Christmas Newsletter 2024 from Anne and Alan
Here we go again – another year gone already! We hope all readers are in good health and happy (and warm!!)
Before we start, we need to tell you that Alan’s email address has changed to alan.walters84@hotmail.com Please update your computer or device to prevent messages going into your Spam or Junk folder.
Anne’s email address remains unaltered.
Note: click on the pictures to make them larger, then click to one side to return them to normal.
Our year did not get off to a good start, as our good friend, Valerie Anand (who had been ill since August 2023) died in January. As her executors, Anne and I embarked on tasks that still continue nearly a year later. The first was her funeral, which took place in March. Valerie had specified in her will that there was to be no religious content in her funeral, and that she wanted a humanist celebrant. This was easily arranged and the service was conducted by a delightful lady who had taken a great deal of trouble to find out about Valerie and her background. Valerie had even specified the words to go on her headstone, and our next task will be to arrange that, now that the ground on her burial plot has settled.
Since then we have been doing our best to clear the house to prepare it for sale, with various disturbances along the way – an infestation of wasps, a fallen gutter and leaking window frames.
Valerie was an author and had some 50 historical whodunnits (mostly the Tudor period) to her credit. It was obvious from the vast amount of paper in her home that she did a huge amount of research to ensure that her books were historically accurate. There was also a vast amount of other ‘papers’ to be cleared and it seemed that Valerie had never thrown away a single piece of paper since 1975! Everything had to be examined before disposal and one memorable highlight was discovering a stack of fan-mail correspondence from her readers. The task of clearing the paperwork still goes on!
Valerie is seen here working on her next novel.
Journey to the Stars
Our first treat of the year was on 7 February when we joined two friends for what was hoped to be the ‘adventure of a lifetime’ – a return flight from Gatwick Airport to the Shetland Islands (north-east Scotland), not landing and then returning to Gatwick four hours later – and all in darkness!
What madness! - but there was a purpose - to see the famous Northern Lights, something that had been on our bucket lists for some time. The lights are only visible in the UK at certain times during the winter.
Before heading into Gatwick airport, we attended a presentation by an astronomer at the nearby Holiday Inn. This astronomer subsequently accompanied us on the trip. His presentation consisted of a number of pictures which were projected onto a large (but not large enough) screen, and he explained what we should expect to see, not only the Northern Lights but also large formations of hundreds of stars.
This special tour was in a chartered Boeing 737-8 aircraft flown by the tour operator Tui. We were due to depart at 7.30 pm (but left 40 minutes late as our refreshments had not been loaded onto the aircraft). There were around 170 passengers and we were told that the Northern Lights tend to appear and disappear as if on a whim, and although somewhere in the sky they are not necessarily easy to find. In fact, our itinerary made it clear that a sighting was not guaranteed. What was guaranteed was that we would see a universe full of stars but that was only possible for those passengers seated adjacent to the windows, and that was not easy for anyone taller than about 5ft 3in because the tops of the windows were set at around shoulder height on this type of Boeing aircraft.
Another slight problem was that when all the aircraft interior lights were switched on, you couldn’t see anything in the darkness outside. So, after the first hour of the flight, all internal lights were switched off, leaving only the fluorescent floor markings to the emergency exits visible (and the toilets were the out of bounds for the next hour!). After a few minutes, our eyesight adjusted so that the view from the windows seemed normal, but there was total darkness, save for the vast number of twinkling stars.
Now, you might wonder how, when each small window on the plane had three seats in a row next to it, everyone could see out? Simple! A game, somewhat like musical chairs (but without any music) was announced by our on-board guide. This involved each row scrambling past each other into the aisle, and then scrambling back again in a different order (and this proved particularly difficult in the dark). This was then repeated so that the third person could get to the window seat. This did not go at all well and, in our case, was complicated by our ‘third person’ being somewhat rotund, the legroom space being tight and armrests getting in the way, too. By the time the third passenger was in place, the plane was turning into the opposite direction so that those people occupying the seats on the opposite side of the plane could have their turn (more un-musical chairs). This was so difficult that, when the next series of turns started, most passengers just stayed in their own seats, preventing others from having a second turn at the window!
The plane’s holding pattern was to the north east of the Shetland Islands on the edge of UK airspace, and the plane was traveling at around three hundred miles per hour and turning this way and that, in the hope that our astronomer guide could spot the Northern Lights. Sadly, he didn’t, and the aircraft turned southwest for the homeward journey. After a while, the cabin lights were switched back on and welcome coffee and sandwiches were served – some joy at least for those who had failed to see hardly anything, other than the lights of oil rigs in the sea way below us!
The aircraft didn’t make up any time on the return journey to Gatwick, so our anticipated arrival time of 11.30pm turned out to be 12.15am, i.e. the next day! This seemed to cause the airport security system to be suspicious, so we were not allowed to park at the terminal for another 15 minutes while the problem was sorted out! Luckily, we had booked a hotel just outside the terminal and got to bed at 01.15am!
The astronomer with his special equipment and presumably in the aircraft's cockpit, managed to get this distant picture. The small white dots are stars; there were many, many more of them.
Pat and Tony anniversary
Our good friends Pat and Tony celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary in June this year but, rather than having one ‘big bash’, they decided to have individual events for their friends and family. Knowing and sharing our interest in steam train journeys, they booked a five-hour lunch-time trip on a circular journey around the county of Kent in Pullman class. We departed from London Victoria station at 10.00am with champagne being served, with the first of several lunch courses beginning shortly after. Our locomotive ‘Britannia’ worked hard over the border into Kent and eventually stopped at Canterbury for a well-earned break and to pick up several thousand gallons of water for the return journey. We travelled back to London via the Folkestone coastal route. It was a superb day out, thanks to Pat and Tony. Sixty happy years of marriage – quite an achievement!
Step back in time
In August Alan went back in time to when he was six years old, making a sort of railway pilgrimage. As you probably know, he is very fond of Great Western Railway locomotives. On one occasion when he was on holiday in a camping coach with his parents in East Devon, they went on a day out to Dawlish, taking the southern steam service to Exmouth, then a ferry to Starcross on the opposite side of the estuary. When the Great Western connecting train pulled into Starcross station, Alan had been amazed to see the pristine locomotive in BR green, complete with gleaming copper chimney and brass fittings. This was his first-ever sight of a GWR loco. Alan said ‘I have never forgotten this stunning locomotive - probably a Hall or Castle class, and can still see it now as I write. So, it was time to step back and imagine that trip with mum and dad at the very spot that I remembered. The ferry is still there and so is the station. It was a special and emotional trip.’
Here I am at Starcross station with a train approaching along the River Exe.
Sue and Steve
Sue and Steve in Macclesfield, near Manchester, celebrated their 15th wedding anniversary at a lovely, old riverside hotel in the charming town of Prestbury, quite close to Buxton. We travelled by train, had a great time seeing old friends and meeting the couple’s delightful family and their neighbours. Returning home on Sunday was difficult as the journey, to say the least, was challenging – not one of the best days on the railway!
A day by the sea
Having been thwarted by pandemics and rail strikes over the last four years, Alan was at last able to organise a reunion of his colleagues from the Travel Training Company where he had worked for seven years. The company was based at Woking, but many former colleagues had moved to places as far away as Lyme Regis in the west and London in the east, so it was important to find a location which was central for everyone.
Bournemouth was chosen which had the benefit of fast train services for most of us. The Cộte restaurant, close to the pier and gardens, was selected and we all enjoyed ourselves, with plenty of gossip, memories and fun! It was a beautiful day and after lunch we couldn’t resist a visit to the sea front, complete with ice creams. As you can see from the photo, we had a great time!
Left to right: Katie, Leo, Dot, Paula,Fiona, me and Debbie.
Romania
Wednesday 22nd May saw us heading to Heathrow for the afternoon Lufthansa flight to Munich with a 40-minute connection for Timisoara in Romania. This was a rather fingers-crossed connection and the rot set in leaving Heathrow one hour late with us seated in row 29 of an A320 with no chance of getting off quickly at one of Munich’s five terminals. After much terminal walking and searching, we found that our connecting flight had indeed departed some time previously and was well on its way to Romania! Fortunately, we were able to let our friends (who were going to meet us at the airport) know about the problem. A Lufthansa agent at Munich was very helpful and informed us that he had booked us into a good hotel, nearby, for a late dinner, a very comfortable room plus a fine breakfast on the following day. The next morning, we sat outside the hotel which was very close to the departure runway at the airport, where Alan enjoyed a couple of hours of quality plane spotting time as many flights took to the skies. Departing from Munich on the 14.15 flight, we arrived in Timisoara at 17.00 local time, nearly a day late, and were greeted by Dolly and Mike at Timisoara’s brand-new airport.
We stayed for a week with Dolly, Mike and Dolly’s mum, Aurora (Anne’s original pen friend). We had a great time visiting the showpiece city of Oradea in the north west corner of Romania, close to the Hungarian border. The rest of our stay was spent in Timisoara, which has really come up in the world, especially when compared to our very first visit there back in the late 1970s. You may recall that we subsequently went back several years later for the wedding of Dolly and Mike (we are Godparents to Dolly) and then for the Christening of Dolly and Mike’s son, Robbie. We had a great time on this visit, especially as we spent one day re-living Dolly and Mike’s wedding in the cathedral and remembering the reception in the old working men’s’ club – now sadly demolished and replaced by a supermarket.
Anne’s special birthday
Anne felt that a ‘certain age’ was nothing to celebrate and did not want any form of event. However, Alan felt otherwise and arranged a ‘secret’ trip. Anne was told to pack for two nights away and had no idea where she was going, other than Clapham Junction station in London! Over coffee on platform 9, I revealed that we were heading for Bournemouth to a posh hotel on the east cliff, with a roam around the resort during the afternoon, followed by a very good dinner at the hotel. The next day we went to explore nearby Poole, whose harbour is claimed to be second only in size to Sydney, Australia, and we took a boat trip around its islands. That evening we went to a well-known restaurant, where, surprise, surprise, three of our good friends from the Bournemouth area were waiting to join us.
Catching up
August was a particularly busy month with days out to Ely, Cheltenham, Maidstone, Mersea Island in Essex and Nottingham visiting friends whom we had not seen for some time (and in one case for around fifty years!)
Wedding of the Year
Alan’s Godson, Steve, married Lindsay at St Mary’s Church in Worplesdon in June. The wedding service was truly delightful, and the mixed weather and heavy showers cleared in time for plenty of photographs to be taken of the happy couple and their guests. The reception was made even more memorable by excellent and entertaining speeches from the two best men and Lindsay’s father. Steve’s mum, Jacky, looked stunning in her beautiful green hat and Lindsay entertained us by singing and accompanying herself on the guitar. It was a great day!
Anne and Alan celebration
Anne and Alan celebrated their 49th Wedding Anniversary in Buxton, Derbyshire at the Gilbert and Sullivan Festival. We saw four of our favorite operettas in the space of two days! Buxton is a beautiful town with lovely parks and many fine buildings, including the Opera House, dating from 1903 (seen below).
House makeover
A treat for our bed! A new mattress was long overdue so we took the plunge and now have a replacement. The way mattresses are made these days has changed quite dramatically with the effect of making our new one four inches higher than the old one. So, Alan, despite his long arms, has trouble putting on his socks while sitting on the side of the bed, and Anne has to ascend to greater heights to get into bed!
Our bathroom has been treated to a makeover, as we felt that climbing into, and out of, the bath for a shower at our age was an increasingly dangerous activity, so the bath has now gone and been replaced by a rather swish walk-in shower.
So that’s our general news for 2024 but, as usual, special events for our transport friends follow. If you like that sort of thing, please read on …
Best wishes for a happy and healthy 2025.
Eight Bulleids
Alan spent three days in Swanage for the Swanage Railway’s big event of the year: a gathering of eight Bullied Pacific locomotives (four streamlined West Country/Battle of Britain types, two rebuilt examples and two rebuilt Merchant Navy types). The weather was very good, as was the hotel, from which you could hear the locomotives’ whistles tooting as they shunted around and services arrived and departed. The event was a great experience in this exceptionally beautiful area surrounding Corfe Castle. And, as a bonus, the RAF Red Arrows made a very low level fly past over the castle to commemorate the anniversary of D Day in 1944.
The annual Bluebell Branch Line Gala theme was a tribute to the Great Western Railway and the only preserved small pannier tank loco was a highlight.
The Mid-Hants Gala included the unusual Lambton Tank as one of its guests.
‘Beachy Head’, recently finished after twenty years in construction came into service at the Bluebell Railway and has been a big attraction.
Sittingbourne railway’s tank engine ‘Premier’ is seen here.
The Severn Valley Railway autumn Diesel Gala included several highlights at this year’s event, including a ‘Castle’ class HST and a Rail Adventure train.
‘Sir Nigel Gresley’ was the main attraction, drawing in a large number of visitors at the Bluebell Giants of Steam event.
A new flying experience
You may know that Alan loves flying and the opportunity arose to travel from London City airport in September on board the smallest of the Airbus family jets. The 120 seat A220-100 is one of the few passenger jet aircraft types that is allowed to fly from London City airport’s short runway in east London’s Docklands, and passengers are amazed at how these powerful aircraft quickly take off (and stop on landing!). My choice of airline was the Italian company ‘ITA Airways’ and an overnight stop was needed in Milan, before making an exhilarating return home.
That’s all, Folks, it's goodbye from us!
