Skip Cottage

Here's a First Transpennine Express EMU from Manchester Airport passing through Wamphray as it heads north on the West Coast Main Line.

Network Rail has been working on the line hereabouts. I thought I should 'inspect' the work that's been done!

At this point, the line goes through a shallow cutting. The recent work has involved putting in drains to ensure the stability of the embankment on the eastern side of the tracks.

And a very good job has been done too.

Crossing the railway by the bridge I found that the gorse was spectacularly in bloom last week.

On the west side of the cutting is a reminder of when the line was built by the Caledonian Railway in the mid 1840s. (Wamphray Station was opened on September 10, 1847.)

The cutting was excavated with pick and shovel by the navvies building the line. They piled up the spoil in mounds on the western side of the line. JAM Carlyle's 'Parish History of Wamphray', written in 1964 and found here, describes these as a 'series of bings', and calls them 'barrow pits'.

I've always thought of them as 'Wamphray's pyramids'!

Although much overgrown, they remain as a monument to those who built the railway.

Wild flowers on a spring day!

Such beautiful things, and such a contrast to the horror that happened a 100 years ago, some miles south of Wamphray. I wrote a little about Britain's worst railway accident at Quintinshill a year ago (here) and wondered then why this dreadful accident was not particularly well remembered. This has changed. There will be a number of commemoration events, including one attended by the Princess Royal, and even a television programme on BBC Two Scotland at 21.00 tomorrow (Wednesday, May 20). This is to be repeated on Thursday, May 21, at 21.00 on BBC Four.

How the accident happened can be found here, here, and here, and the book by Jack Richards and Adrian Searle (here) has all the details and is a compelling read. I had wondered what happened to the survivors, and my questions were answered in this book by Peter Sain Ley Berry.

One hundred years on, at 06.50 on Friday, I know what I'll be thinking about.

Photos © Skip Cottage

At the east end of Talla Reservoir near Tweedsmuir is a little track which heads south, following the course of the Games Hope burn.

I had a perfect day for my walk, but this old rail is the remains of a bridge, and is a reminder that, in flood, the burn can be particularly powerful.

Not too far in is Gameshope bothy, and I could see that work was being done there early on Saturday morning, so keeping my feet dry I continued up the glen, with the intention of visiting the bothy later in the day.

If you like waterfalls, then the Gameshope has them in abundance.

Even in a dry spell, the burn was carrying a weight of water, draining the surrounding hills - Great Hill, Cape Law, Din Law and Garlet Dod.

Looking back down the glen.

Looking ahead over Crunklie Moss.

Peat bogs are wonderful places, but you would not want to be wandering around here in poor light! The photo doesn't really show how deep this hole is!

My first destination was Gameshope Loch.

One has to admire the wall builders of yesteryear. This one past its best now. My route was to follow the line of the wall to near the top of Garelet Dod, at 698 metres, my second target for the day.

I was rewarded with this view. Yes, wind farms in the distance, and a weather front moving in from the west.

Big sky country.

On one of my many stops on my way down, I found these smiling faces. No sheep anymore (see below), so hopefully more in the way of natural flora and fauna in the future.

On the map hereabouts is a feature marked as 'Skull Heads'. Well, with a bit of imagination .... !

It was a welcome sight to see the bothy, on the left of the storage shed.

What a wonderful wee bothy, maintained by the MBA, see here.

It's just the one room, and was spotless on my visit. Full marks to Mike, the MO, whom I had seen earlier in the day.

And the bothy is a splendid memorial to Andrew Jensen.

What a setting it has!

For me, it was a great day, with no blocks of conifers in view, and the windfarms still far off in the distance. The good news is that the Gameshope estate was purchased recently by the Borders Forest Trust, see here, and the future of the area is assured. Let's hope so.

The bothy has a wonderful feature ... its own 'moat'! There's no bridge across the burn, just a ford. Whichever way you look at it, it was going to be wet feet. However, with a pair of dry socks in my pack, it was a comfortable walk out!

Photos © Skip Cottage

The museum at Beamish (The Living Museum of the North) had been on my 'to visit' list for a while. I really wanted to see the trams, but I found so much more. It's quite a place!

No 196 was built in 1935 in Portugal, and brought to Beamish in 1989. Here it's running in the blue and primrose colours of South Shields. On the right is Sunderland Corporation Tramways No 16 which was built as an open-top tramcar by Dick, Kerr & Co, Preston, in 1900.

The museum occupies quite an area, and the trams run in a one and a half mile loop round the site.

Blackpool 31, constructed in 1901. Love it!

Avonside No 1764 'Portbury' was getting coaled up here, prior to its day's work. The history of this locomotive is here.

It's only a short line at Beamish, but there was a lot of interest in riding aboard. The station buildings were moved to Beamish from Rowley, a village near Consett, County Durham. The signal box came from Carr House East, also near Consett, and dates from 1896.

Now here's a beast - a 1931 Ruston Bucyrus 25-RB 125 ton, steam-powered excavator. Reminds me that I must visit Threlkeld again, see here.

Buses too. This B-Type replica in the livery of the early 1920s Newcastle Corporation Transport.

It was the small things which added to the day. I seem to remember learning all the road signs like this to pass my driving test all these years ago.

This was a wall at the back of the bus shelter, constructed using different bricks from a multitude of local brickworks.

The museum stands on a site which was at the heart of the Durham coalfield, and there is much to see in the 1900s Colliery area.

I was (of course) interested in the colliery railway, the core of which is standard gauge, but there also narrow gauge tracks. This is No 18, a Stephen Lewin locomotive, from 1877, which was in steam and at work on my visit.

No 18 worked for 93 years at Seaham Harbour.

It is a working museum!

Awaiting restoration!

Made my day!

The 1900s town is full of interest. I particularly enjoyed the interior of the local printers and newspaper branch office.

It may have been a busy Sunday, but the site is large enough to accommodate everyone. This was the only queue I encountered - for the sweetie shop!

Beamish was a great place to visit. I'll certainly go back. I think it will take many visits to see everything! The official website is here.

Photos © Skip Cottage

A complete rainbow over the West Coast Main Line on Friday evening was a sure sign of something special about to happen.

So with that good omen, I joined a good number of fellow 'enthusiasts' on Saturday morning, at Lockerbie Station, for a few seconds of excitement!

Here is LNER A1 Class 4-6-2 no 60163 Tornado, after its recent overhaul, pulling a steam charter. The 'Border Reivers' left from Carlisle to do a circular route northwards via the West Coast Main, through Wamphray, to Paisley, Ayr, Mauchline, Thornhill, Dumfries, and back to Carlisle.

Scotrail's new franchise holder Abellio has ventured into steam charters to showcase the country’s scenery, and is part of their marketing strategy to encourage more visitors to travel by train. Gets my vote!

At my age, I am happy when excitement comes in short bursts. But watching Tornado whoosh through Lockerbie was very much a case of 'blink and you've missed it'.

So, later in the day, to get more of a 'steam fix', I was waiting at Carlisle's Citadel Station to welcome the charter back to its starting point, right on time. It was somewhat disconcerting to see the train arrive at platform 3 from the north. Most steam arrives in Carlisle from the south.

Spotless!

A happy driving crew poses for photographs.

Considering it was a new build in 2008, Tornado seems to have gained a lot of affection amongst steam enthusiasts.

The locomotive ran around the SRPS rake of carriages quickly and efficiently.

Tender first, Tornado was soon on its way north again. The Border Reivers charter was a sell out, I note. I look forward to seeing more steam on Scottish lines in the future.

Photos © Skip Cottage

I had a splendid visit to the Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester yesterday.

Manchester is of course 'Cottonopolis' and I enjoyed learning the various stages by which raw cotton is turned into finished cloth. Many of the machines were shown working by a talented guide, or an 'Explainer', as the museum calls these members of staff.

A special exhibition that I wanted to see was the Wellcome Image Awards 2015.

This was just one of twenty award-winning images 'that show the world's biomedical wonders in minute detail'. The explanation is here. As a sometime biochemist, I was blown away by what this represents. The image was created using a technique called computational molecular phenotyping and shows how metabolism can vary between cells in the same organ at a given point in time. Gets my vote!

The Wellcome exhibition was in a room in this building. The Liverpool Road Station was the Manchester terminus of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway, the world's first purpose-built passenger and goods railway. The original coach offices (passenger station, above), warehouse and intervening viaduct survive, making this the oldest station in the world! See here.

My favourite part of the museum though, as you will not be surprised, was the Power Hall. This locomotive was built in 1911 for the North Western Railway of India. It pulled express mail trains until 1947. It was then used by Pakistan Railways and latterly converted to be oil-fired. Why is it at MOSI? It was made locally by Vulcan Foundries, Newton-le-Willows.

This is 'Ariadne', an EM2 (Class 77) locomotive, built around 1954 by the British Rail locomotive works at Gorton, Manchester, to haul passenger trains between Manchester and Sheffield in the late 1950s and 60s. It was sold to the Netherlands Railway where it saw use until 1986.

Star exhibit for me was this 'Beyer-Garratt' locomotive, built by Beyer, Peacock and Co, in 1930, at Gorton. No 2352 hauled South African passenger trains out of Durban from 1931 to 1938, and then coal up until 1972. All about Garratts here.

In the cab of the Garratt.

The old and the new, the Beetham Tower in the background. Manchester is quite a city, and I hope to explore more of it another day.

I got stopped in my tracks when I stumbled over this exhibit in the Connecting Manchester gallery, on the second floor of the 1830 Warehouse. It's a 1970s HiFi system, built up from a variety of separate components, as one did back then if you were something of a HiFi snob. That's a Pioneer turntable, and a pair of Wharfedale speakers. Now I owned these (with a Technics amplifier) as my music machine, in the days when one listened to LP vinyl records. The system lasted me well into the 1990s. Antiques now, perhaps, but seeing these items as a museum exhibit made me feel very, very old! Still, in searching for some HiFi nostalgia, I did find the Vintage Knob website, here.

Photos © Skip Cottage

This is an advert from The Graphic of November 18, 1899. It goes on to say, "SUNLIGHT SOAP is undoubtedly THE BEST SOAP in the World for all-round use." It was the product that set William Lever, the son of a Bolton wholesale grocer, on his way to amassing a personal fortune. His first purchase of paintings which could be used to market his bars of soap led to him becoming a great collector. Read about him here.

The Lady Lever Art Gallery in Port Sunlight is a wonderful place. Lever built it to house his extensive collection of art and other items, and named it after his wife, Elizabeth. It was opened in 1922, see here.

It was one of these places that had been on my 'must visit' list for a while, and it was duly ticked off yesterday. But not entirely. So interesting and enjoyable was my day, that I hope I will be able to return, particularly to see the South Galleries which are currently under restoration.

The main hall.

I took advantage of an introductory tour, and I'm so glad I did. This was our 'visitor host' Cliff, who was just brilliant. Full marks to him. He's standing beside 'The Scapegoat' painted by William Holman Hunt in 1854. This painting was purchased by Lever in 1923.

The gallery's paintings can be seen here.

I'm not usually a big fan of old furniture, but Cliff changed that with his explanations of many of the items on show.

Port Sunlight village is a fascinating place, and it was interesting to walk through it. Lever built it as a place for his workers to live. More info here.

Formal gardens are a rarity these days. I enjoyed seeing the large blocks of roses of one variety, with a name label, once a common feature in public parks. I just wanted to get my secateurs out and start dead heading!

One of the most impressive, and moving, war memorials in the UK is this one on Port Sunlight. The full story is here.

I had just one other stop to make on my way home from Port Sunlight ...

When I was last in Birkenhead I visited the transport museum, see here, but on that day no trams were running on the short stretch of track from the museum to the Pier Head. I had better success yesterday. What a sight!

Dating from 1931-2, the history of this tram is here.

Photos © Skip Cottage

It is a privilege to be able to get up close to Princess Coronation Class 46233 Duchess of Sutherland.

The locomotive was hauling the Railway Touring Company's'Cumbrian Mountain Express' today from Liverpool to Carlisle via Settle, and return via Shap. Here it is on arrival at Carlisle.

First class is the way to travel on these railtours, for those who can afford it. Here is Pullman coach 'Sapphire' looking good in a rake of West Coast Railways' and SRPS coaches.

Class 47 No 47760 was on the rear of the train. Here, the Duchess is heading off round the Upperby loop, in readiness for the return journey, while the passengers enjoy a couple of hours in Carlisle.

And here we are facing south on Platform One, brewing up for the departure down the West Coast Main over Shap.

The locomotive would have travelled this route often in its working life. It was built in 1938 by Crewe Works for the London Midland and Scottish Railway. It regularly hauled express passenger services such as ‘The Royal Scot’ between Glasgow Central and London Euston.

The Duchess was retired in 1964, and sold to Butlins. Now, I remember clearly there being a big locomotive outside the Butlins camp at the Heads of Ayr. I wondered if that was Duchess of Sutherland, and if there was a photo of her there.

And an image search pointed me to this site, where I found the photo above, much as I remembered it, although I'm not sure that clear blue skies were ever much in evidence when I travelled that way in the late 1960s! The Duchess remained at Ayr until 1971. Go here to read about all the locomotives save by Billy Butlin.

In 1996, the locomotive was acquired by The Princess Royal Class Locomotive Trust, and, by 2001, was back in operation!

We're off! The sight, the sound, and the smell, were all part of today's 'steam fix'!

Photos © Skip Cottage

I've been a fan of taiko, Japanese drumming, since I first encountered it in Karuizawa in 1997 at the World Junior Curling Championships. Since then I've seen many performances, with the great Tao my favourite, see here.

I thought it might be fun to seek out the drums of Japan at this year's Fringe, and see if the magic was still alive.

First stop was Venue 34, in the basement theatre of Adam House in Chambers Street, where the University of Edinburgh has a number of examination halls.

I thought it quite kind of one of the venue staff to warn me that the performance was going to be pretty loud. And of course these days, it's nice (?) to be sold a concession ticket without even being asked one's age!

The sign above is probably the understatement of the month!

I had come to see a performance by Tenrindaiko Seed, a young company, average age just 17, from Kasugai City, on their first visit to Edinburgh. You can read about them here.

The performance was called 'Advancement'. Good? Absolutely - five stars from me. How might I describe it. Accomplished, entertaining, energetic, fun, physical, .... taiko at its most powerful. These are the best young drummers in Japan. LOUD. And if you don't like sweat, then don't sit in the front row! At full blast, this is powerful stuff. I loved it.

Standing ovation. The performers came into the aisles at the end to thank the audience for coming along. Nice touch.

And this time, I DID buy the tee shirt!

Now, other Japanese drum performances are available. I did wonder if it was hazardous to health to take in two taiko shows in one day! But I had seen the next group before, and I knew how good they would be.

So it was to the rather posh Venue 43, the Space©Symposium Hall, a converted church in Hill Square. Samurai Drum IKKI have been in Edinburgh before. Formed in 2002 by Ikki Hino, the group comprises just four performers, the master himself and three female acolytes. But what quality!

The programme included 'Makoto', a solo by Ikki Hino on three Shime Taiko drums. Unbelievable. How does he DO that?

The website is here. You can find YouTube clips of Samurai Drum IKKI here, and here. But watching and listening to taiko on a laptop or computer hardly compares to hearing and experiencing the drums live.

Which performance did I enjoy more? Impossible to decide. Both excellent in different ways. I would go back and see both again. But there is more taiko to seek out this month in Edinburgh. And I look forward to that.

Photos © Skip Cottage except that of Tenrindaiko Seed on stage, which is from the group's website.

I recall the years when I would spend a week or more in Edinburgh at various performances around the Festival and Fringe. These days I like to think I'm a bit more selective in what I spend my money on. And, of course, Skip Cottage is not as close to the big city as, sometimes, I would like.

This year, I've treated myself to a few days of 'culture'. Some of that has been searching out various taiko performances, see here. But I've also had a taste of theatre, recitals, dance, and musical theatre too, mostly picked at random. Some performances have been good, others ... well, let's just say that there are times when you come out and say to yourself, "That's an hour of my life I'll never get back." But that's the Fringe, of course.

In contrast, ALL my Japanese drum experiences this year have been exceptional. It's probably my scientific genes that have encouraged me to compare and contrast. I have enjoyed four different groups. All good, in different ways.

First of all, there was Terindaiko Seed's 'Advancement', at C, Venue 34, on Chambers Street, until Tuesday 25th, at 14.00. Full of enthusiasm and excitement.

Samurai Drum IKKI are at the space©Symposium Hall, Hill Square, Venue 43, at 17.10, but only until this Sunday (the 23rd). Technical brilliance. I went to see them twice, as I couldn't really believe what I'd seen and heard first time around!

Japan Marvellous Drummers are at the Assembly George Square Theatre, Venue 8, at 13.00 every day until the end of the month. A well travelled and accomplished company. Great drumming, and much more. There's humour, and if you would like to hear 'Scotland the Brave' played on a Japanese flute, this performance will make you smile.

The fourth group I saw was Japanese Drum Hibiki with 'Messages from Japan / Super-cussion'. Just four performers, with something really different. They are also at the space©Symposium Hall, Hill Square, Venue 43, at 18.20, until the 29th. If you have 50 minutes or so to spare next week, then this performance would be my recommendation. Hibiki are first timers at the Fringe and haven't, as yet, been getting big audiences. But they are great. The emphasis is on the traditional. They perform a new work, a Requiem for the 2011 disaster in Eastern Japan.

So, how much does it cost to bring the big drum - the Odaiko - all the way to Edinburgh? Sometimes this is played with a drumstick that looks more like a baseball bat, by the most muscular member of a taiko group. But in this modern world of equality, Edinburgh can now see a small Japanese lass pounding the 'big drum'. Impressive! You have to see it.

Fifty minutes you won't regret. Hai.

I was not intending to blog any more about my various 'adventures' at the Edinburgh festivals. But, with Skip garden now an embarrassment from lack of attention because of the summer we've had, my steam cravings satisfied for now, and more walks awaiting a dry day or so, perhaps another Edinburgh story might be in order.

It began as I was heading to see one of my taiko performances. As Fringe regulars will know, when heading anywhere around the centre of the city, one 'collects' leaflets promoting a variety of shows. One accumulates a pile of flyers, unfortunately most destined for the bin at the end of the day.

I noticed a young couple dancing in the street up by the George Square venues. A flyer duly appeared as I made to take a photo or two.

The leaflet described 'One Day When We Were Young', a play by Nick Payne: "The story of two people as their paths cross throughout the years, changing both their lives irrevocably. In this heartbreaking time-shifting journey of would-be romance, we track the meetings of Violet and Leonard in three parts, from the hope of youth at the height of WW2, to the loneliness and hindsight of old age."

Now, call me a hopeless romantic, but that sounded like something I would go and see. For one thing, I wondered how the two young actors would meet the challenge of the 'old age' bit!

I couldn't go that day, but I kept hold of the performance details.

More visits to Edinburgh, and I went to a number of performances of various things that my life is none the better for. However, I did see Dolly the sheep, suitably stuffed, in an small exhibition in the University Library, and aside from the drums, that had been on the top of the list of enjoyable experiences.

The flyer for 'One Day When We Were Young' was still in my bag, albeit a bit battered. That's it above! It kept reminding me that, if I went up to Edinburgh again, I should go and see this play. So, yesterday, I found myself with a ticket, and was first in the queue at the Box, one of the Assembly George Square, venues.

I then saw a theatre performance that dug a knife through my own life's emotional memories, and left me with a lump in my throat. You know you've had an 'experience' when you have to go on a bit of a walk afterwards to get yourself together. It's what theatre should be, I do believe. I haven't been as affected by a play since 'I Saw the Swede' (about Raul Wallenberg) many years ago.

Nick Payne has written a good script for 'One Day When We Were Young', but it is the two actors which made the play special. Valorie Curry and Sam Underwood are extremely talented, and totally committed to their parts. Enthusiastic and passionate. They were good. No, they were brilliant!

Watching the play from the perspective of an 'older person' - and having just celebrated another birthday, I'm feeling every year that has passed - there were too many reminders of my own life woven into the narrative. I smiled at the mention of the first Wimpy Bar, the Bournville chocolate, and the short clip of Cliff Richard singing 'The Young Ones' - you see, Cliff and the Shadows was the first live 'gig' I ever attended. I was all of fourteen. I remember when my mum got her first washing machine too.

I'd better not say more about the play, or I'll have to give a 'spoiler alert'. Needless to say, Valorie and Sam met the challenge of playing Violet and Leonard in their later years just brilliantly. Clever stuff - I was so impressed.

And there's a twist ... and I don't mean the sparklers.

Great theatre. Well staged. Wonderful actors. Ten out of ten!

If you can get a ticket, in the few days this show has left to run, do go. Like me, your life will be enriched for the experience. Assembly George Square, 13.45, until August 31.

And just in case any younger friends are reading this and don't get the Cliff Richard reference, here's a reminder. Innocent times!

Thought for today, 'Life is not a rehearsal'.

Photos © Skip Cottage

I guess this is one way to see Edinburgh!

Well, that's now September 1, and the city begins to return to normality after the various festivals. My 'let's have a day out and see a couple of Fringe shows' turned into rather more than that - some seven days were spent on outings to the big city last month. I had great fun, and quite different from the rather sedate existence I usually have in my retirement here at Skip.

Wandering the streets with my camera was interesting. I might well have gone to this show being promoted on the Royal Mile, but it clashed with a slot in my day that was already taken!

And that's the problem, of course. There's just so much going on.

The variety of shows on offer is huge. It's all very well to be selective, but if one only goes to things that one likes, then there's no opportunity for different experiences. For most of my days, I picked one show that I was pretty sure I would enjoy. Then I would look for something a bit different, and then another, picked pretty much at random. Three shows a day was just about right for me, with often a gallery or exhibition added as well.

I've mentioned the flyers already (see here), and this 'notice board' for leaflets had become more of a modern art work by the time I found it with my camera!

Of course, everyone likes a free show.

Be-dom (Drums + Interactive + Fun) were very persuasive in their free fifteen minutes of so, but for me, nothing beats the drums of Japan. And the four taiko performances I saw were all first class.

Now, I'm not in the business of doing reviews. On Skip Cottage, as you know, I just blog about things that I like. But, after paying to attend some 22 performances, how would I rate my Edinburgh days?

Well, some experiences were not very good. One such was being unable to attend an exhibition put on by the National Museums of Scotland, cancelled because of 'industrial action', see here. What a great advert for Scotland. (Calm down, Bob, watch that blood pressure!)

I saw a couple of musical theatre productions that were pretty poor - I'll not say which they were as those involved did try hard.

In the International Festival, I saw the Zurich Ballet at the Playhouse. Very good, glad I went. I've been a big dance fan over the years, but it takes something a bit special for me to rave about it these days, and the production didn't quite get my top marks.

Took the car up for that, otherwise TransPennine Express did the hard work - the only downside is that the last train for Lockerbie leaves Waverley at 20.15. Still, at my age, early nights are probably a good thing.

I enjoyed a couple of a capella performances.

In the 'really enjoyed' category were Siro-A, a Japanese group 'exploding the barriers between dance, technology and music'. ZIK'R was flamenco with a big twist, fabulous. 'Itara' by Danza del Caribe, Cuba's top modern dance company, was quite different, and a great finish to my various perambulations around the town.

In the category of 'unexpectedly brilliant', I would have to put '4x4 Ephemeral Architectures' as my surprise of the month. Four ballet dancers, four jugglers and a string quintet. My initial thoughts when I bought my ticket was that this would be just a bit of fun, but I found myself in a full theatre. I should have read the reviews! You can get a taster here.

So good, this show even pushed Dolly into third place on my list. 'Towards Dolly: A Century of Animal Genetics in Edinburgh' was a free exhibition in the University Library.

So what's in first place on my list?

The Assembly Box was an 'interesting' venue. Simple, intimate. I've already explained why I went to see 'One Day When We Were Young', see here, and how much I enjoyed the experience. Nothing topped this show in the days that followed.

I thought it would be fun to go and see the final performance yesterday. They do say some things are even better second time around!

So 'One Day When We Were Young' gets the Skip Cottage award for providing old Bob with a life-enhancing experience. Top of the list.

Well done to those involved. L-R Louisa Proske (Director), Jamie Sims (Technical Director), Stacy Lynn Gould (Assistant Director), Valorie Curry (Best Actress in a Leading Role), Sam Underwood (Best Actor in a Leading Role). Lovely people. Talented all, for sure. I wish them well in their future careers.

(PS If you liked Valorie and Sam in 'One Day When We Were Young', check them out in a short film by Jamie Sims, who's in the photo above, called 'Bus Stop', here.)

Haven't had a caption competition for some time. How about:
"Spot the actors."
"Are you happy 'One Day' has come to the end of its run?"
Other captions are available.

I have a feeling that September is going to be somewhat mundane after all my Fringe adventures.

Still, I see the curling season is already underway!

Photos © Skip Cottage

Skip garden has had limited success this year. No one to blame but myself. However, one thing that has made me smile this September was the old vegetable patch which I planted up early with spray dahlias and helichrysums, raised from seed, to give some late season colour.

Mission accomplished!

Another success this year has been this clematis, just left to ramble. Best it has ever been.

And the weeds have done well!

Talking of weeds, Buddleja davidii came originally from China. It likes dry stony areas, and seems to be very happy in poor ground around railways. But it is classed as an invasive species (see here), and can do considerable damage when the seeds germinate in old mortar on walls and embankments, as here at Carlisle's Citadel Station.

My contemplation on the tenacity of weed seeds came to an end with the arrival of this beautiful locomotive, No 45699 Galatea, at the head of 'The Waverley' steam charter on September 6. This Railway Touring Company charter was ex-York behind a diesel, with Galatea taking over at Hellifield for the drive to Carlisle, and return, over the Settle line.

Concerned looks, but safely parked at platform 3.

Built in 1936. I was interested to read, here, that in 1953, the locomotive ended on its side after an accident!

We're off to park the carriages!

I was back at Carlisle on September 19 to see the arrival of the Vintage Trains 'The Coastal Explorer' railtour.

GWR Castle Class 4-6-0 No 5043 Earl of Mount Edgcumbe is another beautiful locomotive.

The locomotive had brought its rake of coaches from Carnforth, and was due to return via the Cumbrian Coast line. But it was very apparent on arrival that something was up, the Earl surrounded by lots of concerned support crew in hi-vis vests.

A hot axle box was the concern, and this led to the locomotive being failed at Carlisle, the coast return trip being diesel hauled. But not before 5043 huffed and puffed its way around to park the carriages.

Parking accomplished, the locomotive disappeared, and to everyone's disappointment, did not appear for the return leg of the tour. The passengers had to wait awhile for a replacement locomotive to arrive.

You can find YouTube videos here and here, showing the Earl in action over Shap and at Carlisle.

Photos © Skip Cottage

Five years ago, I visited Alston for the first time, see here. I've been back a number of times since, for example when I first got my wee Mazda (see here). Having recently said goodbye to that car (five years and 72,000 miles later), it seemed appropriate to try out my new wheels (a little Kia Rio) on North Pennine Roads.

The destination was the narrow gauge South Tynedale Railway. What a surprise to find Sir Tom, visiting from Threlkeld Quarry Railway.

Built by Bagnall of Stafford in 1926, find out more about Sir Tom here.

The other locomotive in steam was 0-6-2 saddle tank 'Barber', built by Thomas Green and Company Ltd of Leeds in 1908. Its interesting history can be found here.

Here we are at the end of the line at Lintley Halt. The rake of coaches was top and tailed by the two steam locos.

Looking back down the line towards Alston. The route follows part of the Alston branch of the Newcastle and Carlisle Railway which ran from Haltwhistle to Alston, closed in 1976.

So, Carriage No 7 wasn't just any transport!

And a pleasant ride it was too!

Barber worked at Harrogate Gas Works, hence the association with this wagon.

My experiences at Alston certainly back up the South Tynedale Railway's assertion of being 'the friendly railway'. Geat fun!

Photos © Skip Cottage

Does this give a clue to where I was on Sunday past?

It all started earlier this year, when I was reminiscing with friends about happy days supporting Glasgow Tigers at the White City Stadium in the 1960s.

I discovered that the speedway team was still in existence, and I resolved to make a trip down memory lane to see if the sport had changed from 50 years ago. The track now is at Ashfield, and I found my way to Hawthorn Street on Sunday. I must admit not to having big expectations. As it turned out, it was a splendid day!

Meet Roary, the current Glasgow Tigers mascot.

It is the end of the season, and Sunday's match was the Premier League playoff quarter final second leg. The Tigers had lost the away first leg against Plymouth Devils, and needed to overcome a small two point difference with a win on Sunday, to progress in the competition.

I had forgotten just how fast the riders gate and tussle on the first bend! Standing hair on the back of the neck, after fifty years! The bikes do 0-60 mph in three seconds. Heat 2, sponsored by Ambulance Scotland!

Wheelies seemed to be appropriate when a 5-1 score was recorded.

I was just tickled that Dr Who has a role as the team manager! Fascinating to see what was going on in the pits area.

The visitors had a mascot too, here looking somewhat dejected as the match slipped away from his side.

I had just said to myself that it had been a crash free meeting. But, with the win already in the bag, Tigers' Kauko Nieminen took a nasty looking tumble, high side off his bike, and was immediately surrounded by the first aid team. Remarkably, he was soon on his feet, apparently none the worse for the experience. They make them tough.

The tapes go up.

It didn't take me long to find out who the stars of the 2015 team are. I did appreciate the maximum scored by captain Aaron Summers, and the paid maximum by Richard Lawson.

Back in 1965, I was in the Charlie Monk fan club! Read about his career here.

I was just delighted to be at Ashfield to see the Tigers win, and progress to the semifinals of the Premier League. You can read the match report on the Tigers' website here and here.

Good luck to the team against Somerset later this week.

What a nostalgia trip Sunday was. Many things the same - the great family sport, the noise, the excitement, the smells, the PA - I could almost hear Don Cumming!

Fifty years ago this programme was bought at an outing to the White City. Perhaps some things have changed in the intervening years, and I don't mean the price of the programme.

Photos © Skip Cottage

What a lovely spell of weather we've had for the past month or so! This rainbow seems to be highlighting that the trees are beginning to turn as Wamphray moves into autumn.

I like autumn colours, although this is not at Skip.

I was up early this one morning to see a colourful dawn.

And on one particularly nice day, the garden flowers were still attracting butterflies.

The beech trees surrounding Skip are just beginning to turn. And one tub of leaves has already been put on the pile. Waste not, want not.

Out and about though, some trees seem to be further on than others.

This is the road into Wamphray, from the B7076, with the Red House at the top of the hill.

Red Campion (Silene dioica) still flowering away by the roadside and making me smile.

Himalayan Balsam may look colourful, but it really is a thug. Impatiens glandulifera is a relative of Busy Lizzie, as I've just discovered, see here. It is only an annual, but spreads rapidly. Each plant produces lots of seeds which are dispersed widely. I found this out by accident one day as I was 'attacked' by the plant. The ripe seedpods can shoot their seeds many yards away. I disturbed a clump by the riverside and was peppered by seeds being fired off. One of life's experiences!

The local bus service on the Jocksthorn bridge.

Wamphray hasn't seen any significant rain for a while, and the Annan is well down.

I've never been in this position before! See here what it can be like, from just one year ago.

I wonder what the next four months have in store, weather wise? Firstly though, I plan some trainspotting adventures.

Photos © Skip Cottage

It had been my intention just to sit and watch the goings on by the canal side. There's a word for this, apparently. A gongoozler is a person who enjoys watching activity on the canals. The headquarters of the Dudley Canal Trust has been a shed at the side of the dock for many years. The Trust website is here.

But it was all happening in Dudley last week, with the opening of the Trust's new multi-million pound visitor centre, the Portal. That's it on the right. The Portal houses a purpose built learning suite and function room, an interactive exhibition, a gift shop, and a licenced restaurant.

Time for a trip.

The canals were constructed to facilitate the extraction of limestone.

I found the experience absolutely fascinating, if somewhat surreal at times. We stopped to watch an educational film. Then there was a sound and light show in a different gallery.

Apparently there are other canals at lower levels, now flooded.

One of a number of tableaux encountered along the way.

I now know exactly what a barge pole is, and will no doubt always remember this when "I wouldn't touch it with a barge pole" jumps to mind.

One of the passengers volunteered to demonstrate 'legging', the way of moving canal boats along narrow tunnels, with less damage than using a barge pole. A brave lass indeed! None of the men on board were tempted to volunteer.

This open space was originally an underground cavern from which limestone had been excavated, before the roof was collapsed.

It so happens that I abhor the practice of taking photos of your food and posting these on social media. But I had to show you my lunch in the new Portal's cafe (make that licensed restaurant), which is appropriately called the Gongoozler, where my cauliflower soup came on a slate. Dudley posh, is it not!

Talking about things I'm not a fan of ....

Here's a 'selfie', if only to elicit the response, "Like the hat!"

Full marks to the Dudley Canal Trust! More on my southern adventures to come soon.

Photos © Skip Cottage

It was, of course, the prospect of seeing an old tram in action that drew me towards the Black Country Living Museum, near Dudley.

I shared my ride with a party from a local school. All seemed to be enjoying their day, as was their teacher!

No 34 is a Wolverhampton District single decker tram, built in 1919. Here it is, making rapid progress up the hill.

No 49, an open topped tram from 1909, was in the shed. More info here.

Other transport was on offer for getting around the large site. The twenty six acres are certainly worth exploring. It is quite amazing that there used to be nothing here. The museum's story is here. Everything has been recreated, or brought from elsewhere and rebuilt. Staff in period costume are on hand to chat to. It is educational for the young visitors, but us oldies are not ignored.

On the museum's website it says, "If you are old enough, you may just be looking for nostalgia and that is fine. But equally, we believe that history shouldn’t be seen as a safe haven in a fast changing and challenging world, but a catalyst for thinking and reflection about our own lives."

But, for me, visiting a place like this is indeed much about nostalgia. Now, back when I was a wee boy in the 1950s, everyone skipped! Perhaps this pic should become the 'Skip Cottage' header!

Time for a little reflection in the reconstructed Methodist chapel.

The worry is that much of what was on show in this shop can still be found in my wardrobe!

There is a small car collection too, to browse over. More details here.

The boat dock is a reminder that the canals 200 years ago were quite a different prospect than they appear today.

I ventured 'down the mine' on a guided trip. Quite daunting, I must say. We were put into family groups. I have to say a big thank you to a six year old, called Holly, and her mum, who adopted me for the tour. Actually, I think Holly was braver than I was!

All the above is just a fraction of what is on offer at Dudley. The main website is here.

This ex-Cadbury works engine stands at the entrance to the museum, whose website is here. Well presented, but I wanted to see steam in action ... and that was to be the next adventure on my trip south. Coming soon.

Photos © Skip Cottage

The heritage railway at Kidderminster, the Severn Valley Railway, had been on my 'wish list' for a while. I picked the day of my visit to coincide with the appearance there of two rather special locomotives.

No 46100, Royal Scot, will soon be seen on the main line, see here. It was on the Severn Valley Line as part of its ongoing test programme. Here it is, running round at Bridgnorth. All about the Royal Scot class of locomotives here.

Royal Scot heads back to Kidderminster.

'Catch Me Who Can' is a replica of a locomotive built at Bridgnorth in 1808, see here.

There was time for me to look around Bridgnorth town, and have some lunch, before returning to the station, to await the star attraction of the day, for me anyway, Tornado.

Here it comes! All about Tornado here.

Tornado runs around at Bridgnorth.

The weather changed for the better during the run back to Kidderminster. I can say now that I've ridden behind Tornado, although at a sedate pace along the 16 miles. The railway has a great collection of carriages (more than 60, see here). This is an ex-LMS Open 3rd, dating from 1945.

Lots to watch at Kidderminster. No. D3201 is an 0-6-0 English Electric, ex-British Railways, built in Derby in 1954.

Built in 1918 at Swindon, GWR 2-8-0 No 2857, see here, was on 'footplate experience' duties on the day of my visit.

Small, but perfectly formed!

The sun came out, and a steam fix was taken!

Wonderful!

You just have to imagine the sound, and the smells!

As Tornado headed off into the evening sunset, it was time for me to head back to my hotel, mission accomplished. I look forward to a return visit to the railway, perhaps when it is a little quieter, to see other locomotives in action, and I can explore the intermediary stations, the museum, and The Engine House.

Photos © Skip Cottage

Early morning on the Battlefield Line, at Shackerstone station. The Battlefield Line is the remaining part of the former Ashby and Nuneaton Joint Railway which was opened in 1873. It runs from Shackerstone via Market Bosworth to Shenton in Leicestershire and is operated by the Shackerstone Railway Society.

I visited on the final day of their recent steam gala, with four locomotives working.

Driver, looking cool!

A pair of saddle tank locomotives takes off in a cloud of smoke and steam ...

... on a goods 'special', early Sunday morning.

Ensuring that No 7820, Dinmore Manor, is looking at its best for the day's visitors. Read about the locomotive here.

Sir Gomer is a 0-6-0 Saddle Tank, built in Bristol by Peckett and Sons Ltd in 1932, and is currently resident on the Battlefield Line. Find its history here.

Austerity 0-6-0ST Cumbria, visiting from the Furness Railway Trust, arriving at Market Bosworth, see here.

Dinmore Manor running round at Shenton.

GWR 0-6-0 No 3205 was built in Swindon in 1946 and is the sole surviving member of the 120-strong 2251 class of locomotives designed by CB Collett. It usually plies the South Devon Railway, see here.

'University of Strathclyde' at Shackerstone, the Class 47 having a day off during the steam gala.

My New Year's resolution!

So, why's it called the Battlefield Line? The site of the Battle of Bosworth is close to Shenton station, and the heritage centre is just a short walk from there, see here.

The Battlefield Line may not be the largest heritage railway I've visited, but it is situated in beautiful Leicestershire countryside, has a fascinating museum at Shackerstone, not to mention the Victorian tearoom. I so enjoyed my visit.

November at Skip was grey, wet and miserable, with only a few mornings to lift the spirits, like that above!

The leaves came off the trees, and were duly gathered up.

There is something quite magnificent about the beech trees in winter!

In the garden, these wallflowers seem somewhat confused as to the season!

A significant event last month was that my new car had to have some bodywork repairs, after I managed to scrape it when it was barely a couple of weeks old. Border Cars Dumfries did a great job of the repair, and for the few days it was away I got to run around in this loan car. I think this could have been the first time in my life that I've ever driven a black car!

Story of my life!

Just a sprinkle of snow on the hills behind Wamphray.

Lots of standing water in the fields.

Sheep overwintering in the lower fields.

My favourite tree, in its winter garb!

A threatening sky.

One hears the rumble in the distance, and then the Pendolino whizzes past, next stop Carlisle.

I got a little carried away with the trees yesterday!

More standing water in a flooded field.

Flooded fields are not all bad. If they freeze, they can provide a safe venue for outside curling. This photo is of Carmunnock and Rutherglen curlers and friends on a flooded field near Gateside, Beith. I've been asking friends if they can remember exactly when the photo was taken. Best we can do so far is late 1970s or early 1980s!

I wonder if this winter will provide opportunities for curling outside?

Photos © Skip Cottage

Wamphray's Pyramids

Gameshope

Beamish

Tornado in Wamphray

Manchester's MOSI

Soap

The Duchess

In search of drums

Fringe Days

One Day When We Were Young

In the Box

September Steam

The Friendly Railway

Two minutes, all four riders

Autumn

Gongoozling

The Black Country Living Museum

Tornado at Severn Valley

The Battlefield Line

Into Winter