Sunday, 28 December 2025

Christmas Re-Cap : Victoria (2)

 A Tour Of The Station

The above 3D graphic shows the main Nottingham Victoria station entrance, plus the station hotel on the right. 

Entering the station you would find the main booking office at street level.
Before we move into the station proper entering on the western side of the site, it should be noted that there was another entrance. This was from Upper Parliament Street on the south ...
... where the arched entrance ...
... led to steps down to the two island platforms.
Beyond the entrance you could just glimpse the southern tunnel entrance ...
... which led to the Market Cross Junction where the GNR line branched off aiming for Grantham. Both these locations are totally obliterated by modern construction.

From the main entrance, however, a huge footbridge led to the platforms.
Here it is for real.
There was another footbridge but it did not serve the station.
It was a public right of way running east west and replacing some of the many streets that existed before the station was ever imagined! Again here it is for real.
Here is another view showing the footway passing through the station buildings.
There were two blocks of offices and public facilities on both of the island platforms ...
... separated by the main foot bridge.
 Here is a station plan spun through 90 degrees with north on the left. But it may help our readers post celebratory minds grasp something of the site's geography!
Reading from left to right (north to south) we have a road bridge over the bay platforms, the east west through foot way bridge, the stations footbridge and, far right, Upper Parliament Street.

Seemples?

Nottingham Victoria was a magnificent station, far more grandiose that Midland and a real tribute to those who conceived and built the Great Central Railway.

But long before Richard Beeching was up to his fun and games, the line and all its stations had been deliberately run down by British Railways in favour of the Midland main line and the West Coast main line.

It is a salutary though that, had the cut-back plans been completed, only the West Coast main line out of Euston would have survived with former Great western routes from Snow Hill transferred to New Street and Midland main line trains diverted into Euston or routed to Kings Cross.
If the Great Central had not been removed from the railway map of the UK, might the route have been developed as a much cheaper option for High Speed 2?

The route was engineered for the high speed of the day with easy curves and gentle inclines - it would have been a good start!

Just for completeness, Nottingham Victoria station had sidings ...
... and its very own turntable!
Yes, it was a station to be proud of!

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 U ltimate  U nderstanding

Quirky Answer : All things work together for those who love God and are fitting in with His plans. Again, God is not a slot machine; to gain his forgiveness we have to make every attempt to do things his way. Lasting, nay ever lasting Good only comes if we do not neglect the often ignored last bit of the quote!

It comes from Paul's Letter to the Romans; some churches use the word "Epistle", which is a little used old fashioned word for, erm, 'letter'!
Paul wrote many, many letters to encourage the early Christians as the church grew dramatically. He also aimed to help those recipients with their problems and provide an antidote to some of the destructive disagreements that will always plague any organisation. His encouragement and advice was circulated widely amongst the various growing churches in the Mediterranean Lands.
Some were written to individuals whilst other leaders' letters were also collected together and later added to the Bible.
The advice and encouragements, plus a good dollop of correction are still valued today,

They really do help. How about this extract from Romans Chapter 8 to move is on from the joys of CHRIST-mas and provide a good start to 2026.
These books of The New Testament offer the ultimate understanding of how Christianity works.

Quirky Question : What do these four have in common?
The answer will involve tomorrows A to Z!

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  Next Victoria blog : Mon 29th Dec 

Saturday, 27 December 2025

Christmas Re-Cap : Victoria (1)

 
The above old street map shows the relationship between the existing Nottingham station (formerly Nottingham Midland) which lies at the bottom of the map. The former Great Central route crosses the Midland, running south to north. Curving in from the east is the former Great Northern Railway route, arriving from Grantham and points even further east, like Skeggy.

Victoria station would have celebrated its 125th anniversary this year had the line and station survived total excision.

In an earlier blog, fbb wrote that there was now no sign of the station facilitates except the clock tower. But was this correct?
Above we see the main entrance with 'porte cochere', the tower and the Station Hotel peeping in on the right. Today's views are obscured but improved by trees with the tower visible from a bit further north ...
... and the former hotel, still intact but repurposed as shops and offices ...
... but still recognisable. It is seen below through the remnants of the 'porte cochere' as demolition of the entrance building was underway.
One addition built later than the view of the original forecourt above was this "retail unit", seemingly a newsagent's business for the city rather than at platform level.
But, as demolition proceeded, only the tower stood firm as a reminder of past glories.
Local folk watched in amazement, anticipation or regret as new buildings surrounded their old friend.
But, perhaps fbb was right? If we take to Google Earth 3D view ...
... we can spot the tower and the former hotel. But if we zoom out ...
... the station site itself is obliterated by a shopping centre, car park, and some very unattractive tower blocks.

In tomorrow's blog, fbb will take his readers on a brief tour of the station at platform level.

In the meantime ...

Exciting Railway Room Improvements
As the move from back yard to attic room progressed, it was obvious that the lighting in the roof was totally inadequate. No 1 son, who is far less inclined to bodge than his much-loved papa, installed some new bright LED strip-lights.

But the switch was on a plug socket distant from the door and awkward of access.
It now has a radio controlled plug socket. Its "switch" is affixed with BluTac to the wall above the conventional on/off toggle thing ...
Press the black "on" button; there follows an audible click from behind and below the layout after which the room is fully illuminated. That's one less anguish for the nearly 81 year old. Thanks to No 1 son for the advice!

Bliss!

THESE BLOGS HAVE REPLACED
THE TRADITIONAL WEEKEND
VARIETY CONTENT

They were more fully prepared and
Boxing Day required more naps
after traditionsl launching for guests 
on "The Big Day"

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 T ravels and  T roubles

Quirky Answer : What did Paul "shake off" as he made his way to Rome?
(a) a violent attacker
 (b) a snake 
(c) a bad cold

Paul was recovering from his shipwreck and warming (and drying?)himself at a camp fire on the island of Malta. A snake nipped out of the brushwood and attached itself to Paul's hand.
His companions were expecting him to die, but he shook the snake off his hand and into the fire. 
As he had survived, they thought he was a god, but Paul explained that he was an ordinary bloke but God (with capital G) had protected him.

This is typical of the adventures the early followers (The Apostles) had as they preached the message of repentance and forgiveness.

We hear about Peter, Philip, the martyrdom of Stephen ...
... Luke, Timothy, Lydia and many other women.

One of the big events turns out to be the "Conversion" of Saul, Christian hater, persecutor and official Christian basher with the blessing of the Jewish authorities. His encounter with God on the road to Damascus ...
... turns him into Paul, an initially mistrusted exponent of the Christian Gospel and, later, one of its most powerful missionaries and writers. 

But do not be deceived. 

The persecution of Christians continued throughout the period of the book of Acts - and it continues today with even more intensity than 2000 years ago.
But there is real life in the Book Of Acts, the second part of Gospel author Like's writing. It is the early days of Christianity, warts and all. There is no "Religious Hype", no soppy sentimentality. It is challenging, gutsy and entirely believable - because it happened that way.

A person approaching Faith with cynicism should read the Book of Acts.

It is a very real eye-opener

If you want theological writing with a very practical purpose, you should read Paul's letter to the Romans. It is a good bit harder on the brain!

Quirky Question : Complete this Bible quotation:-
All things work together for those who love God ...

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  Next Victoria blog : Sun 29th Dec 

Friday, 26 December 2025

Public Transport Christmas : A P.S.

Three Gifts?

Here the Magi, having survived a long, tiring and dusty journey on their NON-camels, are still wearing their pristine robes as they offer gifts to the NON-baby at the NON-stable! The picture  below is better.
So fbb wondered whether he could find any transport "links" to those three gifts.

There was GOLD, a gift for a king and useless for a toddler.

Soon there will be a station at GOLDborne (a k a GOLBORNE) ...
... on the West Coast main line south of Wigan. Here there are four tracks and Golborne station ...
... will be on the slow lines.

There was INCEnse a gift for a priest and used in Temple ceremonies.
It was a resin which, when heated, gave off a pungent but not unpleasant pong. The idea was that it symbolised the purity of worship and the cleansing power of Almighty God. It was, effectively, religious air freshener.

INCE is a station on the line between Wigan and Manchester. 
It has an impressive entrance archway ...
... which leads to an open footbridge ...
... and the obligatory bus shelter on an island platform.
Once upon a time its facilities were luxurious by comparison!

MYRRH is also a resin, mainly used crushed or in tincture form for purifying and embalming dead bodies.
"Here," toddler Jesus, "have some embalming fluid. Keep it safe as you will need it in about 30 years." 

Some gift, eh?

The Magi were in the business of seeking guidance about the future and they knew from their studies (See Isaiah Chapter 53) what the child's destiny would be. And we know as well!

MYRRHfield (a k a Mirfield) is in West Yorkshire and is on one of the main trans-Pennine routes now undergoing a massive upgrade.  (see map below, located between Dewsbury and Huddersfield.)
Mirfield used to be a "real" station with a significant overall roof.
It gained an extra platform in a more recent but previous upgrade ...
... and is now (or will be) the proud owner of a new footbridge with lifts.
An impression from above suggests a hole in the main platforms ...
... presumably to improve the ambience under the low bridge. It certainly needed it!
It looks as if the hole was always there but it has been made more open and therefore brighter!

One delight at Mirfield is two murals under the bridge.
fbb wonders which rail company sponsored the artistic embellishment?
Anyway, well done whoever done it and whoever paid for it!

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 S trength from the  S pirit

Quirky Question : What is a Paraclete? Is it Greek for ...
(a) an advocate
(b) a counsellor 
(c) a helper
Answer below

In everyday life we have Petroleum Spirit ...
... which provides power for the internal combustion engine.

We also have alcoholic spirits ...
... which are often used by drinkers to give their personal "power" a boost, a false power which soon evaporates!

Some feel the need to explore "The Spirit World", seeking explanation, in the occult, of the whys and wherefores of life. 
It always lets them down.

Fifty days after Jesus rose from the tomb came the Jewish festival of Pentecost. It was at this festival, in a very busy and crowded Jerusalem, that the early followers of Jesus received The Holy Spirit. This, said those who observed it, was like tongues of flame settling on each person there.
Millions of Christians have experienced this gift from God and they haven't looked like human candles!

But God's spirit has powered their human engine, helping them go just a little bit deeper in their relationship with their Heavenly Father.

Unlike alcoholic spirits, God's spirit provides a real strength in adversity and will never evaporate.

God's Holy Spirit never lets the recipeint down.

Of course, the gift from God does assume that the recipient is seeking to live a life by God's standards, a life that seeks forgiveness from God for failure and offers a positive act of repentance in return.

God is not a slot machine!

Quirky Answer : It can mean all three. In the Bible it is sometimes used as an alternative word for The Holy Spirit.

Quirky Question : What did Paul "shake off" as he made his way to Rome?
(a) a violent attacker
(b) a snake
(c) a bad cold

Answer tomorrow

P.S. In the UK, Pentecost is called Whitsun; White clothing Sunday.
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  Next Variety blog : Sat 27th Dec