geoffspages blog

Hope Bowdler

geoffspages — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 17:40:35 +0000

An amazingly mild and sunny afternoon – at home… The car said it was 16°C; fifteen miles away, on Hope Bowdler hill, the clouds were gathering, and the wind was getting up. It certainly didn’t feel like 16°, not with the wind chill on the tops – but the light was good, the air clear and the views extensive. Jodrell Bank, just over 50 miles away, gleamed on the northern horizon – the first time I’ve seen it from Shropshire’s hills

View Larger Map

Littleton revisited

geoffspages — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 21:03:51 +0000

There’s been a Littleton page in the ”Rail Diaries” for some time – photos from a visit in April 1976. Recently, with a new scanner, I’ve tackled the photos taken on an earlier visit in February of the same year. It was a dull day, and I was using (trying out, in effect – with hindsight not a good idea) an unusual home-processed slide film. This time, the scans were usable (if not exactly brilliant).

The April photos have been rescanned too – and all photos are larger than before. For the full set of photos from both February and April 1976, and some details on the fun and games with slide film in the kitchen sink, (re)visit “Littleton” on Geoff’s Rail Diaries

Nothing moved…

geoffspages — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 18:57:56 +0000

Just published – more photos from the archives. This time, some railway oddities in the East Midlands in February 1976, recorded on some rather odd film (see the photographic notes on the page for more…). It was only on putting the page together that I realised – everything had been static. Nothing moved…

Visit “East Midlands oddities” on Geoff’s Rail Diaries

One that got away…

geoffspages — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 22:27:35 +0000

More archive trawling… A late-1974 visit to Radstock, on the former S&DJR, for a steam open day in the eleventh hour of a preservation scheme that fell through. Visit “Radstock S&D” on Geoff’s Rail Diaries

Wenlock, Homer and Wigwig

geoffspages — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 17:46:59 +0000

Homer and Wigwig lie to the north-west of the Wenlock Edge, near Much Wenlock. I visited the former (there’s nothing there, apart from houses) and viewed the latter (a large farm) on this walk from the NT car park in Much Wenlock. Shame the weather wasn’t a bit brighter – no sunshine. just unremitting grey skies. At least it’s not as cold as it was last week.

The route might have been slightly different if I’d remembered to take the map…

View Larger Map

A King at Welshpool – 2’6″ gauge…

geoffspages — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 11:50:57 +0000

A trawl of the archives recently netted these photos taken back in 1974, when a rather fine and unusual articulated locomotive saw service on the Welshpool and Llanfair railway. Visit “Welshpool’s King” on Geoff’s Rail Diaries for more.

The Munslows

geoffspages — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 19:54:34 +0000

I don’t think the temperature ever rose above 1ºC, but it was a great afternoon for a wander on these south-east facing slopes of the Wenlock Edge. With no wind, the sun felt warm, but the air was starting to feel really cold by the time we dropped back down the lane to Aston Munslow.

View Larger Map

Up the Wrekin

geoffspages — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 18:38:09 +0000

Again! It’s a great short walk, perfect for a cold winter afternoon (soon warming up on the plod uphill), with wonderful views across the Severn to the south Shropshire hill country.

I continued along the ridge, descending to Little Hill. There’s virtually no view (unless trees are “view”). Returned to the car along the path through the woods on the north-west side.

View Larger Map

Sundogs

geoffspages — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 16:00:36 +0000

A walk at the northern end of the Wenlock Edge, on a cold but sunny January afternoon. The weather forecast for the next few days wasn’t so favourable – better make the most of it…

View Larger Map

Clive and Grinshill

geoffspages — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 19:14:09 +0000

North of the Severn – a rocky sandstone outcrop, still being worked for its fine pale sandstone. Old workings abound in the woodlands – some deep and dangerous, others open and explorable. The summit is only 192 metres (630′) above sea level, but provides a great viewpoint for the south Shropshire hill country.

View Larger Map