DaveF

A dry sunny morning after the nearly 2" of rain so far this week. It's milder,11°C at 9.00. I've done my foot exercises and made sure the strapping tape is still attached but I think a real improvement will take time. I am seeing the MSK person at the surgery on Monday morning, I've just received a text to remind me. I assume MSK means musculo/skeletal practitioner. It is far too wet to walk anywhere on soil or grass so have decided to go for a short walk along a footpath along an old 17th century waggonway just outside town as it has a tarmac surface. I shall be able to see if there is any interesting wildlife in the hedges and watch the golfers nearby. After that it depends how I feel. I cannot do anything at all in the garden, it resembles a quagmire and is almost wet enough for it to start to form a peat bog as plants die off. David

2 locations in Denmark for thids morning. The first two photos are at Varde, which is a junction north of Esbjerg where the Westbanen line goes to Nymindegab. The last three are taken around Vejle, north of Fredericia. It is again a junction. You may need a map or Google Earth! Varde Westerbanen dmu 18th Aug 94 C19749 Varde DSB IC3 5026 and dmu 4073 18th Aug 94 C19754 Vejle DSB dmu 17th Aug 94 C9626 Vejle DSB dmu 17th Aug 94 C19628 Vejle view north 17th Aug 94 C19743 David

My house is very simple - 1 living room, kitchen, 2 bedrooms, bathroom, porch. Both bedrooms are the same size. the kitchen is the same too, all 13'x9'. The living room is twice the size. There is of course a garage and greenhouse but no shed. All my "toys" live in the spare bedroom, if anyone wants to come and stay I can arrange it at a local hotel. I too often sweat at night, but it is quite random. It may have do do with what I've eaten, also sometimes I end up with the duvet over by chest and my legs not covered at all. I sleep on my right side, if I sleep on the left side I get a sore shoulder and neck - arthritis. Church was OK today, I found what I was doing when I got there to set things up for the service, just serving today. I had a look at the rota for the next few months services and found it is different from the one I have so I suggested that someone should e mail out the updated version to those who are involved. Apparently the person who did it hadn't thought of that. I also did a bit of shopping and found things I really did need both in Aldi and Homebase and almost resisted temptation to buy anything else. Then it was a quick salad lunch followed by falling asleep as I didn't sleep very well last night. I've done a bit on the model and found a piece which I thought was missing but it was on a different sprue. The rest of the day is planned to be quietly reading and possibly a bit of TV. David

Cramlington, on the ECML north of Newcastle in 1984/5 for the next batch. Cramlington Class 254 Kings X to Edinburgh10th Nov 84 C6663 Cramlington Class 101 Morpeth to Newcastle 18th April 85 C6829 Cramlington 47418 WBHS charter Newcastle to Fort William 11th May 85 C6834 Cramlington South 47528 down Speedlink 5th July 85 C6976 Cramlington 27017 hauling 47527 up 5th July 85 C6978 David

I much prefer fresh food or at least frozen things without additives. It doesn't always work but not much of my food is tinned or in brightly coloured packaging. I read the ingredients of most things I buy which are not plain fresh to check how much of some oils they contain as they upset my gut badly. I also have to check for nuts and fungi. As for this morning the rain has stopped, it is grey and may rain a bit later, it could reach 6° this afternoon. Gardening will be out of the question for the present, some plants are beginning to go brown as they are drowning. The greenhouse now has 2" of water in it I think I'm doing something at church in the service this morning, I'll need to check when I get there as I haven't been on a Thursday since early February. Then there may or may not be a visit to a shop depending on how I feel. The strapping on my foot is making a difference, I have ordered some to use from the stong ladies. David

Sheffield Park on the Bluebell Railway back in 1976 and 1978 for this morning. Most were taken on Boxing Days, it was always a pleasant drive from Essex through the Dartford Tunnel as there wasn't much traffic on 26th December. Sheffield Park USA 30064 Oct 76 C3074 Sheffield Park SECR CLass C 592 26th Dec 76 C3133 Sheffield Park SECR Class H 263 26th Dec 76 C3135 Sheffield Park SECR CLass P 323 Bluebell coupling to train 26th Dec 78 C4230 Sheffield Park SECR SECR H Class 263 ecs 26th Dec 78 C4233

I had a very nice piece of salmon with new potatoes and peas for lunch, simple but tasty, satisfying and very easy. During the afternoon I looked at Facebook for the first time in ages. I no longer post anything, I did for a time but it attracted too many comments from people I had taught over the years and no longer knew. Now I just look at a few local groups now and then. Apart from RMweb and flickr that is it as far as social media goes now. I had an early cuppa as I had an appointment to see the podiatrist, normally about 15 minutes away in the next little town. The way I have been going to go to the only road out of the south side of town was no use as it has two sets of roadworks with lights (part time irregularly for the water company) and Network Rail working at the level crossing and building a footbridge with more lights. So I went the other way also leading to the same only road heading inland. It only has one set of temporary traffic lights, the new roundabout where they are building the bridge over the railway is partly in use with a very temporary surface. For once it only took 7 minutes to get through it and Network Rail were not working on the level crossing today which helped. Then there was the long temporary 30 limit where another roundabout is being built at the other end of the bridge. Then I only had to negotiate 3 floods where the water in the middle of the road was about 3" deep, much worse at the verges, everyone was being very careful and stopping to allow traffic coming the other way to get through. All the fields were covered in water which was simply running onto the road, across it and into the lower fields on the other side. Going down the steep hill into the valley was interesting, the road was like a river and very slippery so everyone drove slowly, if you go through the barrier it is quite a long drop through the trees to the river. The whole journey only took 25 minutes instead of the usual 15. The podiatrist did my nails quickly and has put kinesiotape on my sore foot, I have plantar fasciitis. Coming back I wanted to avoid the floods but realised that the other obvious route is closed because a level crossing is closed all week for track renewal. So I went by another route to get to the spine road to get home. It is OK but the "on" slip has a tight curve so it can be difficult to build up speed to join the main road. Then I came in to the north side of town, today there were no road works - they had moved just outside town to another level crossing which is closed to traffic. I will be very pleased when the railway work is finished and the Northumberland Line opens, hopefully later this year. I should really say reopens as it closed to passenger traffic in 1964. David

York between 50 and 59 years ago. York Class 55 D9015 09.05 Kings X to Edinburgh Aug 65 J222 York B1 Aug 66 J587 York Class 45 D29 Newcatle to Cardiff? Oct 66 J670 York A3 4472 Flying Scotsman up light engine Oct 66 J673 York Class 45 31 St Pancras to Scarborough special and Class 45 Newcastle to Cardiff? May 74 J3687 David

Yes, I think that is the bridge. David

It is possible becasue I am still restoring the photos which were lost, now and then a back up file I use can contain 2 copies and I do not always notice. David

I eventually got to sleep it took a while as I was wondering why I hadn't seen the traffic light on the crossing. When I did sleep I was woken by the sound of heavy rain, then I went off to sleep properly and woke at 8.45, so I am a bit behind today. After breakfast I drove into town and did a circuit of various roads ending up at yesterday's junction. As I approached the junction from about 40 yards away I could just see a glimmer of green from the light on the right hand side, nothing from the left light because of the shade on it. Getting nearer the light was no longer visible. At the junction I couldn't see any lights, the left one was hidden by its shade, the right hand one was hidden by the rear view mirror and its housing. It was only after I had pulled out onto the main road that it came into view. I reckon I was lucky to be able to stop yesterday. I have worked out that the only way to check the light is to duck my head down below the mirror, but then I can't see safely to drive forwards. I will just not use that route in future so I will join the main road earlier at a roundabout which is also odd as parking is allowed all round it outside the shops and houses on the roundabout - it is a large one. To make it worse the parking outside the shops is at right angles to the road. I was putting some railway photos on flickr this morning and realised I had a place name wrong, it was Etterby Bridge north of Carlisle. Looking at other peoples' photos I am not the only one to have problems with it, a friend has two photos on flickr of the same view captioned differently. Then I put some photos on my thread here and found that although I had the place name right I couldn't remember exactly where it was so had to find my maps of Germany. Shortly it will be coffee time, then I will do not much, perhaps some bits on the model church I making or just sit and read. I am finding that I think I am fitter than I actually am so I still easily get weary. David

Northern Germany for a change this morning. The location is Süderbraup which is on the line from Kiel to Flensburg. They were taken in August 1992 while driving back to Esbjerg in Denmark to catch the ferry to North Shields. I'd had a holiday in Switzerland and Germany, including the Harzquerbahn. Süderbraup 212 006 12th Aug 92 C17806 Süderbraup 628 204 12th Aug 92 C17809 Süderbraup Class 628 204 12th Aug 92 C17810 Süderbraup 928 204 Jübeck to Flensburg 12th Aug 92 C17813 Süderbraup 218186 Hamburg to Fredericia (in Denmark) 12th Aug 92 C17814 David

Round here some have signs, some don't. I just look at the lines and Give Way, many do not. To be honest this junction is a lot better than a number of others in the town. I sometimes think Northumberland makes up its own rules about roads. David

Herewith 2 photos at street level courtesy of Google Earth. I was on the left of this road. Note, the Google car was going in the opposte direction, so the photo is looking back on the right hand side, so you can just see one red light. From the left hand side it is harder to see. This is the view along the main road. You can argue I should have been able to see the red light but on my dash cam it comes properly into view as I reach the junction. Note there isn't even a Give Way sign. David

Now for today. I went in to town to get my haircut and was able to park in my usual place on the road. The haircut didn't take long, the bad bit was the journey home as mentioned earlier. I also rang Coop funerals, have organised what I want and paid for it (ouch!). It is simply a burial in a plot I already "own" in the local cemetery, Mum and Dad are already buried in it. When I bought it about twenty years ago for Mum and Dad (so it was in my name when we came to bury them to make it easier) the council had a "buy 2 graves and get 1 free offer" so I will fit in there as well, the exisitng headstone will just need another line adding. I have received the documents by e mail, in due course I will receive a paper copy along with some documents for me to complete concerning who is my solicitor, exact details of any service I want, where the deeds for the grave are to be found, what goes on the headstone and so on. They will also let my solicitors know that I have a pre paid funeral. It was really very easy. I've spent the rest of the day putting more things away now I can reach into cupboards and so on which means fewer things lying around. Some modelling was also done. David

It's a Give Way junction, apart from the lights visibility is quite good. I am going to think what I might do. Looking at my footage I think one (possibly both) lights are slightly out of alignment which hampers visibility. Next time I pass I will have a good look at it. David

Three photos atUlgham Grange crossing is in Northumberland, between Morpeth and Alnmouth. I've rarely been there as it is very difficult to park. The other two are from Ulgham Lane where I quite often go though it is now more overgrown than when these photos were taken. Ulgham Grange crossing Class 37 down l e April 82 C5633 Ulgham Grange crossing Class 253 43075 down July 83 C6100 Ulgham Grange crossing 20218 and ano down cement wagons July 83 C6101 Ulgham Lane crossing 37107 up coal from Butterewell 30th July 85 C6998 Ulgham Lane crossing 143001 Alnmouth to Newcastle 21st June 86 C7586 David

On Sunday I saw a small tortoiseshell flying around my garden, it landed on several flowers before moving next door. I often see them from late March onwards on fine days. David

Many thanks, I've added the details to the captions. It is always good to know the details of the workings. David

A short time ago I had a very unpleasant experience while returning home from town. I came to a road junction where the side street I was on meets the main road, less than a car's length along the main road is a light controlled crossing. Coming up to the junction you can't see the lights, you have to be just starting to move forwards to really see the light. The light changed to red just as I pulled out, fortunately I was able to stop just on the line. The couple who had just started crossing the road were understandably not amused. When I've been on the main road I've often noticed people pulling out having to stop very sharply, now I know why. I'll go a different way in future. I have checked my dashcam footage, you really cannot see the light until you start to pull out. David

I was up early so today's washing is done, Morrisons have delivered the groceries, a few small jobs have been done. Now I need to think of something to fill the day - perhaps the barbers, try to finish sorting out my funeral plan, work on the model or just relax. It's dull again, the forecast is for bits of rain now and then. When I got up everywhere was white with frost, that went as the cloud rolled in. David

The WCML around Elvanfoot, between Beattock Summit and Crawford in the days of Class 50s. Many thanks to hexagon for identifying two of the workings (see his post below). I've added the details to the captions. Bodsbury Aug 73 J3342 Bodsbury Aug 73 J3343 Elvanfoot Class 50s 445 and 419 down Aug 73 J3344 1S53 0815 Birmingham to Glasgow Central/Edinburgh Elvanfoot Class 50s 415 and 409 up Aug 73 J3345 1M30 1140 Glasgow Central to Euston Elvanfoot River Clyde bridge 2 Class 50s down Aug 73 J3346 David

To be honest I always have problems deciding on my favourite pieces at the moment they are probably: First is usually Schubert's Trout Quintet this year at No. 181 Then Satie Trois Gymnopodies this year at No. 148 Third comes Beethoven's Für Elise this year at No. 142 I also like almost anything by Shostakovich, the Strauss family and many many more. I tend not to like most film music though. David

Best wishes to Dave Hunt for his operation, I hope all goes well. The forecast was about right for once, it is still raining and misty as well as cold, staying at 6°C. During the afternoon I could hear a low frequency rumble, I eventually realised it was a ship's engines in the harbour. The day has so far passed pleasantly, the house is nice and clean. I have spent some time putting things away now I can move about almost properly so can get things in and out of cupboards in the kitchen. I also went through a pile of papers which had accumulated on my desk, most ended up in the bin. I have found a couple of things which I will deal with tomorrow, both simple - at least I hope so. I finished reading a crime novel which I feel ended less than well with one of the main characters being taken to hospital badly injured after a car crash on the last couple of pages. I suspect it is the author's way of getting rid of a character she is not going to need in the next book in her series. Much of the day has been spent with one ear listening to the radio to hear the final part of Classic FM's top 300. I think I must like very different "classical" music from many other people. The evening will simply be music and book. So far today I've managed not to fall asleep. David

Cambridge in black and white around 1947/8 this evening. Cambridge B1 down pass Kings X to Cambridge c1948 JVol7244 Cambridge B1 fireman 1948 JVol1231 Cambridge B2 61671 Royal Sovereign and B2 61617 Ford Castle 1947 JVol1425 Cambridge Fowler 4MTT Cambridge to Bletchely c1948 JVol1196 Cambridge J17 1947 JVol1434 Cambridge LNER B1 1114 and E4 2-4-0 1948 JVol1195 David