Hyperion Gets a Few Friends
Newmarket has a lot of statues to horses. One of the most famous is the one of Hyperion by John Skeaping outside the Jockey Club Rooms.
Hyperion by John Skeaping
When I was driven through the town yesterday, I noticed that he had a few multi-coloured friends scattered around him. Here’s one outside of the Post Office.
A Multi-Coloured Horse Outside Newmarket Post Office
One of my earliest memories is my father changimg a puncture in probably his Y-Type MG saloon, outside this Post Office or the Jockey Club Rooms. I also remember driving through the town from Felixstowe to Liverpool in the mid-1960s to get to University.
Is Frankel the Best?
They have been discussing Frankel after his win in the Sussex Stakes yesterday on BBC Radio 5. I sent in my views on great racehorses, I’ve seen.
Sir Henry’s horse, is undoubtedly a good horse. But I think it is true that a really good one comes along every ten or so years. The first great horse, I saw was Brigadier Gerrard and remember he was beaten just once in about nineteen races. I have also seen Pebbles and actually met both Mill Reef and Dancing Brave. All have claims to be truly great and wouldn’t life be boring in all fields, if someone or something good didn’t come along from time to time.
Frankel may be the best of a good group, but what makes it all so special is how Sir Henry was virtually down and out and finished in lots of ways.
Life can be very miserable, but it’s those like Sir Henry and Frankel who make life magnificent.
I like this quote from the 93-year-old, Peter O’Sullevan after the race, when he said. “It’s wonderful to have the opportunity to stay on and see a horse like that!”
What We’re Good At!
I was very pleased when I read the third leader in The Times today, entitled Capital Idea.
This was the first paragraph.
After the on-time and underbudget Olympic Stadium, yesterday brought the opening of the Hindhead Tunnel on the A3, on the main route between London and Portsmouth, on time, on budget and garlanded with awards for its safety record. Britain is in danger of getting a reputation for being good at large infrastructure projects.
I could add another couple of projects like the London Overground, where the engineers delivered quality at a price well under the budget.
Is The National Trust Boring?
No! See this.
The Dark At The End of the Tunnel
After the walk, we were taken into the original entrance of the Thames Tunnel.
This large chamber is one of the original caissons that were sunk so that the tunnel could be excavated. Note the remains of the staircase and the soot from steam trains on the walls. You could also hear the London Overground rumbling beneath your feet.
The Brunel Museum will be improving the access to this chamber, which until recently hadn’t been open for about a 150 years
Bonkers Conkers
I took this picture in Bermondsey yesterday on the walk.
Conkers in July
I’ve never seen conkers on the trees this early.
Walking Along The Thames
On Tuesday night I took a guided walk along the Thames from Bermondsey station to the Brunel Museum at Rotherhithe. The walk is described here.
These pictures were taken as we walked along the river.
The guide was excellent and the trip was well worth the eight pounds it cost.
New Platforms at Cambridge
I said in an earlier post, that I will use the Tottenham Hale route more to get to Cambridge, as it is only slightly slower and the trains are better and have wi-fi.
I think though I’ll give myself a bit of time for journeys, as new platforms are under construction at Cambridge and I was delayed slightly getting into the station.
New Platforms at Cambridge
Hopefiully, when the platforms are completed before the end of the year, it will make things a lot easier. Although, there are rumours that the lifts to get to the two new platforms won’t take bikes, so getting across might not be the smooth up and down it should be.
The Train Ticket Nightmare
Yesterday I needed to go to Bury St. Edmunds from London for an appointment at 11:00. I booked on the Internet and the National Express East Anglia web site, sold me an Off-Peak Single with a Senior Railcard leaving at 08:10 for £23.50. For some reason, when I picked up my ticket, I asked an inspector and he said I couldn’t use the ticket, as Senior Railcards aren’t valid until 09:30. So I purchased an upgrade for £18.40, as I wanted to avoid the fine he promised me.
I got to Bury on time after a good journey and particularly liked the new Class 379 train from London to Cambridge.
New Trains from Liverpool Street to Cambridge
The inspector though on the Cambridge to Bury train had told me that I had been overcharged £4.00 at Tottenham Hale.
So something is wrong. Either the web site gave me the wrong information and sold me a ticket I wasn’t entitled to or the National Express East Anglia rule book given to their inspectors doesn’t reflect the web site.
When I got home, I investigated buying the same ticket for today. It would have cost me £23.50.
I should say, that if they can get the pricing right, I will travel to Cambridge this way, as the trains may take longer than those from King’s Cross, but they are much more comfortable and have even have wi-fi. Although, I couldn’t use it yesterday, as I didn’t have my computer with me.
The Anonymous Widower 