Author: geoffspages

Old Swansea Town…

On By geoffspagesIn PhotographyLeave a comment

…is now a city, and has been since 1969. It must have been a very different place when we sang about it at school, back in the days when it was still a town. Yes, we’re visiting courtesy of Arriva Trains and their “club 55” tickets, making the most of the continuing fair weather for an afternoon’s exploration of this fascinating place. There’s evidence of town days in the walk from the railway station to the National Waterfront Museum (lunch!) – more-or-less on the site of the old Swansea Victoria station, one-time terminus of trains from Shrewsbury. My companion for today’s outing is going to remain at the museum a little longer (best place for him? – his legs are not what they were, poor old thing), while I’m heading for the shore, the river and the docks.

The museum is beside the old South Dock, now a marina surrounded by modern apartment buildings; just beyond, the fine sandy beach is practically deserted (it is mid-October). There’s more modern residential development across the Tawe (which, above the barrage, is also full of leisure craft), but (the newer?) parts of the eastern docks still see commercial activity – a very strange-looking boat sets out as I stroll. I realise that time has passed very quickly as I recross the river – I’d better make my way back to the station… Must come again one day – perhaps spend a little longer here. (O for a time machine!)

Around the estate: Barrow, Willey and Shirlett

On By geoffspagesIn Photography, Shropshire hills, WalksLeave a comment

They sound like a firm of solicitors, don’t they? Wednesday afternoon: we’re walking around the Willey estate. Sadly, there are few public footpaths through this pleasant patch, and a significant part of the route is on roads – very quiet ones, apart from the B-road from Barrow. There’s a fine crop of blackberries along the field edges, though of course the devil’s in them now. The clouds begin to thicken as we make our way through Willey, and though we weren’t expecting rain, we have to shelter for a while (still plenty of leaves on the trees). It soon clears, and we head on up through the forest to Shirlett, where one or two more extensive views open up.


View OS map on Streetmap http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?X=366190&Y=298996&A=Y&Z=120

October on Lyth Hill

On By geoffspagesIn Photography, Shropshire hills, WalksLeave a comment

We could do with being in Shrewsbury around 4pm – how about a short walk beforehand? Lyth Hill could be good… We’ve walked this route before – out along the dog-walkers’ grassland to Spring Coppice, then along rough tracks and quiet lanes to Exfords Green.  After that inevitable bank of cloud on this otherwise-bright afternoon, the sun comes out again as we pass the Scots pines on the end of the hill.  The stags at the venison farm are bellowing – there’s a public footpath through their field, but we’ll perhaps stick to the road on this occasion, and brave the occasional passing car.

View OS map on Streetmap http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?X=346671&Y=306234&A=Y&Z=120

More steamy birthdays

On By geoffspagesIn Photography, Railways...Leave a comment
Birthday boys
Birthday boys

We’ve been to Apedale today, for their mini-gala celebrating the 100th birthdays of two of their locomotives (I’m not sure when the two actually steamed for the first time, but they were built in 1916) – the Kerr Stuart “Joffre” and the Hudswell Clarke no 104. Both were in fine form, steaming well, as was their fellow “Stanhope”. Stanhope is a mere 99 years old, so had to wait down the line while the birthday boys had their cake (coal and wood with Polyfilla icing). Next year perhaps? For more about the day, and several more photos, visit “299 years of steam” on Geoff’s Rail Diaries.

The Speller

On By geoffspagesIn Photography, Shropshire hills, WalksLeave a comment

This little corner of the Hopedale woodlands, between the Wenlock Edges, sounds almost other-worldly, doesn’t it? Its spell was certainly cast yesterday afternoon – our intended circular walk became an out-and-back, with wiggles. Blame cows, non-existent paths, forestry workers… We’ll try again another day – in the meantime, given that we weren’t entirely on rights-of-way (‘cos they weren’t there), we’ll make do with a few photos (it was a beautiful afternoon) and an OS map to show where we were.

View OS map on Streetmap http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?X=351560&Y=288096&A=Y&Z=120

Pole Bank and Adstone Hill

On By geoffspagesIn Photography, Shropshire hills, WalksLeave a comment

Monday: We’re walking up to the Long Mynd, from Bridges – a very enjoyable wander on a fine, bright and breezy day.The gradients are very gentle to the summit plateau, before our descent to Medlicott and down the unsurfaced lane to Adstone. It’s uphill again, but not for very far, to the sheepy ridge of Adstone Hill. It may be early October, but everywhere seems remarkably green.

View OS map on Streetmap http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?X=339965&Y=295305&A=Y&Z=120

Teddy’s 75th birthday

On By geoffspagesIn Photography, Railways...2 Comments

TeddyNo, not a bear – this Teddy is a Peckett 0-4-0ST, one of the smallest conventional standard gauge steam locomotives ever built.  He was bought, many years ago, by the late Rev. ER Boston, better known as “Teddy” Boston (who, as a friend of the Rev. W Awdry, appears in the “Thomas the Tank Engine” series as one of the two vicars – the fat one…). The Rev. Teddy died some 30 years ago, but his Peckett (inter alia) lives on. Now residing at Chasewater, Teddy Peckett is clearly in fine fettle – a very fit 75-year-old, celebrating his birthday today in great style. For more on the day’s fun, visit “Teddy’s birthday” on Geoff’s Rail Diaries.

The jungles of the Cynon

On By geoffspagesIn Photography, Railways...Leave a comment

South Wales: we’re on a day trip to Aberdare (we’ve never travelled along the branch line from Abercynon to Aberdare…), and we’re hoping we might see some remnants of the mine and railway at Mountain Ash, where steam locomotives were active into the 1970s. But this is post-coal Wales, and the train is travelling through a jungle of Japanese knotweed and Himalayan balsam, overlooked by birch, buddleia and rhododendron… There is a coal train though, running through Aberdare to the opencast site at Hirwaun, where Tower colliery was the last deep mine in the area.

After the freight has passed, we’re looking for lunch: there’s all we need in Aberdare’s bustling covered market, where the shoppers all seem to know each other.

Now we’re heading back through the greenery to Cardiff. We’ll need to kill time before our train back to Shrewsbury so we take a ride down to Penarth, for sea air and a stroll on the pier. Very pleasant, despite the weather – it’s not raining here, but it’s a damp and drizzly day, and the Somerset coast is faint on the horizon.

For (a little) more on the railways, visit “Aberdare” on Geoff’s Rail Diaries.

More Wenlock

On By geoffspagesIn Photography, Shropshire hills, WalksLeave a comment

Back on the Wenlock Edge again, starting from the same point as a week ago, for a different route – up the Blakeway Hollow lane, then back along the edge to Smokey Hole and beyond. We’ll skirt Much Wenlock on our way back to the start. The hedgerows are full of all kinds of fruit, from very tempting blackberries and bitter sloes to the poisonous (red) black bryony.

View OS map on Streetmap http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?X=361392&Y=300173&A=Y&Z=115