A Circular Walk In Derry
In Derry, I took the following circular walking route.
- I crossed the double-deck bridge Craigavon Bridge, that is South of the station.
- I walked along the Western bank of the River Foyle, stopping at the SFoyleside hopping Centre to pick up a sandwich.
- I crossed the Peace Bridge.
- I walked back to the station on the Eastern bank of the River Foyle.
If it had been a bit warmer, I would have probably spent more time on an explore.
But after taking these pictures, a warm train beckoned.
I shall return in the summer sun!
A Train Trip From Belfast To Derry
Note that I use Derry in the title of this post. This is nothing to do with politics, but just practicality, as it is shorter.
I don’t like towns and cities with dual names, as it makes things difficult for visitors. I wrote about it in Bilingual Signs.
I took these pictures on the way.
The trip along the Belfast to Derry Line is a good one and the train was comfortable.
The line is being improved, with plans including.
- An improved station at Derry.
- Faster line speeds.
- Removal of single track sections of the line.
- A possible station at Eglinton Airport.
In my view, the route needs an increased train frequency of perhaps two trains per hour.
Just looking at the population of Derry City as a few thousand over a hundred thousand, it would appear to need at least this frequency.
Derry Becomes UK City Of Culture
There is a touch of deja-vu about how Derry is being made the UK City of Culture for 2013.
There was a lot of cynical thought about what might happen when Liverpool became European Capital of Culture in 2008. However, looking back from 2010 in this article in the Guardian, shows it was a great boost to the city. On my regular visits to the city, it now has a very buoyant attitude to the future, compared to say ten years ago.
Let’s hope that being UK City of Culture does the same for Derry.
The Anonymous Widower 