Torr Giffard LSWR 1951-71

.....thanks Dom....'cautiously optimistic' is our new catchphrase.....we're thinking of having a nameplate done for the house to alternate with 'Carpe Diem'. Rgds Dave

Aft'noon all, As good a day as we could have hoped for at the cancer centre today....Is had had her blood test done and was walking back towards me before I had managed to get back from parking the car. The scenic route to Ellesmere followed in lovely seasonal sunshine. The cafe end of the boathouse was too busy for someone on chemo so we asked to sit in a quiet part of the restaurant.... .....smashing lunch and stroll around Ellesmere town afterwards. Then back to the hospital for the review.....all well for chemo 5 tomorrow. All in all more of a day in the sunshine & scenery than at the hospital.....distraction therapy in action. Enjoy what you do Dave

Mornin' all, Best wishes to all with ailments of any kind. Hospital day today for us....Is has her blood test early doors then the review this afternoon....at least the gap in the middle is big enough for me to take her out for lunch. Chemo 5 should, if all is well, be tomorrow. Feathered ones remembered Enjoy what you do Dave

Mornin' all, Blue sky sunny good to be alive in The Moorlands.....a tad parky mind Feathered ones provided for Will be taking Is to her favorite coffee house via the scenic route to boost her spirits pre chemo 5 today Enjoy what you do Dave

Evenin' all, Smashing outing to Geoff Kent/Roy Jackson's open day nr Gainsborough today....Black Lion Crossing, Retford and Blakeney all on exquisite display....there was even a fly past by the Vulcan....great stuff guys!.... Geoff's latest handiwork is this superb footbridge on BLC... .....anyone spot Chris F. of this parish? Dave

Mornin' Jock, Whilst savouring lunch at the first pit stop Is came by in her car having been for coffee with some church friends. I waved her over to join me.....apart from the tiredness and the bandana life really just goes on as normal.....a tribute to the refined and targeted treatments used nowadays. A drive to Gainsborough on the cards today to attend Geoff Kent's model railway open day.....Blakeney, Black Lion crossing and Retford to savour....might see one or two of you there. Dave

Aft'noon all, Arriving home around 8am following a steady night shift with opportunities for checking the inside of ones eyelids it seemed criminal to waste such a glorious day in bed, especially as work doesn't beckon again until next weekend. A quick scoot around Sainsburys sorted the shopping for next week and once it was put away out came the trusty push-iron.... ....the local colours are just getting into their stride now.... .....Thorncliffe village.... .....the water level is on its way back towards the causeway at Tittesworth.... .....Meerbrook village.... .....it seemed to be around lunchtime and in any case The Lazy Trout does good sandwiches and often has interesting guest beers to try. Roast ham & piccalilli sandwiches with a pint of the new Cosmic Flyer by The Wincle brewery in the sunshine seemed the correct way to support a local business.... ....once over Gun Hill a few views towards Shuttlingsloe opened up.... ....four bottles of Old Oak to take home and a pint of another new brew for Wincle.....Woodsman, a tasty German style lager beer.... ....across the Cheshire plain towards the telescope at Jodrell bank Enjoy what you do Dave

.....humanity in all its glory! Dave

......congrats all ER's on zooming through the million views milestone!!!! Dave

Aft'noon all, Very best regards to all with ailments of any kind. As intended the attractive Autumn scenes of yesterday spurred Is on to venturing out today. We retraced much of my cycle route in the car, stopping for an Eccles cake and coffee at Wetton Mill before a short walk high on The Moorlands in the sunshine..... Cuckoostones Autumn..... ....towards Hartington..... ....towards Buxton..... ....towards The Mermaid.... Towards the Cheshire plain across The Roaches....on a clear day Fiddlers Ferry power station near Widnes, some 50 miles distant can be seen on the horizon..... A half hour with a relative who has suffered similar conditions to Is used up the last of her reserves and the cumulative exertions led to her afternoon nap just now but we plan on turning out for fish & chips from Longnor by 6pm.....once the clocks change this won't be an option. Enjoy what you do Dave

.....seasonal showers greeted me once again today on an afternoon Manifold valley circuit.....but this time they were quite dry and of greens, golds, oranges and copper.....descending into the valley beyond Grindon..... ....a timely circuit this one as the shadows lengthen early in the tree lined depths and much of the valley has to wait until Spring for bright sunshine to once again penetrate its most out of the way parts.... ....sudden glimpses of sunlit corners interspersed the leafy tunnels... ....where narrow gauge trains once ran the sunlit shades of Manifold Autumn are short lived, with rapidly lengthening shadows and seasonal winds/rains quickly dashing the colours to the floor..... ....the sunny side of the valley is much more pronounced now as the contrasts with the opposite side strengthen.... ....sound deadeningly soft over a glorious carpet .... ...the recent rains are now flowing in a brown torrent through the glory of the valley.... ....back into the light approaching Hulme End.... Enjoy what you do Dave

.....the usual reaction when chatting to those unaware of the Staffordshire Moorlands is still a grimace and a wondering of how we cope with the M6 and large conurbations. Our reality is that we live in lovely countryside quite remote from such issues...geographically still within the same county maybe but that is just about the only connection. As for traffic....the benefit of local knowledge makes a huge difference. There are certain routes/times of day which are no go areas....in common with most parts of the UK....but we rarely risk them, as there is usually no shortage of more scenic and often time saving alternatives. Dave

Evenin' RAR, As you say a lovely part of the country to be and yes Shuttlingslow is on the horizon in the second view. Dark wet winter days in Flash might be less glamorous but during good conditions it is a great place to be. Rgds Dave

.....we probably did the same Great Railway Journey Neil....here is a short clip of the one that we did.... Dave

Aft'noon all, A real Heathcliffe style constitutional this afternoon.... ....he probably lives here... ....clearing drainage is a popular pastime for the local farmers just now.... ....a heavy shower caught me without coat two thirds of the way around and forced refuge under a bushy tree, a few minutes earlier and I would have taken refuge in the pub....the ride home was in light rain and more urgent due to a governors meeting at 3.45 Enjoy what you do Dave

Mornin' all, Best wishes to all with ailments of any kind. A sign of the season just now is insufficient light to set out on the constitutional at 07.00....maybe 07.30. Converting the numerous bulky Panasonic high definition disc files into standard DVDs is a hit & miss affair via the laptop, with an unplayable disc as likely as a good one. I've ordered a second hand model of the camcorder which expired just to power the burner which has previously played them. At least this will allow me to create the standard copies much more easily. I'm looking forward to Saturday and another of Geoff Kent/Roy Jackson's superb open days at their railway room near Gainsborough.....Retford, Blakeney and Black Lion crossing constitute my favourite gathering of layouts in one place. Almost a year on from taking a still digital camera out on the constitutionals with me, I'm narrowing down my favourite 12 countryside images which tell the story of The Moorlands during that time..... Church duties beckon....delicate balance req. between inviting one or two of Is's closest contacts at church for a cuppa and a natter/keeping her spirits up through socialising on the patio/in the conservatory, as against exposing her to unnecessary risk of infection and possible delay to chemo etc. Feathered ones remembered Enjoy what you do Dave

....whilst some modellers don't do photos justice ;-) Dave

Mornin' all, Clear blue sky sunny in The Moorlands to start. In theory a rest day today, however, a four hour stint at the Butterley HMRS study centre assisting with research for a forthcoming book is rather more like work. That will be followed by a swift dash back home to change before heading to the Crematorium for the funeral of the farmer friend who laid undiscovered for 12wks and then couldn't be identified. It has taken over a month to gain permission for him to be cremated. An email from school to say that they have a broken handrail sounds like another invitation to work. The replacement (but later incompatible model) camcorder arrived yesterday and leaves me with the issue of how to get the Panasonic HD discs from the old one converted into ordinary discs for the DVD player....ho hum! Best wishes to all with ailments of any kind....good to hear of Jock's progress Feathered ones remembered Enjoy what you do Dave

...you haven't seen it rain in The Moorlands BoD Dave

Evenin' all, A minor milestone tonight as Is was well enough for our fish & chip outing to Longnor..... Longnor chippy.... Fish & chips with a view..... Enjoy what you do Dave

....probably next doors paper Ian but at least it is in the vicinity of your front door. Dave

....certainly Tuesday. Thursday, Friday and Saturday Ed but other days tend to mean heading into Ashbourne for the next best fish & chips. Dave

All the very best Jock....you clearly have heavier versions of what passes for our normality....fingers crossed that you have to endure the least possible pain on the way. Dave

....and leaves threads such as ERs poorer for their passing. Dave

She is still at the feeling cold, poorly and in tracksuit/ski hat stage Stewart but I'm hoping that this is the last day. A sure herald of progress will be "hmmm, I could manage fish & chips" and a steady evening jaunt to the fabulous fish & chip shop at Longnor follows before parking at one the excellent local viewpoints to savour them. She is thankfully pain free, rarely sick and remains in good heart....thank you. Dave