Lyme Regis : Thursday 28th December : 1230
Only younger grandson plunged - briefly, very briefly!
But first to a caff for luncheon.
Bacon baps (scrumptious), pasties (yummy), a real kipper (gorgeous) and a concoction involving scrambled egg, goats cheese and avocado satisfied the appetites of all present.
And so to the beach. But to reach the working parts of this fossil-encrusted resort, it was necessary to pass a bookshop.
Surely a contradiction in terms?
And so to the beach. But to reach the working parts of this fossil-encrusted resort, it was necessary to pass a bookshop.
It is an important principle of fbb's shopping visits to never pass an open bookshop (q v Prince Philip and a Bathroom!). Only one volume of transport interest caught your bloggers eye.
"Then and Now" picture books are two a penny and only of passing interest to fbb; who likes something more meaty. Mike Oakley's volume was a notch above the usual. It had a map ...
... consisting of two A4 pages ahowing every station that ever there was in Dorset. (click on the maps to enlarge)
But, once the county boundary is reached, there is nothing. So we have Lyme Regis but no Axminster ...
... and Sherborne but no Yeovil.
Maybe this bit of excellent cartography would have been a tad more helpful had some of the cross-boundary detail been added?
Then there is a chronological summary of lines opening and closing, starting in 1847 ...
... and ending with developments on the Swanage Railway.
The extension to Wareham came too late for the 2016 publication date.
Each station has a potted history including some very obscure sites. Sandsfoot Castle Halt ...
... was new to fbb.
The little known halt to the east of Dorchester ...
... was short-lived and obscure.
Airship Station Halt is one of the few stops not to have its own "then and now" photograph for reasons explained in the text. It would have been part of Warmwell Airfield.
The railway runs across the top of the aerial view above.
The "then and now" pictures are a pure delight and provide a spur to further exploration.
The luxurious appurtenances of Sandsfoot Castle Halt are (no, were) a joy to behold ...
... and there is still a tiny bit of it left.
Go find!
Enjoy the Castle!
Dorset Stations Then and Now
Mike Oakley
The Dovecote Press
£10
and worth every penny!
Logology - Yesterday's Answers
1. Dutch State Railways
2. Southern Vectis (Isle of Wight)
3. Super Bus at Stevenage
4. United Counties just pre National Bus standardisation
5. Guy Motors radiator totem
A mega logology quiz is planned for Monday. Yippee!!
==========================
Post-Advent CALENDAR - 30
Whether three or more, the "wise men" story is all about the gifts. Matthew wrote his gospel for the Jewish community, seeking to explain in some detail how Jesus was the expected Messiah. He did this by repeatedly linking events in the life of Christ to old testament prophecies.
The Magi were important because their journey was based on a selection of those prophecies, notably ones about Bethlehem and descendancy in the line of King David.
Each of the three gifts was seen as a part fulfilment of the whole "package" of Messiahship which began with the Nativity.
GOLD
God's Messiah would be an eternal King "reigning" in heaven. O.K., a tricky concept, but think of the image of regal magnificence, perfection of purpose and shining glory. Nothing tainted could ever be allowed in heaven, hence ...
FRANKINCENSE
A crystaline substance obtained from the sap of a tree; it had a pleasant but strong smell. It was symbolic of the Priesthood. In many religions and types of Christian Church, a priest is seen as the go-between to help people "find God". Jesus replaced the conventional Jewish priesthood and he became "the new living way" to God.
MYRRH
To embalm the dead. There is a spooky logic about the core message of Christianity. God must exclude all that falls short of his standards from His perfect heaven. Sin is punished by "eternal" death. But Jesus death on the cross was a substitutionary death, through which we can claim "eternal" life.
Hence Myrrh.
Whatever modern readers may think, this was the not-very-well-hidden message of the Magi.
No wonder Mary "pondered these things!
The Magi were important because their journey was based on a selection of those prophecies, notably ones about Bethlehem and descendancy in the line of King David.
GOLD
God's Messiah would be an eternal King "reigning" in heaven. O.K., a tricky concept, but think of the image of regal magnificence, perfection of purpose and shining glory. Nothing tainted could ever be allowed in heaven, hence ...
FRANKINCENSE
MYRRH
To embalm the dead. There is a spooky logic about the core message of Christianity. God must exclude all that falls short of his standards from His perfect heaven. Sin is punished by "eternal" death. But Jesus death on the cross was a substitutionary death, through which we can claim "eternal" life.
Hence Myrrh.
Whatever modern readers may think, this was the not-very-well-hidden message of the Magi.
No wonder Mary "pondered these things!
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Next Christmas Reading blog : Sunday 31st December
Sandsfoot Castle is now a refreshing stop on the Weymouth to Portland Railway walk
ReplyDeleteThe United Counties logo is that which superseded the NBC identity, not preceded it. I believe it may have first appeared on the Coachlinks livery (white and two blues).
ReplyDelete