Tuesday 12 June - Bluebell Railway and Sheffield Park and Gardens

We caught the train from Victoria to East Grinstead. The District line was overcrowded - good job it was only three stops. We had to force our way into the train and people were being left behind. This was with the new trains so the only solution would seem to be more frequent trains - unless the problem will be resolved with the opening of the Elizabeth line in December.

The train to East Grinstead was a 12 car electric and very comfortable. However, the automatic announcement system insisted that we were going into London and not out of it. It knew where we were but not which direction we were travelling.  Many of the stations towards the end of the lie have short platforms and people were told to move to the front of the train. One man tried to do this but claimed that the gangway doors were locked. He was carried past his stop to East Grinstead.

At East Grinstead our train to Sheffield Park arrived behind a Southern 0-6-0 Q class 30541

The driver relaxed with a cup of tea

30541 running round to the other end of the train

 Although I had never ridden behind one of these engines it was not particularly exciting. These were freight locomotives and equal to the low speeds on the Bluebell line. The train of mark I coaches was well filled with people out for the day who were not particularly interested in the railway per se but it helps to pay the rent.  The ride is mostly downhill to Horstead Keynes and Sheffield Park through pleasant countryside mixed with fields of cattle or sheep and much woodland.

At Sheffield Park we were led into the refreshment room by a duck.  Turns out there are at least four ducks that inhabit the place trying to get food from the passengers.

After admiring the well preserved station we walked across the fields to the Sheffield Park and Gardens National Trust Property. The rhododendrons were practically finished but the water lillies were in bloom and made a tremendous show.

The ducks wouldn't leave us alone

A giant redwood tree

Ducks, ducks everywhere.

We were eventually able to escape from the mallards and made out way back to the station where there was time for me to take a look at the museum before catching the last train back to East Grinstead.

The museum contains a demonstration lever frame

I well remember Sir Valence from my train spotting days

30541 runs round at Sheffield Passing a 2-6-0 Mogul 31618

Click here to see all Bluebell Railway Pictures

Click here to see all Sheffield Park and Gardens pictures

Monday 11 June - Travel Bristol to London

There was time to take a look around Bristol Temple Meads station before out train left for London

The station is looking very tired and needs a complete restoration

Our train was an old HST diesel powered train.

These trains may be pretty old and are in the process of being replaced by the new electric/diesels but the ride was smooth and very comfortable. There was a slight check through Twyford, probably for Ruscombe Junction. We were doing 120 mph over the Maidenhead viaduct, which the pundits said would fall down when it was built in the 1840s, and 128 mph just before Slough.  An on time departure from Reading was turned into a ten minute late arrival in Paddington by signal problems. I have actually done the trip from Reading faster in a steam locomotive.

We had plenty of time to get the short distance to the hotel so decided to have a drink at the Mad Bishop and Bear in Paddington station. The sun was shining brightly through the roof of a very busy station.

It was sunny and hot and we walked into Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park.

There were a few tufted ducks on the Round Pond

People were feeding apples to a flock of ring necked parakeets.

Sunday 10 June - Weston-Super-Mare

We walked down to Bristol Temple Meads station and had plenty of time to catch a local train to Weston-Super-Mare. The railway seems to manage to inconvenience passengers easily with platform changes and late running. It was bad on a Sunday which used to be the easiest day to work.   

Weston-Super-Mare was very much as I had expected. It is a seaside holiday resort with a wide prom, a pier and funfairs. Fish and chips is the order of the day.

A novel idea was to haul Thomas the Tank on the sand with a horse

The tide was out a long way and there is lots of mud on the beach as well as sand

The tide was coning in this afternoon

The funfair on the pier was very loud but many seemed to be enjoying it

We found a restaurant by a thatched cottage which had shady tables out front. Of course we had cod and chips which was very good indeed. As we walked back along the prom we stopped to look at the dogs happily chasing balls in a shower of sand; kids building sand castles and damming small streams; the ice creams, some places even had ice cream specially formulated for dogs; small kids rushing around. I was bombed by a seagull - nice bit o' shit dahn my shirt. People were happy and in good spirits.

On the way back the railway managed a platform alteration  - and there are only two platforms at Weston so there was a lot of last minute scurrying to cross over the footbridge to the other platform. The train was crowded, one woman had three small dogs with her which were fighting among themselves. She had one in a harness and she merely hauled it up off its feet out of the reach of the others.

We arrived back hot and tired but had had a great day.

Saturday 9 June - SS Great Britain

It was a beautiful warm and sunny day today and we walked a lot.
We went through the castle gardens and alongside the water to Shed M and straight to the Great Britain exhibit. It is evident that Britsol has a lot to offer but there is a lot of dirt and garbage in the streets and there is a great deal of graffiti.

A shallow mirror pool gives the impression of the vessel in the water

The vessel is in dry dock 

Reproduction of the novel design of propeller and rudder mechanism

Steering was out in the open

The first class passengers did very well for themselves

The visit was very well done and we were able to look at every part of the ship. It was good to see elevators/lifts so that mobility impaired visitors could go everywhere.

After the Great Britain we took a harbour tour.

The harbour is used for many leisure purposes - sailing, canoeing etc

The weeds growing on the harbour walls made an attractive splash of colour

There were good views of the Great Britain from the boat tour

We walked further down towards Clifton where there was a poor view of the suspension bridge but we were getting tired and didn't want to walk further, bearing in mind we would have to walk back

This pirate boat was sailing towards Clifton and we watched as the swing bridge was opened to allow it through

The Bristol Harbour Railway was giving short rides

The small saddletank locomotive was built in 1917 by Avonside and the crew had to keep a sharp lookout to avoid the large numbers of visitors strolling oblivious along the quay

By this time we were getting tired and found a place to get an early meal. We were amazed at the number of cocktails being prepared by the five member counter staff. The Old Town was hopping with many sitting outside drinking.  

It was a long day with much walking but it has given us a good impression of the center of the city.

Friday 8 June - Travel Shrewsbury to Bristol

Bristol appears to be as messed up as this poster would suggest

The train from Shrewsbury ran non-stop to Newport where we changed to a train for Bristol Temple Meads.  The city seems to have a lot of roads with heavy traffic and my forst impression was not of the best. We walked down to the harbour area which seemed a bit run down.

The coloured houses on the hill are reminiscent of Newfoundland

We had a good walk around the area and visited the aquarium which was well done and wells et out for children.

Thursday 7 June - Getting Ready to Leave

I know it is time to leave the Old Police Station when I start watering the moss growing on the window sill.
The gas company has been working on putting gas into the place across the alley ever since we arrived.
- there was a hole that was covered up by a yellow plastic cover.
- some men came along and filled in the hole and removed the plastic cover.
- some more men came in and put some asphalt on top and smoothed it over.
- a man came by with a truck load of signs and barriers which he dumped outside.
- a gang of men came and dug up the hole again, put up the barriers and signs and put two plastic covers over the hole.
- a man came by and fiddled with the box on the wall
- three men came by today and fiddled again with the box on the wall.

This reminded me of the Flanders and Swan song "The Gas Man Cometh"

Even so called weeds growing out of a wall can be beautiful - near the English Bridge.

Lunch was at the Boathouse.

Wednesday 6 June - By Double Decker Bus to Ironbridge, Bedlam Explained

An ex- London Transport RM bus of 1962

The double decker bus was a great way to see the countryside on this sunny day. It dates from 1962 and we think it still has the original springs.  The run out was via Attingham Park and Wroxeter and we got off at the Ironbridge Mjuseum of Iron.

A Sentinal vertical boilered locomotive built in Shrewsbury

The museum was very well laid out and the explanations were very well done and explained.

From the museum we walked down the road to the river and into Ironbridge where we were dismayed to see that the Iron Bridge was being restored and was completely encapsulated in white plastic.

We decided to search out the Bedlam Furnace ruins. It seems that someone made a painting of the Bedlam Furnace which many people thought was akin to a lunatic asylum, hence the use of the word which implies chaos or mayhem.

Ruins of Bedlam Furnace

Here I am escaping from Bedlam 

Ironbridge

The ride back to Shrewsbury, through Much Wenlock, was again through the beautiful Shropshire countryside.

We had a drink this evening with our landlord and are making arrangements to return next year.