Saturday Variety

 Crisis In Cambridge?

Above is Nik Johnson, lately Labour Mayor of Cambridgeshire. He was quite keen on buses, aiming to increase the spend year on year.

But young Nik got deposed at this year's Mayoral elections. His successor is ...

... cheery chappie Paul Bristow.

But young Paul is from the Conservative Party. Graciously, he has promised to maintain bus funding at the present level. Which means in real bus route subsidy terms, that the lolly available for buses will now reduce year on year.

That's inflation, folks.

This has provoked some local concern.

The article goes on to explain.

Labour has committed to franchising for the County but it looks like conservative policy is less enthusiastic,

Should something as socially and economically important as Public Transport be at the whim of party politics? Will the whim of Cambridgeshire's current commercial operators be replaced by an equally vacillating policy depending on the colour of rosette worn by the Mayor?

And where does that leave Manchester if the rosette changes from red ...

...  to light blue at the forthcoming battle for the Mayorship?

Maybe Nige will paint the Manchester buses pale blue?

Thanks For Non News

Positive news for Franchising in South Yorkshire has found its way into on-line news feeds ...

... and we are not going to tell who the shortlisted " competitors are.

More Non News

Bet he didn't ride all the way from his home! That would be all the way from Windsor Great Park to London's Guildhall for an Earthshot Prize event.

More On-Line Daftness

And it is computer generated daftness about daftness.

fbb would challenge any decorating expert to paint a straight band across their house, barely balanced on a wheelbarrow cum steps pushed by a scantily-clad young gell.

But, apparently, the pair are employed by a developer to paint red bands on similar properties elsewhere ...

... in this case built on an Alpine precipice. The step ladder has been specially adapted to have one flight of steps longer than the other making it useless for its designed purpose

Total Idiots posting garbage on-line!

Through Ticketing

Interesting?

When fbb, in student mode, travelled to Bruxelles to learn French (he had just been appointed as a French teacher to 8 and 9 year olds), he caught a train from home in Northampton to Euston. He crossed London by Underground to Victoria.

Here he went to the Continental ticket office and purchased a large paper ticket printed on light brown paper.

It was all very basic and nobody looked at fbb's passport during out and return journeys except the UK border officers on his return!

The ticket carried him by BR train from Victoria to Dover; by steamer to Calais; by SNCF to Lille and by SNCB to Bruxelles. "One Journey, One Ticket"

This was in 1966.

fbb's memory is a bit fuzzy but he does remember that at Dover Marine ...

... and at Calais Maritime ...

... the ferries parked alongside the station. It was a short walk from train to boat and vice versa.

So what's new?

Eurostar is, of course easier but ticketing is a mess by comparison!

Which One Would You Buy (1)?
Just under £400 quid ... or ...

... £84.50 for a "Railroad" versi9n? 

The latter is, of course, a "Special Offer".

Which One Would You Buy (2)?

The above is second hand. Below is in special offer for a new unit ...

... reduced from £429 to a modest £343.

They are, externally, the same model but the expensive one makes a sound like a Class 158 diesel unit. 

The cheap version makes a sound like a model train!

  Next Variety blog : Sunday 5th July 

Rowden Mill Resurrected

 

The last passenger train ran between Bromyard and Leominster via Rowden Mill in 1952, well before Dr Beeching had been invented. The history is now commemorated on a plaque on the main station building.

The Wilkinson restoration was referred to in the Wikipedia article quoted earlier. But the new owners have taken the up-fettling to a much higher level. 

The site now offers a beautifully restored station and FOUR self-catering hereditaments, all of very high quality. There is accommodation for four in the main block.

These rooms are complemented by a lounge and kitchen.

Next door is the Parcels Office ...

... offering a bijou room with a huge telly!

Accommodates two.

But the real delight are the two pieces of old rolling stock that have been wonderfully repurposed as accommodation.

Have you every fancied staying in a GWR brake van?

Well you can at Rowden Mill.

And, yes, shower and toilet facilities are included. A GWR guard ...

... would be incredulous at how much luxury had been squeezed in.

The "piece de resistance", however, has to be the carriage. It once looked like this ...

... then like this ...

... then like this ...

... and finally like this.

It was an inspection saloon made at Swindon.

The vehicle now looks like this outside ...

... and like this inside.

It has accommodation for four ...

... plus kitchen and bathroom.

fbb would vote for the brake van every time; but does wonder whether heavy rain will sound like a load of gravel being emptied on the roof as it did at The Sidings Beningborough?

fbb has no connection with this business or any of the others featured in this series. 

But if he and the Mrs were younger and thus were keen enough to drive to Herefordshire ...

... the welcome looks delightful.

Details if orices are available on the Rowden Mill Station web site

The Hereford Times paid tribute to the Wilkimsons who first transformers the station ...

... and won an award for their efforts.

The plaque is on display in the main station building.

  Next Variety blog : Sat 4th July 

From Petworth To Rowden Mill

What's The Grub Like?

fbb was a little anxious to espy the picture, above, of 'table set for breakfast' showing a minuscule plate of fruit bits, but he need not have worried unduly because ...

... 'Full English' is included in the room rate! Phew! 

It certainly ought to be.

Smaller rooms are cheaper (better expressed as "less expensive") but somewhat more than the fbb's cheapskate budget. The rooms look something special!

And dinner, sir?

fbb always likes a sprinkling of hazelnuts with his beetroot carpaccio. Of course you knew that it is a 'classic Italian appetiser'.

fbb has oft hankered after a hearty portion of beef wellington, and yes, he does know how it is served.

The puds look intriguing.

fbb would always go for the crumble!

But again, the price is a bit too posh for the gourmand grandfather!

Afternoon Tea, Sir?

Sounds delish! But ...

... fbb is more likely to seek a mugga tea and a Belgian bun in a "caff".

But the old man can always dream of a relaxation of his personal fiscal rules.  Maybe today's equivalent of a Postal Order (a very high face value Postal Order!) might arrive, Bunter style?

Bunter's never did. "Oh, I say, you fellows!"

And So To Rowden Mill

It is just outside Bromyard, Herefordshire ...

... on the long-closed line to Leominster.

You need to zoom in on a modern map to find Rowden Mill station today!

There it is, close to Rowden Abbey ...

... which doesn't look much like an ecclesiastical establishment, but neither did Downton Abbey! 

Next door is Rowden House ...

... now a school specialising in autism. Maybe it is these two big houses that provoked the Railway Company to choose the name Rowden Mill rather than the larger nearby community of Bredenbury?

Wikipedia tells us all about Rowden Mill station.

Rowden Mill station was bought and restored as a private residence by John Wilkinson. He re-installed sections of the track either side of the station, on which are presently housed British Rail Class 03 shunter No.D2371, various Wickham self-propelled trolleys, some carriages, goods wagons and a GWR Toad brake van. At private gatherings, the stock is propelled along the line, while the site is opened occasionally for public access and viewing, but without operational trains.

The stock listed is pictured ...

... with a better look at the diesel shunter.

But things may have changed since the Wiki newshounds composed the entry above.

Zoom in to Google Earth and the freight stock is gone and what appears to be a carriage is parked. 

There is also a notable white parasol.

Wrong again, fbb! The wagons are still there, a couple beyond the cattle dock ...

... with a parasol to keep the coos cool. 

The brake van IS still there, but it looks a bit different.

The carriage also looks different from the usual Mark 1 offering. It is shorter.

Clearly things have moved on at Rowden Mill! The properties changed hands in 2017.

More tomorrow.

  Next Rowden Mill blog : Fri 3rd July