Category Archives: Transport

The track inspectors

Monday 5th September 2016, 9.35am (day 1,838)

Track inspection, 5/9/16

I have developed this theory that, if I just acquire a hi-vis uniform, I will be able to go anywhere, do anything. I will be able to walk past “Authorised Personnel Only” signs with impunity, throw breaker switches, close public highways. I just need to swathe myself in fluorescent orange or green and it will all be possible.

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On the Tagus

Saturday 30th July 2016, 2.40pm (day 1,801)

On the Tagus, 30/7/16

The River Tagus (in Portuguese, Rio Tejo) rises in Spain and flows west, splitting Portugal in half as it heads for the Atlantic. A few miles from the ocean, the estuary becomes very broad, but then narrows again, making an excellent natural harbour and explaining why there has been a city here since antiquity. In the background of this shot is the Torre de Belém, one of Lisbon’s most famous buildings.

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Platform 2, Victoria station

Wednesday 20th July 2016, 2.35pm (day 1,791)

Platform 2, 20/7/16

Still hot — and still schlepping into Manchester most of the week on non-air-conditioned trains. The summer holiday approaches, but it’s not here yet.

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Turn right

Monday 18th July 2016, 6.00pm (day 1,789)

Turn right, 18/7/16

No political message intended. Anyway it isn’t about ‘left’ versus ‘right’ any more, it’s progress v regress, peace v hate, war and death. Which side are you on, really?

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Brickadilly Station

Saturday 2nd July 2016, 1.05pm (day 1,773)

Brickadilly, 2/7/16

As made of Lego and pictured at “Bricktastic 2016” in Manchester, to which Joe and I accompanied Clare for our day out today — and this was very definitely her gig (for reasons that might be obvious if you have seen her own daily photo blog). She won the star prize in the raffle, too — a £170-worth Lego kit for a £2 ticket, not bad going. I like this photo of a Lego version of Manchester Piccadilly station thanks to the two guys in the background trying to get their own shot of it. I wonder if I was in the way.

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Heading home, Piccadilly Line

Saturday 21st May 2016, 10.30am (day 1,731)

Hatton Cross tube, 21/5/16

After a very good evening, the mundanity of the Tube station on a Saturday morning, first leg of the journey back home.

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Gate 49

Sunday 8th May 2016, 12.55pm (day 1,718)

Departure lounge, 8/5/16

In the first 1,520 days of the blog, that is, up until my return from Estonia last October, 341 of the pictures were taken outside the UK, around 22.5% of them. However, in the 196 days since, only five of them have been (on my trip to Norway in January). Whether this marks a sustained change in my travel habits is hard to say, for various reasons there probably will be fewer trips coming up but it is impossible to say for sure. Anyway — off today — as to where, you can find out tomorrow. At least it wasn’t a very early start, though this doesn’t seem to have made any difference to the guy stretched out on the seats.

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The hi-vis team

Friday 6th May 2016, 8.40am (day 1,716)

Track team, 6/5/16

it’s the ‘men at work’ post number n+1. All credit to them though, whatever they were doing not a single train through Hebden Bridge station was late this morning, and we have eight an hour in all directions.

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Waiting for the London train

Friday 29th April 2016, 7.00pm (day 1,709)

Leeds station, 29/4/16

The pattern of photos on this blog is a simple reflection of my life. So as I spend a healthy proportion of my time in railway stations, there are a lot of photos of railway stations. Two in a row with this one and its nice lines and patterns. Like this woman Clare and I too were waiting for the evening train to London, in our case for a night out. I do have a social life you know.

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Manchester tram, Aytoun Street

Thursday 21st April 2016, 8.40am (day 1,701)

Manchester tram, 21/4/16

I cannot think of anything much to say about this photo today, although I quite like it. Clare, sat by me at this point, says however that she likes ‘the pinks, the blues and the purples’, so now you know what she thinks, anyway.

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