ash39's Trip Reports & Photos 2

[D6130]

You had a great trip around Scotland....and you were lucky to be able to see and photograph the lovely station building at Troon a few weeks before it was destroyed by fire.

 

[Techniquest]

Certainly a decent month, even if not quite as chaotic as August. That parkrun event sounded challenging, I dread to think what the course was actually like!

An incredible haul of scores there too, and I'm glad you explained the bubble tea thing as I'd been curious for a while. I'll not be trying it myself, as it sounds like a funky experience but not a healthy one!

 

[Andy Pacer]

The Jodie Comer reference was amusing, although if she was bashing 456's she was certainly in the wrong place!

 

[ash39]

You had a great trip around Scotland....and you were lucky to be able to see and photograph the lovely station building at Troon a few weeks before it was destroyed by fire.

Very lucky, it was a bit of a surprise to us how grand the building was and I remember commenting on it to my mate at the time. Such a shame it's all but destroyed now - I think it happened 10 days after our visit.

Certainly a decent month, even if not quite as chaotic as August. That parkrun event sounded challenging, I dread to think what the course was actually like!

An incredible haul of scores there too, and I'm glad you explained the bubble tea thing as I'd been curious for a while. I'll not be trying it myself, as it sounds like a funky experience but not a healthy one!

It's worth trying a bubble tea once for the novelty! You can burn it off on the bike!

The Jodie Comer reference was amusing, although if she was bashing 456's she was certainly in the wrong place!

Ah, ruined my amusing anecdote with a typo. 465's!!

 

[Kite159]

That will give me something to read during my festers tomorrow (or travelling in darkness)

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For the day you were going towards Finsbury Park to change to an Ally Paly service, wouldn't using the Victoria line been easier, changing cross platform at Highbury & Islington?

 

[ash39]

October attached, another day in London (cut short thanks to a bit of a farce at Wakefield). Other than that, a pretty quiet month, but I did a North West Rover at the start of November so next month will be a bumper episode.

 

[Techniquest]

A nicely productive month, all things considered, plenty of scores there in London. Ouch to the farce on the way down there mind, and I suspect your trip report could well be the first where one visits a car dealership!

Good to see you're keeping up the combining of trains and running, fair play to you for running, that's outside of my comfort zone!

 

[Kite159]

A good month, other than the farce with the overhead wires at Leeds

 

[ash39]

It wasn't all bad, got my full ticket price back before I'd even boarded the train!

 

[Techniquest]

It wasn't all bad, got my full ticket price back before I'd even boarded the train!

At least that's a big plus, no doubt Leeds to London is pretty chingy even with that 50% off offer you had!

For what it's worth, visiting London for a load of theatre visits would not be my thing either. Can you imagine sitting there, bored, while all those opportunities to break out the red pen were just a short walk away!

 

[xotGD]

At least that's a big plus, no doubt Leeds to London is pretty chingy even with that 50% off offer you had!

For what it's worth, visiting London for a load of theatre visits would not be my thing either. Can you imagine sitting there, bored, while all those opportunities to break out the red pen were just a short walk away!

Ah, but just think of all those theatres you'd be scratching for 'visitage'!

I bet there are some folk who do that.

 

[Techniquest]

Ah, but just think of all those theatres you'd be scratching for 'visitage'!

I bet there are some folk who do that.

No doubt there are, after all plenty of people do stadiums, and I suspect there is at least one person who ticks off churches/cathedrals/mosques/Kingdom Halls/etc!

What does one call ticking off theatres though? I think this needs to be discussed! Can you imagine the trip report?

"After finally ticking off the Apollo Theatre for showage, I had one major life goal left, to visit a theatre on Broadway, New York. In the meantime, the next stop was Leicester Square for some more exciting red penning of theatres before retiring for the evening at base camp"

Hey, it could happen!

 

[ash39]

November report attached. North West 4-in-8 rover and a Tyne Tees Day Ranger, pretty busy month for the time of year.

 

[Kite159]

A busy month

 

[Techniquest]

Wow that was a lot of action! Nice work on clearing the 150/1s, with a lot of really good progress in general there. I'd have been unable to turn down that 153 in Manchester as well, going to be strange when I return to the North and find no 153s running (except for any on Liverpool/Manchester TfW services)!

The run you did to Moorside sounded tough, but the Parkrun definitely sounded like a lot more fun. Braver than I leaving stuff unattended mind, or is there someone who keeps an eye on the bags?

Hopefully by now your calf has recovered, I felt myself wince at the thought of the injury!

 

[ash39]

December report to finish the year. A good month with trips to the North West, London and a WYDR to kill some time over the festive break.

 

[Techniquest]

Fantastic read as always! Good golly gosh those 68 and 91 photos in the fog came out well!

No running in December? I was surprised when I saw the walk in London wasn't a run, but I agree from the photo you included there that it wouldn't be a nice route to do in the dark. Good gravy no!

Definitely a decent year for you, and your final move of 2021 was better than mine (172336 Worcester to Hereford)

 

[NorthWestRover]

My final move of 2021 was 150133 from Man Vic to Wigan Wallgate which is dire. However, the train that that followed was 68020 from Leeds to Man Vic which is as good as it gets on service trains nowadays.

 

[xotGD]

Nice to see some of you ending the year in style behind a big, noisy Cat!

 

[ash39]

Fantastic read as always! Good golly gosh those 68 and 91 photos in the fog came out well!

No running in December? I was surprised when I saw the walk in London wasn't a run, but I agree from the photo you included there that it wouldn't be a nice route to do in the dark. Good gravy no!

Definitely a decent year for you, and your final move of 2021 was better than mine (172336 Worcester to Hereford)

Yep no running in December sadly due to injury (again). Would really have liked to have done Fulham parkrun on the Saturday.

I'm doing loads of virtual cycling on Zwift at the moment to try and keep fitness up whilst I'm not running. Might have to follow your path and do a couple of rail/bike days out in summer.

 

[Techniquest]

Yep no running in December sadly due to injury (again). Would really have liked to have done Fulham parkrun on the Saturday.

I'm doing loads of virtual cycling on Zwift at the moment to try and keep fitness up whilst I'm not running. Might have to follow your path and do a couple of rail/bike days out in summer.

Sorry to hear of an injury, yikes! I've tried this week to get into running, only short distances with the longest single run so far being 0.66 miles from the house to Boots yesterday for a weigh-in. Less said about that weigh-in the better! My legs have coped fine, but my core seems to have taken a real hit from it and is not coping as well as expected. Mind you, I did put the core through a lot of strain at work this morning, so it could just be that. I don't know, but I did find running interesting and I could possibly develop my ability into something more as the year goes on. We will see, but I already want to go and buy another pair of running tights...

I love the idea of Zwift, I just don't have anywhere to set up the equipment otherwise I'd be doing the same as you. I *could* get the equipment, but the noise it would generate through the floor would soon annoy my housemate below me and, no doubt, the others in my house! One of those times where your own house is ideal, but that's just not affordable for me sadly.

I'm going out touring next week on my bike, yes really in the middle of winter, and combining it with some trains. All will be revealed in the trip report thread soon, let's just say I'm going to make up for something I missed out on in 2021 and this will do as an alternative to exploring Poland...

 

[Kite159]

It's a bit of a long walk between the platforms at Dove Holes, not the easiest to do in a hurry.

 

[Andy Pacer]

A great read as always Ash. I was out on SWR territory yesterday and was also thwarted with getting Hampton Station due to some disruption and cancellations.

Just over 6,000 miles isn't bad going in the current climate. I managed just over 9,000 last year but didn't do anything until late March due to the lock downs. Somehow I managed just over 7,000 miles in 2020 despite not using a train from April to September, I did a very eery All Line Rover the week before that original lock down so that will have increased my stats. All a far cry from the 28,549 miles I did in 2019 ... I think that sort of thing will be a distant memory now!

 

[ash39]

January trip report attached. Way too cold and dark to be doing much at this time of year, but a Saturday in the West Midlands helped start the year with a few winners.

 

[Andy Pacer]

A decent couple of trips there Ash, that West Mids Daytripper is a good ticket,one fairly local for me so I do it from time to time. I only have a couple of the more awkward stations to do on that patch but I'll probably hang on for mow until some of the new stock enters service as I did find last time I did one that it was hard to get a full day usage out of the ticket!

 

[xotGD]

A bit of a farce after the footy. You'll have to go to a league game next time to avoid the risk of extra time.

Whenever I have been to Dorridge for the 68s in the evening the waiting room has been locked. Looks like I've been missing out.

 

[NorthWestRover]

I've been threatening to do a WM Day Ranger for the past two years. Will be a day full of unit winners and hopefully some 68 haulage.

 

[ash39]

A bit of a farce after the footy. You'll have to go to a league game next time to avoid the risk of extra time.

Whenever I have been to Dorridge for the 68s in the evening the waiting room has been locked. Looks like I've been missing out.

I don't expect to go back to St Andrew's anytime soon, but could easily get Bordesley on a matchday without going to the game. I think that's what I'll do at some point.

 

[ash39]

I've been threatening to do a WM Day Ranger for the past two years. Will be a day full of unit winners and hopefully some 68 haulage.

Always a good feeling heading somewhere where you need almost everything!

 

[NorthWestRover]

Anywhere out of Northern land qualifies for me at present lol.