Review of 2020 : Another year of rail travel

In 2019 i began to maintain a spreadsheet of the trains and operating companies i had travelled on throughout the year. Last year (2020) i managed to travel on one hundred and ninety trains which was pretty good going all considering (the total was two hundred and forty in 2019). These figures were for network mainline trains only so not including preserved railways or the London Underground (though moot in the case of 2020 as i travelled on neither!)

So, here we are the graphs for traction and train operating companies in 2020, it can be compared with the graphs for 2019. West Midlands Railway and the Class 323 dominated, though as that is the train and company which operates from my local station Chester Road it is hardly surprising!

Review of 2020 : December

The final month of the year and with lockdown restrictions lifted the rail adventures could resume. They started with a trip to Leamington Spa, focusing on the parish church. Next was a trip to Nuneaton, a place i have visited before but never left the station, so i thought it was time to change that. The same could be said about the trip to Bromsgrove the week after, i headed into the town for the first time.

Following Christmas there was just enough time for a trip to Walsall before lockdown (in all but name) descended once again. When the 2021 adventures can begin is not yet known but they will, you can be sure of that!

Song of the month was "no need to hide" by Softwave. Artist of the year was Trevor Something. Let's do all this again next December.

Review of 2020 : Music A-Z

Our traditional end of year A-Z of the artists and bands we listened to this year.

Review of 2020 : November

November was the month of Lockdown 2.0, therefore rail adventures were put an end to. The only trip was a drive to Kingsbury with it's medieval church and manor house ruins. Most of my walking was in the local area, i did manage to see a rather spendid red Ford Cortina which bought back memories of the grey one my Dad used to have.

Other than that it was a blank month. Preparations for Christmas of course began. Song of the month was "miracle mile" by Ollie Wride.

Review of 2020 : October

With the lockdown storm clouds gathering again, October was a final chance for some major rail adventures. It was another busy month. Things started off with a trip to Stourbridge. Long Eaton was next including a trip to the town itself (which i didn't do on my previous trip) and another canal walk. I did another canal walk on my third trip to Rugeley of the year.

Next up was Kidderminster, to see the new station and also to visit the town itself. Obviously i have been here many times before but always for the SVR. This time i walked the canal in the town instead. I also returned to Hatton, to take some rail photographs with my Nikon DSLR. I also did a canal walk here too!

Beaconsfield was another place i returned to, this time walking to the Old Town. Finally there was a trip to Cheltenham, heavy rain did ruin the fun slightly but i would have plenty of time during Lockdown 2.0 to dry out!

Song of the month was "false reality" by Trevor Something.

Review of 2020 : September

The end of the Summer. Now as you may know, one of my blogs is on railway stations. To ensure the blog can keep going i need to visit a certain number of new stations a year. Originally my target was sixty but due to lockdown i revised that down to forty. I achieved this target (in fact reached forty one) with the trip to Liverpool as mentioned below.

The adventures this month began local with a trip to Acocks Green and the Jewellery Quarter in Birmingham. This all changed the week after with a trip to Church Stretton near the Welsh border which is reached via Shrewsbury. Then came the trip to Liverpool, to hoover up as many new stations as possible, and reach the target! Finally there was a trip to Warwick.

Song of the month was "we were young" by Prizm.

Review of 2020 : August

August was another busy month, the lesson to be learned from this year was to take the opportunities when they arose for you never knew what might happen next! The adventures began with a trip to Hereford and it's fine cathedral and churches. Another place with a fine church was Pershore and it's former abbey.

Next up was a trip to Hinckley in Leicestershire. Then came a trip to Longport in the North of Stoke-on-Trent including a canal walk. Another canal walk was done when i went to Five Ways. I also visited Widney Manor and Rugeley again. Finally there was a trip to Coseley and another canal walk!

Song of the month was "tranquillised" by Chatham Rise.

Review of 2020 : July

After the return to rail adventures last month, the floodgates truly opened in July. Things started with a trip to Oakengates in the North of Telford. A few days later there were trips to Tile Hill and Lye. I went to Rugeley for the first time, and also walked the canal there too.

Away from the rails i drove to the village of Berkswell (which isn't anywhere near the station of Berkswell i went to in June!) Later that month were trips to Hartlebury and to Winsford in Cheshire. July really was a case of making up for lost time.

One big event in July was the arrival of my new Mac mini, Emily, which finally allowed Miriam the Macbook to go into retirement after eight hard working years!

Song of the month was "unnoticed" by Nina.

Review of 2020 : June

The half-way point of a year, still in lockdown though the rules were loosening. A busy month began with a trip to Meriden, followed soon after by Harborne. My latest drive into Northern Warwickshire took me to Maxstoke and Fillongley. 

Then, suitably masked up of course, was the return to rail and a trip to Albrighton. It was good to be back into the rail adventures. I also visited Curdworth and made my second rail trip of the month to Berkswell station and Balsall Common.

Song of the month was "the vibe" by Yota.

Review of 2020 : May

Lockdown continued in May but the rules loosened by mid-month to allow for journeys by car. I started off though with a long walk, to Castle Bromwich. Once behind the wheel I did some exploring of North Warwickshire starting with a trip to see four churches in Water Orton, Shustoke, Over Whitacre and Nether Whitacre. Next i went to Polesworth which i had been planning to visit by car anyway, the town has a station but the service barely exists which means the only feasible way to stand on the platform is to drive to the station!

I also went to Lichfield, a place i have been to a number of times before but this time visited a number of churches and the cathedral. More churches were visited in Middleton, Wishaw and Canwell. Finally at the end of the month i drove to Brownhills.

It was great to spread my wings a bit (safely of course), i still missed the trains though i could feel the return to rail would come soon. Despite being at home all of the time i only started model building this month.

Song of the month was "Something is missing" by Softwave.

Review of 2020 : April

The first full month of lockdown, my first month without rail travel for years. The furthest i went in April was Four Oaks but i did do a lot of walking around the local area. I did some more walking along the Birmingham & Fazeley Canal in Erdington. Another local waterway i explored was the Plants Brook from Pype Hayes up to near it's source in Sutton Coldfield. 

So that was largely it, no railways. Though i did find a locomotive in Nechells now on display in the entrance to a scrapyard! I just stayed at home working, and finally watched all of Grey's Anatomy.

Song of the month was "empire of love" by Nina.

Review of 2020 : March

March is when lockdown hit, though the first half of the month proceeded as normal. I travelled to Worcestershire Parkway, at the time the newest railway station on the network, and the Worcestershire village of Norton nearby. The weekend before lockdown i went to the Carlton area of Nottingham. A couple of days later lockdown arrived and my railway adventures were put on hold until late June.

I did have a walk along the Birmingham & Fazeley Canal which is near my house. All journeys would be local for the time being. I've always wanted to try working from home and so at least it was my chance to do it. Indeed, at the time of writing i haven't been back to my office yet! This is probably now the longest i haven't been in an office since 1996.

Song of the month was "colours" by Roosevelt.