Severn Valley Railway Autumn Gala

See video at : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tabRR8IjzQ0

So the gala announced that schools class 'Cheltenham' would be paying a visit. I love all steam locomotives but these are my favourites so suddenly there was a ad scramble to arrange a visit preferably on the Friday to avoid the crowds. We parked at the Blackstone Car Park as there is always room there and the car is safely away from the road and we then walked into Bewdley.

Duchess of Sutherland

Arriving at the station I purchased a return ticket to Kidderminster that would allow me to say that I had been pulled by 'Cheltenham' then we went on to the platform to assess who was where. The first news was that the Metropolitan No 1 0-4-4 had failed on its brakes and would not be working today. Kinlet hall was on pilot duty and The Duchess of Sutherland was due in on the northbound platform for Bridgnorth. So far so good, then when the Duchess arrived in her magnificence there came the news that she had failed as well and would be taken out of service. For me this was actually a bonus since it meant she was decoupled and I got a good shot of the front smokebox. It's uncanny how these engines evoke the model engine made by Hornby Dublo back in the 60's. Of course it's the other way round but I didn't think that way when I owned my prize model. Kinlet hall took over then we waited for the arrival of Sir Keith Park who pulled a rake of coaches...and me... all the way to Kidderminster.

Sir Keith Park

The great thing about Kidderminster is the open space that allows great lines of vision for taking photographs. I love Cheltenham but Sir Keith Park is a damn cool Bullied Pacific and I spent a lot of time close to her taking photos before heading into the station for a coffee in the museum. Kidderminster definitely now evokes a busy station atmosphere and is a real mecca for people wanting to experience a station in steam's hey day.

Cheltenham

Then I headed to the platform again and waited for Sir Keith to depart and for Cheltenham to come in almost immediately after. Wonderful. Wonderful. Wonderful. It was just so neat to see her on GWR metals. I moved to my photo position at the car park and waited. Eventually she came round the coaches and settled in front of the coaches. I took many photos and some of them are my best from the day. I now have photos I can use without copyright permission. Great feeling

Time to leave and I climbed in the last coach and as we rounded the curves I was able to see all along to where Cheltenham chugged reliably along in front. A credit to her designer engineer Richard Maunsell. The rest of the day was uneventful but I waived goodbye as she steamed away headed for all points north to Bridgnorth and another group of devoted photographers.

Tour of Britain - Stage 5

See video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5cjLr4TR4gI

Well the day started out OK, it was actually dry before 9am but then the heavens opened and it didn't stop. I walked round the back of Machynlleth via the Leisure Centre and came out through a wood into a carpark where the coaches were just driving up. I moved up to the Sky coach and people were already gathering behind railings. Despite the rain, nobody moved away. I was about one row back so was able to peer through to where, under a canopy, the bikes were being set out and the tyres filled to the right pressure by what can only be described as a very tall man. As is the case with most of my observations of celebrity, the staff seemed to be milling around very busy with something but not really sure what they were about. One guy had a very important job of removing the water that collected in the canopy a number of times nearly soaking someone or other with the cascade. I wonder how you would apply for that job.

Just before the race the guys started to emerge in full regalia and made some attempt to sign autographs on rain soaked sports cards given out earlier. I did not attempt to remove my sheet from the bag and just made the effort to get a few close shots of Bradley. Considering the weather, I count myself lucky in what I managed to obtain. And Bradley, well you could tell he had done a lot of this and did not complain but I think he was glad to get off to the starting line. 

We then all trooped over in the rain to the starting line on Maengwyn Street. A guy making the general announcements and even managing to interview Bradley. Bikers getting ready to leave at the same time keeping out of the rain. Excited kids taking photos on 1000's of smart phones. These must be the most photographed bike races to date. Your token grown ups dressed in mascot animal costumes. The Klaxon going off at 8 the 4 then 2 minutes to go. Then they are off in the driving rain but with better weather promised further south at Caerffili.

I looked up and saw our friends, the Turtons over on the other side frantically waiving and generally having a good time. They indicated to move towards the clock tower and we met up where the barriers tapered out  and headed to the White Lion for drinks. We discovered that we were a lot wetter than we had realised but happily my camera was dry and had survived the ordeal with some interesting shots and video.

RSPB - Merefest

The RSPB have been around for a long time and was initially founded as a society for the protection of birds. As most people know they have grown into an organisation was is the watchword for the preservation of all our natural heritage from butterflies to badgers, from pondweed to beech forests.

I have been a member since 2010 and am fortunate to live near to Ynyshir from where Springwatch is broadcast. The Dyfi Estuary is a beautiful unspoiled part of the UK and the wealth of wildlife is truly amazing. My own personal interest is the 50 or so species of butterfly in this country and my aim is to see most of them in my life. To this extent I was in Durlston Country Park where I added several species to my list including the rare Lulworth skipper and the Marbled White.

So I you can imagine my delight when I visited the Albrighton Garden Centre and the RSPB had a stand attended by a lady who was very knowledgeable about everything that is happening right now. I was delighted to learn that RSBP are expanding their range of butterfly pins, I have collected all of them and the 2013 addition of the Brimstone is spectacular especially as this is the butterfly with one of the biggest recoveries since the disastrous summer of 2012. 

The RSBP now have expanded their mandate to embrace an overall preservation of the ecology of the country in general. To that extent they were promoting Merefest that took place on Saturday September 21st 2013. Sadly we were not able to attend at such short notice but I picked up a brochure so that I can go next year. It takes place at Cholmondeley Castle near Wrexham, is all about ecology and more information can be found at www.themeresandmosses.co.uk. The day is centred on pond and bug life but it is approached from a point of view of fun with canoeing, crafts and trampolines to engage young people. If the wildlife of the UK is to survive, this is the way it has to be tackled.

If you are interested in the work of the RSBP visit www.rspb.org.uk for more information. The Merefest is just one of the ways the RSBP is trying to provide corridors for wildlife so that they can continue to negotiate and thrive in our modern country.

Schools Class visits the Severn Valley Railway Autumn Gala

Beautiful Cheltenham

Anyone who knows me knows of my passion for all things railway. I always loved the LMS as a child because I had the 'City of London' as my centrepiece on my Hornby Railway from the age of 9 or 10. But living in Staffordshire and holidaying in mid Wales I became enamoured with the GWR with its halls, castles, prairies and wonderful panniers. The highlight of my youth was a visit to Wolverhampton Low Level in its last days and there sitting snorting on the middle line was the 'County of Berkshire'. As most will know the counties did not survive into preservation and I am following the 'County of Glamorgan' new build with interest. That's how things stood for many years, 30 at least, until a new type of engine came into my sphere. These were Bullieds spam cans and there rebuilds into the beautiful Bulleid Pacifics that  have survived in such numbers as to be quite common on most preserved lines. These are wonderful machines that so evoke the landscape on which they worked. The south of England.

Cheltenham

Of all the places in England the home counties are the counties I know the least. My eastward travels came to a halt at Southampton and my southern travels at London. This is not to say that I and never been to Kent, Sussex or Surrey. Dover for the ferry, Gatwick for the airport were familiar place names but Ashford, Tunbridge Wells, East Grinstead, I knew little. Until I started to see pictures of engines that came before the Bullied's pacifics, the engines that ran these places before the second world war. The contemporaries of Royal Scots, B1's and castles. Names like King Arthur, Lord Nelson, M7, D1, Terrier, Maunsell, Urie and Stroudley. But above it was the praise heaped on the almost magical 'Schools Class'. They even had an exciting classification letter, V.

Cheltenham

Anyone unfamiliar with the Schools class, all they really need to know is that Maunsell's 4-6-0 King Arthurs and Lord Nelsons were too heavy and too big for certain routes so a lighter engine was commissioned. The schools were the result but while they were lighter and only a 4-4-0 they ended up being almost as powerful as the engines they replaced. This was unprecedented and they have earned the title of the most powerful 4-4-0's ever built. So they have become a bit of a holy grail for me. I had gone to the Watercress line last year and saw many southern region locos but sadly no schools. I have made plans to go to the Bluebell Line this year but it costs a lot of money so far from my home in mid Wales. So I nearly fell off my chair when I read the rosta for the SVR autumn gala. A schools was coming to the gala. For those who again don't know, 3 schools survived, Repton on the North Yorkshire, Stowe on the Bluebell and Cheltenham on the Watercress lines. Cheltenham is the promised jewel. Let me tell you people I will be glued. N.B. Originally I was going to supplement this article but I felt it stood well on it's own. The next one describes the day.