Another trip down South, meaning another morning change of trains at Leeds station — so many shots have been taken here. I like the general pinkness of this shot and the everyday stance of the two human subjects. Mundane it may be, but attractive, I think.
A day early too. We all need a break — me, him and indeed the trains, which stop running into Manchester for the next 10 days, just for the hell of it really. Who cares: I’m now off work until the 4th April. Happy Easter.
Still occasionally to be seen on small, provincial British railways. This monster bombed through Hebden Bridge station slightly in advance of the 8:05 to Manchester, headed for unknown places.
Part of the reason I have felt uninspired lately is that I’ve been spending too many days at home, not going out. Also that the light has been very poor — I swear we’ve had half a dozen sunny days at most since the start of November. But both of those things changed for the better this very pleasant afternoon when I managed a stroll along the canal bank. Much of the towpath is still closed because of flood damage but this section, at the Callis Wood bottom lock, is still open.
This rail bridge takes the train (in this case a freight) between Manchester Piccadilly and Manchester Oxford Road stations. The building in the background is the Faraday building, late of the University but now empty and awaiting demolition. I like the general drabness of this shot — very January, although it was a sunny and crisp day today.
Although this is timed as very early in the morning, technically this the latest picture of all 1,598 so far — because this is still ‘Friday night’. Hey, it was a good evening… but you don’t get to see any pictures of it I’m afraid.
By many reckonings, the University of Cambridge is considered the best in the world. Today was my first-ever visit there, and what struck me is that it’s so goddamn small. Even Oxford feels like a city, but this place is just a little town in the Fens. Beautiful though, even on another grey January day (I’ve literally seen ten minutes of sunshine all year thus far). I thought I might struggle to catch a photo of a punt, but there were loads of them on the River Cam, including two for the price of one in this shot. Tourists on the right, but the guy on the left does look as if he is just using the punt as your basic local transport option.
I have a day’s work to do down south tomorrow, and it was easier (and cheaper) to travel down this afternoon rather than getting up at 6am tomorrow morning. Though as my single-serving companion reflects, it’s still a good opportunity to grab a kip, even if one is trying to do some work on the Mac, while drinking a glass of wine (note: wine not paid for by British taxpayer).
After two blissful days working at home, welcome back to sodding Northern Rail’s dreadful recent performance on the Calderdale line. Just to put this in perspective, over the last two weeks I have lost a total of 7 hours of my life to delays — that’s a whole working day. This is how it feels.
The run ends, as I finally get out somewhere, after 29 days spent only at home or in Manchester. One reason this happened was that the weather through November has been very poor and prevented me from getting up to the Lakes for a walk, but finally we had a decent day today and I managed to bag my last two Wainwrights — the story of which will be up later tonight on my other blog. This involved a long journey round to the other side of Cumbria, hence my presence at Carlisle station early this morning (well, it’s early if you have to get to Carlisle from Yorkshire, anyway).
Being 42 