Friday Morning at Whitehall Halt

Saturday morning at Whitehall Halt, as Arthritic Arthur powers around the bend at breakneck speed with the 8.23 & 1/2am mixed goods from Hemyock to Tiverton Junction, there the wagonload behind his engine will be added to the 6.37am express milk and perishables train from Penzance.

Waving Wally waves at Arthur to slow down. For he has to collect a fresh consignment of country air which has just been loaded into the wagon. The air being destined for that there London.

In olden times, fresh country air destined for smokey towns and cities was always transported in open wagons, it helped to keep it fresh with the constant ventilation, thus avoiding a musty aroma upon arrival.

Alas, with forgetful Arthritic Arthur at the helm, the little train doesn’t stop, Arthur simply waving back at Waving Wally whilst shouting ‘see you in the pub later, it’s skittles night! To which Wally mutters to himself “no that was last night, and you were there with me.”

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A heart warming thank you to those who chuck me a sov from time to time www.buymeacoffee.com/Nevardmedi3 - cheers 

From our Westminster commentator Hilary Gove-Tuckshop-Fugg

I posted this one a year ago, but I reckon it’s worth another punt even though we have new leaders, but they’re all much the same - mostly self serving incompetence…. Obvs not to be taken seriously…

Today’s post is written by our Westminster commentator Hilary Gove-Tuckshop-Fugg (with apologies to any northern readers who can read and might be offended or lefty leaning southerners who want to be offended on behalf of others). 

 

So without further ado, over to Hilary….

Here are are in ’The Grim North’, which curiously looks like the Somerset Levels, but I’m assured it is ‘northern’ - I mean, just look at all the smoke, that melancholic sky and steam lorry, not a Tesla in sight.

Today’s the launch of the new HS2 ‘Network North Rail’ service between Birmingham and some northern town or village known as Manchester. But one being, as you lot call ‘a namby-pamby’ southerner living in the Westminster area of ‘that there London’, I know little of such, so please excuse any ignorance by my behalf. 

 

Here’s the first train, and most stylish it is in those bright colours designed to brighten up your almost monochromatic soot stained landscape. And because we in the south imagine most of you walk, use bicycles or horse and carriage to get to work ’at t’mill’, you’ll I’m sure enjoy this extravagant nod to Victorian times when Britain was at its height. 

 

And if you look beyond the fine red carriage, which at a push can get 78 of you grubby lot in, there’s even an unmanned guard’s van for your pet whippets, pigeons and of course your small children employed in the mills and pits (though of course we’ve closed them all now). 

 

You’ve never had it so good, so stop moaning and get back to your bingo, vape and betting shops or whatever you do after a 19 hour shift in the frozen rag pudding factory.

 

Yours,

Hilary Gove-Tuckshop-Fugg

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Thank you those who help to keep the miniature nonsense flowing www.buymeacoffee.com/Nevardmedi3

38 years ago (and a bit)!!

6998 Burton Agnes Hall, with the Blackmore Vale Express, heads away from Salisbury destined for Yeovil Junction on a dull misty 5 October 1986.

 

I took it on my 1959 vintage Rolleicord Va loaded with Ektachrome 200 colour transparency 120 format film. The camera is still fully operational and used from time to time, and here it is posed on Fountain Colliery a few minutes ago. 

 

I bought the camera in November 1983 secondhand from City Photographic in Southampton. It’s funny how we remember these things.

 

I doubt many of today’s digital cameras will still work 38 years from now, the electronics almost certainly failing well before then. But there are enthusiasts who’ll want to keep such alive….

Early 2000s digital cameras have a bit of a following, and often with younger folk who’ve maybe only known mobile phones. The other day I saw a young woman who was probably only just twenty with a Nikon D1x from around the year 2000. And fashion conscious young chap at my local station wanted a photo of him and his pal as he thrust a mint 2006 vintage Canon G7 Powershot in to my grubby mitt. Naturally I obliged and commented on his choice of vintage digital camera. 

 

The same goes for film, when out and about it’s the younger people who are experiencing and championing film photography, maybe with grandad’s old SLR. And there’s certainly no problem getting film these days. It’s having quite a renaissance, as people rediscover those old cameras. Rollei and Pentax have recently released brand new 35mm cameras, reinforcing the photography equivalent of vinyl.

 

And finally, the Rolleicord featured here is currently loaded with Ilford HP5 film for further adventures....

 

Watercress Line Autumn Gala 2024

A few snaps taken at the Mid Hants Railway Autumn Steam Gala on Friday 4 October. 

 

Most try to avoid people in their shots, but looking back at my old stuff, the ones with people in are the most interesting. Just as well, for railway nuts love wandering in front of cameras pointing in their direction. But they are part of the scene and have as much right to be there as me, the railway wouldn’t exist without them. 

 

No prize winners here, but for me half the fun is digging out the old cameras and using them,  this camera dating from when day to day steam was still working on Britain's railways.

 

All taken on my 1966 vintage Mamiya C33 with 80mm Sekor lens. Kentmere 400. Home dev.

 

Click to enlarge as usual....