a "what's new" guide to the whole of Geoff's Pages, and a selection of bits and pieces that never made it to the site
Grey, damp, and cold. At least the wind has dropped… The Severn Valley Railway’s gala is on this weekend, and there’s a visiting locomotive I’d really like to see. In recognition of the miserable conditions, I’ve processed the photos as monochrome – it seemed appropriate. Visit “A Grey Gala” on Geoff’s Rail Diaries
Flying Scotsman certainly could fly, metaphorically, in his youth. Today we’re visiting a couple of Scotsmen whose top speed is barely into double figures – definitely not flyers – at the Telford Steam Railway. One of them, built by Grant, Richie of Kilmarnock in 1894, is just visiting for his summer holidays, which are almost over – we’d better go and see him. Take a look at “Scotsmen, not flying” on Geoff’s Rail Diaries – now!
Thursday 13 September: a cool fresh day on Shropshire’s wild western fringe – this weather is great for a walk in these quiet (apart from the gunfire) hills. From The Bog, we’ll head for Mucklewick Hill (whose summit may be lower than our starting point), then down to Nind and up past the shooting range, where it sounds like they’re playing with their rocket-propelled grenades today. After a late lunch below The Rock (imaginative names in these parts), we’ll follow the ridge northwards, past the Devil’s Chair (he’s not sitting today, fortunately), before dropping back to the start, for tea and cakes at the Bog Centre (was the walking just an excuse?).
View OS map on Streetmap http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?X=335650&Y=297831&A=Y&Z=120
He’s on the Chasewater Railway, for their “late summer” gala. The weather wasn’t exactly summery, but it was an enjoyable day out. Visit “Chasewater – late summer” for more on Willy and his friends…
Weds. 5 September: The London and North Western Railway used “Blackberry Black” paint on its locomotives – black with just a hint of colour. It’s probably that hint of colour in the fruits that makes them attractive to eat – a hint of something tasty, perhaps, and at present they’re ripe and juicy in great profusion in local hedgerows. They all had to be sampled, and as a result, we probably took a little longer walking around this enjoyable route on the quieter side of Much Wenlock. It’s not just blackberries that are fruiting – there are all kinds of fruits and berries ripening nicely, though we didn’t try nibbling the sloes or the crab apples, and certainly wouldn’t touch the toadstools. There were just a few sugar-sweet damsons within reach too…
View OS map on Streetmap http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?X=361355&Y=299046&A=Y&Z=120
An altogether different feel to today’s short outing – a walk along the Wenlock Edge, on a day when autumn feels as though it’s just around the corner. The air has a refreshing coolness, the leaves are on the cusp of changing colour, and there’s all manner of fruits and berries in the undergrowth. The blackberries are better than we expected during those hot days in June and July, and caused some delay to our progress…
View OS map on Streetmap http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?X=359390&Y=298366&A=Y&Z=120
Wednesday 29 August: That’s “coaton”, not “coffton”, we’re told. We’ve been here just once before, but there are no photos – I’d left the camera at home. Today we’ve had lunch in the Bull at Ambridge, served by none other than Jolene (some readers may know what, and where, I’m talking about), and after that, we’re ready for anything. Coughton was home to the Throckmortons (spelled “Throgmorton” on the stained glass), a Catholic family with close connections to the gunpowder plot. Try not to mention bonfire night… Whatever its history, it’s an interesting place to visit and explore. The latter is a prerequisite to the house – the use of timed tickets, to regulate the flow through the building, means there’s time to kill in the grounds – including an impressive walled garden – and the tea room (of course!).
