Return to Coventry

I returned to Coventry this weekend, though unlike the visit a week before, i left the station this time and did some sight seeing in the fine city including the magnificent cathedral. I also was able to check out the Coventry Very Light Rail system which is on test. You can see my photos here.

Stoneleigh 701

My first time seeing a 701 out in the wild (i did see one Derby on a delivery trip a few years ago), also the first time i have travelled on one too.

Modern Collins (14) : Gothic Pursuit

Another of the Tim Simpson series of stories by John Malcolm mixing art and furniture history with amateur detective work. In this story the hunt for a rare piece of furniture designed by a well known 19th century architect leads to a number of murders.

A fun and easy read on the whole and a well structured story, though sometimes the art and design history can make your eyes glaze over a bit (and i like history!)

776

Another dialphone has joined the collection, a fine but slightly shabby GPO 776. This was the last dialphone designed by the Post Office and was the first intended principally for the residential instead of the business market. After this BT (as they became) would go push-button only on their new telephone models leaving this model as a final last gasp of a more civilised age.

Coventry and Walsall rails

Over the last few months i have been trying to visit nearly every railway station in the West Midlands so i can update my photography ready for my forthcoming book. I have nearly finished that now with very few stations remaining after i visited Coventry and Walsall at the weekend. I think i have all of the photography i need now. The aim is to get the book completed by the end of this month and do plenty of checking before it is submitted to the publisher at the end of next month. You can see my photos here.