Welchester

Yes. And the first man to fly was called Pontius.

Facebook says she will be running on Sunday and in Toddington on Saturday for cab visits. https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=631657692512310&set=a.480108161000598

'Il y a du monde au balcon,' as. they say in your part of the world.

It must have been late sixties, as second class post wasn't introduced until 1968. I used to know a family called Vince, who lived at the Old School House in Driffield, Gloucestershire. They would often receive mail for the Vincents, who lived at the Old School House, Driffield, Yorkshire.

The execution scene is particularly moving.

Betjeman's Continual Dew (1937) contains this poem. I can't identify the town, nor whether it is in the South west, but it was certainly served by the GWR. Distant View of a Provincial Town Beside those spires so spick and span Against an unencumbered sky The old Great Western Railway ran When someone different was I. St. Aidan’s with the prickly nobs And iron spikes and coloured tiles— Where Auntie Maude devoutly bobs In those enriched vermillion aisles: St. George’s where the mattins bell But rarely drowned the trams for prayer— No Popish sight or sound or smell Disturbed that gas-invaded air: St Mary’s where the Rector preached In such a jolly friendly way On cricket, football, things that reached The simple life of every day: And that United Benefice With entrance permanently locked, — How Gothic, grey and sad it is Since Mr. Grogley was unfrocked! The old Great Western Railway shakes The old Great Western Railway spins— The old Great Western Railway makes Me very sorry for my sins.

A (Facebook) friend of mine, a Greek Orthodox priest in the US, models British outline in 4mm. His 48' x 28' basement contains Severn Tunnel Junction in all its glory

The GWR at least always set the fencing slightly inside the boundary of its land (I have a vague feeling that the gap was a yard and a half) to allow maintenance of the outside of the fence without having to arrange access from its neighbour's property.

A young reader of James Bond might be surprised by M's addressing the Prime Minister as 'Winston'.

Just before my father retired from BR in 1980, he acquired an enormous quantity of 'firewood'. It filled three sides of our garage to roof height and was neatly cut into 12" blocks. I think he considered it would last him through retirement, which it did.

It’s déjà vu all over again.

Not the Nine O’Clock News, if memory serves. Ah yes: https://youtu.be/4O79Glps-DY?feature=shared

I think that's the bent footstep you can see in this photograph of the other side. https://www.flickr.com/photos/taffytank/5211896820

There's a photograph on Facebook of 1501 at Coventry apparently without brake or heating pipes.

I've often wondered: why Hatfield?

Spotted while shopping in Lichfield yesterday. Is it a Morris Minor?

One newspaper writer of the time (I forget which) referred to the artist as 'the Master of Paddington'.

In French it's Édimbourg.

The Parish of Mathern in South Wales had three Vicars in the course of 1641. The first had the curious name of Valentine Minge.

I once worked in a team of three, the others of which were called Cox and Pippen. I felt I should have changed my name to Orange.

There is an article on 'How Swindon Got Its Water From Kemble' on the Gloucestershire Railway Memories website. https://sites.google.com/view/gloucestershirerailwaymemories/home/kemble/how-swindon-got-its-water-from-kemble

Modellbahn Union again. Dapol O gauge GWR conflat £34 delivered. Excellent value. https://www.modellbahnunion.com/Spur-0/Gueterwagen-conflat-GWR-39410-Container-BK-1869.htm?a=article&ProdNr=7F-037-007&p=837

I have the book too; it was a skool prize in 1973.

In its turn that reminds me of a story from a local funeral director who had to take extreme care, because he had three cadavers with the same name. Fortunately, there was no confusion.

Gareth Jones 1938-2023. See my post in Obituaries. Anthony Manor was photographed at an open day at Machynlleth. One of the women in the first picture is Gareth's mother.