The Railway pub was shut for nearly a year after being mostly destroyed in the flood of 26th December 2015. It has reopened in what feels like a few separate stages; the latest arriving today, when seating finally made a reappearance out at the front. Matt enjoys this fresh luxury, while trying not to mark his coat on the wet paint of the new battleship grey facade.
I did say there was going to be little to get excited about this weekend (or for the next few days, come to that). In fact this picture is taken in the same place as yesterday’s. Warmth like this was much needed today, a grey, chilly day. About that point in the winter where you really start getting fed up with it.
It’s nice to travel, but it’s also nice to come home. So the family can feature on the blog for the first time for a while (as a duo, anyway). Not much is going to happen in the next few days, and it doesn’t look like we can expect the sun out, so I foresee more of this kind of thing.
We approach the anniversary of last year’s floods on December 26th, which took out most of Hebden Bridge’s town centre. Prior to that, this place, the Railway pub, had probably featured at least once a month for the four and a half years I’d been doing it, so say about 50 times…. But none since 22/12/15. I think this has been the last of all the businesses in the town to reopen after that day, but here you are…. One year to the day since last we drank there. Welcome back.
Since the Boxing Day floods took out 95% of the town centre four months ago, five of Hebden Bridge’s pubs have reopened: the White Lion (which never shut), the Old Gate, the Crown, the Trades Club and the Fox and Goose. However, this leaves seven that remain closed: the White Swan, the Shoulder of Mutton, Nelson’s, the Sports & Social, Stubbing Wharf, the Albert and the one that I and many friends feel most keenly, the Railway. Martin and Shelley, pictured here, are members of the Railway diaspora, drinkers in exile (in this case in the Old Gate). Perhaps we will all return home some time soon but to be honest at the moment there is little sign of it.
My boot. The pub bench (illuminated by the yellow of the sodium streetlights and the green of the traffic light just down the road). My Xmas break, 11 days off work now. Hurrah!
Took Clare out tonight as it is her birthday tomorrow. Proof I am not normally the dirty-stop-out type comes by noting this is the latest shot in any given day for three months, since 24th July. But the clocks went back last night, it was dark by 5pm so I have to get used to shooting in low light again.
A last burst of September sun illuminates the tables outside the Railway, typical haunt of a Friday evening after work, where the accumulated clientele ponder their forthcoming weekends. Steve makes at least his 7th appearance on this blog and is the most-featured individual outside (in this order) Joe, Clare and myself. Which is a sign that we’re often in the same place — the aforementioned Railway…
To help with the fundraising aspect of the Kilimanjaro walk (I’ve been raising money for the Calder Valley Search and Rescue team, if you’d like to help), my local, the Railway, had an afternoon of fun and frolics. It was Keith’s idea to set up the stocks (a pound for three throws) — he went in first, therefore. But I did get wet myself…
Three days of work to go. For me, that is. This is how I feel.
Being 42 