Christmas newsletter 2022 from Anne and Alan
Greetings from Coulsdon, where we have just enjoyed another good year, despite Alan getting Covid in March and generously passing it onto Anne, who was, as you can image, thrilled to bits! For two weeks we tried to avoid each other, but fortunately our interludes with the virus were mild.
It has been a good year for entertainments, now that so many people have had the anti-virus Covid vaccines and life is returning to what we used to regard as normal, but back then we could afford to eat and warm our homes! At the theatre we have seen Dreamboats and Petticoats, featuring Marty Wilde, Eden Kane and Mark Wynter from the 1950s and have enjoyed tribute musical evenings with groups such as The Drifters, Abba and Johnny Cash. Sorry if you are too young to remember these!
Our local amateur theater provided a Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson play and we have just joined a nearby cinema club.
As a couple that don’t ‘do’ heat, we survived the Summer and Alan did venture outside once to see what 40 degrees was like. Being stuck indoors in curtained rooms seemed a complete waste of time and we were glad to eventually get a traditional British summer back!
Alan’s driving licence came up for renewal in April 2021
and, having had Glaucoma, he was required to take another peripheral vision
test , which he failed - so his licence application was rejected. Thanks to the
pandemic, the DVLA’s normally good service, plummeted to hidden depths and
finally, with assistance from our local Member of Parliament, Alan eventually
received his new licence in October 2022! With both our cars ‘off the road’ for
so long it took a couple of weeks to get them ready for their MOT tests, both
cars needing new batteries, which after so long were kaput. Fortunately,
Coulsdon residents benefit from good bus and train services, so we managed
quite well over the last ‘car-less’ eighteen months. The only problem now is
where to drive?
Holidays
Still somewhat wary of mingling with crowds of people and without a car in which to escape to the country, most of our travel this year has been by public transport in the UK and the generally excellent rail services wizzed us around – that is until the strikes by railway workers made it difficult to plan.
However, Alan went to the Isle of Man for a week, flying from London City airport and here is his report:
Isle of Man – a windswept island situated in the middle of the Irish Sea - on a clear day in sight of the four kingdoms: England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland - all just 20 minutes by plane or four hours by sea; yet the island is a rule unto itself. A mountainous outpost which many moons ago was invaded by Norse Vikings, seeking shelter from the harsh waves of the Irish Sea. Nowadays, the invaders are those from the United Kingdom and our Irish friends, who value the calm and beauty of rolling hills, attractive, if low, mountains, beautiful bays and beaches, pretty towns and friendly welcomes from the Manx men and women who live there. Tourists come from further afield, often bringing motor bikes to take part in the world famous TT races or just to ride the challenging road routes; or to wallow in the charming and long-lived transport systems where steam locomotives still rule the railway tracks to Port Erin and 120 year old electric trams weave their way up the east coast, linking the capital of Douglas with its stunning one and a half mile long promenade, (along which horse drawn trams still clip-clop) to the second most important harbour town of Ramsey.
Still a seafaring nation, quaint harbours such as those at Peel and Port St Mary offer friendly shelter from the elements and there is evidence of the fishing industry, mingling with, but outnumbered by, sleek yachts and cruisers.
In the good company of my friend John, who was on holiday from Sydney, we spent a week on the Isle of Man; a trip that had been delayed for two years by the pandemic. It was worth the wait. The weather on most days was exceptionally good and the countryside pleasant and surprisingly hilly.
Taking an electric tram from the terminus at Derby Castle to the small town at Laxey will bring you to a pretty town, harbour and beach nestling below the high cliffs and headlands. But there is another famous attraction – the largest waterwheel in the world. However, just a few yards across the tracks at Laxey tram station stands a slightly different but very popular tram which climbs up a steep 1 in 12 gradient to the top of Snaefell, at 2,037 feet, the highest point on the island. A rather draughty spot, there is a modern cafĂ© to protect visitors from the elements and a path leads up the final hill to the summit where, if one is lucky, the rest of the British Isles can be seen. Sadly, we had no luck on both times we went there!
View from Snaefell.
The electric trams are remarkably sprightly with each one in the fleet around 120 years old. They face a challenging journey of 15 miles climbing steps hills, very tight bends and cliff top tracks up to 600 feet high, with the sea, way below. No modern vehicles here but all the trams are beautifully restored and a credit to the maintenance staff. Trams normally comprise one driving carriage (most of them are enclosed) hauling one ‘toast rack’ car (mostly open to the elements!) – a cold and wet journey indeed as we experienced on one trip. The trams operate year round for the benefit of island residents but are a big attraction for visitors.
Not to be outdone, the IOM steam railway, once a substantial network of four lines, but now reduced to one, strikes south west from Douglas to Castletown and Port Erin, a journey taking an hour and a half, including a steep climb from Douglas, making the old, three foot gauge locomotives work hard for the first three miles. The ancient narrow gauge locos and carriages are, like the trams and the extensive bus network, run by the Manx government, provides a public service. £52 for a whole week of unlimited travel was a real bargain.
Ready to go.
Departure from Douglas.
Finally, it is possible to step back even further in time by riding on the horse-drawn tram, which cruises along the Douglas promenade. All in all, the Isle of Man is a great place for a holiday.
As the year progressed Anne announced that she needed a
break and at the top of her list was Sorrento and the attractions of the Bay of
Naples in Italy. Having once been there in 1971, Alan was up for this and set
about booking it. All was going well, and he was just about to press the ‘pay’
button for an ideal trip found on the internet when he noticed that what he
thought was the check-in time of 6am at Gatwick airport was in fact the
departure time which required us to check in for the flight at 3am! So, instead
of clicking on ‘pay’, he clicked on ‘cancel’!
For the next three weeks we trawled the internet and, totally frustrated, headed to the High Street in search of a travel agent to do the job for us. Thanks to the Covid virus, travel agents are now almost as rare as hen’s teeth, with such famous companies as Thomas Cook no longer with us. Even making direct flights and hotel bookings with major airlines was a challenge and, what with the airport chaos at the time as large numbers of staff had left the industry, we eventually gave up! Sorrento is now planned for 2023.
Now that the new Elizabeth Line has finally opened, faster and more frequent services connect Berkshire and Heathrow airport with Essex and Kent via an underground line thorough central London. The line is already conveying thousands of passengers each day and had proved to be useful to even us mortals who live to the south of London by changing at Farringdon station in the city centre. A word of warning though: if you are traveling some distance on the Elizabeth Line, these trains are not fitted with toilets!
First Day train at Abbey Wood.
Farewells
This year got off to a bad start with the news that Alan’s pal, John Winterbottom, who lived on the outskirts of Manchester, had died. A fellow railway enthusiast, Alan got to know John on several railway trips to Germany - he was great fun and excellent company. We had wondered if he was OK after getting no responses to emails and the absence of a Christmas card and we knew he lived alone and had reported that he had not been well when last we had spoken. I was lucky to track down his place of work and was informed that he has died in January and had had a great ‘send off’. Alan wished that he could have been there.
And, more recent sadness, when our dancing friend Jacky phoned to say that her husband Peter has died suddenly on a photographic expedition to New Zealand. Peter was a very likeable man and we saw him annually every Christmas time at their ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ party, as we gathered together to give our views on the finalists. Apart from his photographic interests in places worldwide, another hobby was wine and we were always treated to something special when dinner was served. Very well known in accountancy circles, more than 200 friends and colleagues attended his funeral and many tributes were paid, even from places as far away as India.
To complete this trio of sad news, Anne’s stepmother, formally of Beckenham, Cambridge and latterly a care home in Ely, died recently aged 92. Thanks to the snow and ice, we could not go to Cambridge the day before the funeral as planned but were lucky to get to it on the actual day arriving 30 minutes before the hearse arrived, courtesy of Siegfried Skoda (there were no trains because of the rail strike). On a snowy, cold and misty day, with just six mourners, plus vicar it was a quiet affair but both Anne and relative Nick did May proud with their eulogies.
We then returned to Nick's house in Histon, to the north of Cambridge, for a quiet wake, together with other relatives Mark and Jeanette, remembering May with interesting photos and memories. At six pm, we headed into Histon for dinner at The Red Lion, the pub where we were staying for the night in lovely accommodation. It was almost like being on holiday - but only for 24 hours!
One of May's talents was knitting and she made this beautiful Christmas tableau which we always display each year.
On the pet front, next door’s cat Panther, continues to visit us and several other neighbours for breakfast and occasionally joins us for a walk, where he delights at hiding in bushes, then springs out to give us a surprise.
Our doggy friend Dexter has a new companion called ‘Ace’. A
two-year Cocker Poo breed, he is a bit of a handful and very strong, but a
delightful dog once he trusts you. His coat is a grey and white mix and he
looks gorgeous, especially when his coat has grown.
Thank you your majesty
Our 2022 newsletter would not be complete without mention of the Queen, who sadly left us in September. How we wished we could have met her in person, but we did get the odd close-up glimpse of her at some important events over the years. So for days after she died, little was achieved at Cordrey Gardens, as the events were so compelling to watch on television as the Queen made her final progress south. We did go to London the day after the announcement of her death to join with several thousands of people to pay our respects at Westminster Abbey for the tolling of the bell, followed by flocking to Buckingham Palace to witness the flag at half mast and spot the Royal Proclamation of her death on the Palace gates. Finally we arrived at Hyde Park in time for the 96 gun Royal Salute to commemorate each year of her life - one very loud bang every 15 seconds. We declined the opportunity to personally pass the coffin in Westminster Hall but did see the queue a few days later, by this time 4 miles and 14 hours long. For the rest of the week we found that the fantastic coverage of the various events by BBC television was truly superb!
Other excursions have taken place. On an unusually warm Easter Friday, we popped up to London, only a 35 minute train journey from home on the southern boundary of Greater London, to London Bridge for a very pleasant stroll along the south bank of the River Thames, mingling with many other tourists enjoying the famous sights such as the Tower of London, Tower Bridge and the intense activity on the river itself, before enjoying a traditional pub lunch.
With our friend Hilde, we visited the area again on Anne’s birthday to view the south bank from the viewing platform on the top of a building in the north bank’s City of London. This was followed by a walk through one of the popular summer attractions - walking around the moat of the Tower of London, planted with thousands of wild flowers.
Anne with Hilde.
As if we hadn’t had enough of television entertainment, along came the ousting of Prime Minister Boris, only to be followed but what can best be described as the parlour game ‘Musical Chairs’. Several contestants threw their hats in the ring, gave TV presentations and attended contests until the music stopped and there was finally one left. She boldly implemented her plans to get the country out of its present mess but had not allowed for the financial feelings of the rest of the world, which made the situation even worse. The end result was a second ousting is just a few weeks (and an entry in the Guinness Book of Records). The lady was followed by PM number three and another entry in the record book for the Most British Prime Ministers in one year. We hope the latest incumbent will have more success!
Our annual Summer outing with Pat and Tony, found us having lunch at the famous Denbies Wine Estate in Dorking, followed by an interesting tour along the vines and slopes with great views over Surrey.
John Baker, who lives in Cheltenham, and now having achieved the ripe old age of 92 (but still physically and mentally active), was happy to see us again. Anne used to know John from her working life and a lot of good memories were stirred over a great pub lunch.
Nine lives?
Another of Alan’s nine lives was used up in June. To celebrate David Pritchard’s birthday, he and Glenn took David for a day out to the Kent and East Sussex Railway. They never got there! Only five miles to go and on a bendy road, they were hit by a car skidding out of control heading straight at them and striking our car with a very loud bang beside Glenn’s door. Glenn’s fast reaction brought the car safely to a halt just short of a big tree and all three of them climbed out shaken, but not stirred and luckily no injuries – which is more than could be said for Glenn’s car, which had literally ‘reached the end of the road’ (and the car responsible for the collision was going nowhere either). A passer-by, luckily a National Health first responder, whose car was just behind us, stopped and took charge, giving Glenn oxygen when he passed out on the roadside. Then an ambulance and a police car arrived. Glenn was given a complete check over but David and Alan, who had both been sitting on the passenger side, declined to be checked over. A kind lady, who lived close by, took the three of them to the nearest town with a railway station, so they were able to have a late lunch on this very hot day before arriving home a couple of hours later by train, just as a rescue lorry was delivering Glenn’s car to his house, ready for its final journey to the scrap yard. Not much of a birthday treat for any of them but they were very lucky; had they been just two seconds later, it would have been a full head on crash at ninety miles an hour!
Glenn's car.
London’s Aldwych underground station still exists and London Transport provides occasional guided tours to see this short branch line from the Piccadilly Line’s route south of Holborn station. The branch was originally intended to serve London’s theatre district in The Strand and then continue to Waterloo, but the latter was never built. The station, also called The Strand had a very important claim to fame as it was requisitioned during both world wars for the secure storage of London’s most valuable art and other treasures with 24 hour armed guards throughout the conflicts. It was a fascinating, if somewhat spooky, tour with a lot of wall posters preserved. Occasionally, this station and a train can be hired for filming purposes.
Our lovely cat Coco, who died just over a year ago, now has her own memorial in our slate garden, where she sits alongside her twin brother Dexter. They are pictured together in the garden now and also together several years ago.
Panther the cat, who appeared next door shortly after Coco’s demise, is a great ‘character cat’. He visits us a lot and is pleased to see us, and even more pleased if we give him something to eat!
Anne’s meanderings
Anne had an ‘adventure’ recently. She volunteers each year at the Richard the Third Society’s Annual General Meeting where she and a friend meet and greet all the arriving society members. The venue for this year was Leicester, a city 100 miles to the north of London for which the journey by train takes just over an hour. They were required to travel the day before the event and tickets for the journey were arranged and a hotel booked. Two weeks before the event, a railway strike was announced so they would not be able to get home by train after the meeting. Not wishing to stay another expensive night in the hotel, much internet research revealed that a National Express motor coach could get them from Leicester to Victoria Coach Station in London, taking two and a half hours, the cost ‘From just £7.00’. They booked the next day only to find that the fare was now £46.00 each. However, this was the only way to London that night.
All went well until the on-time arrival at 9.30pm in London, where a few trains to Croydon and home were still expected to be running. Crossing over to the nearby Victoria railway station, the intrepid duo found that it was totally closed! So, onto ‘Plan B’ - get an underground train to Wimbledon on the District Line, then the tram to Croydon. Simple; then for Anne a bus to Coulsdon. En route to Wimbledon, they changed at Earls Court, only to learn that the rest of the line was closed due to the strike. So much for ‘Plan B’!
What now? It was 10.15pm and the last bus from Croydon to Coulsdon departed just after midnight. With some trepidation, on to ‘Plan C’: retrace their underground journey to Victoria, change there for the underground Victoria Line to Brixton (a 20 minute journey, train very crowded), catch a 109 bus to Croydon (a 45 minute journey, bus very crowded), and then catch the last 60 bus home if she was lucky! She eventually arrived in Coulsdon at midnight, with one bus to spare and ready for food and a very large gin and tonic!
Anne’s other rovings this year have taken her to Fotheringhay castle near Peterborough for a lunch and celebration service for Phil Stone, previously the chairman of the Richard the Third Society, who died earlier this year. Then back with her group to Peterborough to visit the cathedral on the way home.
Anne also volunteers for an organisation that helps people who live in Park Homes; you may recall that she used to be the editor of Park Home magazine. She is required to attend the Annual General Meeting, which this year was held at Redditch on the outskirts of Birmingham. This includes an overnight in a decent hotel, a good opportunity to get to know the group members better over dinner.
That’s all the general news for 2021. Transport events are, as usual, following this farewell, but are there for all to enjoy if that is your thing.
Happy Christmas, New Year and 2023 - it can only get better!
Love from Anne and Alan
Transport
Gricer’s Corner
Gricer: A Male or Female who is interested in transport and will roam the world to travel on, or photograph, trains, planes and buses, in fact almost anything with wheels or hulls. Gricers will often hunt in packs! Alan, as you may have guessed, is a Gricer!
Anyway, as some of our non-gricer, but dedicated readers have commented, they like the pictures, so here is the 2022 selection.
After several months later than expected, train services have returned to the Isle of Wight. Yet again, resuscitated London Underground trains have returned, this time in the shape of ex-Metropolitan Line carriages, refurbished by Vivarail, which have replaced the vintage and smaller tube stock. Some track alterations, will allow a more regular service than previously.
Departing from Ryde Pierhead, bound for Shanklin.
Ryde Esplanade railway station is just a few yards from the hoverport services to Southsea.
Model railway exhibitions are back following the easing of the Pandemic, with London’s Alexandra Palace taking the lead. Long since closed, Outwell station on the Wisbech and Upwell line in East Anglia, is a superb model, featuring both J70 tram and Sentinel locomotives.
Bristol Temple Meads station was the starting point
for another thrilling Cross Country Trains I25 mph dash across Gloucestershire
and the West Midlands to Derby. A dash, that is, until the mighty Lickey Incline
between Bromsgrove and Birmingham that reduced the twin diesel-powered train to
just 50 mph. Long Live the High Speed Trains!
Some electric units are bowing out of service after many years. One example was Southern’s class 455, seen here at Purley on the last day farewell.
The Great Western Railway’s ‘Pendennis Castle’ is the latest preserved locomotive to appear at the Didcot Railway Centre, after many years or superb work by volunteers. Although of compact design, the Castle Class’s four cylinders produced some of the most powerful performances in Great Britain.
'Pendennis Castle' with Saint class 'Lady of Legend' behind.
A 'Standard' class 5 arrives.
A Great Western 'Hall' class locomotive was also a guest at the gala.
The Mid-Hants Spring gala featured two examples of powerful freight locomotives: the London, Midland and Scottish Railway class 8F and the Great Western Railway class 38xx. Both types have the 2-8-0 wheel arrangement, which permits a great power output but at slower speeds than express trains.
The Spa Valley Railway in Kent provided two beautiful Scottish locomotives for their Spring event and later in the year celebrated the railways 25th anniversary by borrowing ‘City of Wells’, a streamlined ‘West Country’ class locomotive that would have worked in Kent. The engine looked splendid and was adorned with ‘Golden Arrow’ regalia.
Severn Valley Railway gala
An old favourite returned to service from a lengthy overhaul
this year, making its first appearance at the Severn Valley Railway in the West
Midlands. It is 60007 ‘Sir Nigel Gresley’, named after its designer and a
stable mate of equally famous world steam record holder ‘Mallard’. Sir Nigel
currently wears the wartime black livery for a short time before returning to
the British Railways blue colour scheme. Also at the event were two other guest
locos; Lady of Legend from the Great Western Railway and an S15 freight
locomotive from the Southern Railway.
S15
60007
Lady of Legend
Lady of Legend
In March I went on a Swanage Railway driving experience, living in hopes that I would drive a Bullied locomotive, only to find that it was a Great Western small 2-6-2-tank engine. Anyway, it was an interesting experience but the cab was rather small – definitely not designed for three people!
The Mid-Hants diesel gala was interesting, the highlight of which was a Southern Region push-pull train featuring a Class 33 in blue and a loaned 4TC unit, borrowed from London Transport.
Finally, a real delight courtesy of the Severn Valley Railway: the Spring diesel gala. With no less than 15 locomotives ranging from the 1960s to 2022 it was a fantastic 4-day event. There were many stars of this show and it was great to see and listen to two Westerns, two Peaks, the sole surviving Clayton and a class 40. An action-packed gala!
'Western Champion' (Western class)
'Snowdon' (Peak class)
Clayton (Class 17)
English Electric Class 40
That’s
it, folks. Hope to see you next year.
