The air feels heavy, scented with the May blossom, and it’s warm in the sunshine – the trees and the white puffy clouds provide some relief from the sun’s heat. We’d better make the most of it – tomorrow will be much cooler, if the forecasts are right.
8 May 2005: The Shropshire Union Canal meets the Manchester Ship Canal at Ellesmere Port, where there’s a wonderful museum of boats and associated paraphernalia in the old canal docks. It had been a “must go there one day” destination for some time. Must go there again one day!
National Waterways Museum, Ellesmere Port
The forecast says we could get a shower… (we didn’t) It’s a bit murky – we’ll concentrate on the hedgerows again.
7 May 2005: a quick visit to the Telford Steam Railway, to see what was going on, prior to another visit, later that month, for its 21st anniversary weekend (see “Horsehay’s 21st” on Geoff’s Rail Diaries)
Might as well… It’s dull, threatening rain, after a fine sunny start (“I thought it was going to be sunny all day?”). The longer views are flat and uninteresting – we’ll concentrate on the details close at hand.
6 May 2006: the Abbey Pumping Station is in Leicester, a local authority museum based around a Victorian steam-powered sewage-pumping facility. They’ve constructed a 2′ gauge railway around the grounds, and Leonard, a little Bagnall dating from 1919, would be in operation on this occasion (for a full report on Leonard’s activities, visit “Leonard at Leicester” on Geoff’s Rail Diaries). There were other exhibits, including couple of old buses which seemed to be operated by, and for, some rather large bears. Next door, there’s a spaceship (really!). All good fun, and interesting too. Must go again one day…
Another fine, clear, bright day – not a single cloud! To the far end of Red Lane and back is nearly five miles, a most enjoyable walk on a day like this.
5 May 2006: Making the most of a fine spring evening, 14 years ago. Shirlett is an area of relatively high ground in the triangle between Bridgnorth, Broseley and Much Wenlock. With no through roads, and just a few scattered houses, it’s quiet.
Another very different day – warm bright sunshine, few clouds, clear and cold air, a bit of a breeze…
4 May 2003 and 2008: visits to small heritage railways which were in the vanguard of the preservation movement. I first visited the Middleton and Chasewater railways in the late 60s; for a time, Middleton wasn’t too far distant, and I visited it on a number of occasions. Then came a long gap – until this day in 2003. Chasewater has been the destination of many short outings over the years. When we visited it on 4 May 2008, it was getting back on its feet, after the motorway truncated its line slightly, but funded much-needed development. Both trips are fully detailed on “Geoff’s Rail Diaries” – see All change at Chasewater and Middleton revisited
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