Archive-2016

Our annual New Year's Day trip to the Northampton and Lamport Railway found us there on a grey and damp day enjoying some 47 haulage!

A work trip to Bolton to collect a car for a customer. Following a trip courtesy of London Midland, Virgin and Northern Trains I had a delightful drive back in a Ford Fiesta!

Another trip for work. This time, to Chadwell Heath in East London to collect a delightful Honda Jazz for a customer. The collection point was two minutes from Chadwell Heath station so I was on my way back to Northampton in no time and still managed to do an afternoon's work!

A day trip to London with my lovely wife to see Grey Gardens at the Southwark Playhouse starring the amazing Sheila Hancock in the lead.

A weekend in Birmingham with my wife and son to see Strictly Come Dancing Live. On the Saturday afternoon, whilst my wife and son were out spending our hard earned money, I took a trip out to Bescot.

A bit of weak winter sun got me out to Roade Cutting for an hour or so.

Yet another trip to London with the beautiful Mrs. Randall! This time, we went to see Pinter's classic, The Homecoming at the superb Trafalgar Studios theatre.

A work trip with my boss to Woodlesford just south of Leeds to collect two cars for customers. Whilst I drove a nice Fiesta, he was trying to keep up in a Peugeot struggling to keep up in limp-mode; I know who made the right choice!

An overnight trip to London with my wife to see Funny Girl staring the amazing Sheridan Smith. This was just days before her enforced absence from the production due to family circumstances.

A work trip to Great Bentley in Essex to collect a car for a customer. I travelled down early from Northampton to Euston, took the tube to Liverpool Street and then a train to Colchester. From there I made the short trip to Great Bentley followed by a walk across some fields to complete the collection. After a drive back to Northampton in a smashing Audi TT I was still able to do an afternoon's work!

Having just got a secondhand Canon G1X I was keen to get out and try it. So, I went on my bike to Roade Cutting to explore its possibilities.

As my wife was poorly, my son and I went alone to Birmingham to the Yonnex badminton finals at the Barclaycard Arena in Birmingham.

Andy and I went to North wales for our Easter trip travelling in his Nissan Micra. After an overnight stay at the M6 Knutsford Service's Travelodge we made an early start. Unfortunately, the weather was absolutely foul that did spoil the day somewhat!

A spring trip out my Combo van to Victoria bridge and then to Roade Cutting. It was a particularly busy and varied Saturday morning.

Another visit to Liverpool with my wife and son. As usual, we had a smashing time and I got some railway action in. Unfortunately, I had to return early as I had to attend my aunty's funeral in Buckinghamshire.

Another busy few hours on the WCML just near to home. I nipped out in my van to capture the more interesting of the movements.

What a disaster! Due to my incompetence, my boss and I had to abort our epic journey to Prestwick in order to collect a car for a customer. We missed the train from Northampton that connected with the Glasgow service at Rugby. We turned straight around and headed back to work again!

Despite it being the middle of April what a miserable day! As I walked to photograph the unusual 5A68 move it was snowing! Later in the day it was still cold and grey so we went to Bicester Village in order for my wife and son to spend lots of our hard-eared cash! Whilst they were doing this, I made my first visit to the station that had reopened less than a year earlier.

Our second attempt to get to Prestwick. My boss and I made this extraordinary journey in order to collect a car for one of our customers. So it was that we drove a very average 2002 Rover 45 all the way back from Scotland!

A walk across the fields from home through the oilseed rape in full-bloom to photograph the Settle and Carlisle Statesman. Because of the bright yellow landscape I opted for some side-on shots to take in the magnificent colours.

Another work trip, this time to Bristol to collect a car for a customer, after a nice train ride down via Birmingham, we drove back in a nice Lexus.

A smashing walk across the fields from home to see a class 67 hauled excursion and a DRS locomotive move.

For my birthday I was treated to a tour of Highclere House of Downton Abbey fame. Whilst the highly successful programme is set in Yorkshire, the house is actually just outside of Newbury. My wife and I stayed the night in the Berkshire town with me taking the opportunity to take a visit to Reading whilst my wife undertook some retail therapy. I found Reading in transition with its modernisation completed the wiring for the GWML electrification was underway.

An overnight trip to London with my wife to go to the Chelsea Flower Show. A smashing couple of days with great weather!

Having done the chores at home and, as it was smashing day, I went on a walk around the village with my camera over my shoulder.

Another work trip to collect a couple of cars for customers. This time, my boss and I took the train to Kirkby-in-Ashfield followed by a short walk. Between us, we drove a Honda Jazz and a Toyota Yaris back to Northampton.

Yet another trip to collect a car for a customer. This time, a relatively short journey to New Street and then to Sandwell and Dudley. After a short walk, we returned in a pretty poor MG ZR, that made it back without overheating!

A Saturday morning run out from home to favourite spot of mine just south of Banbury. The purpose was to capture the oddly named Purbeck and Bomo Explorer. The main attraction of this railtour, that started at Derby and went to the Swanage Railway traversing its new mainline link, was that it was double-headed by 50007 and 50050.

A trip to Eaglescliffe by train followed by a short walk to collect my wife's new Range Rover.

A weekend in London with my wife and son. The main purpose was for us to see an edition of Who's Line is it Anyway? In between, I managed a visit to Paddington and to King's Cross. We travelled to Kensington Olympia from Milton Keynes staying at a friend's flat in Kensington.

The 3-Peaks charity event has become a fixed event in the railway calendar. The organisation behind the event hire a train to to transport the hundreds of people who take part in the annual charity event. With the timings changing from year to year it is not always possible to see it in the daylight. This year, I was able to capture it as an ECS working.

Due to industrial action Andy was off work, so he came over for a few hours. I had a blood donation session so we walked through the village to the village hall. Here, Andy left me to lie on a coach and give an 'armful' followed by a biscuit whilst he went to Roade Cutting. I joined him at the Cutting afterwards.

Another of our days out in London. This time, my wife and I went to see Breakfast at Tiffany's

This trip out was one of those ones that totally wastes our time! You know, when control have their hand in things that conspire so that you miss whatever you went out for! I ventured out on a pretty grey summer's morning to see the Retro Canterbury Belle railtour approach Northampton from the north as I was in work for a few hours. Unfortunately, it ended up going via the Weedon loop thus missing out Northampton completely. A couple of light engine 68s sort of made up for it before I headed back to work.

Yet another work trip to collect not one but two cars! This time my boss and I headed to Newcastle first to collect a rather nice Volvo C30. On the way back, we stopped off in Leeds to pick up a VW Golf.

My first visit to DRS's Gresty Bridge depot open day in aid of charity. A very busy event but, nonetheless, very interesting. I took Bertie the Brompton so I could dodge the crowds and also had a ride out to Basford Hall and a little further south to get the signal box that had been passed many times but never actually photographed!

Every now and then when the Northampton line is closed on a Sunday, diversions have to go via the Weedon loop. One of the more unusual ones is the 4L98 Daventry to Purfleet Freightliner. To get south, it first goes north to Rugby where the engine runs round. The train then makes a lightening dash round the Weedon loop to get back on to the up slow as soon as possible. This makes for an unusual picture of freight on the otherwise normally passenger train loop line, so I always make the effort to get out when possible.

Following attending a famile wedding anniversary in the heart of the Peak District, we had a few days away. Off course, I managed some railway related activity!

My annual summer trip with Andy. This year, we covered the entire Welsh Marches line and then a fair bit of South Wales. We travelled in my Combo van, whilst not the most luxurious vehicle, it is economical and practical! We stayed overnight at a Travelodge on land that was once occupied by Dai Williams' huge Barry scrapyard. The weather was superb for both the days we were out that made a change!

My wife, son and I took a few days in the Scottish capital to enjoy what it has to offer including some Fringe events. I was kept happy as we stayed in a hotel right next to Waverley station (what a coincidence!).

A temporary speed restriction on the up and down slow lines at Roade was enforced over the whole of the August Bank Holiday weekend. This involved a enforcer and observer trackside ensuring that everything went to plan.

Following our visit to Shrewsbury last month, I vowed that I would re-visit to get some more pictures of the semaphores. A day off work coincided with a reasonable weather forecast so me and my Brompton (Bertie) headed off to the Shropshire town. Off course, the weather did not play ball and it clouded up so I expect that another visit will beed to be arranged sooner than later!

I had a couple of day's work near to the Northampton and Lamport Railway in the village of Spratton. As I was a little early on the way to the job, I called in for a nice walk and a look to see what was stabled in their sidings at the Northampton and Lamport Railway

An autumn trip to London with my wife to see The Entertainer rag time musical.

During a weekend stay with my mum and her partner back in the West Country, my wife son and I took the train from Frome to Bristol for a day out. I left them for an hour or two and took a journey that I have never done, despite cutting my spotting teeth on Temple Meads station, out to Severn Beach.

A Saturday morning visit to Victoria bridge to see the 0A68 light engine convoy followed close behind by a Northern Belle excursion. As I needed my long step ladder to surmount the palisade fence I went in the Combo van despite this being a spot that I usually walk to.

A trip to the West Country again to stay with my mum and her partner. This time I went on my own and drove. As they had just moved house, I went to undertake some work on their new home.

A walk from home to see the Cumbrian Mountain Express pass through Roade.

Our annual family holiday to Norfolk staying at the fantastic Kelling Heath park.

A day trip down to Box for one of my regular neck treatments. A few photographs on the way there and also on the way back.

A Saturday morning ride through the village on my Brompton to the cutting.

An Electrostar was being dragged from Wembley to Derby works for overhaul. Hauled by a class 37, this event was worthy of a walk out from home on an autumn Sunday afternoon.

A day trip to London with my wife. I must admit to being in a bit of daze for most of the day completed speechless and staggered that the citizens of the USA had just elected a president named Donald Trump. This time we were attending a production of Lasurus, the musical written by David Bowie. The production took place at the pop-up King`s Cross theatre adjacent to the station. Whilst sitting in the theatre, during the quieter periods of the production, the station announcer and some trains could be heard!

As it was a lovely crisp November day, I took a local walk from home. This involved me passing the former SM & J railway near the 'chocolate box' village of Stoke Bruerne.

Another late autumn walk from home. This time I followed the SMJ railway route east from Roade to record some of the remaining infrastructure following its run-down and eventual closure in 1963.

On returning from another specialist neck treatment at Box, I paused for an hour os so to take some photographs on the GWML just eats of Swindon. Since my last visit a few weeks ago, there had been some progress with regard to the electrification

A works trip to Knaresborough with my boss in order to collect two cars for customers. I drove a nice little Polo back and he a not so nice Kia Picanto!

Our annual family outing to London for the tennis masters at the Albert Hall. We stayed at our neighbour's 'other' house in Kensington Church Street and this year, we went down on Friday afternoon that necessitated our son missing a couple of school lessons after lunch.

A weekend trip to Birmingham with my wife and son. The main purpose was for us to attend a Human League concert at the Birmingham Arena. My wife and I loved it, with my son having his introduction to 1980s synth-pop/new wave pop music being less impressed, but he did tolerate it with a smile on his face watching his mum and dad dancing to such hits as 'Don't you want me baby'!

My wife son and I took a few days in a very cold New York just before Christmas. We flew to and from New York Newark airport which necessitated a rail transfer to Penn station.

Having finalised all the arrangements, I took a ride out on Bertie the Brompton to Roade Cutting on Christmas Eve for an hour or so.

A HAPPY CHRISTMAS TO ALL MY READERS!

My final trip of the year found me out at Victoria bridge on a drab afternoon. As it was cold and miserable, I went in my Combo van.