Castle Aching

[Buhar]

Melvyn Bragg in his history of English recounts that Cumbrian soldiers posted to Iceland could converse using their Cumbrian dialect. 

[ChrisN]

7 hours ago, St Enodoc said:

When I went to work in Glasgow (also as a young rolling stock engineer!), for about three months I couldn't understand a word my colleagues were saying and vice versa. We got loads done by just nodding and agreeing with each other.

 

We once had a Glaswegian in our department for a scan.  He was an ex-paratrooper and had lived in the south for 40 years.  He sat in our waiting room as there was a long wait for the scan after his injection, (That is how it worked, not that he was ignored), and tried to converse with other people there.  No one understood him!

[wagonman]

2 hours ago, south_tyne said:

 

On that note; rambling mode on.......

 

I remember being in a pub a couple of years ago in rural Norfolk with my cousin. It was a proper pub... no TV or radio, all wooden panelling and original fittings, newspapers to peruse, a couple of hand-pulls on, cheese and cold roast potatoes on the bar; a rare gem 

 

It was an absolutely glorious day and by coincidence the Strumpshaw steam rally was taking place just down the road. Suddenly, without warning, all of these old boys in overalls rocked up in their traction engines, steamrollers and steam lorries, stopped in the pub car park and piled into the pub  Cue a completely surreal afternoon whereby I tried to have a conversation with these men of Norfolk, without much understanding on either side!! Whether that was only due to dialect issues or it was somewhat influenced by 8 pints of a potent local wheat beer I honestly cannot comment!!  However, finally a bloke who was originally from Barnard Castle showed up to save us all. He had lived in the area for 30 years and heard my accent and pitched in to act as interpreter!!! He seemed delighted to have a fellow North Easterner to talk to.

 

As I said, that was one of the more surreal experiences of my life, although there have been a few in rural East Anglia over the years...... 

 

Surreal experiences are not uncommon in Rural East Anglia...

[wagonman]

There was a Glaswegian (of the broader sort) in our year at Art College. It wasn't until about half way though the second year that most people could understand what he said. Actually, turned out he was a nice guy though what he was doing at a London Art College rather than, say, the estimable Glasgow School of Art I never did ascertain.

[south_tyne]

2 hours ago, wagonman said:

 

Surreal experiences are not uncommon in Rural East Anglia...

 

Definitely...... I don't mind saying it as I am an honourary East Anglian. My family originated from the Diss area but travelled north on the agrarian depression to find work in the pits of the Durham coalfield. My aunt then moved back down to Yarmouth in the '70s to work and has been there ever since. This was before we were aware of the historical family ties. I now have lots of family once again spread all across Norfolk and Suffolk! I do feel as though it is a second home and I myself had a spell living and working in Suffolk too. On a nice day East Anglia can be heaven! 

[wagonman]

2 hours ago, south_tyne said:

 

Definitely...... I don't mind saying it as I am an honourary East Anglian. My family originated from the Diss area but travelled north on the agrarian depression to find work in the pits of the Durham coalfield. My aunt then moved back down to Yarmouth in the '70s to work and has been there ever since. This was before we were aware of the historical family ties. I now have lots of family once again spread all across Norfolk and Suffolk! I do feel as though it is a second home and I myself had a spell living and working in Suffolk too. On a nice day East Anglia can be heaven! 

 

Back in the day – up to the mid C19 really – there was regular trade, mostly coal, between the Tyne/Wear and north Norfolk ports, so much so that a number of Blakeney and Cley families sent a younger son up to South Shields or Sunderland to act as their local representative. Inevitably many of them hooked up with a local lass and settled down, never to return. These family links survived the decline of the coastal coal trade.

 

There was an article in the Glaven Historian no.7 on this very subject! www.bahs.uk

 

 

[Edwardian]

1 hour ago, wagonman said:

 

Back in the day – up to the mid C19 really – there was regular trade, mostly coal, between the Tyne/Wear and north Norfolk ports, so much so that a number of Blakeney and Cley families sent a younger son up to South Shields or Sunderland to act as their local representative. Inevitably many of them hooked up with a local lass and settled down, never to return. These family links survived the decline of the coastal coal trade.

 

There was an article in the Glaven Historian no.7 on this very subject! www.bahs.uk

 

 

 

Indeed, and we have collier brigs calling at Wolfringham Staithe.  The WNR will run coal trains from there, providing the excuse for an interesting collection of dumb-buffered mineral wagons. 

 

 

Remember this?

 

 

 

Well, it now looks like this ......

 

 

 

 

A bit rough and ready, but this provides an alternative background to the damp-discloured painted stone and eliminates the 'sky corners'.  It also provides some insulation and an air gap behind the layout.

 

Eventually I would like to get one of those canvas printed backscenes and attach it to the hardboard with velcro.  For now, I'll add some blue and treat this as my temporary sky. 

 

 

 

 

[corneliuslundie]

As we seem to me back on topic, I shall mention that I have just been rereading "The Londonderry Railway" and spotted a photo on page 104 of Seaham station complete with hotel with door leading onto the platform. Nice modest buildings suitable for a small town.

The book is well worth reading anyway.

For those who might think it is based in Ireland, it is the story of the railway built by Lord Londonderry between Seaham and Sunderland, so Edwardian's territory.

Jonathan

[Edwardian]

15 minutes ago, corneliuslundie said:

As we seem to me back on topic, I shall mention that I have just been rereading "The Londonderry Railway" and spotted a photo on page 104 of Seaham station complete with hotel with door leading onto the platform. Nice modest buildings suitable for a small town.

The book is well worth reading anyway.

For those who might think it is based in Ireland, it is the story of the railway built by Lord Londonderry between Seaham and Sunderland, so Edwardian's territory.

Jonathan

 

Jonathan, thanks; I'll look out for that book.

[Edwardian]

I have added some blue to the boards, which I think will work quite well until such time as I can replace it with a 'proper' backscene.

 

Now I think I mentioned that I had realised, with some guilty horror, that at the point at which I started the Drill Hall last autumn, I hadn't modelled any village buildings for about two years.  I had not been entirely idle in the interim.  I underwent my hand-built turnouts calvary and had made a (very) modest start on the stock.

 

I mention this because I've just been on a tour of various cupboards around the house in an effort to find the various village buildings and I have, thus far, come up short by most of Bailey Street and the bailey gateway.

 

Ho-hum.  I expect they'll turn up eventually.

 

 

[brack]

What are these off topic photos of some sort of wooden boards/scenery/track?

 

Can we get back to interesting stories about obscure rural folk?

[ChrisN]

Your backscene painting looks very effective.

[RedGemAlchemist]

That's actually a really effective backscene anyway, James. I'd say just leave it. No need to make things more complex if you already have something that works.

[Buhar]

I'm really not keen on most backscenes, the only ones that work a bit for me are distant hills.  Norfolk isn't renowed for it's hills and locals think Norwich's speed humps are the end of the Pennine Chain.  Remember the song - "above us only sky".

[Edwardian]

2 hours ago, Buhar said:

I'm really not keen on most backscenes, the only ones that work a bit for me are distant hills.  Norfolk isn't renowed for it's hills and locals think Norwich's speed humps are the end of the Pennine Chain.  Remember the song - "above us only sky".

 

I tend towards having backscenes as sky only.  Any distant hills (and fairly low ones for Norfolk) will be 'flats'; I have no intention of painting any landscape on a backscene.

[south_tyne]

14 hours ago, wagonman said:

 

Back in the day – up to the mid C19 really – there was regular trade, mostly coal, between the Tyne/Wear and north Norfolk ports, so much so that a number of Blakeney and Cley families sent a younger son up to South Shields or Sunderland to act as their local representative. Inevitably many of them hooked up with a local lass and settled down, never to return. These family links survived the decline of the coastal coal trade.

 

There was an article in the Glaven Historian no.7 on this very subject! www.bahs.uk

 

 

 

Thanks that's absolutely fascinating. To be honest, they will have swapped one hard difficult life for another; rural poverty, working in the fields in all conditions, to working down the pit. Both would be back-breaking work. However, the living conditions in County Durham were likely to be better than in Norfolk, with better facilities at home. There is no romanticism about the life of the farm labourer in the 19th Century. 

 

[south_tyne]

James, I think that backscene looks hugely affective. Personally I would be very happy with that as a permanent solution. It does capture the big open sky feel of West Norfolk.

 

Sorry to be cheeky, but would you mind giving a quick rundown of the technique you used for painting and the colour and type of paint used?

 

Many thanks,

David 

 

[Donw]

2 hours ago, south_tyne said:

 

Thanks that's absolutely fascinating. To be honest, they will have swapped one hard difficult life for another; rural poverty, working in the fields in all conditions, to working down the pit. Both would be back-breaking work. However, the living conditions in County Durham were likely to be better than in Norfolk, with better facilities at home. There is no romanticism about the life of the farm labourer in the 19th Century. 

 

 Indeed my forefathers were agricutural labourers at Great Wigborough Essex until my Great Grandfather was drawn to the Thames barges that called there which he joined. If the railways had got there earlier he might well have chosen the railway.  Another with the same surname did become a driver on the LT&SR. By some quirk of fete his grandson and myself  both used to go in the model shop on wyle cop Shrewsbury as the surname was unusual the shop keeper introduced us when we were both in the shop. 

Don

[Hroth]

Thats an effective backscene, rather similar to the one I created for my roundy.

 

Mine was painted using acrylic artists paint.  I used just two colours, white and Cerulean Blue, which you could say was a fancy way to say "sky blue".  The technique is to have a more solid blue at the top, shading to white with a tint of blue near the horizon. Mr Eds backscene illustrates the appearance of the finished skyscape very well. Clouds are difficult, its very easy to end up with a "Simpsons" appearance, although looking out of the window at the moment, the clouds certainly have that appearance!

Edited June 30, 2019 by Hroth

[Edwardian]

3 hours ago, south_tyne said:

James, I think that backscene looks hugely affective. Personally I would be very happy with that as a permanent solution. It does capture the big open sky feel of West Norfolk.

 

Sorry to be cheeky, but would you mind giving a quick rundown of the technique you used for painting and the colour and type of paint used?

 

Many thanks,

David 

 

 

Usual Edwardian semi-planned bodge, really.

 

3 coats of some cheap white emulsion to get adequate coverage of the hardboard; that's what you see in the first set of pictures.

 

The 'sky' is the 4th coat.  Painting from the horizon upwards, blue was introduced gradually to the white from an emulsion match-pot of 'powder blue'.  At the point this ran out, I supplemented the remaining mix with a little of a darker match-pot - 'midnight blue'.   I chose these two shades because they were the only two blues sold in our local hardware shop!

 

I shall not attempt clouds!   

[Compound2632]

4 hours ago, south_tyne said:

 

Thanks that's absolutely fascinating. To be honest, they will have swapped one hard difficult life for another; rural poverty, working in the fields in all conditions, to working down the pit. Both would be back-breaking work. However, the living conditions in County Durham were likely to be better than in Norfolk, with better facilities at home. There is no romanticism about the life of the farm labourer in the 19th Century. 

 

 

But surely the families of whom Wagonman writes were merchants, so their sons were secure from the grinding life of the agricultural or industrial labourer, unless they made a serious mess of things?

 

1 hour ago, Donw said:

  the model shop on wyle cop Shrewsbury

 

My first train set came from there - RS 613, featuring an essentially Midland engine! I wasn't there when that was bought, but I do remember going there to buy a couple of coaches - Mk1 brake third and composite of course, because that was about all that was available. I wanted blue and grey, because that was what I was used to seeing, but they only had carmine and cream. Thus began my gradual regression to the pre-Grouping era...

 

This would have been in the first half of 1972, as the train set was for Christmas that year, along with a baby brother. No prizes for working out which I preferred!

 

1 hour ago, Edwardian said:

 

Usual Edwardian semi-planned bodge, really.

 

3 coats of some cheap white emulsion to get adequate coverage of the hardboard; that's what you see in the first set of pictures.

 

The 'sky' is the 4th coat.  Painting from the horizon upwards, blue was introduced gradually to the white from an emulsion match-pot of 'powder blue'.  At the point this ran out, I supplemented the remaining mix with a little of a darker match-pot - 'midnight blue'.   I chose these two shades because they were the only two blues sold in our local hardware shop!

 

I shall not attempt clouds!   

 

I can build models of man-made objects happily enough but I am in awe of anyone who can pull off an effective depiction of nature with such apparent ease.

 

Edited June 30, 2019 by Compound2632

[south_tyne]

4 hours ago, Edwardian said:

 

Usual Edwardian semi-planned bodge, really.

 

3 coats of some cheap white emulsion to get adequate coverage of the hardboard; that's what you see in the first set of pictures.

 

The 'sky' is the 4th coat.  Painting from the horizon upwards, blue was introduced gradually to the white from an emulsion match-pot of 'powder blue'.  At the point this ran out, I supplemented the remaining mix with a little of a darker match-pot - 'midnight blue'.   I chose these two shades because they were the only two blues sold in our local hardware shop!

 

I shall not attempt clouds!   

 

Thanks that is really useful. Don't worry it is from bodging and, even if you insist it is, then it is still greatly effective. I think it looks the business, so thanks for sharing the technique. 

 

2 hours ago, Compound2632 said:

 

But surely the families of whom Wagonman writes were merchants, so their sons were secure from the grinding life of the agricultural or industrial labourer, unless they made a serious mess of things?

 

 

Sorry we do indeed have our wires crossed here. My own family migrated from the Diss area and were agricultural labourers and that is what I was refering to in 'swapping one hard life for another', rather than directly referencing Wagonman. His post was fascinating though and hints at a different pattern of movement from East Anglia to the North East. 

 

2 hours ago, Compound2632 said:

I can build models of man-made objects happily enough but I am in awe of anyone who can pull off an effective depiction of nature with such apparent ease.

 

 

Me too!!

[Martin S-C]

On 01/06/2019 at 19:39, Edwardian said:

So, I had a new experience today; operating a layout at an exhibition.

 

I know many of you will be old hands at this, but it was a brand new shiny experience for me and I really, really enjoyed it.

 

It helps a lot, of course, that the local MRC are the the most welcoming and tolerant bunch one could ever hope to meet. 

 

Its fun isn't it? Totally shattering but most enjoyable, especially if the team shares lodgings and you can take breakfast, dinner and beers together. I've made some firm friends while exhibiting layouts.

[wagonman]

16 hours ago, Buhar said:

I'm really not keen on most backscenes, the only ones that work a bit for me are distant hills.  Norfolk isn't renowed for it's hills and locals think Norwich's speed humps are the end of the Pennine Chain.  Remember the song - "above us only sky".

 

Mmmm. Someone hasn't been to Norwich recently, nor walked up Gas Hill...

[wagonman]

9 hours ago, south_tyne said:

 

Thanks that's absolutely fascinating. To be honest, they will have swapped one hard difficult life for another; rural poverty, working in the fields in all conditions, to working down the pit. Both would be back-breaking work. However, the living conditions in County Durham were likely to be better than in Norfolk, with better facilities at home. There is no romanticism about the life of the farm labourer in the 19th Century. 

 

 

Very true, but these people were sailors and merchants rather than Ag Labs. They enjoyed a slightly less hard scrabble existence though one that was not infrequently marked by sudden deaths by drowning.  [I see Compound/Stephen has beaten me to it]

Edited June 30, 2019 by wagonman