Review of 2024 : May

May was quite a busy month, the process of updating my photos of Warwickshire's railway stations hit high gear. We started off with a trip to Wood End, Tanworth and Danzey. There was a visit to Liverpool next, staying in the south of the city for a change.

Then came the big one, Polesworth! Polesworth railway station has only one train a day, and very early in the day it runs too. I had to get to Nuneaton by just after 6am to catch the only train to Polesworth that day. I was the only passenger who got off too, so on the 16th of May 2024 i was Polesworth station's only patron. A pretty surreal experience.

Then came the Severn Valley Railway diesel gala, always one of the year's highlights. Finally, i returned to Guildford for some more travelling around Surrey. A two day trip which helped me tick off quite a few stations.

Song of the month was "like a child" by Sferro X Tommy 96 featuring Mecha Maiko.

Church update : St Peter & St Paul, King's Sutton

I last visited King's Sutton a number of years ago, the church of St Peter and St Paul was just #9 in the Churches series back in 2017! On my previous visit i had not been able to get too close due to a dog in the churchyard which had barked at me aggressively! Luckily on my return trip a short while ago the dog was not around!

So, I was able to take a much better look at this fine church with it's tall spire including inside the church which is also in good condition.

Dialing a 706L

The second GPO 706L dialphone i have received actually has a working dial unlike the first, so how about some retro dialing action?

The Beaver is built

Project #110, a De Havilland Canada Beaver has now been completed (well once the varnish applied earlier dries). It has turned out pretty well apart from a semi-nightmare with the decals. That means i have now completed three model projects this year but the aim is to get a fourth done before the end of the year. So, i will need to start that pretty soon.

Review of 2024 : April

The Spring and early Summer tends to be my busiest time for travelling about. In April i started with a trip to the Birmingham Museum's depot where most of their collection is stored. I made another trip to London, ticking off stations along the Hammersmith & City Line in west London.

After this i returned to one of my favourite places, Wootton Wawen, to update my photographs of the station (mostly). Finally, i went to Bingham in Nottinghamshire.

A big project was kicked off in April, no not my next book (yet) but Project Deblogification (in fact the actual code name was Project Rhapsody though this was never publicised anywhere, until now anyway). This was an effort to transfer content from most of my blogs to a dedicated website. A lot of work was involved but was completed by the end of the Summer.

Song of the month was "ultraviolet" by Michaela May.

Warwickshire Places (29) : Radford Semele

Radford Semele is a village in central Warwickshire to the east of Leamington Spa.

Remains of a Roman villa have been found close to the village indicating habitation in the area for some time. The village is named for the Saint-Pierre-de-Semilly family of Normandy who were lords of the manor in the early Norman period.

The parish church of St Nicholas dates the 12th century. The church was nearly destroyed by a fire in 2008 which left only the tower and the shell of the main building remaining. The church has now been rebuilt. Another old building in Radford Semele which was nearly lost was the 16th century pub the White Lion which was badly damaged in 2006 in another fire. The pub has also now been restored.

Review of 2024 : March

My book was officially out and about, and my publisher asked me if i would like to do a follow-up, on the railway stations of Warwickshire. Naturally i said yes and began to immediately set about updating my images of Warwickshire's stations starting with Earlswood. I managed to make it down to the Marston Vale Line, finally after February's train failure, and was able to tick off Lidlington.

Next was a trip to London, i based my trip around Wimbledon and some good time on the London trams. Then came a trip to Stratford, i was able to update my images at Stratford Parkway though bad weather and a flooded towpath meant i had to abandon part 2 of my plan.

Then at the end of the month it was time for a big trip away. Armed with a Kennet Day Ranger i visited many stations around Reading and Newbury. I also visited the Kennet & Avon Canal and had a look around Reading and a couple of places in Berkshire too.

After the set back in February, March was back to being a busy month. I also built the board for my next generation model railway layout, though as yet in early December the track has not been finalised or nailed down. Part of the reason for this delay was the big new project i began in April...

Song of the month was "timeline" by The Ice Choir.

Church update : All Saints, Oakham

Returning to Oakham this year i had the opportunity to revisit the fine church of All Saints. I was able to go inside this time. Parts of the church date from the 13th century though most of the main church is 15th and is in very good condition. The font though is 13th century. 

Review of 2024 : February

January has therefore been a rollicking start to the year but at the end of the month things changed. I was afflicted with Bell's Palsy, which is a condition where half of your face is paralysed. It didn't hurt but wasn't very nice (eating and drinking was certainly an adventure). Luckily within a couple of weeks i was well on the way to recovery.

In early February i did a canal walk in Birmingham, visiting two canals. After that came my first attempt this year to visit the Marston Vale Line, it ended in failure when a train broke down. This wouldn't be the first time i had trouble visiting this long off distant and remote land in ..er.. Bedfordshire! I had more luck with visiting Landywood.

Later in the month i visited Congleton in Cheshire and the Macclesfield Canal. Following that was a trip to Kirkby-in-Ashfield though my trip was curtailed by another train failure, i certainly wasn't having much luck this month! Finally, on leap day i went to Derby.

My book was officially released this month though i did not see it in a shop until March. Song of the month was "ocean" by Jessie Frye.

A little trip to the Tower

I went down to London at the weekend, mostly it was to see my in-laws before Christmas but i also had time to finally track down the Roman wall fragment i had failed to find earlier in the year (though i had actually been very close to it!) I also took some photos of the Tower of London. You can see my photos here.

Warwickshire Places (28) : Clifford Chambers

The village of Clifford Chambers is a mile and a half south of Stratford-upon-Avon. Until 1931 it was part of Gloucestershire.

The village has Saxon origins, land was granted at Clifford by the Bishops of Worcester in the early 10th century. Clifford manor was later granted to Gloucester Abbey and was given to the Chamberlain of the Abbey, hence the Chambers part of the name. The manor was later owned by the Rainford family, Sir Henry Rainford was known for his love of poetry, writers including William Shakespeare visited him.

The parish church of St Helen is Norman, there being records of a priest in Clifford Chambers since 1086. The church was rebuilt and enlarged in the 12th century, the tower being added in the 14th.

Clifford Chambers has remained a small village with a population of only 325 in 1951 and 418 in 2001. The village has a single pub and has a garden centre nearby. 

Review of 2024 : January

It is that time of year again, as December comes and the end of the year is in sight and so it is time to look back over the last twelve months. Being a traditional sort of gent i will start in January...

The year began with a trip to Merseyside to check off a few more stations. Next i headed to Wales (just about) to visit the Llangollen Canal for the first time in Chirk. This was followed by a trip to Northampton and then finally i went to Wrenbury in Cheshire, and another stretch of the Llangollen!

The highlight of the month was receiving the advance copies of my first published book, it was such a thrill to hold in my hands a book i had written and created.

So, a good start to the year but things were about to take a downward turn! Song of the month was "both sides" by Yatte.

Churches (245) : St Peter, Maney

The church of St Peter, Maney on the edge of Sutton Coldfield dates from 1905 replacing an earlier iron church (not on the same site). The church was expanded in 1935 which is also when the tower was built. The church has a nave with north and south aisles and transepts. There is also a sanctuary under a five sided apse.

The church is built from red brick with a buff terracotta dressing.

Brown Beaver

The latest model kit project is a De Havilland Canada Beaver and it is now at the painting stage. Hopefully this will soon become the third completed project of the year (which isn't bad considering how long it took me to do the first this year!)

Freight at Acton Bridge

A freight train heads through.

Millbrook and Marston Moretaine

Visiting the last two stations on the Marston Vale Line i had yet to tick off has been an epic struggle this year, at the weekend i finally completed the line (in other words visiting every station) on the fourth attempt this year! The first attempt was foiled by a broken down train on the way to Bletchley, i managed to tick off Lidlington earlier in the year on a second trip.

That just left Millbrook. My first attempt was cancelled after trains were suspended on the line, so at the weekend i tried again... and trains were suspended again! This time i decided to just take the rail replacement bus, hopefully i can visit again by train some day in the future.

Millbrook station is in a nice location in the valley in Bedfordshire, the village of Marston Moretaine being a short walk away. You can see my photos here.

Warwickshire Places (27) : Dunchurch

The village of Dunchurch is in the east of the county, south west of Rugby.

Dunchurch, then known as Don Cerce, was listed in the Domesday Book. The village was at the cross roads of two stage coach routes and three major roads, at one time there were twenty seven coaching inns in the village of which two survive today as inns. Amongst the people who stayed in Dunchurch were the Gunpowder plotters in 1605. They waited at a coaching inn for news of Guy Fawkes successful destruction of Parliament. The former inn is now known as Guy Fawkes House.

Dunchurch's location and transport links meant it was one of the most important settlements in eastern Warwickshire, though the coming of the railways saw Rugby eclipse it in size and importance.

The parish church dedicated to St Peter dates from 13th century but was rebuilt in the 14th century with little remaining of the original church apart from one of the chancel walls. The tower was added in the 15th.