A Quick Shop Using A Route 114 Hackney Tram
As I was going out, I made a quick dash up to the Angel to get some food shopping.
I boarded a crowded third segment of a 114 (i.e. 3 x 38) tram and we all went in convoy up to Islington.
But the great thing, is that standing is so easy on these vehicles that run pancake flat!
After my shopping, I got another vehicle home and fifty minutes after leaving originally home, everything had been put away and I was ready to go out.
When I lived in Newmarket and could still drive, I couldn’t get anywhere near that time.
Where Are All The Yes Voters?
I’ve got quite a few friends and acquaintances, who will be entitled to vote in the Scottish Independence Referendum.
I have yet to talk to anybody who can vote, who have said they will be voting Yes! Several have very forcefully said they will vote No!
I don’t care either way how the vote goes, although if Scotland decides on independence, that will finish the argument once and for all and my legal friends, will be able to put their noses in the big full trough, that the hassles over breaking up will create. As we all know, the only winners in divorce are lawyers and paper manufacturers.
So despite what the polls and bookies say, where are the Yes voters?
How Do You Get Rid Of The Dreaded O2More?
Every so often, I get a spam text message on my mobile phone from O2More.
I do what they say to stop them and send a text message saying STOP to 20502, but still they keep coming.
I’ve now decided the only way to stop them is to cancel my account with O2.
Steel Flying Arches At Shadwell Station
These pictures show the steel flying arches at Shadwell station on the East London Line. They appear to be similar in form to the brick arches at Chorley.
The purpose of these structures is to stop the walls of the cutting collapsing inwards.
They’re not pretty or elegant, but they seem to work!
A Design Crime – What Moron Designed This?
To get back from Woolwich today, I decided to take a train from Woolwich Arsenal station.
What Moron Designed This?
The picture shows the fountain I walked into, as there were no visual clues and it looked like a wide free area leading to the station.
Luckily, I was wearing sensible walking shoes, which didn’t leak.
But you can see my wet footprints.
Obviously Woolwich loves crap design and has created a real Design Crime.
And The Winner Is!
This dreadful building called Woolwich Central won the Carbuncle Cup 2014.
Woolwich Central
You do wonder about Tesco, in that two buildings on the shortlist were their supermarkets.
Perhaps, the previous CEO was architecturally-challenged.
A Design Crime – A U/S Building
It is a common term amongst engineers, that might by used by others too, to describe something as U/S or useless or unserviceable. There’s a discussion about the use of the abbreviation here.
So I was surprised to see this building with a big uS sign on it.
But it probably deserved it, as it was on the short-list for the Carbuncle Cup 2014.
I’ve tagged this with Crap Marketing, as who’d want to lve in a uS building?
Is Work Starting On The Hackney Downs/Central Link?
I took this picture today.
Is Work Starting On The Hackney Downs/Central Link?
It looks like something is finally happening to build the pedestrian link between the two stations.
It should all become clear in the coming weeks.
Another Bit Of London Bridge Station Opens
In March I posted pictures of the opening of platform 14 and 15 at London Bridge station. Yesterday, the next two platforms 12 and 13 opened.
10 and 11 are now closed for rebuilding and should reopen in January 2015, according to this web page.
The list of key dates and service changes is given here, with finish set out in 2018.
Let’s hope it’s all worth it!
An Unusual Picture
I have cut this picture out of Google Earth of the railway north-west of Chorley.
Sixteen Butresses
There would appear to be sixteen buttresses over the twin track railway.
They are actually some of the last examples of flying arches on UK railways. There’s more about the Chorley Flying Arches here.
I’m posting this, as the line through Chorley has just reopened after the related Chorley Tunnel has been expanded to allow for electrification. That is reported here on Modern Railways. It says this about the arches.
As well as upgrading the tunnel, the 16 historic Chorley flying arches – Grade II listed structures on the approach to the tunnel which are the only remaining examples on the British rail network – were refurbished following co-operation and consultation with English Heritage.
On the 22nd of this month, I’m going to see Ipswich play at Wigan. I think, I’ll go and look at these unique structures.
How many countries would actually restore te arches, rather than replace them with modern steel structures?
The Anonymous Widower 