemed themselves over the weekend though, with some very pleasant and helpful staff so we’ll likely use them again next year. 

*This was written a few days after the new government cancelled the proposed tunnel and bypass past Stonehenge. 

A Cheesy Trip, Day 5 - Aircraft, Lots of Aircraft

The main reason I decided to come back to Somerset was to visit the Fleet Air Arm Museum at Yeovilton. When I started the detailed planning I found they’re not open Monday or Tuesday so it ended up being today before I got there. There are plenty of planes and helicopters to see, from the earliest to displays about, if not actual aircraft, the latest. They’ve also got a Concord (but then where hasn’t? 😀) which doesn’t really fit in. It is the first British one, number 002, so is historical in its own way, but not really a Naval plane. 

Replica Short S27 of 1910, an improved version was the first plane to successfully take off from a ship in 1912 

Just 65 years later Concord commenced supersonic passenger flights

Some parts of the Museum are very well done, including effectively taking you through a 1970s aircraft carrier by means of presentations and displays. I also found some of the information of the QE Class carriers interesting, I hadn’t really noted that they have two separate control islands, The principle of a single island on the starboard (right) side of the deck had been established on the earliest such ships but there are several benefits to splitting the ship control from the flight control including redundancy of systems and reduced wind turbulence. They’re on the right as most single prop planes naturally turn left so away from the structure, of course this is no longer an issue! 

It’s ironic that this Short S184 survived the First World War but was damaged when the Imperial War Museum was bombed in WW II!

Helicopters are as important as planes in naval aviation, possibly even more so, and I guess we tend to think of their search and rescue role, although civilian SAR is now in private hands. Of course they have a strong military purpose as well, be it ferrying personal and stores, detecting submarines (and potentially depth charging or torpedoing them), etc. All bar one of this group saw action in the Falklands War. 

I had the customary cup of coffee whilst looking round but didn’t fancy the cafe for lunch so when I left I did a search for a farm shop and found one the other side of Yeovil. The food was really good but again the shop was just prepack frozen stuff so no use to me - not that it matters as tomorrow I’m moving on to the hotel in Devon.

Sign of the day, outside a farm, “For sale, fresh eggs and pony poo!” 

A Cheesy Trip, Day 4 - Gorgeous Caves

Given that it was only a few minutes drive* to Cheddar Gorge I was able to have a lazy start to the day, but still got up there for around opening time. The huge plus point of this was getting parked very close to Gough’s Cave which is a good starting point. There’s quite a bit of building work going on at the moment, I think they’re putting a new roof in one of the buildings, but I got a very cheery “Good morning” from one of the builders, which was a good start. 

By the time I’d bought my ticket the staff had just finished their checks of the Cave so I was first visitor in and, for a short while, about the only person in there. It made for a special experience, having total peace and tranquility (I’d declined the offered audio guide) to wander through and take in the sights. 

There’s some evidence in this pic of both ironstone and copper salts, based on the pigments.

You didn’t think I wouldn’t find some sort of railway did you? 

As with Wookey Hole they age Cheddar here as well, in fact they were collecting some of the truckles when I left. 

The history of the caves, at least in recent times, is similar to other places - rediscovered in Victorian times, developed as a tourist attraction, still being explored today by divers! Also like other such places you can delight in finding shapes in the rock formations, does anyone else see this as a koala?

I exited the cave just in time as a very noisy school party were close to going down so after a cup of coffee I wandered down the Gorge via the Museum of Prehistory to the second cave, Cox’s. This is slightly different as there’s an AV presentation playing at various points. I was walking round with a friendly older couple - it helped that none of us were exactly running! 

I can’t really decide whether the changing colours of the lighting enhanced the cave or detracted from it but in any case it was fairly spectacular, albeit on a smaller scale than the other caves I’ve visited this trip. 

There are two distinct sides to Cheddar village, where the caravan site is it’s really just a small local centre but the moment you get up to the Gorge it’s a tourist hotspot with all the attendant shops and cafes. Having walked most of the way down I settled for fish and chips for lunch with a pot of tea - I’m mainly a coffee drinker but tea does seem to go well with F&C! I then did a bit of shopping, procuring some more cave aged cheese (there’ll be a taste off later) and a 3L pouch of dry cider - the downside of the latter being I then had to carry it back up the hill. A quick call into Sainsbugs on the way back to the site provided some salad and cream crackers to go with the cheese. 

Thought for the day, is it compulsory to put, “Caution - Very Hot Water” signs on any tap accessible to the public, even when the water is lukewarm due to the temperature control valve?

*I could have walked but I figured by the time I’d got up there, and left enough energy to get back, I’d be limited as to how much I could do in the middle. 

A Cheesy Trip, Day 3 - I Go to Prison

I wouldn’t say the day didn’t go to plan, but it could definitely have been better! 

The main target was to visit Shepton Mallet prison. One of my vague historical interests is crime and punishment (too many Sherlock Holmes stories when I was younger) and I’ve been round a few smaller, older lock ups but there aren’t that many opportunities to see a more recently closed establishment. To be honest I found it interesting, but also sad and a little frightening. The history of the prison doesn’t entirely help, it was a civilian establishment from 1625 until 1930 when it closed. Just before WW II it became a military prison, first for the British services then for the Americans from 1942-1945. From then until 1966 it was back in British military hands, and for a while housed the Kray Twins. Commonly known as The Mallet it was reckoned to be the harshest of the four military detention centres (only Colchester is still open). Having reverted to being a civilian prison, in 2001 it became a Category C for male lifers until it closed in 2013. 

The displays and information really don’t pull any punches, including the number of executions carried out there, which include two by firing squad and 16 hangings during the US occupation. I’ve read elsewhere that there was some disquiet in British circles about these due to the high number of coloured servicemen executed compared to whites. 

Because the establishment only closed 10 or so years ago it’s still got all the security fencing, razor wire, secure gates and doors, etc. and the cell block wings are very similar to the ones you see in Porridge, complete with anti-suicide netting, but I have to say the thing I found the worst (even more so than the hanging room and the condemned cell) was the exercise yard. When the lifers were moved there this was improved, instead of just being a tarmac yard enclosed on all sides by buildings it became a tarmac yard with a couple of raised plant beds and a raised pond! Imagine that your only outside time, often just an hour a day, would be spent in such a place? At least it’s open to the sky, drones being used to drop drugs (and even on one occasion a Chinese takeaway) mean that many such yards are now closed over. 

After a cup of coffee I went for a wander around Shepton Mallet, which is a fairly typical small market town. I was looking for a Boots, or similar, as I discovered I’d left my shampoo* at home and needed a couple of other things but failed to find one. I had thought about going into Wells for the afternoon but couldn’t get any enthusiasm so I looked on Google Maps and found a farm shop that looked a good place for lunch and a bit of shopping. After TomTom took me to the wrong place I finally found it and was somewhat underwhelmed. The lunch was ok, but nothing great, and the supposedly much vaunted farm shop butchery consisted of all prepackaged items, a packet of 16 bacon rashers isn’t much use in a small campervan on my own! 

On the plus side though I spotted a Boots in an out of town retail park so got my shopping there then passing back around Wells I found a Halfords which gave me the chance to get a new phone holder - it’s been a problem for a while in the Berlingo; I’m not sure how well this one will work but we’ll see. The other place I’d planned to call in at was a Cider Barn by the side of the road near Cheddar. I pulled in, thinking I might get some decent scrumpy, but when I looked in it was basically a fairly grotty looking bar in, literally, a barn, so I didn’t bother. 

An interesting one from after I blogged yesterday, I went to get another pint and the lady serving casually asked if I was staying locally. Having said I was at one of the caravan sites she commented that she thinks they’re very good for the village - not least because caravanners tend to have disposable income and will go out for drinks and meals. It’s an interesting view when so many touristy places seem to dislike visitors (while liking their money). 

*I used the shower gel this morning which works but it’s very, very minty!  

A Cheesy Trip, Day 2 - Witches and Water

The first activity today was a visit to Wookey Hole, I had been before in 1971! The caves have actually been much extended since then, once later in the 70’s and then more recently - the last new chamber opened up in 2015. It may seem strange that they’re still finding new parts to the cave system but that’s due to much of it being permanently under water. It was the second time since my recent big birthday that I’ve legitimately bought a concession ticket (although I’ve had a few when people haven’t asked the question). 

Being fairly early we were fortunate in having a small party, the guide reckoned when it’s busy they can have over 50 people, we were just 18 including a few small kids who, fortunately, weren’t too noisy! There’s quite a few steps up and down, and some low points, so you need to be reasonably mobile, one downside of the newest parts is there’s a lot of metal grating for floors, steps and bridges which is a nuisance for a walking stick. 

The caves were the location for the first ever cave dive in the UK, back in 1935, using traditional bottom walking diving suits complete with the brass helmet, lead boots and a surface compressor feeding air through a hose, hardly ideal for negotiating tight cramped spaces! It’s still one of the most popular places for cave diving in the UK with some chambers being very difficult and technical, the deepest UK cave dive of 90m was also there. 

The witch is probably the most famous legend around the caves, put simply the locals appealed to the Abbot of Glastonbury for help in ridding themselves of the witch and he despatched a monk, Father Bernard, who reportedly had had a relationship destroyed by the hag. When he came to the chamber now known as The Witch’s Kitchen he couldn’t see her so he scooped some water from the underground River Axe and blessed it. He sprinkled the holy water around until some landed on the witch causing her to be turned to stone. That’s the story, anyway, but skeletal remains and artefacts were found in around 1912 so there may be some truth there. 

After the caves you can walk through the old paper mill, built to harness the river power, it closed in the early 1970s when Madame Tussauds bought the whole site (it’s now held in Trust by Gerry Cottle’s children). There is a small cave diving display and some exhibits from the paper making, plus various other attractions. Unfortunately it was a bit early for anything substantial to eat in the restaurant so settled for coffee and biscuits - the pleasant lady who served me did check I was OK carrying the tray! 

I couldn’t leave without the other thing that the caves have become famous for, cheddar cheese! The conditions are apparently perfect for ageing cheese so having seen where this happens I bought a piece in the gift shop. 

The second visit of the day was to Westonzoyland Pumping Station Museum, the site of the first steam pump on the Somerset Levels. The Levels are drained by a series of ditches and drains but eventually you have to get the water to go uphill! At Westonzoyland that meant lifting it 6 feet up to the River Parrett. The original setup used a scoop wheel but after the ground settled and that became ineffective it was replaced by Mr Amos’s Machine, a steam driven centrifugal pump. 

It’s a slightly odd pump engine having two cylinders, one either side of the main flywheel which drives the pump impeller via a crown wheel and a long shaft. It also seems strange, given the ready availability of water, that it’s fitted with condensers which cool the exhausted steam and pump it back into the boiler, I’m guessing this was to minimise the work of operating the pump which was generally the responsibility of one man and his wife. 

The museum does have a Light Railway, sadly not operating today, it’s not original to the site but helps demonstrate the type of lines used in construction in the area , it also helps with machinery moving. There’s a decent collection of steam engines of various types, most of which work. I particularly noticed this winch engine as it was built in Sunderland and used at Hemyock Dairy for moving milk wagons in the sidings there. 

Was the museum worth the 35 mile round trip? Probably for me yes, even though it’s small and wasn’t really geared up for visitors today - they were mainly working on various bits of machinery and left me alone to wander round. I’d love to go back on a steaming day though, ideally when the railway is also operating. 

I’m now sat sitting back in the pub with another pint of Gorge Best before I wander back to the site. 

A Cheesy Trip. Day 1 - We Are the Champions!

I’m  away in the ‘van for a few days in Somerset, on my way to the annual gathering of the TOGs in Devon. Most unusually there is very little railway content this trip, partly because I think I’ve visited every line in the West Country!

I’m stopping at the CAMC site on the edge of Cheddar (hence the title) and as usual I looked for somewhere to break the journey, on this occasion it was the REME museum near Lyneham. I’d loaded most of the ‘van yesterday so just needed to put the coolbox and a couple of other things in. First problem, the coolbox wouldn’t run on the 12v leisure battery. All the signs are that battery was flat which is a bit odd as there’s a 110w solar panel on the roof to keep it charged. I later checked the charge controller and it isn’t showing any problem but I’m wondering if there’s an iffy connection. It’s not a problem for this trip as it’ll be on mains electric on site and the battery certainly seemed fully charged after the run down. 

The museum is fairly typical of such places with interesting stories and displays about a part of the army that doesn’t really get the headlines but which is crucial in supporting the fighting units. It’s worth noting that the first REME units went ashore on D Day just 20 minutes after the initial landings, and possibly before that, with the crucial role of keeping the routes off the beaches clear of any damaged vehicles - their main role is the repair and recovery of vehicles, electronics, etc. 

When is a tank not a tank? When it’s been converted for recovery with a dummy turret and gun to make it look like a fighting vehicle. 

I found the range of vehicles they’ve used over the years to be quite fascinating, from early Morris commercials through converted tanks and some specialist vehicles. 

The 6x4 Scammel Pioneer had other roles but it’s ability to cross difficult terrain was invaluable during WW II. 

How do you know it’s a a Scammel? It’s got two humps!

There’s a huge difference between peacetime civilian engineering and the wartime military - the latter can’t just order a special tool from the vehicle manufacturer and wait for it to arrive! This make do attitude also extended to other areas, they had two of these recovery wagons custom built for the exercise ranges in Canada. 

Big Red - Painted that colour in the hope that gunners on live firing exercises wouldn’t use it as a target!

I ended my visit, inevitably, with coffee and cake in the Museum cafe, very good they were too, before heading off towards Somerset. I don’t know what was going on but over the course of the drive down I had two near misses where vehicles pulled out in front of me, one necessitating me standing on the brakes very hard, and saw a third when an  ambulance had to go the wrong side of the road at a junction and a Discovery pulled straight across in front of it then panicked and stopped in the middle of the road! Fortunately the ambulance had enough room to get round. The SatNav was also in a funny mood, I’d got it set on Eco Route as usual but that seemed to involve skirting the edge of Swindon instead of using the M4 then taking me through  the middle of Bristol instead of the M5 (I did catch a glimpse of the SS Great Britain). It didn’t matter, except my left leg objects to too much clutch usage these days, and at least my ‘van is clean air zone friendly. 

Checking in at the site was, as usual, easy enough as I’d paid in advance (late last night as it happens) and there wasn’t  not much to choose between the available pitches. They do ask campervans and motorhomes to mark their pitches if they go out so nobody else tries to use the same pitch, I’ve got a very nice pitch marker that slips over the number peg with bungee cord, it’s currently sitting on the kitchen table at home! So I bought yet another sign (I think this is the fourth one) and used a a guy rope from the sun shade to secure it in place. 

After lunch I settled down to watch the Premiership Rugby final - Saints’ first one since they won it ten years ago. One slight annoyance, I’d brought the small iPad planning to hot spot it off the mobile but the ITV X app refused to believe I was in England and wouldn’t play so I had to watch the match on the phone. I won’t go into details but I did get excited a few times - although I had to calm down due to the limited headroom in the ‘van as I managed to hit the roof, literally! 

We haven’t made things easy for ourselves at times this season and it happened again, despite playing against 14 for much of the game after Bath had a red card after 20 minutes or so but Saints found that extra something when it counted to win so I’m a happy bunny tonight. I celebrated by wandering into Cheddar itself and having a couple of pints of Gorge Best from Cheddar Brewery - nice to see a craft brewer producing a genuine, and very nice, Best Bitter. I did consider having dinner there but there wasn’t really much on the menu that I fancied so in strolled back to the site for the evening. 

Campervan Update

As I’m going away soon in the ‘van I needed to do some sorting and tidying. 

The first issue was getting it started - it really doesn’t like getting going after standing for a while! Having flattened the battery once I put it on the big charger overnight then put it back in the car. Putting the charger back on in boost/start mode finally got it going but left me with the engine warning light on. I hoped a run round the block might cure it but after a few miles it was still on so I ordered a cheap bluetooth reader to see if I could diagnose the problem and hopefully reset it. Unfortunately whilst the app would talk to the reader and the reader seemed to establish communications with the engine management it couldn’t actually read anything. I was preparing to call the local garage to see if I could pop in for them to try when I realised that the warning light had finally cleared itself! Plan B would have involved using Suzie Too and hotels instead, I’m glad it’s not necessary (not least because room prices at relatively short notice weren’t cheap). 

With that done I just needed to do all the usual prep before the first trip of the year, including giving all the cooking and eating stuff a good wash. Unfortunately my trusty folding kettle had gone a bit grotty and, while trying to clean it, I noticed a crack starting to develop. For obvious safety reasons it went in the bin and a new one is on order. I also swapped the gas hose as the old one was out of date and showing signs of starting to crack and did some general cleaning. 

The final job before I start packing for the trip was to take the ‘van up to Dad’s and get the pressure washer out. It’s a lot easier washing vehicles at his house as there’s an outside tap and plenty of space on the drive. I’m not saying it’s perfect, but at least it doesn’t look like a vehicle that’s been neglected for several months! 

After the problems with starting, and given the lack of use of the ‘van, I was seriously thinking it’s time to sell it on for whatever I can get - realistically the vehicle itself has little value, maybes £500 or so, so the money is in the second hand value of the fit out and equipment. Looking at hotels, and their cost, for the Cheddar trip, and realising that other pressures have impacted on use in recent years, made me think again. I’ll stick to keeping this campervan for as long as it’s economical to run it, I’ll think again if and when it needs expensive repairs. I’ll definitely go away at least once more this year and I’ll start planning at least two long trips next year plus some long weekends. 

Suzie in Wales - The End

Fortunately the dreadful overnight weather had largely gone by the time we left the hotel and we had a good drive back with no significant holdups. We had considered stopping somewhere but, with work for me the next day, I didn’t want to be too late home. Here’s a few thoughts from the week. 

Considering it was fairly wet, with rain every day, we were incredibly lucky - other than some quick dashes to or from the car we always managed to be on trains or indoors when it rained heavily. 

Our hotel, Gwesty Tyn-Y-Cornel is highly recommended with friendly staff who go that bit further than basic service, such as taking the breakfast order from a family and adding two extra sausages for the dogs!

The Vitara behaved impeccably throughout and I’ll admit that on some of the twisting and climbing roads I was pleased to have an automatic, the constant gear changing would have put a strain on my left leg. We just had enough space for three of us, our luggage and Mandy’s scooter.

Doing five railways in five days was a bit excessive, even for me, but they varied considerably from the very narrow gauge Fairbourne tourist line, through the volunteer run Corris up to the larger operations such as the Welsh Highland. We did do other things as well of course such as visiting Portmeirion. 

Suzie in Wales - Day 6 (Nearly the end)

Today was the final full day of the trip and also the shortest railway. The day started with a very busy breakfast as there was a lake swimming event on - they were just getting ready to start as we headed out for the day. Apparently the hotel hosts these events a few times a year through different organisations. 

The Corris Railway is only about 3/4 of a mile at the moment, although they are working on an extension. To make up for this you do get the chance to hear about the railway and have a look at the engine and carriage sheds which proved interesting. It’s entirely volunteer run, unlike most that we’ve visited, and it shows, but they were very friendly. As with a few others here it started as a gravity slate line with horses pulling the wagons back up but later converted to steam haulage and introduced passenger services. 

Replica slate wagon in the workshops. 
 

The railway closed shortly after being taken over by British Rail in 1948 and unfortunately part of the track bed was taken over by the highway authority to widen the road. To save space at Corris the railway uses a small traverser to move the loco across to the run around loop, it looked hard work!

After the ride we had coffee, looked round the small museum, shopped and chatted then our next stop was the Corris Craft Centre which showed definite signs of being a bit dippy hippy! It’s also the location for King Arthur’s Labrynth, an outdoor maze and a slate mining experience - we didn’t fancy the first (it involves boat rides and AV), Mandy’s scooter bogged down in the gravel of the second and, whilst it’s have liked to try, I decided I couldn’t physically manage the third! We got an OK lunch though and some shopping so it was worth the visit. 

On the way back we decided to drive down the other side of Lake Talyllyn from our hotel. It was an interesting road - Steve was kept busy opening and closing the several gates and there was a substantial ford at the end. It was well worth it for the views though, both across the lake and of Cader Idris*. 

Our Hotel

*I’m using the spelling I know for Cader. The signs on the car park we passed use Cader Idris and Cadair Idris as well as Dol Idris which I think refers to the wider area. 

Suzie in Wales - Day 5 (Another day, another railway)

Today’s railway was the Talyllyn, the first preserved railway in the UK (probably). After yesterday’s tiny tourist railway it was back to 2’ 3” gauge and decent sized carriages! The first issue was finding the disabled parking, you literally go down the station drive, and in the end we dropped Mandy off and went back to the main car park as space is very limited.

The railway was built in the 1860’s, primarily to carry slate from the quarry at Bryn Eglwys, but when they obtained a parliamentary act, needed to acquire some parcels of land, it also included passenger traffic - the first time this had been authorised on a narrow gauge railway. Unfortunately the whole operation was heavily over-capitalised and uneconomic, struggling through to about 1950 when the quarry itself finally closed, which also seemed to be the end of the railway. 

Fortunately a Preservation Society was formed by a group which included Tom Rolt, an engineer and one of the founders of the Inland Waterways Association, and Lady Haydn, the widow of the last owner, handed over the railway which has now developed to the current successful operation. 

Dolgoch was our loco for the day. 



The falls, after which the loco was named. 



Sir Haydn, another of the locos, being coaled and watered. 

After a late lunch in the Refreshment Rooms we drove up some fairly narrow and twisty roads to visit Mary Jones’ Monument. At the age of 15 Mary walked 26 miles, barefoot, to Bala, to buy a copy of the Welsh Bible as she couldn’t obtain one elsewhere. This prompted the foundation of The British and Foreign Bible Society. 

Suzie in Wales -Day 4 (Oops!)

Confession time, we’d got about 10 miles down the road from the hotel this morning when I realised I’d left my camera behind. Fortunately Steve had both his with him, one of which I passed in to him a while back when I upgraded so he kindly leant it back for the day. 

We visited the Fairbourne Railway today which runs alongside Barmouth Estuary. Originally it started in the 1890s as a horse drawn 2’ gauge tram line carrying building materials for local development as Fairbourne was an upper class resort. Later it was extended to meet the ferry from Barmouth, still horse drawn though. In 1916 it was converted into a 15” gauge steam railway and at one point had dual gauge track as an 18” gauge loco had been purchased. 

After being closed throughout the war the railway enjoyed its heyday in the 60s and 70s but inevitably competition from the other local narrow gauge railways, which had more to offer the visitor, and the advent of cheap foreign holidays, impacted considerably. From 1984 the railway was redeveloped again at 12 1/4” gauge and later transferred to a charitable trust. So over about 100 years the Railway had four different gauges and still has some mixed gauge 12 1/4” and 15” track. The current locos are largely 1/2 size replicas of other narrow gauge engines. 

Another lady guard talking to the driver at the Estuary end of the line. Barmouth Bridge is in the background. 

Yeo passed us at the loop, we saw the prototype of this in Porth Madog yesterday!

After completing our journey we had coffee and cake before having a look round the railway’s museum. Just as we were leaving the level crossing barriers on the main  railway closed, instead of the expected multiple unit it turned out to be two yellow Network Rail Class 37s (or 97s as they are now) hauling a special. I didn’t get a chance of a decent photo but here’s the nose of one of them!

The drive around to Barmouth involved a fairly rickety toll bridge (it only cost £1) and we managed to find space in the car park by the promenade so we could have a wander. It’s very touristy of course and I can imagine in high summer it’s  absolute chaos but we managed. I tried an arty farty shot of the bridge but I’m not sure if it worked. 

After an ice cream we just timed things nicely, getting back to the car just as it was starting to get chilly and rain was coming on, plus Mandy’s scooter was down to the Red on the battery meter. I needed petrol so we didn’t go back across the toll bridge but headed towards Dolgellau where I filled up before driving back to the hotel. 

Final sight of the day, right opposite my bedroom window a group of ladies have gone swimming in Tallylyn Lake! It’s cold and wet out there but I guess it’s a regular thing for them - they are wearing wetsuits. 

Suzie in Wales - Day 3 (Unexpected trains)

Today, according to the original plan, was supposed to be the Fairbourne Railway and Barmouth but an error in arrangements meant we went to Port Meirion instead as Mandy had arranged to meet an old friend in Porth Madog. The weather wasn’t great, but was manageable, however it did mean we didn’t spend as much time there as we may have done if it had been fine. It didn’t matter, we saw everything and enjoyed coffee and cake (Bara Brith in my case) followed not long later by some lovely ice cream.

This belly pump caught my eye!

 The real plus point throughout the visit was the helpfulness and friendliness of the staff who went out of their way to assist people. I know they’re in a tourist/hospitality business and it’s “part of the job” but going the extra mile makes a huge difference to the visitor experience. I’m sure everyone is aware of the connection with The Prisoner (and if you’re not you would be by the end of the visit) so here’s the iconic chessboard. 

We decided to head straight to Porth Madog for the afternoon and, although they weren’t on the itinerary for this visit, see if we could get a trip on either the Ffestiniog or Welsh Highland railways, we could have gone on either but as Steve hadn’t been on the latter that was an easy decision. It was too late to go the whole way to Caernarfon but the trip ran to Beddgelert (a place I’ve been visiting for over 50 years) and back. 

Blanche arriving with a Ffestiniog train. 

The weather still wasn’t great but we were at least in the dry on the train! We had about an hour at Beddgelert but unless you walk down into the village there’s not much there so we stayed on the train, apart from a wee break. The lady providing the buffet service to the “posh” Pullman coach kindly brought us some hot chocolate, another unexpected kindness (I did say to keep the change). 

The railways are definitely equal opportunities these days, this picture shows the lady guard and the lady fireman talking to the driver as they swapped locos. 

To explain, a crew brings one train up from Porth Madog whilst another crew brings one up from Caernarfon. At Beddgelert they swap the locos over between the two trains ready to return to their starting points but the crew stay with the train so they end up back where they need to be at the end of the day’s work. 

The observant among you may spot that the loco is another of my favourite Garratts, this time a Beyer built in the UK and exported to South Africa. When the Welsh Highland was being reopened it was realised these locos would be needed to provide sufficient power and traction on the steep sections so they went shopping in SA and bought three of them. Just as we were getting off the train I had a phone call from our hotel, “Are you having dinner tonight?” I explained we were dining out with friends but that’s a level of service you don’t get even at a Premier Inn!