Wednesday 27 November - York

A very calm and peaceful River Ouse

There must have been a lot of rain overnight but it was fair this morning and the forecast was for a warm day.  We walked around quite a bit and found we didn't need gloves.  Although it was wet underfoot the walk along the River Ouse and through the gardens was very pleasant.  We passed close to the main Post Office where many postpeople in bright red jackets were cycling out to make their second deliveries in the town. The old part of the city is very interesting and full of locals. 

Guildhall

Lunch was at the Red Lion pub, very pleasant and with good beer.

The Jorvik Centre was very interesting although there was a surprising number of visitors, mainly school groups.  The tour through the Viking streets was excellent and the animated figures gave us a good idea of life in those times.  The water was not safe to drink so everyone drank beer!

Jorvik Centre

The light was excellent this afternoon and the Minster was looking its best with the sun slanting in. We walked around the exterior and enjoyed the Deans Garden.

Mary then went in search of a coffee while I spent a couple of hours in the Railway Museum.  There was a demonstration of turning a locomotive on the turntable.  Not really very much of a demonstration as the turntable was powered by an electric motor.  It was a bit different when the engine had to be properly balanced before the dogs would come out and then we had to push it by hand, and stopping was quite a problem - almost as much as getting it going.

Tuesday 26 November - York

First thing we saw this morning walking into town was a van delivering Pork Scratchings.  Scratching is big business in this area.  

 

We walked along the Shambles scouting out possible apartments for rent next summer and looking at the amenities in the area.  There is a covered market close by as well as a large Marks and Spencer.  

The Golden Fleece

Merchant Venturers

Buying stamps at the Post Office turned out to be a bigger job than I had imagined. I entered a world of Monty Python. It was almost entirely pensioners getting their pension money.  They all seemed to know each other and chatted amiably.  Three ladies in front of me were talking about hospital wait times for their hysterectomies. There was one old fellow who could hardly walk.  He sat in a chair in a corner until it was his turn.  He then struggled upright and tried to walk over to the counter, nearly falling flat on his back in the process.  Several people rushed to take his arm.  He told the clerk what he wanted and the clerk told him to go back to his chair and he would call him when he was ready.  We helped him back to his chair and a little later helped him back to the counter.  

One lady wanted to send a parcel to Canada for a friend "But it must have an 88p stamp on it." I never discovered why an 88p stamp was so important.

I want to sent this to my Aunt Edna in Wogg Wogga, Australia.  Its me knitting, it get awfully cold at night.

It must fit through that slot - the parcel was cajoled to go through the slot.

Do you want it to go first class air mail, second class air mail, first class parcel post, second class parcel post.  We have this surface rate, it goes by yak caravan through Mongolia and then on the new Chinese high speed camel train service through the Gobi desert. You need extra insurance for this as several of the dugout canoes have been attacked by crocodiles in the Gulf of Tonkin.

Will it get there by Christmas?

When it was my turn all I wanted was stamps for two letters to the UK.
- do you want to go first class or second class? 

- would you like Christmas stamps or regular stamps? 

- we've only got these children's Christmas stamps. Will they do? 

At the end of this pythonesque exchange I just wanted the b stamps and get out.

All that was missing was headscarves and hair curlers.

The line up at the Post Office frequently extended on to the pavement outside

As with many cathedrals it is difficult to get far enough way to see it properly.

We spent a lot of time in the Minster.  It is an enormous space and seems in pretty good condition.  The stained glass is magnificent and much of it dates back a long way.  We were given a guided tour which was informative and the guide knew his stuff.  The Chapter House was also interesting because of the acoustics.  You could hear someone speaking in a normal voice from across the room.  The east part of the minster is being renovated but it all looks pretty good.  The interior is very light and airy in spite of its size.

  

We decided to try Yorkshire pudding and beef for lunch at The Hole in the Wall.  The pudding forms a container for gravy and meat and you add vegetables as required.  I washed this down with a very passable  Mild beer dark in colour but mild in flavour.

This afternoon we walked around the town walls which are mostly complete, about 2 1/4 miles.  This gave a different perspective on the town as there is a large area devoted to housing with very little other services.  Much of the traffic is diverted around the city.

At the end of our walk we finished up at the Hole in the Wall again, this time for a Pale Ale, again, very pleasant.  This was light with a nice hoppy after taste.

This evening  we found possibly the best pub so far.  The Red Lion is very friendly and there are no distractions.  The cask ales are good, I had a St. Austell brewery Tribute, a pleasant pale ale with good notes of vanilla.

Monday 25 November - Birmingham to York

Plenty of time to catch the 0903 Cross Country train to York. There are so many trains departing from New Street that it is difficult to follow on the departure screens. It is easier to get the information from the web.

There is still some brewing in Burton on Trent although nowhere so many breweries as in earlier times.

The clouds became a little thinner as we went north. The twisted spire of the church at Chesterfield was easily picked out - it was build with wet lumber which caused it to take its bizarre form. Slow running through dreary Sheffield and then on through dreary country.

I was reminded of a trip I made along this route from Bristol to Sheffield while I was still training. We had a class four diesel. The guard came up at Bristol and told us we were over tonnage and would have to stop at Bromsgrove to take on a banker. The driver mumbled something rude. As we approached Bromsgrove I said "I thought we were taking on a banker",
"Sod that", was the reply.
So we sailed up Lickey Bank at full throttle without assistance.

There was a crew change at Birmingham and the replacement driver didn't know the diesels. They put another one ahead of us so he didn't worry. As we started off he opened up the throttle too fast and it wasn't loading. I said to him
"Its not loading" to which he replied.
"Bugger it you do it".
That is how I came to drive a train from Birmingham to Sheffield!

Lunch at the Corner Pin with Jennings Cumberland Ale, a pleasant ale with a hint of bitter. At last a cask ale.

I went to the railway museum this afternoon.  Imagine my surprise when the first locomotive I saw was LMS 2500, a 2-6-4 tank that I fired while working out of Shoeburyness shed. It was a bit cleaner than in my day. I actually worked on this locomotive twice, once up to London and back and once up to Upminster as standby in the event of  failure of one of the down commuter trains.  Right next to 2500 was another old favorite SECR 727, a D class 4-4-0 which went through St Mary Cray and Orpington many times during my train spotting days.  

The two A4s from North America were still here, flanking Mallard but GWR City of Truro was on the turntable and King George V was close by. I vividly remember polishing its bell when it came on shed one time at Reading.  There was even a Western diesel hydraulic there - I travelled many miles on these.  I took a picture of the first Q1 for Graeme.  Ugly blighters but they could pull like hell.  All in all a very satisfying visit and full of nostalgia.

I made two trips on this engine and many others on other 2-6-4 tanks

This was painted black in the 1950s, even the brass dome.

I had a cup of tea right next to 2500.

King George V.  I was allowed to polish the bell when it came on Reading shed unexpectedly.

Southern Q1

The Warehouse

I rode many miles in these Western diesel hydraulics

Click here to see all pictures taken at York Railway Museum 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/colinchurcher/sets/72157638050609845/

This evening we walked around the town including the shambles and past the Minster.  We stopped at the Golden Fleece which was a neighbourhood pub -  just drinking.  The place was full but the conversation was quiet and subdued.  It had a nice feel about it. I had a Timothy Taylors which I remember from the Three Fishes in Shrewsbury, an excellent ale with a hint of bitter and a pint of Copper Dragon, Golden Pippin which was a very good pale ale.  Very promising. 

Sunday 24 November - Birmingham Model Railway Show - day 2

I went through the Show Guide last night and wrote down the layouts I wanted to see again.  I then worked out a route and managed to cover everything I wanted to see although it took me the whole day.  It wasn't nearly so crowded as yesterday so it was much easier to get to see what I wanted to see and also to spend as much time as I wanted.  Not much else to say other than to add more pictures.
Click here to see all pictures  http://www.flickr.com/photos/colinchurcher/sets/72157637979784323/

Worcester South Quay

Lincolnshire Potato Railway

Oxenhope

The Blitz

Cork Harbour

Cork Harbour

Rolvenden - a Kentish Oast House

Rolvenden - visit of two Wantage Tramway locomotives and trailers

Rolvenden - Kentish Hay Rick

Rolvenden - Hop Field

Braysdown and Writhlington - well lit and detailed signal box

B.A. Bodil

Melton Mowbray Station

Mary and I tried to get a drink at a noisy pub called the Brass House.  We actually managed to get in this time but they had run out of all their cask ales so we headed out and found a quieter pub, the Malt House, by the side of the canal.  Their cask ales were not available because the refrigeration system had broken down!  It is pretty near impossible to get good beers here (other than the gnats p-- they serve up on taps).

The whole canal area is very attractive indeed and well worth a visit.  From a grimy industrial area it is being transformed into a good place to play and live.

Saturday 23 November - Birmingham Model Railway Show

I was up early and walked over to New Street station in about 20 minutes.  The ticket to Birmingham International cost GBP5 but I had a 33% reduction with my Seniors' Railcard.  Once on the escalator at International it was under cover all the way to the Exhibition.  The frequent trains were delivering hoards of people as there were two exhibitions as well as the Model Railway one.  The others were both larger than this one.  The NEC is well practiced in handling large crowds and I moved easily into the show.  Those who had purchased tickets, such as me, were allowed in 30 minutes earlier.

The show is enormous.  There were a great number of relatively small layouts but many of these depicted a specific station or location in a specific era.  One of the most impressive of these was Melton Mowbray but there were many others.  It will be easier to use pictures than to try and describe the highlights.

Penfold Priory

Penfold Priory

  

Glyn Valley Tramway - Glynceiriog - locomotive being turned

Portchullin

Old Worcester Quay

Java 1946

Funicular

Melton Mowbray

It became pretty crowded and there was a lack of chairs or benches to sit on.  There were a large number of food stalls and restaurants as well as a good bar.  It was generally possible to find food and get a seat by choosing carefully where and when.  There were several full sized exhibits (locomotives and a carriage), the largest being the Patriot, a new build 4-6-0 which is progressing nicely.

Corris Railway No. 7

New Build Patriot

Click here to see all pictures taken at the Birmingham Model Railway Show:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/colinchurcher/sets/72157637979784323/ 

By about 1500 I was getting tired and decided to return to the room and plan the layouts I want to see tomorrow.  I let a stopping train go because it was very crowded and waited for the next train which turned up 8 minutes later.  It was a Pendolino from London.  Ther were a lot of people waiting to get on and the staff told us to get into the First Class which was empty on a Saturday.  Even this became crowded and several people were sitting in the luggage areas.

This evening we decided to eat Indian to try a Balti dish.  The meal was good as was the service.  However, Balti is not a particularly striking dish although it was pleasant enough.

Friday 22 November - Travel to Birmingham

It was still dark as we came over Manchester and the street and building lights were impressive. We touched down precisely on time, collected our bags and took the Heathrow Express to Paddington. The breakfast at the Mad Bishop and Bear was good and they served beer with meals at this time (0930). I tried Fullers London Pride and Fullers Chiswick.

  

The Oyster scanner was not working on the 205 bus to Euston so we had a free ride. 

Euston was in turmoil as there was a fatality at Milton Keynes and trains were cancelled and delayed. There were several thousands milling around on the concourse trying to find a train that had not been cancelled. We went into the First Class lounge where we at least had comfortable arm chairs and sofs to sit in.  There was also a supply of soft drinks, juices and coffee and a washroom close by.   A very helpful girl, a Virgin employee, who offered advice.  I found out that the information provided by the station departure boards was not as complete as what I could find on the web. Our train (the 1303) had been cancelled but Virgin were not admitting it to the hordes in the concourse. However, we could take the 1223.  We found first class seats, the train left on time and got us to Birmingham earlier than planned. It was a lovely sunny day and the journey was pleasant although we were both tired. There were many fields of sheep and, surprisingly, horses. Lots of long boats on the canal.

We decided to walk the mile or so to the hotel for the exercise. Birmingham is a little confusing but we made it with the help of Google Maps.

Our hotel is just off Broad Street which is a larger version of the Byward Market. It is full of restaurants and watering holes.  It was Friday night and the drinking started very early.  We had grest difficulty in finding a table even st 1730.  We eventually found a table at the ill-named Slug and Lettuce. Our server came ftom Much Wenlock which we had visited in September.  They had a great number of beers on tap but only one on pump and they were out of that. I settled for Guinness which now comes from Dublin as the Park Royal brewery, London, has been closed. Mary had overcooked tuna salad and I had pork ribs with an excellent cole slaw which had been given some zing with Jalapenos.

The new library has only been open for two months. It is an impressive building noth inside and out. The exterior has bern given a facade of circular ironwork which disguises the square construction of the building itself. Inside,  access to the floors is through a system of escalators with impressive blue lighting just below the moving handholds. One of the librarians told us that there was a great improvement in the amount of natural light but the security was tighter which made it more difficult to get around . From an open balcony area there was a great view down over the Ferris Wheel, artificial ice and the Christmas Market. This was labelled a Frankfurt Market and is very similar to many found in Europe - crafts, all kinds of sweet things, sausage and cheese, trinkets, pickpockets - and Pork Scratchings.

Walking back to the hotel we saw many, men in formal wear with bow ties. We wondered if they were from the symphony

Library on right and Ferris Wheel.  The ice skating is just behind the Ferris Wheel.

Pork Scratchings were on sale at the Christmas Market

Thursday 21, November

I was all packed and ready to go when Mary said "The connection to the battery box on the bathroom scales has broken.  Please fix it."

Out came the soldering iron, flux, solder, clamp, tweezers etc. It was quite a quick job but the other connection broke when I went to pit the battery box back. Had to hear up the soldering iron again and do it over.

Happy in the knowledge that the bathroom scales will work when we return in January and with a seven week haircut, which some said was closer to a scalping, we set out to find a 97 bus to the airport. For once it was possible to get on and even find a seat.

This would have been a good bus to go OC zip lining. Hang on to a strap and take your feet off the floor when the operator hits the gas - you will fly towards the rear. When the operator stands on the brake you will fly back to where you started. I've seen three people in a row do this on a crowded bus.

Check in was quick but the lady in security was not amused when I offered to take off my pants when she asked to see the contents of my secret pocket. I refrained from saying "I'll show you mine if you show me yours."

Dash 8 puddle jumper to Montreal.

Several years ago I took off from Ottawa playing the overture from Mozart's Marriage of Figaro on my portable CD player. They won't let you do that now but I can still play Mozart's wonderful music in my head. We took off in a nearly empty plane to the strains of the Marriage of Figaro.