Two Splendid Pictures

Facebook is a great source of local photographs,   Here are a coup[le which took my eye today.
First, one of the Malham Peregrines.  These magnificent birds seem to thrive in the Malham area, about seven miles from us as the crow (or the peregrine) flies.  Slightly Spitfire-like in shape and built for much the same purpose:

And a super panorama of Ribblehead taken by British Transport Police who had been alerted by a train driver of trespassers on the Ribblehead Viaduct.   Those particular birds had flown by the time the BTP got there but the took this stunning picture from above the Ribblehead - Ingleton Road.   The viaduct is centre right and the course of the line north is plain to see until it plunges into Blea Moor Tunnel under the foothills of Whernside.

Both pictures well worth enlarging

Final Steels Made

Some very reassuring evidence of unseen progress being made off-site:

These are the massively strong steel columns that will support the southern end of the structure impressively aloft.

waiting for galvanising and bringing to site.

 On the experience of the earlier steels everything should be millimetre  perfect.   When these are in place - very soon* - we shall have a far better idea of the shape and size of things.   The floor and walls are also being made.  * Delivered to site next week in fact!

 

Commentating

Interesting day yesterday (Bank Holiday Monday).  I had drawn the short straw and found myself at the microphone describing the sights of the S&C to 400 people on a seriously big double-headed 'proper' train from Didcot to Appleby (long story).

For once the mouthpiece and the PA system worked perfectly for 11/12ths of the carriages.  No dried spit and digestive biscuit crumbs in the microphone this time - Pathfinder trains efficiency.

Only trouble was the location of the apparatus.  It and I were in a cupboard in coach 4 with limited views to the right of the train only.  Imagination and recall were required for the views to the left!  Here is the train approaching Cragg Hill Farms between Hellwith Bridge and Horton-in-Ribblesdale:

https://twitter.com/i/status/1166213787684413440

Police Humour

We were talking about social media the other day.  You can pick and choose what interests you so you get a just-about-personalised daily news bulletin.

Among my interests is Police Humour* - an essential ingredient of a sometimes distressing and dangerous job.   Here's an example:

BTP Lancashire

@BTPLancs

· Aug 23

Yesterday's suspect interview went exactly as expected - "No comment" in response to every question. As we were in the process of booking him out of custody he asked... Him

"What time's my next train home?" Me

"No comment." At least it made the solicitor smile!

^SgtG

BTP by the way is British Transport Police. SgtG is David Grant, the S&C's 'Sherrif'.

*Many examples of police humour are definitely not fit for this, or any other, public Blog!

Emergency Rations

No, we are not stockpiling ahead of no-deal Brexit.  Pat has to have an operation on her right foot* when the waiting list has taken its course.  When that happens she will be laid up for some weeks with her foot in a pot which raises some practical questions, not least cooking and eating.   My culinary skills are limited to the microwave so we thought it might be good to try a test batch of those ready-meals for the elderly - the things that look so appealing in those whole-page advertisements in the newspapers.

You know full well that despite references to them being 'home cooked' they are made on an  industrial scale and the gloop comes out of an enormous vat the size of a concrete mixer lorry.

Well, our test-batch arrived yesterday - our own selection from an admittedly wide menu including Mediterranean, Indian and Chinese dishes.  Allegedly.

We shall report here in due course.

* It's not all bad news.  That's the one she kicks with.

Summer is Back

Busy day yesterday.   I have been working for a while with the Cotswold Line Promotion Group (CLPG) who are running a special train over the S&C on Monday.  The train will stop for 30 minutes at Settle whilst they unveil a plaque to their founder chairman, Oliver Lovell who was a source of valuable advice when the S&C was under threat of closure in the 1980s.

Oliver left a substantial bequest to FoSCL to be used on the S&C for the benefit of passengers which resulted in two new waiting shelters, at Settle and Appleby. 

Plaques will be unveiled at both shelters so somebody had to fix them in place.   That somebody was me, yesterday.   That involved a train trip to Appleby with just a 20 minute window before the return train from Carlisle for Settle.  I only just made it too!   The southbound train pulled in while I was tightening the final screw.  Then I had to scoop up the tools and bits and pieces before dashing from the shelter, on the opposite side from the train.

Fortunately, the driver saw and recognised me, put two and two together and held the train.   As it happened the crowded train made good time and when we got to Garsdale it had to wait for five minutes or so to keep to its slack timetable.   I had plonked myself on the jump seat in the guards lobby and the door was left open whilst the guard went for a stroll in the sunshine, enabling me to get this picture of Ruswarp, still loyally on watch:

A fraught morning therefore so I treated myself to a siesta in the afternoon, followed by a sunny sit-out on the roof with a well deserved cuppa.  Note the name on my favourite mug:

Must have been up there for a couple of hours, watching the comings and goings at the station and the sun going down over the Bowland Fells, by which time the tea had turned to wine.  Miraculous.

The Green Green Grass of Home

Nature has a way of emphasising delay, especially here!  The inevitable first practical stage of our building work was ground clearance and bringing the challenging site to accurately specified levels.  Then digging foundations.

This produced a good deal of spoil in the form of massive boulders, clay subsoil and topsoil.   These three elements were skilfully segregated and stored on site awaiting planned replacement to create what we hope will be a very beautiful garden.

Meanwhile mother nature has rolled up her sleeves and the topsoil mound especially has blossomed:

I had a nightmare last night during which Triffids had taken over the site.   I may just tackle the topsoil mound in the way that farmers do so that Jim the digger driver can at least see it! then put it, and the boulders back on the banking.   This, besides restoring my sleep pattern will enable access to The Sidings entrance for large deliveries of construction components.

Those heavy and bulky items need to be got into place on top of the steelwork somehow.   I have a cunning plan . . . . .