Just Me

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Posts posted by Just Me

  1. I went up to York to see the Flying Scotsman in the railway museum. It looked splendid stood on the turntable in the Great Hall but nowhere as near impressive as when it is in steam. I'll be nipping up to Pickering while it/s running up and down the North Yorkshire Moors Railway to see it in all of its splendour.

    I as told by a curator at the museum that in his opinion, after its boiler ticket expires in 10 years time. it will be kept on permanent display in the museum, never to run again. Such a pity.

    Also in there was Duchess of Hamilton in all its streamlining. I'm not old enough to have seen these locomotives running about streamlined. They must have been a spectacular sight. That loco will never run again as it is out of gauge now

  2. Here's a bit of a memory I recall from when I was in the fire service. One winters morning, we were called out to two swans stuck in the ice on the old Cossall canal. When we arrived there, sure enough, there they were "stuck ". Being as I was the lightest fireman in the crew, I was volunteered to get them unstuck. It was decided that the small ladder would be extended to its fullest and slid across the ice where \I could crawl along it and break the ice from around the swans legs.. Frightened, but brave, I started to crawl along the ladder. It was a good job that the ice was thick. I can't even remember it making a cracking noise, but on I went. As I got to about ten feet of the swans, much to my horror, and surprise, the swans got up and walked away....They weren't stuck at all. Phew...thinking about it now, it could have ended in trgedy

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  3. I used to holiday on the continent most years, but after I retired 10 years ago, I bought a touring caravan, and might I say that I have enjoyed the last 10 years travelling around the good old UK much more than all the time I spent abroad. True, the weather hasn't always been as nice, but, by golly, the scenery beats the rest of Europe into fits. I've seen old ruined abbeys and castles, I've seen sandy beaches and rugged cliffs.....hills, mountains and moreland. The people are always nice and friendly and speak very good English and you don't have to convert your currency. There is no hanging around in airports or railway stations wondering how much longer you have to wait until you can get away, but the best thing for me is that I can take my dog with me. guess some of you out there will argue against this, but I wish I had done it right from the start. I always go away for a full month...( no point in pulling a caravan around for just a week ). In May, I am off to Whitsand Bay in Cornwall. Never been there before so I am really looking forward to it. Happy Holidays

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  4. I did Aviemore when I was in Scotland a few years ago.....don't know if there are any more up there, but if there is I don't think I'll be going. Severn Valley is a good one as is NYM. The worst I've been on was Teifi valley in Wales. With being an ex railway man, I get good discounts, in fact, I was allowed to travel free on the Snowdon Mountain railway.. Can't beat blowing your own trumpet can you l;ol

  5. Just thinking of the days when I used to play wag from school and go down to the boatyard. There used to be a ferry service from there across the Trent especially for the yacht club members. I loved doing that little job. I remember one day, whilst showing off a little, I jumped off the boat to tie it up....missed my footing and went straight in the water. It was about a mile walk home, dripping wet through.. There was also a café there where some weeknights, someone would bring along their Dansette record player, others would bring their records and a good night was had by everyone. I remember a Mrs. Goodwin used to serve behind the counter. Can anyone else remember this place.

  6. I remember going to the Empire with 2/6d. We paid 6d to get into thee gods then after the show we walked home to Beeston eating fish and chips on the way. Three of the acts I remember were Tommy Steele, Jimmy Young And Carol Levis discoveries. Someone in the audience threw a red rose to Jimmy

  7. Hi Jim....commenting about your post....I think it might be where your nearest railway line was to you as to which branch of the railways you supported lol. Being as I lived only a matter of yards away from the Nottm- Derby line, LMS engines were my favourites. 8Fs, 2Ps..Blackies..Jubes and Duck 6s all used that line. I once copped a Jubilee class " Gilbert and Ellice Islands" at Beeston....that was rare ha h ha The W H Smith bookshop that was situated in the waiting room at Beeston only sold the Ian Allen loco spotters books for the Midland Region

  8. I used to be the proud owner of a Raleigh moped....1958 model. I was 17 at the time, and my mother used to be a cleaner at Beeston Fields Secondry school. Every evening when she had finished work, I used to go and meet her on my moped just to give her a push home on her cycle to the Rylands. The poor old girl used to suffer from arthritis, so I suppose the push up Boots bridge used to be really appreciated. No crash helmets were required in those days. I had to sell it in the end to help pay for my wedding

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  9. Hi Chulla.....I loved trainspotting. For hours on end I would stand on Beeston station bridge waiting for the trains to come. Occasionally, a Beyer-Garratt would come through and it would make the hairs stand up on my arms. Every Saturday, I would go to Tamworth to watch the Scots band Semis run up and down the West Coast main line. I found the cheapest way was to get a cheap day return to Derby then a cheap day return from Derby to Tamworth. The train usewd to pull in about 8-55am, just in time to swee4 the 9-00 Scot on the lower level. The odd occasion I would go to Grantham to watch the Streaks and maybe sneak round Grantham sheds without being caught. The only trouble with all this nostalgia is that it will never come back.

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