Tim H

Amorphis - Under The Red Cloud

Karnataka - Secrets of Angels

Bruce Soord - s/t

Chantel McGregor - Lose Control

All part of my Albun of the Year list:

http://www.kalyr.com/weblog/tag/2015-end-of-year-list/

Luna Rossa, Christmastime
 
https://lunarossa.bandcamp.com/track/christmastime

Blueprints by Sarah Dean - 4 track EP by the harpist and singer-songwriter who is accompanying Luna Rossa on their current mini-tour.

Nightwish - Endless Forms Most Beautiful

Yes - Talk

Napalm Death - Apex Predator, Easy Meat

Iron Maiden - Book of Souls

Magenta - The Twenty-Seven Club

Stunning co-headine gig with Touchstone at Leamingron Spa on Saturday.

Peter Knight's Gigspanner - Layers of Ages

Saw them live a few days ago.

Played by Mostly Autumn on Friday night in York. Lyrics are very relevant at the moment,

Porcupine Tree - Stupid Dream

Sometimes I think I spend too much time listening to new stuff and neglect the old favourites.

There were mixed passenger/parcels trains on the WR Thames Valley services using a 128 DPU running in multiple with a 117 set.  The 128 shuttled back and forth on it's own between Paddington and Reading during the day, but ran combined with passenger DMUs in the peak, presumably to save a train path.

Not sure of the exact working, but it ran into the sector era in the late 80s with the 128 in Royal Mail livery and the 117 in NSE.  Think the practice of a parcels van as tail traffic had ended long before then,

Riverside - Love, Fear and The Time Machine.

This is a stunning album.

Best strange formation I can remember was the day the WR were short of stock and made up a rake of a 121 "Bubble", two 121 driving trailers and a 128 DPU (Purely for traction purposes) on a Thames Valley suburban working..

Gazpacho - Molok

This Norwegian band know how to do dark and spooky.

Amorphis - Under the Red Cloud.  This record seems to have got stuck in the CD player of late.

Big Big Train - English Electric part 1.  Trying to persuade Barry Ten of this parish to give this lot a listen. They're the sort of band who'd write a song aoout The Barry Ten.

Amorphis - Under the Red Cloud

Didn't actually get paid for it, though I did get in for free (and had homework afterwards!)

One reason I went as a reviewer was a friend of mine (Anne-Marie Helder) was announced as the support act after the show had sold out.

If you are/were into Genesis (the proper era before the remnants went all Pop), or a bit of a prog fan, then this concert is fantastic......

 

 

 

I was at that gig as a reviewer and photographer.  Stunning show

Vanden Plans - Chronicles Of The Immortals: Netherworld II

Rather over-the-top German power-metal

I've always assumed that Farish will be doing the coaches in maroon at some point, but have yet to commit to a date. When first announced they were in blood & custard only, the GWR livery was announced the following year, then in the end they delivered both at the same time.

"Steam on West of England Main Lines" by Peter W Gray

Page 34 at Langstone Rock in 1960 - Is the fourth coach (in blood & custard) a Hawksworth or a Collett?  Difficult to tell.

The three preceding coaches are a maroon Gresley, a chocolate & cream Mk1 and a much older ex-GW vehicle in maroon. Suspect modellers are far more keen on uniform rakes of matching coaches than the prototype ever was.

Wishbone Ash - There's The Rub/Locked In. One of their better albums paired with what has to be one of the blandest things they've done.

Dave Gilmour - Rattle That Lock

http://www.kalyr.com/weblog/music/record-reviews/dave-gilmour-rattle-that-lock/

Gloryhammer - Space 1992: The Rise of the Chaos Wizards (Yes, this is as silly as it sounds!)

Chantel McGregor - Lose Control

http://www.kalyr.com/weblog/music/record-reviews/chantel-mcgregor-lose-control/

Thundermother - Road Fever

http://www.kalyr.com/weblog/music/record-reviews/thundermother-road-fever/

The lack of upsweeps was unique to the 121 motor brake seconds. Think even the surviving driving trailers had upsweeps, since they ended up paired with things other than 121 bubbles - at least one was formed with a 101 motor brake to form a 2-car set.

Who said DMUs were boring?

Wonderful photo.  Reminds me of the 122/108/101 combos in Cornwall around the same time.

I remember the first few 121s in NSE had the upsweeps at both ends, before they changed to the style in the photo,

Looking through published photos of WR steam and diesel-hydraulics, there was still some GW-design stock around in blood & custard in 59/60, but all survivors were maroon by 62/63. There were a few Mk1s in blood & custard as late as Summer 1963, but no older stock. Guessing these would have still been wearing their new-build paintwork

Are Farish doing what Dapol did a decade ago with the Colletts and deliberately leaving the most popular livery until last in the hope of selling more coaches?

When I went to St.Ives last in 2009, the two Class 150s were ex-Arriva Trains Wales and Silverlink. I seem to recall that both still had their interior publicity, contact details and even route maps from the previous operator. The Arriva unit had them in English and Welsh!

CHRIS LEIGH

Have a feeling FGW hire a couple of Arriva 150s to boost capacity every Summer during the high season, and they go back to Arriva in September.  The Silverlink ones were transfers, though. Think they were former Bedford-Blechley or possibly Gospel Oak-Barking sets.