The Missing Links in East Anglian Railways
Travelling from east to west or vice versa by public transport is difficult in East Anglia.
Peterborough-Ely-Ipswich is not too bad with a fast train every two hours and bits and pieces in between. But now that the rail line is being upgraded to carry more freight, it surely should be possible to improve this service and the very much related Ipswich-Cambridge service I use about twice each week.
On the other hand Kings Lynn-Norwich-Great Yarmouth is only possible by Ely, as the line from Kings Lynn to Norwich via Dereham is long gone. And it takes over three hours compared to the hour and a half for the fast trains between Peterborough and Ipswich! So who in his or her right mind would go by rail. People like me, who have no alternative, I suppose!
I doubt that the Kings Lynn-Nowich missing link will ever be built, but as Kings Lynn will become a Thameslink station in a couple of years, there should be an increase in the variety and frequency of services into London and beyond. Hopefully, this will also mean increased frequencies btween Ely and Kings Lynn, which might make the Kings Lynn-Norwich-Great Yarmouth journey a lot easier.
There is also another missing link that a lot of people feel should be reinstated and that is Cambridge to Sudbury. If this line was to be reinstated, it would link the Marks Tey to Sudbury branch to Cambridge, via Long Melford, Cavendish, Clare and Haverhill. A station at Haverhill would be a bonus for me in my state, but then the town has grown substantially since it lost its rail link in the 1960s. I do think though that the sums don’t really add up for this line, but it would be a nice must-have, if we start expanding railways again. Schemes like this do seem to be getting the nod again in Scotland!
Since I originally wrote this piece yesterday, I’ve found this web site of the Norfolk Orbital Railway. They are proposing a reconnection of the railways from Wymondham to Sheringham along disused and heritage lines. This would be a welcome addition to the infrastructure of Norfolk.
Completing the A11
If the A47 Acle Straight is a problem in East Norfolk, then the much delayed Elveden bypass is a problem at the south west corner of the conty.
Local MPs are trying to get the project moving again, but I’m not hopeful, they’ll have any affect.
Just as at the Acle Straight, there is a rail alternative for those travelling between Cambridge and Norwich, but it needs more capacity and a more frequent service. At least though Cambridge is to get extra platforms, which may help.
But the rail route can’t take the freight for Norfolk, that comes off the A14 and the M11!
The Infamous Acle Straight
When I went to Great Yarmouth, the train travelled alongside the A47 or Acle Straight for a few miles close to the town.
The Acle Straight from the Train
I have written about this road before, as it is very dangerous. You can just see a few vehicles on the road, by the windmill.
But it would appear that nothing will be done to improve transport links to Great Yarmouth!
Perhaps an alternative to improving the road, would be to increase capacity on the railway line. In common with much of the services in East Anglia, trains are typically inadequate two-coach diesel multiple units, running on a mainly single-track line. The station at Great Yarmouth could also do with a substantial upgrade.
But then Great Yarmouth station is very typical to those around East Anglia. As an example, Bury St. Edmunds station is a total dump and completely out of keeping with the town. Only Norwich has a station, which is fit for purpose.
But then here in East Anglia, we know how to live on the scraps that the Treasury dishes out!
A Not-So-Easy-To-Open Bottle
My hands are not good, but this one was difficult for someone with good ones!
Waitrose Rinse-Aid
I shan’t be buying it again until they change the pakaging.
Walking Around Clare
Before and after the Tour of Britain, I had a chance to walk round Clare, which is a pleasant village dominated by a church, that is very typical of the Stour Valley.
Scotland and London Get the Pope, Suffolk Gets the Tour of Britain!
Today, the Tour of Britain came to Clare, which is a village a few miles from where I live.
I asked one of the local officers about it and he definitely felt we’d got the most entertainment and the better deal.
There was quite a few people on the streets of one of Suffolk’s most pleasant villages, as this video shows.
After the excitement, I went down the pub and had a half of Aspalls, before returning home for lunch.
Looking back on today, I’m rather pleased at how the video has turned out. It’s the first real one, I’ve done since the stroke and it’s a lot better than some I’ve tried. But this was done with my trusty Fuji S5700 and Windows Movie Maker.
Ely to York via Scunthorpe
I’m going to see Ipswich at Scunthorpe on the 25th. I have been told by East Coast, that I’ll need to use two single tickets, as I can’t break my journey at Doncaster, like I did last week at Micheldever.
So I’ve booked the first leg from Ely to Scunthorpe and that has cost me £16.45 First Class. Not bad as it would probably cost about £50 for the diesel in the Jaguar!
But getting from Scunthorpe to York, doesn’t seem so easy to buy a ticket. All that seems to exist are Anytime Singles at £20 or £13.20 with my Railcard. Why are there no Off Peak Tickets?
In the end, Ibought the Anytime Single from East Coast at £13.20!
And Now The Good News!
BBC Breakfast yesterday carried the story that small businesses were starting up at an increased rate. The full story is here , under the unlikely title of “Explosion in Number of UK Entrepreneurs”. Here’s an extract.
The number of small business entrepreneurs in the UK has increased by 117% in the last five years, fuelling a 41% increase in the total number of firms in the UK.
Business data collected by global information services company, Experian, has found that one or two man band businesses have managed to maintain the lowest insolvency rate over the last five years compared to other types of businesses.
Charlotte Hogg, managing director of Experian UK & Ireland, said: “Our analysis reveals that the UK’s smallest businesses have been surprisingly resilient during the economic downturn and have also seen their population skyrocket in the last five years.”
Hogg explained that the recession would have been an underlying factor in the increase of micro businesses. She said many start-ups were the result of changed circumstances where people found themselves unemployed, and needed to look for alternatives.
There are so many gaps in the market and it would appear that people are rushing to fill them. As an example I’ve told many of my friends about Tommy Miah and his Raj Hotels. Some will try him and all the others said it is what is needed, as they are fed up with paying too much for inadequate hotel rooms in places miles from where they want.
Women’s Football
Last night on BBC3, I watched the English women beat Switzerland to qualify for the finals of the next World Cup in Germany in 2011.
The football was good and fast and of a high standard, but you couldn’t say that for the refereeing! England’s goal-keeper was sent off for a non-offence, but this was balanced by England being given one of the softest penalties I’ve seen in a long time.
If sports are to be taken seriously and that includes women’s football, then the officials must be of the same high standard as the players. I suspect that last night, part of the problem was that the referee couldn’t keep up with the fast pace of the game.
No Pope Here!
I will put it this way. The Catholic Church’s attitude to women, homosexuals, child abuse, birth-control and lot of other things are just so far outside my beliefs about what is good for humanity in general, that I’ve declared my personal space a Pope-free zone. It was so refreshing and uplifting to hear of the work of the Bobby Robson centre in Newcastle, yeserday while other channels were covering the Pope’s visit. When you’ve lost your wife and son to serious cancers, it is just so much more important to you, that research is done to make sure others don’t face the same challenges and problems that I do.
Today, I shall be going to Clare, to see the Tour of Britain Cycle Race, go through one of Suffolk’s historic villages. I shall probably pop in to the church, which is one of the finest parish churches in England.
Some may find it strange that a man with no religion should visit a church or a cathedral, which I generally do, when I’m exploring a town or city! But then what is wrong with my contemplation of beautiful buildings in a secular manner?
The Anonymous Widower 