Review of 2025 (4) : Q4

We enter the final quarter of the year. One theme for quarter four was the transport museum. I started a new section of my website dedicated to road transport this quarter, and i visited a few museums to update my photography to help this new website section.

October indeed started with a visit to the excellent Coventry Transport Museum. After that came yet another visit to Buckinghamshire, this time to Wendover. Following a trip to Stafford station, there was the month's big trip down to Southend, which also included a visit to Rochford. Finally, there was a visit to the wonderful bus museum in Wythall.

November began with another Buckinghamshire trip, this time to Horsenden and Saunderton. This month i got an agreement with my publisher for my fourth book which will be on the railway stations of Herefordshire and Worcestershire. I do need to update my photography though and this began with a trip to the three Worcester stations, followed by trips to Redditch and Colwall. The final trip in November was a return visit to Narborough in Leicestershire.

Into the final month then, December began with a return visit to Long Buckby. Then i went to the excellent Museum of Making in Derby. Just before Christmas i headed down to Banbury where i also did a canal walk. After Christmas there was a trip down to London where i went to London Transport Museum.

So, that bought the adventures of 2025 to an end. What awaits in 2026?

Coventry Transport Museum

Southend-on-Sea

Horsenden

Museum of Making

Review of 2025 (3) : Q3

So, into the second half of the year we go. The first half was pretty intense to be honest. How would the second half be? Pretty busy indeed though with much less of a focus on visiting new places compared to the first half of the year.

July began with a trip to Little Kimble and Ellesborough, Buckinghamshire would figure pretty highly in the second half of the year with multiple trips. This was followed by a return to Bearley, and then back to Buckingamshire again, this time to Denham. Finally, there was a trip to Stafford station. Railway photography trips to Stafford and Derby would become more common as i switched to a four day week.

August began with the long-awaited Rail 200 event at Derby, and what a wonderful thing that was too! Then it was back to Buckinghamshire again, this time to Monks Risborough and Princes Risborough. There was a canal walk along my old hunting ground, the Tame Valley. There was a trip to Crewe station. I returned to Buckinghamshire yet again with a trip to Stoke Mandeville. Closer to home were trips to Codsall and Budbrooke.

September began with a trip to London and some travelling up and down the Bakerloo Line. I returned to Belper in Derbyshire and Hinckley in Leicestershire, the second half of the year saw me return to a number of towns i have been to once before, but years ago. Attenborough in Nottinghamshire was another return visit, which also included a walk along the Trent and Beeston Cut.

Bearley

Derby

Belper

Beeston Marina

Review of 2025 (2) : Q2

Well 2025 was off to a good start in the first three months, but now things were about to really hit high gear.

April began with a return to London and a Hidden London tour at Holborn tube station. This is a tour i have tried to do a couple of times before but had to cancel due to bad weather and illness, this time it was a case of third time lucky and it was excellent. I headed up to Liverpool next which included a walk along the Leeds & Liverpool Canal.

Then the big one, a two night stay in Sevenoaks. I explored the railways of western Kent over two days. I also visited Otford and East Malling. Finally, i updated some more West Midlands railway station photography.

There was some more of this at the start of May with a trip to Stourbridge. Then i returned to the north west and visited Southport, i like a visit to the seaside. I updated my photography around Solihull railway stations and then at the end of the month came my yearly trip down to Guildford. I travelled railways around Berkshire, Hampshire and Surrey. I also visited Ewell and Farnborough. If that wasn't enough for the month i was also able to do a canal walk in Leicester!

June was a little less busy. It started with a trip to Coventry to update railway photography, and the city itself. The furthest i went in June was over to Caersws in Wales. Finally, at the end of the month i went down to Wootton Wawen and did a canal walk too.

Holborn tube station

East Malling

Southport

Ewell

Review of 2025 (1) : Q1

As 2025 is drawing to a close it is time to take a look back at the railway adventures and trips of the year. Of course, there were many and full coverage can be found on my website.

In January i started my trips with one to Alderley Edge. This was followed by a sub-zero canal walk in Apsley! The trip to Yate in Gloucestershire was next, only slightly warmer! Finally, in January i began my updates of West Midlands railway station photography (ready for my third book) with a trip around the Walsall area.

February began with a nearly failed trip to Grantham where i only had time to visit the station, i never did get around to going back so i could visit Grantham itself, maybe in 2026. The trip to Charlbury the week after was much more successful. I've wanted to visit Runcorn for some time and walk across the Silver Jubilee Bridge to Widnes, i was able to both this month. Finally, i updated my station photography along the Coventry line.

I really want to visit Wales more, in March i visited Caldicot though i only managed to cross the border once more in 2025. Wellingborough was next, this meant i had visited all of the Northamptonshire railway stations (not the hardest of tasks to be honest). Then came my first trip to London this year as i explored the northern end of the Piccadilly Line. I visited Yorton in Shropshire next, which was a big contrast from the capital. Finally, i visited some stations along the Snow Hill lines.

Apsley

Charlbury

Widnes

Caldicot

Asterix in Lusitania

The latest Asterix book and our Gaulish heroes finally visit Portugal. This occurs because of a request from a man called Randomaxess from Lusitania (who had a small unnamed appearance in the Mansions of the Gods). His friend Umaminess, who produces garam fish sauce which Julius Caesar likes, has been wrongly thrown in prison after being accused of trying to poison JC.

Asterix and Obelix head to Lusitania, a land of melancholy and (to Obelix's horror) fermented fish. Getting Umaminess out of prison is easy but Asterix also wants to prove his innocence so he will no longer be persecuted. The real poisoner is an ambitious Roman governor. 

This is a fine Asterix romp, the best books are the ones where he and Obelix visit another land, so the piss can be ruthlessly taken. Naturally this book is packed full of regionally appropriate puns and cameos, including Ronaldo of course!

Black and blue

Merry Christmas everyone, i hope those who celebrate it got some nice presents or at least some cheer. One of my presents was a TWSBI fountain pen. Now, i received one last year as well and i have been happily writing with it ever since. Practicing my handwriting is something i am quite keen on, it has definitely improved over the last decade. Although, my writing style is quite individual...

However, the pen only wrote in black ink. I wanted to write in blue as well, so the easiest thing is just to ask for another TWSBI pen! So, i now have two and can write in either black or blue as the mood takes. Maybe next year i'll ask for a third and get some red ink...

Analogue in a digital age

These days all of the music i listen to is in a digital format. I buy mp3s from Bandcamp (mostly), i do not use any of the streaming sites as i regard them as evil. Don't rip off artists, unless it is Gary Glitter or something. However, in the past i used to buy and listen to a lot of music on a variety of physical, and analogue, formats.

This included compact discs of course, i used to have hundreds of them. I still have quite a few though never listen to any of them, and i'm not sure if i still have a player. Going back further, the first music i ever bought was on cassette format, and of course i used to make compilation tapes on TDK90s to play on my Dad's car stereo.

I miss cassette tapes, and i actually have a trio of recent albums released on the format which i haven't got around to listening to yet, because i didn't have a decent player. That has changed with the arrival of this neat little music box which i have just treated myself to. It also has a radio tuner, and can even play mp3s via USB or SD card, though i got it to play tapes and a retro thrill it is. I have the latest album by my current favourite artist Yota on order. I have it as mp3 already of course but getting it on cassette will be fun.

A trip to Banbury

I felt like some Banbury cakes so headed down to the fine Oxfordshire town to try and find some. I was unsuccessful actually, the last time i was there i did find some Banbury cakes at a small cake shop downa  side street but i don't know if the shop still exists. I couldn't find it in any event.

But it was still a good trip, i visited the Banbury museum which had a slightly creepy old teddy bear as one of it's exhibits and had a walk along the Oxford Canal.

Death in White Pyjamas

Death in white pyjamas by John Bude is a crime novel involving that most treacherous of worlds, that being the one of the theatre!

A group of actors are gathered at the estate of their rich backer to prepare before their next play. Crimes then begin to occur, first the theft of some money then finally the theatre set designer is found dead in a lake in her white pyjamas.

The story is a little slow to get going, and has a lot of characters who need to be established. This doesn't help with the pacing early on but once the story is up and running, and the police detective gets to work, it becomes a fine murder mystery.

Star Wars Omnibus - A Long Time Ago 1

Over the last few weeks and months i have reread my sole surviving Marvel Star Wars comic from the early 1980s a few times and also bought another one on eBay. I did ask myself though, at the time, if these comics had been republished in collected form, and indeed they have so instead of wasting 5 pounds on a faded tatty comic why not spend just twice that on a big thick (oo-er) volume?

This collection begins with the Marvel comic adaptation of the first Star Wars film of course, but interesting as that is i was more eager to see  how they continued the storyline after the destruction of the Death Star, while waiting to adapt Empire Strikes Back a few years down the line. To be honest the original stories do not begin that well...

The first story is a retelling of the Magnificent Seven in all but name (at least that is kind of apt considering the Kurosawa influence on Star Wars in general of course) with Han Solo assembling a motley crew of mercenaries to fight off some alien hoards to defend some poor villagers. All seems fine though the story is very unlike Star Wars, apart from Solo and Chewie all the characters seem rather Marvel comic generic and it just doesn't feel like Star Wars...

Things begin to improve later on when Darth Vader makes a reappearance and the Empire in general becomes the focus for the storyline, an interesting new universe begins to emerge involving the Empire's allies called the House of Tagge.

Of course the problem for the comic's creators was that they only had the first film to play with for background, nowadays there is a much more expanded universe. Thus, some events and characterizations in these stories are a bit off and the later films do contradict some of the events which take place here (yes Luke and Leia get some lovey dovey action...)

Despite these niggles overall these are a great set of comics and well worth the money.

Barking to Southend

Two separate railway lines were built from London out to Southend-on-Sea in Essex, which became a popular seaside resort, and both are still busy routes today. This book by Dr Edwin Course concentrates on the former London, Tilbury & Southend Railway which opened in through to Southend in 1856 before continuing further east. 

Part of the route in east London runs alongside the District and Hammersmith & City Lines of the London Underground such as at Barking. Indeed, in the first half of the twentieth century, the District Line ran through to Southend during the Summer!

Once you get to Southend then you can sample the delights of the longest pleasure pier in the world. So long indeed that it has it's own railway! You can also stop off at Leigh-on-Sea on the way and see one of the previous generation Southend Pier Railway cars in a cafe!

An excellent book on an interesting railway line.

Barking

Former Southend Pier Railway car in Leigh-on-Sea

Southend Central

Southend Pier Railway

Rendezvous - South Atlantic

Douglas Reeman was one of my favourite authors when i was younger, although his tales of naval combat all tended to be fairly similar. The main character would be a man broken by past horrors and failure, he would be given a new chance at redemption but knowing that it was probably his last chance.

He would meet a woman, fall in love. Come into conflict with a superior officer or someone higher up in society and face losing everything, including the girl in the final action set piece.

Well that basically is the plot of this excellent story which features a captain given command of an armed merchant ship. Can Commander Lindsay get his battered old ship and crew of misfits into shape before their ultimate test?

Many Reeman stories had this kind of story outline, but this one was one of the best.

A trip to the Museum of Making

I went to Derby (again) last Friday. This time i didn't just stay at the station i also ventured into the city of Derby too, to visit the Museum of Making. I have wanted to visit this museum dedicated to Derby's industrial and manufacturing heritage for some time, especially since i found out they had a Trent turbofan hanging from the ceiling in the hall. Now that was even more impressive (and bigger) than i thought it would be!

The museum is excellent with a lot of very interesting exhibits, especially old metal signs. It is well worth a visit. You can see my photographs here.

The Empire of a Thousand Planets

This is book 2 in the Valerian and Laureline series, they being a couple of chilled dudes from the future who work for the Spatio-Temporal Service of Earth. They travel through space and time having various adventures. 

I enjoyed the first book in the series and this one is pretty good too. Written in the early 1970s, it has a kind of hippie sci-fi feel to it (think Dark Star) rather than the techno-fascist sci-fi horror that came later (think... well most other things).

Compared to the first book there is maybe a little less out-and-out adventure and action but a more involved storyline. The first book also took place on a ruined future (for us, past for them) Earth while this takes place in a remote corner of the galaxy. It's all quite implausible, our heroes have amazing abilities and no doubt a lot of luck but also very enjoyable.

Great play is made by the publishers on the similarities between Valerian & Laureline and the later Star Wars epics of George Lucas. Did Lucas get some "inspiration" from this? Who knows, it could all be a co-incidence but there do seem to be quite a lot of co-incidences...

Last will and testament

One of Elizabeth Ferrars' most enjoyable series were the books featuring the unusual couple of Virginia and Felix, an estranged married couple who repeatedly are drawn back together to solve murders!

This is the first book in the series. Virginia and Felix get involved in a case of will shenanigans for an old lady who died broke, and yet her will seems to result a number of murders...

Not a huge amount of detective work takes place in this story but it is an enjoyable read nonetheless and a good crime story. The story has a complicated plot as Virginia and Felix endeavour to discover which of the story's small ensemble is behind the crimes. 

A good start to an unusual but recommended series of books.

Look-in Television Annual 1974

Look-in was a pop culture magazine aimed at teenagers which ran for many years, this was the 1974 annual. The annual is a fascinating look at what the "youth" were into (or maybe supposed to be into) back then, and also what was considered cool. Yes, there is a photo of Gary Glitter on page 8.

So, what was cool in 1974? Bless This House was a popular sit-com at the time, and gets a comic strip here. The artist only seems to have had a vague notion of what Sid James looked like though. Kung Fu, Doctor At Sea and Black Beauty are among the other TV series featured.

There are a lot of pop stars too, some of whom haven't been cancelled in recent years for their actions in the 1970s plus some quizzes and jokes. A pleasant look into what kids were into back then, in an age way before social media. 

Reading to Guildford

The North Downs Line stretches from Reading to Redhill, via Guildford which can be considered the mid-point of the line. An interesting line as well which i have travelled up and down many times. So interesting indeed that my fifth book will be on this very line but more on that at a (much) later date.

This Middleton Press volume by Vic Mitchell and Keith Smith covers the line to Guildford and the various interesting stations along it, some with a military connection like Crowthorne and Sandhurst. Period maps and photography are paired with the usual informative text.

Another great Middleton Press volume. My book on the same line (probably due out in 2028) has a lot to live up to!

Reading

Wokingham

Farnborough North

Guildford

Churches of Warwickshire (7) : St Mary Magdalene, Tanworth-in-Arden

The church of St Mary Magdalene in the village of Tanworth-in-Arden dates from the early 14th century. Unlike many churches which have been added to over the centuries, the majority of the building was done in one period, probably in from about 1300 up to the 1330s. The church consists of a west tower with spire, chancel, nave and a north aisle.

There were some changes though. The original arcade was demolished in 1790. The arcade was rebuilt during a Victorian restoration in 1880.

Flight 714

In this, the penultimate completed Tintin story, Tintin and his companions (Snowy, Haddock and Calculus) end up on a private jet which is hijacked and landed on a remote island in the West Pacific by a group of hoodlums. These men are intent on relieving one of the world's richest men (the superbly arrogant and vile Carreidas) of some of his vast fortune. However, the island which are they landed on has more secrets than even the bad guys banked on though...

Flight 714 is a dark story, though not without much of the humour that you often get with later Tintin and its ensemble cast, it is even a bit post-modern at times with quite a few recurring jokes from earlier in the series. The violence is rawer, less comical than the early Tintin days but i find the emotions which that brings up helps make Flight 714 a very engaging read.

Flight 714 has been criticised though for its deus ex machina resolution as it involves extraterrestrials. However. i have no problem with this, the story was written at a time when the ancient astronauts theory as popularised by Erich Von Daniken was very popular, and alien abductions and sightings were very common. This book really caught the late 60s zeitgeist, but in subsequent years Von Daniken's ideas have become discredited. This doesn't detract from the excitement such fantastic ideas cause if they were true, nor indeed the quality of Flight 714.

It has some of the best examples of artwork in any Tintin story, some of the scenes such as the jet landing, can only be described as cinematic and breathtaking. The story is not perfect though, some of the small universe syndrome which Tintin suffers from crops up again, as the same bad guys we've seen quite a few times already in early books return again. The story also seems to finish fairly abruptly. These are only minor points, while it might be less accessible than some earlier Tintin books, Flight 714 is truly a good story.

A trip to Long Buckby

At the weekend i went to Long Buckby in Northamptonshire. I have been here once before a number of years ago, and Long Buckby is a nice place that is well worth a repeated visit. The town has a very nice church, a number of thatched cottages and buildings and even a castle... though the latter is just a few mounds!

You can see my photos of Long Buckby here.