All Steamed Up!

 

I have not been getting out as my back still aches, so here is a picture of the wee trains that once ran around this area.  My back was loosening up so last evening I hobbled up to Sainsburys for one or two needed things and considered all was well.  This morning I found I was incorrect in that opinion and my back had stiffened up just like a couple of days ago.  Bah!  This means I have to be careful for the next day or so once again.  Tsk!

 

 

Instead of anything sensible I this picture of a short train (pulled by an F5 engine as you will realise) running towards Braintree in the days of long ago.  When the line to Colchester reached Witham there was a demand, loudly from the Courtaulds MIll people and many other industrialists and farmers, to branch the line to our door.  This arrived in 1848, I was not present, and remains to this day with an hourly service, hold-ups permitting, daily.  Eventually, in 1869, the line was continued to Bishops Stortford, and a variety of trains, both passenger and frieght (we used to call that 'goods') trains ran along the line.  This was fine for a while but after the Great War bus and lorry traffic increased, many ex-army lorries took the goods produce, and a Charabanc or two would carry people right into their villages.  

By 1951 the last passenger train left, by 1972 the last freight.  A sad loss to many, but with the middle classes owning cars by the 1930's, and now most have to have a car in this are, railways such as this were not going to last.  They served their time, though the real purpose of this line was to prevent another company cutting through and offering competition to the GER Colchester to Norwich line!  This line was always small beer.  

There is always talk of reopening the line as Stansted Airport is at the other end, however this would cost more than it may be worth, including a huge flyover at Dunmow.  This is a pity, maybe I should try and get Boris interested in this.  It would appeal to his publicity needs and while the end result may fail it would benefit the area, if it happened, though at a cost of £100 million it probably won't.

 

A Day Out

Last night I decided I needed to go somewhere to refresh the mind and take some pictures.  So at nine this morning I was aboard the Liverpool Street train and heading for adventure.  I have passed through London on occasions heading elsewhere but as far as I can remember I have only been back once since then.  So I wandered from the station around the city engulfed by cyclists having some sort of parade come protest while I took pictures of the appalling architecture that towers above us.  It was a good day.

Liverpool Street Station, being one of London's busiest, was once a grime covered dark cavern of a place of which I have vague memories.  Today it is light and airy with a myriad of grossly overpriced shops willing to rip you off for a variety of things you really don't need. 

I ignored the delights of donuts (doughnuts surely?) and other tempting specialties on offer from people who failed to learn English before starting their job and went looking for the Great Eastern Railway Great War Memorial, one of our boys is on there.  Fascinating to think that he once worked on the Permanent Way, the rail track itself, and when he died of TB his wife was still allowed to make use of Free travel for the rest of her life.  Railways were indeed a family at that time, I wonder if such would happen today?

Outside we find this statue which I think represents refugee children worldwide beginning with those evacuees who were forced out of cities during the war.  A touching subject that gets admiring glances from many and if you look close the odd empty coffee cup from more cynical people.  The Station inside is clean but the area outside is far from this state. 

High above the road the Great Eastern Hotel as was displays proudly the railways logo 'GER.'  This 1884 hotel has been much renovated and I am not sure if either of the two masonic lodges still exist or whether the trainload of sea water brought each day still arrives for bathing, I suggest the latter no longer occurs.  Now owned by Hyatt the outside is very much Charles Barry's work and remains an outstanding and still expensive hotel.  I didn't go in.

In all those years I spent in London I canny mind seeing one of these.  A police call box for public use. No doubt I must have seen them but they do are not recognised by my mind.  There were several still to be seen and it is possible they are only found withing the City of London and the special City of London police deal with these.

London traffic remains the same, ghastly!  Being Saturday I thought it would be quieter in this part but I was to be proved wrong.  The buses may have changed, and absurd they look, but the rest is similar.

Just down the road began the neck straining day.  High above disgusting buildings filled the sky in an attempt to launder someones stolen Roubles.  This was the first of many difficult to photograph glass fronted mistakes, each and everyone a tower that reaches up to heaven so that someone can make a name for themselves.  

  
I preferred this little chap, once a famous and busy establishment belonging to some group or other as each church was in the past in the city.  Like almost all I passed today this one was closed, this is a pity in my view as tourists need the space as much as city workers, it is sad so many are closed.

Oh and I took 272 pictures, so I may post the rest from tomorrow...what?  Oh!