[Sledging down the mile run in Colwick Woods 1955-1962]

I was a 'Boulevard' lad and also remember sledging in the Top field , removing the palings to extend the run down to the railway embankment. A school pal name of Geof Young got the end wrong, hit a tree and was killed, about 1943!

Very nice sister name of Dora, Happy Days

[Nottingham Midland To Edale]

quite right Stephen the second train did start from Lincoln, the crew starting work @ 2.47 am to work the Royal Mail train to Lincoln and back with the 'Hikers' train . 8 coaches, the rear 4 locked to Nottingham as most platforms Linc./nottm. only held 4 (Rolleston Junc. 4 Suthl. racecourse the exception) If I remember rightly we went up the Erewash line not via Derby!

[Railways Remembered - The 1950s]

just catching up on older posts, I think I saw one of the film shows mentioned 'Colwick Yard to Annesly'. Interesting but foreign to me as I was a Midland fireman from 1948-63. I've just read a "Rail" magazine, it's not the same railway! umpteen companies all using Class ??? for haulage (can't call them 'Loco's, can you!) 5 Freight companies, 4 of them owned by an American firm so who sends out the bills & to whom for using OUR tracks!

[Political correctness gone wrong]

Aaaaahhh the flaps are down but what about the wheels!!!!

[Political correctness gone wrong]

I went out this afternoon taking photos of anything and everything as it was bright sunshine , and also , as I'm on the flight path in to Manchester Airport, I thought I'd get a couple of shots of the 12.30pm "Emirates A-380" in bound . Any way suffice to say it didn't arrive but I pressed on (As one does) picked SWMBO up in time to take her for a spot of lunch , after I returned her I pressed on with my search for that "Money Shot" you know , the one that'll net me a few hundred quid.!!

I ran out of time and had to go and get the kids from school, so I parked in their carpark and decided I wasn't going to leave 2 grands worth of gear in my motor and thought it safer to carry it into school with me (You can see what's coming can't you ??) I sat waiting for our Adam to appear at 3.00pm which he duly did , we then walked round to the Junior school to wait for Charlotte to come out at 3.15pm, whilst sat there a playmate of Adams came over and wanted to look through my camera , I did the right thing and asked the kids mother if it would be OK for me to show her, She responded in the positive, so I showed the kid how close it made things look and how I made it focus etc. As I'd expected the kid soon lost interest and wandered off leaving me to replace the lens cap and I carried on talking to their mother about photography.

About 10 minutes later the deputy headmistress came out telling me that she'd had a report that I was taking pictures of the kids !!!! YOU WHAT ???????

"If I was going to take surreptitious photos of the kids do you think I'd do it with a camera and lens that is 3 foot long with a ruddy great monopod attached, in front of 50 other parents waiting to collect their kids too, hardly clandestine is it ??"

She replied , "I suppose not , and I can see you've got your lens cap on too, so you're not likely to be taking anything untoward"

I showed a quick flip through the hundred odd shots (She didn't really want to see them but I insisted on proving my innocence !!) And she went on her merry way.

Now the point of what I'm writing is this :- Other parents in that playground saw me being spoken to about my camera and some of them will put two and two together and make five !!

And if I was bothering some other parent , why the hell couldn't they just come and speak to me direct if it caused them a problem !! Gut less that's why !! Nobody has the gumption to stand up for themselves these days , they'd much rather hide behind some body else and let them do their dirty work for them !! and then blame it all on political correctness !!

Here's one of the A-380 a few days ago in ruddy awful light (Believe it or not !!) Good old Photoshop Elements 8 !

[Hello ...]

Hello Tim Re Ex GC/GN Rlwy Line 2 books may be of iterest Colwick Yards & London Rd./Nottm. Victoria,Leen Valleyto Langwith Junc. Published by the Railway Correspondence & Travel Society.I'm an ex Midland Loco Fireman and a recent post re Annesley Tunnel reminded me of a very frightening experience when one Monday evening we loaded out of Kirkby Summit sidings with a full load of coal slack for Wilford Power Stn. What we didn't know was that the wagons were soaked after a weekend of rain so after a stuggle to the tunnel we were very aprehensive about the long descent as far as Bulwell, a fear soon realised after passing Annesley Box when the train took over and with the signals at red we passed through Hucknall Stn. at over 30 mph. We managed to deliver the train then it was back to the shed for a new set of brake shoes. CU Newbie

[Hello ...]

Hello all,

Only just discovered this site and I couldn't believe the wealth of detail that is available from forum members. I have a strong interest in local industrial history and love walking along disused railways and canals. I'm really interested in the old Great Central and Great Northern railways around Nottingham ... especially around where I live just off Vernon Avenue ... it's exiting to think that the "Rat Hole" was only about 10 minutes walk from where I live (oh I wish I could go back and just have a look to see how the whole area to the west of Arnold Road has changed !!!).

Hopefully you will be seeing a lot more of me on this site !!!

Timbo :-)