Staying in sunny Solihull

After a number of longer range rail adventures recently I decided to keep it pretty local this week. I work in Solihull (though over by the airport) but have never travelled there on the train so did so yesterday and had a look around the town centre including the rather nice parish church. You can see my photos here.

BGLR : Tourist train

This week a new coach arrived, now coaching stock is not in short supply at Birches Green but this one is the first of three tourist coaches. It is four-wheeled unlike the others which have bogies. Very nice it looks too. Maybe next year it will get a steam locomotive to haul it too...

The sad end of Ian Allan Birmingham

It is Spock (the Vulcan) who said "All things must end." and indeed is the case with the Ian Allan bookshop in Birmingham which will close next weekend. This is very sad for me as Ian Allan was not a normal shop in many ways. A specialist transport and military bookshop, it was regularly visited by myself and my best friend in our teens. It was the highlight of our weekends (this was before we discovered girls of course).

Indeed I have been going to the shop since the mid-1980s (albeit in it's previous location where the Birmingham New Street entrance is now). I have bought hundreds of books from there, many of which I still own.

Below is the first book I ever bought from Ian Allan on Electric Locomotives which I bought as my interest in railways first began when I was a schoolboy in the mid-1980s. Next to it are the last two books I bought last weekend. Inbetween are many many books and many many memories.

Castles (12) : Cardiff

Cardiff Castle is a well preserved castle. Located in the centre of the Welsh capital, the castle is a strong point which dates from a Norman motte and bailey castle in the eleventh century, which itself was built on the site of a Roman fort. Originally built from wood the castle was converted to stone in the twelfth century. With a shell keep and outer defensive walls erected.

The castle was at the forefront of conflict between the Anglo-Normans and the Welsh, the castle being stormed by Owain Glyndwr in 1404. The castle was heavily fortified and rebuilt in the fifteenth century but by the time of the English Civil War had lost much of it's military significance.

In the nineteenth century the castle was owned by the Marquesses of Bute who renovated the castle, replacing some of the medieval buildings to create a Georgian mansion. The mansion and it's ornate interior has been well preserved.

Hidden London Piccadilly Circus

Another weekend another trip to London. This was for a long planned Hidden London visit to abandoned tunnels on the London Underground though, at Piccadilly Circus to be precise. A wonderful visit to the hidden tunnels too. The station (the publically accessable parts that is) is described as the flagship station of the Underground and the Art Deco ticket hall is why. You can see my photos here (plus of some other exploration on  the Bakerloo Line).