A Very Much Better Day!
I should say I had a very good day yesterday, as although I had a slight problem caused by my stroke on Monday, the Keppra that the doctors have put me on have made my life infinitely better. I met an old friend in Hampstead and we had a good lunch. I then spent an hour or so walking round the shops and I have found that my gammy left hand and my eyesight are both almost back to normal. Just typing this is very easy, but for the last few months, it has required endless corrections. So I did make three, but two weeks ago, I’d have made 33!
I caught the six forty-four home and even got a seat from Royston!
40 Out and 34 In!
Changing trains at Ipswich gave me a chance to see how rail freight works at first hand.
I have commented before about how the amount of container traffic on the A14 appears to have dropped. The reverse seemed to have happened at Ipswich, where within minutes a 40 box train went towards London and a 34-box train went the other way towards Felixstowe. When I used to catch trains to London from Ipswich, you might see the odd small train, but not ones as large as these.
There was also a lot of shunting about going on at in the sidings towards Norwich, as engines attached themselves to the other end of the train to get to and from the Felixstowe branch. All this will be a thing of the past, when the Bacon Factory Curve is built to take trains directly between Stowmarket and Felixstowe.
The engine sidings by the station, were also full of Class 66, 70 and 90 locomotives waiting for trains.
I do think this is all moving in the right direction.
Where is the Camping Coach?
One thing I always remember about Felixstowe station in the 1960s was the camping coach. This was not someone, who taught Larry Grayson or Kennethy Williams how to act, but a real railway carriage converted for camping.
Suffice to say, it’s not there now!
But I think you can stay in some at Petworth.
A First Train Trip to and from Felixstowe
Despite living in the town for some years in the early 1960s, I think today was my first trip to the town by train. And also my first trip away.
I used to take my bike to Felixstowe by train from Liverpool Street, but I always got out at Ipswich and cycled the last twenty or so kilometres.
Today I had to go to the dentist in Felixstowe and as I can’t drive, I took a taxi to Dullingham and then took a train to Ipswich before changing for Felixstowe, arriving just under two hours after I left the first station. I was about forty minutes in the dentist and I was able to catch a suitable return train. Some don’t just connect, so you spend nearly two hours in Ipswich. But I only had to wait 45 minutes, so a coffee was able to fill the time.
Felixstowe station today, is little more than a halt at the end of the branch line in the car park of a shopping centre. But it has been converted out of the old station reasonably sympathetically.
Camden Road Station
I ended up at Camden Road, where I raided the local Sainsburys to get some supplies for my journey to the football at Ipswich.
Camden Road is a typical Victorian station with some nice features including a proper tiled floor.
Let’s hope that they modenise it sympathtically.
A North London Line Panorama
The North London Line from Caledonian Road and Barnsbury to Camden Road is one of those journeys that every visitor to London should go on!
You travel across the city behind King’s Cross and St. Pancras stations, seeing all the new development for the High Speed Line to France and the buildings behind the station.
This video was taken on the trip I took yesterday.
For the best views sit on the south side of the train.
The North London Line is one of London’s hidden treasures, in that it links Stratford and the Olympic Park to Camden with its Market and on to Hampstead Heath, Kew Gardens and Richmond by the River Thames. The best place to start an adventure is from Highbury & Islington station which is also on the Victoria Line.
And to think the line was nearly closed in the 1960s Now that it has been upgraded with new trains, it is a real asset to London.
South From Tottenham Hale and Over the River Lee
Ever since I moved to West Suffolk and have been travelling to London, I’ve been fascinated by the view as the train goes over the marshes south of Tottenham Hale and over the River Lee, before disappearing amongst the houses, buildings and factories of East London.
So yesterday, I took a video from the train.
It looks a good place for a walk and there seem’s to be a propwe pub by the water. But how do you get there?
Trying to Stop Inevitable Decline
There are two related stories today about improving the lot of rail passengers and improving the Royal Mail.
The Royal Mail is probably past saving especially if they raise prices, as people will not be prepared to spend more to get letters delivered, when e-mail and the telephone is there. After all phone charges are dropping because of competition and the Royal Mail will only compete by dropping prices.
As to improving trains, we need to replace some old stock like the Pacers, but many are saying they’ve had enough with commuting five days a week and are using the Internet to cut some of those journeys. We are also getting to a point, where people won’t pay more to commute, if stories about low-ridership on the fast commute lines to St. Pancras are true. So perhaps we might see some strategic spending on the worst parts of the network, but the grandiose plans of some are surely dead in these austere times.
Sheffield United 1 Ipswich 2
Yesterday, I went to see Ipswich play at Sheffield United and they duly obligued with a reasonably tidy win, that puts them sixth in the Championship.
It was a good trip as I went up by train from St. Pancras with a friend and his son, who support the Blades. It took just over two hours to get up and we had a sensible lunch in a Greek cafe called Hellas close to the ground.
I had a ra
Hellas Cafe near Bramall Lane, Sheffield
ther nice bean soup with some salami and home-made humous. I wouldn’t recommend the cafe to super-sensitive coeliacs, but I had no reaction at all. The toliets were also very smart and had that important accessory of a coat hook. Why should I try to prop my coat on the door handle or put it on the floor.
I’ve been to Bramall Lane three times now and it seems to get better every time, which is something you can’t say about all stadia in the Championship.
Bramall Lane
As I’ve said in other posts, at some places the security is rather over top, but it is best to say that at Bramall Lane, it was sensible and fair, which can’t be said for every ground.
It was a short walk back to the station from the ground and then another two hour train ride back to London. We were in one of the Meridians and I managed an hour’s sleep or so. i’ll be glad when I finally move to London, as I’ll be able to do more trips like these without the inconvenience of going cross-country from Suffolk.
Troubles on the Newmarket Cambridge Line
Although the day ended well with a good meal at Lorenzo, Friday started badly as I tried to get into Cambridge from Dullingham. I had intended to catch the 11:20, but when I got to the station, the signalman said that the train wasn’t coming as someone had been hit by a train. So I got my carer to drive me back home, where I did some productive work.
I was also watching the trains on the Internet, but it wasn’t until 15:20, that I was able to get the train into Cambridge, before changing for London. This meant that I had to fight my way across London in the rush hour to get to Anerley, near to where my friends live.
I thought it would be better coming back tonight, but the train was fifteen minutes late out of Cambridge. This time it was due to signalling problems. At least I had a friendly taxi-driver from Crystal Cars to take me home.
The taxi driver told me that the accident on Friday had been the suicide of the mother of someone who had been hit by a train at the same point a few weeks ago.
So very sad!
