From Cardiff To Treherbert
After the match, I could have come home directly in the morning, but I wanted explore the Valley Lines.
I started by going to Cardiff Central station, where I got a train to Cardiff Queen Street followed by one from there to Treherbert, as for no better reason, than it was the first that turned up.
The pictures tell the story of the very scxenic journey up to Treherbert and down to Pontypridd.
As befits the UK’s stereotypical view of a wet Wales, the stations seem to be well sheltered and generally in good repair.
The Class 142 on which I travelled, was one of the better Pacers that I’ve ridden in and was reasonably clean and tidy.
Around Cardiff City Centre
I took these pictures as I walked around Cardiff City Centre.
I didn’t see too many clocks and statues weren’t that numerous, but I did like the fact that a large area is pedestrianised.
A Big Lith In Cardiff
I was greeted by this large lith at Cardiff Station.
A Big Lith In Cardiff
Every main station and bus station should have one.
My Crazy Electricity Meter
My electricity meter is baffling me.
These are my dates and readings.
20-Oct – 37108
14-Oct – 37049
18-Sep – 38777
08-Sep – 38843
15-Aug – 38331
16-Jul – 36764
17-Jun – 35353
I can explain all of the figures until September the 8th, when because of the heat in July and August, I was using the air-conditioning a lot.
But the last few readings indicate to me, that something has gone wrong.
I have phoned my supplier; OVO, and they seem to be worried too. After my previous billing experience with nPower, I’m glad I’ve changed.
Tales From Artemis Times
When I was writing Artemis, I got to meet some very interesting people.
I remember being in Denver at an Artemis Users Conference at the time of the Falklands War. I was talking over drinks with three Americans; a New York banker, the project manager on the US Harrier and the another from Long Beach Naval Shipyard.
The banker with all the naivete of no experience, said that all the Navy needed in the South Atlantic was a big flat-top and some F14s and they’d be able to blow the Argies away.
Then the Harrier guy said that they were getting the weather reports and it was so bad down there, that the only aircraft you could recover to the carrier was a Harrier. The guy from Long Beach compared everything to the Arctic convoys and said it was doubtful which was worst.
The banker didn’t say anything more on the subject.
Another incident was meeting a recently retired US Army or Marine officer. I’m not sure where this was, but it was somewhere in the States. It might even have been at the same conference. On finding I was English, he said that he’d got a lot of respect for the British Army and told this tale.
The Pentagon had wanted to find out how we handled the situation in Northern Ireland from a soldier’s point-of-view and he had been asked to go to the province to observe the British Army at work. So he turned up in Belfast, as a guest of the British Army and was given a briefing by senior officers and a couple of tours around the city in a Land-Rover.
They then asked him, if he’d like to go out on a patrol.
He said he would like to go, so early the next morning he was taken to a barracks and introduced to his patrol. He said that as a white US officer, he was surprised that the patrol would be led by a black corporal. At the time in the US Army, such a patrol would always be led by an officer or at least a sergeant.
They kitted him up, so he looked like the average squaddie and off they went. He didn’t really describe the patrol, except to say that he was impressed by the professionalism and that nothing untoward or unexpected happened.
On returning to barracks and after a good lunch with his patrol, he was taken to a debriefing. There he was shown a film taken by the SAS, who had had a sniper on the roof-tops with a film camera.
He realised that the US forces had a long way to go, if they were to handle urban situations like Northern Ireland.
St. Erth Station And The St. Ives Branch
St. Erth station is the station, where you change for the St. Ives branch.
I think this station is a good example of how we should treat our rural stations.
It was scrupulously clean and has an excellent shop and cafe. I think too, that the bridge is going to be given lifts to improve changes at the station.
The branch itself is one of the most spectacular in the UK, and my train was an immaculate Class 150. I hope that unit is in the queue for the upgrade some of its sisters have received in East Anglia.
The Cornish will certainly look after it.
Around St. Ives
I took these pictures as I walked around St. Ives.
It wasn’t my first visit and C and I had had a brief visit about twenty years ago.
The Tate At St. Ives
The Tate St. Ives is one of those buildings, like the Guggenheim in Bilbao, that make me want to get my camera out.
At the Guggenheim, I photographed the building as the light played with the building in the evening sun.
As these pictures show, the Tate all about the sea.
The Tate is a building totally suited to its surroundings.
Barbara Hepworth Museum and Sculpture Garden
I like sculpture and I spent a pleasant half-an-hour in the garden of the Babara Hepworth Musem in the rain.
We need to get more of our great sculptures out of the sterile museums and into the open air.
I know there’s a security problem with bronzes, but if we choose the locations carefully, we should be able to minimise the theft.
Would This Help People Stop Smoking?
On my bus this morning a young lady was reading a book called How To Stop Smoking.
As I got out I wished her the best of luck. She smiled back and said it was difficult.
So did my encouragement help?
I don’t and never will know! But just as women, who are pregnant often wear a badge saying Baby On Board, would it help to give up smoking, if you wore a badge saying I’m Trying To Give Up.
Perhaps others would offer words of encouragement that helped.
The Anonymous Widower 