Two Very Different Shepherds
This one has TWO stations; the above being on the main line between London and Dover. 
The station name (map above, top left) is Shepherds Well, or maybe Shepherdswell depending on where you look. But maps show he village as having an alternative moniker ...
... namely Sibertswold!
It has an hourly service of stopping trains ...
... with a signal box ...
The other Shepherdswell station is a terminus of the East Kent heritage railway, seen through the trees from Station Road ...
Elsewhere, the shepherds do not have a well; but they DO have a bush! And it is far from easy to work out how many stations these fortunate rail-travelling shepherds have as a choice day by day.
Obvious contenders are stations on the Central Line of London's Underground and, next door but not connected physically, is the Overground station on the Mildmay line.
There's Shepherds Bush Market on the Hammersmith and City ("H&C" - plus the non-circling Circle line!). Pretty much on the same huge site are Wood Lane on the Central and White City of the H&C!
And, once upon a time, there was this Shepherds Bush ...
... which was operated by the London and South Western Railway (LSWR). 
It was very close to Shepherds Bush on the H&C which was moved and renamed Shepherds Bush Market! The LSWR station and irs track bed are long gone.
North of the point at which the LSWR crossed the H&C is Goldhawk Road H&C station which might also have a claim to be part of the Shepherds Bush collection!
Astute readers may have spotted "White City Sidings" on the Central.
However astute you may be, a search on Google Maps or via Google Earth ...
... reveals no such sidings. Where have they gone?
It does reveal the former BBC Television Centre (upper left), now sold off to pay for the high quality BBC programmes, especially at Christmas. NOT.
This looks like an opportunity to delve a little deeper into the Bush after the festive frivolities.
Two Very Different Shepherds
Or maybe two ways of looking at one set of shepherds!
Is the above what they actually experienced? The trouble is that the shepherds have all bought new clothes for Christmas and the sheep have just returned from winning prizes at the Bethlehem Country Show.
It was not like that.
And what did the "Heavenly Host" actually look like?.jpeg)
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When God manifests himself physically on earth we can only struggle to express the super natural event in words. The Nativity remains the easiest to understand, thanks, in part, to writer Luke and the shepherds.
Maybe this is better ...
Whatever, it is no wonder the Angel told them not to be afraid!
So they left their sheep, thus risking dismissal or even the death penalty; it is clear that something very special must have happened.
So they went to the stable/cattle shed/cave to meet the Christ Child.
So momentous, so miraculous, so messianic! And so often pictured totally wrongly.
We can get rid of the Magi as they came about two years later and visited the house where the toddler Jesus was lodging.
The star can go, because it has't come yet!
Angels never appeared in any format the stable/cattle shed/cave.
And the shepherds went to Bethlehem, leaving their flocks, so no ovine visitors to Jesus!
No, it wasn't pretty - but it was magnificent.
You couldn't make it up! The Son of God is first to be greeted by the lowest echelon of humanity, setting a precedent for Jesus to come to the aid of hose low in status, low in self esteem and brought low m circumstance.
THE REAL
CHRISTMAS
STARTS
JUST AFTER
MIDNIGHT
TONIGHT
There will be a highly intellectual (?) Christmastime Quiz as part of tomorrow's blog.
Next CHRIST-mas Day blog : Thurs 25 Dec
Shepherds Well signal box closed at Christmas 2011, as part of the East Kent Resignalling Scheme. I think it was later moved to somewhere on the East Kent Railway, but can't find any photographic evidence.
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