It Just Had To Happen!
The Londonist is organising a pub crawl based on Crossrail stations.
A Fish Pie For St. David’s Day
Lindsey Bareham on Friday published a recipe called Cinty’s French Fish Pie.
As it used a lot of leeks, surely it is not French, but Welsh. The leeks were cooked in fifteen minutes, and placed in the bottom of one of my Le Creuset dishes, then covered with a fillet of haddock for each dish, which was then covered with crème fraiche and a crust of breadcrumbs and parmesan.
Here’s the finished pie.
![DSCN7850[1]](https://anonw.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/dscn78501.jpg?w=450&h=337 "A Fish Pie For St. David's Day")
A Fish Pie For St. David’s Day
An Historic Station On The Overground
Wapping station on the Overground is more or less unique. It is built into the access shaft that was used to build the Thames Tunnel, so must in some ways be the railway station in the world, with the oldest structure or building. It certainly has lots of brickwork and other interesting structures.
It’s also a good place to go to see trains going through the Thames Tunnel.
I sometimes wonder, what the well-known resident of Wapping, Alf Garnett would have thought of the Overground. Compared to the 1960s, the journey that Alf would take from Wapping to Upton Park to see West Ham United, is the same, but he would probably be complaining about the new trains on both lines, where you can walk from one end to the other.
A Walk Along The Thames
One of the great things about the River Thames in London, is that for most of its route, you can walk along the banks, using the Thames Path.
Today, was rather cold, but I felt I needed a walk, so I walked along the north bank of the Thames from London Bridge to Wapping, with a diversion into St.Katherine’s Dock, where I had a cup of tea and a lovely salmon salad for just over six pounds.
I took these pictures along the route.
Next time, I might walk as far as Greenwich and then cross using the foot tunnel, before coming back along the other bank.
The Manchester United Lamp
I’ve just bought a Manchester United Lamp
It looks good in the middle of the table!
Joke courtesy of Fighting Table on Radio 5!
Rebuilding For The Future
In Modern Railways this month, there are a series of articles about how old engines and trains are being rebuilt or used to make up for a shortage of new motive power.
Class 73
The refurbishment and the fitting of new modern diesel engines to some of the 1960s-built Class 73 locomotives is described. One aim is to give them another 10-20 years of life.
Class 37
The Class 37 is a few years older than the Class 73 and also may be getting new engines to prolong their lives.
Class 365
There is also a report on the refurbishment of the Class 365 electric multiple units. Wikipedia says this.
Starting from January 2014, the first trains in the fleet will undergo a refurbishment by Bombardier Transportation at their Ilford site, some of which will be completed on a two-part basis with a second stage starting from the summer of 2014. The first unit to be put back into service is 365 517, which began operations on the 16th of January 2014.[8] The initial refurbishment comprises new seat upholstery, new flooring, interior and exterior repaint and an engineering overhaul to maintain reliability. The second stage of upgrades will bring the units in line with the latest disability regulations by installing two wheelchair bays, new external door buttons and vestibule grab handles, a new wheelchair-accessible toilet, a new fully automated passenger information system with audio and visual announcements, and a call-for-aid in the wheelchair and toilet areas. This will be retrofitted to units that have already undergone refurbishment prior to the start of works.
That looks pretty comprehensive.
Class 20 And Western Champion
This is probably the strangest use of old locomotives and describes how the 1950s-designed Class 20 and the Class 52 called Western Champion.
The Class 20 probably took part in the most outrageous train movement, ever done in or from the United Kingdom. Three Class 20s took a train of a eight thousand tonnes of aid to Pristina in Kosovo. It’s described in detail here.
Old Trains As New
This article describes how the Class 321 electric multiple units are being as the article says re-imagined. A demonstrator has been built.
All of this emphasises that rebuilding trains is something that we’re good at.
Would You Trust These Politicians In High Office?
There has been a lot of bad pieces written about the involvement of Patricia Hewitt, Jack Dromey and Harriet Harman, whilst at the National Council for Civil Liberties, with the odious Paedophile Information Exchange.
I did read an article in The Times by David Aaronovitch, where he confessed to a silly act in the 1970s and said that it was a difficult era. I regret a few things I did in those far off days, but none have ever been or will ever be a criminal offence.
Patricia Hewitt has now apologised and said that it was wrong for the NCCL to be involved with PIE. The others may or may not do the same, but will the voters trust these three senior Labour politicians in the future, as surely their judgement has been shown to be flawed.
The Government Has Second Thoughts On Central European Time
The MP, Rebecca Harris is to introduce a Private Members Bill, that will bring in Central European Time on a trial basis. It’s reported here on the BBC.
It might make my life better, as I’m a very early riser, but would that be beneficial to me or not.
It would mean that I’d wake at six rather than five, just as the various breakfast news programs are starting.
But it won’t get to law, as some backwoodsman will say no! And Ulster always says no!
Interestingly, last time, it was debated, a lot of Scottish institutions backed the change, although some MPs didn’t.
Having looked after horses for a lot of the last forty years, the arguments about farming are spurious in my view. I’ve never found an animal that can tell the time, but all of them manage their lives by the light levels.
Margate Made Me Feel Better
What do Margate, Biarritz, Felixstowe, Liverpool and Schveningen have in common?
They’ve all made me feel better at various times in my life and it doesn’t take much to realise that they’re all by the sea and can be a bit breezy.
Yesterday, after Margate, I felt a lot better and after getting my shopping at Eastfield on the way home, I took the Overground to Canonbury and walked home, which is something I rarely do from there.
I also slept very well, But as usual, I was awake before five and listening to the radio.
Walking Around Margate
I spent a couple of hours in Margate and walked up the front in the sun to the Turner Contemporary and the Sliding House.
The Turner Contemporary was well worth a visit, but the Sliding House was a bit disappointing and was very much inferior to the Dalston House.
Recently, I have been to the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao. Call me a Philistine if you like, but although the building of the Turner Contemporary isn’t of the same standard as the Guggenheim, the art it contains, even if you discount the excellent paintings by Turner, is much better than that in Spain.
The Anonymous Widower 