Tag: London

Smoke and wasteland

My role, occasionally requires me getting involved with some old engineering treasures. I sometimes have to go ahead of these trains to areas where there are “pinch points” and ensure that their movements through these areas are without delay or hindrance. The thing is if one of these old girls break down they can cause absolute havoc to timetabled passenger traffic, and passengers, rightly so, don’t take to well to being delayed by what they class as unnecessary big boys toys.

60103 – The flying Scotsman

One such old treasure is the steam train “The flying Scotsman” now I’ve been associated with this train one way or another for many years now, and only recently I was ahead of it as it made its way to a big 200 year train gathering up in Derby. I took the above Picture a few years ago at Tulse Hill station in South London. The bridge at this station is the most frequently hit bridge in the area causing massive delays to trains heading south. Me being there means a bridge exam can be carried out quickly and things can get moving fairly expediently. There is also quite a complex junction nearby, again if points were to fail I could get things running smoothly again, with a small team who work alongside me. This picture has been run through a Matte black mask to give it a vintage type look, it was taken on an old phone and was just snapped whilst I was checking timings with the train crew.

More graffiti- but with humour

Another train hit by the local graffiti artists passed through our patch. Whilst this one was parked up I had to laugh at the message conveyed on an empty stone hopper during the current economic crisis here in the UK . Living La Vida Broke-A! it made me smile.

Wasteland

Just a few months ago this compound next to where I am based was a buzzing hive of activity. Then our government cancelled the electrification of the Midland main line between Leicester and Sheffield, putting an end to the activity in this area. All the men and women laid off, another nail in the coffin of the cities outside of the “One and only London”

This Government really is blinkered and doesn’t really understand that there are communities and businesses north of Watford!

Nothing is going to change anytime soon.

Have a great day, in whatever you are doing.

Walk don’t run

How often do you walk or run?

It’s late in the day, only a couple of hours of it left now so I thought I’d answer this one before I hunker down to try and get some kip.

I do a lot of walking, my job involves a lot of it depending on what incidents are cracking off at the time so walking is a big part of my day… running however? Read on.

I used to love my running, my last real run of any noticeable distance was in April 2002, the Flora London Marathon.

London Marathon 2002

That race ended my running career if it could be called that. I did most of my training runs on roads, hard surfaces, and my right knee got the right hump about that and I developed tendon and knee cap issues that culminated in an operation. That was it. Game over.

I have looked at reviving a light run at times and even explored the route of Couch to 5K and park runs, however other medical conditions have played their part to ensure that it becomes a non starter.

I miss running, the training was right boring but to run in a mass participation event was always exhilarating and exciting.

Don’t be like me, try the softer ground options to preserve your joints later in life.

So Walking plays a major role in what’s left of my fitness, I walk miles, I enjoy it and I’m grateful that I can still do it.

Have a great day (What’s left of it)

A few days at Mr.Gilberts

My wife’s best friend is getting married this weekend, so we have ventured away from our place in the East Midlands, down to the smoke on the outskirts of north London.

For 54 years of my life I lived in this area so I know it very well both man and child. Most of my formative years were spent in and around here just doing what kids growing up used to do. But today I’m back here as an adult and things today look so different from when I was younger. However one place looks as serene and beautiful as ever.

And that is Mr. Gilbert’s place.

When I was at my junior school we put on a show called, “The pirates of Penzance”. I remember dressing up and singing many jaunty songs but at the time I never made the connection.

Then one day, playing with my friends we ventured up to Old Redding on the borders of Harrow, Stanmore and Oxhey, where there were woods and cycle tracks and people walking dogs, in avenues of what I now know are rhododendron bushes. There was a small lake, and then when you wandered through the beautiful display of flowers you came upon this beautiful sight.

Grims dyke manor

Speaking with my parents it now became clear that we had stumbled across the former home of the dramatist W.S Gilbert, him of Gilbert and Sullivan fame who’d written that show I was in at school, it all now fell into place.

The manor is now a hotel and that is why my wife and I are here this weekend. The Manor House is steeped in history and is still the HQ of the W.S Gilbert society who regularly stage his shows in the environment in which they were written.

The main lawn and Manor House
Gorgeous views

Now Mr.Gilbert unfortunately saw his demise here at the lake in the grounds. In 1911 he was giving a swimming lesson to two ladies when one of them got into trouble whilst attempting to swim, he dived in to save her but unfortunately had a heart attack and his life ended there.

The lake area
Another garden
One of the gardens

The manor went through changes of ownership throughout the years before being taken over by Best Western a few years ago.

The grounds are some of the best maintained that you will ever see in a hotel environment, there is wildlife freely roaming and as we were having a drink just last evening we had the company of some small deer not far from us.

A nice fruit cider in the sun
The view from our room
Bees busy at work

It’s hard to believe we are just a few hundred yards from busy main roads, it’s just so quiet. You are guaranteed a peaceful stay here at Mr.Gilberts, it our go to place whenever we are in this part of the world.

If you’re ever in this part of the world just walk through or stay for a while. There are excellent travel links to central London and not many better places than this to have a base. It’s a touch of total tranquility on the outskirts of one of the world’s most manic city environments.